Mary Otto: Teeth

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

Cover: Teeth

TEETH: THE STORY OF BEAUTY, INEQUALITY
AND THE STRUGGLE FOR ORAL HEALTH IN AMERICA
Mary Otto, The New Press, March 14, 2017, $26.95
ISBN-10: 1620971445; ISBN-13: 978-1620971444

Otto reports:

Looking back, I realize that Teeth got its start with a story I covered when I was a metro reporter for The Washington Post. It was a 2007 article about Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old child covered by Medicaid, who died of complications from a dental abscess. His mother, Alyce Driver, had been trying to get dental care for Deamonte's younger brother when Deamonte got sick. But then, as now, Medicaid dentists could be very hard to find.

The nation's more than 70 million Medicaid patients are not alone in their struggles to find dental care. For reasons including poverty, provider shortages, and inadequate dental benefits, an estimated one-third of Americans face barriers getting access to the nation's separate, carefully-guarded, largely private practice dental system.

Mary Otto, photo by Nancy Crampton

In 2008, when my Post job disappeared in a newsroom downsizing, I found freelance work writing about dental care. My understanding of the subject was immeasurably deepened when I was chosen as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow. Thanks to the fellowship, I spent the 2009-2010 academic year at Harvard studying dentistry and public health.

I also attended a three-day continuing education course, "Achieving Healthcare Leadership and Outcomes through Writing and Publishing," led by Harvard physician and author Julie Silver. It was there that I met Boston literary agent Albert LaFarge, who encouraged me to move forward with my book idea. Still, it took more than three additional years of reporting and writing before I managed to develop what I considered a viable proposal.

When I finally connected with Marc Favreau, editorial director of The New Press, Marc helped me refine and improve my proposal. The New Press ultimately accepted it. Marc and his team saw Teeth as fitting into The New Press mission: to publish books on important social issues that may be overlooked by larger publishers. They used their gifts to help bring this book to life.

Contact info:

Mary Otto, 202-342-6040, mary@healthjournalism.org
Book website: thenewpress.com/books/teeth
Publicist: Beverly Rivero, 212-629-4636, brivero@thenewpress.com
Agent: Albert LaFarge, lafargeliterary@gmail.com

NASW members: will your book be published soon? Take advantage of this opportunity for shameless self-promotion. Submit your report for Advance Copy.

Tell your fellow NASW members how you came up with the idea for your book, developed a proposal, found an agent and publisher, funded and conducted research, and put the book together. Include what you wish you had known before you began working on your book, or had done differently.

See https://www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines.

Thinking of writing a book? If you are a NASW member, you may access a list of more than 150 books and online resources to help you craft your book proposal, find an agent and funding sources, negotiate your contract, learn about self-publishing, publicize and market your book, and more at https://www.nasw.org/article/write-book.

Send book info and questions about book publishing to Lynne Lamberg, NASW book editor, llamberg@nasw.org.

Advance Copy

The path from idea to book may take myriad routes. The Advance Copy column, started in 2000 by NASW volunteer book editor Lynne Lamberg, features NASW authors telling the stories behind their books. Authors are asked to report how they got their idea, honed it into a proposal, found an agent and a publisher, funded and conducted their research, and organized their writing process. They also are asked to share what they wish they’d known when they started or would do differently next time, and what advice they can offer aspiring authors. Lamberg edits the authors’ answers to produce the Advance Copy reports.

NASW members: Will your book be published soon? Visit www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines for information on submitting your report.

Publication of NASW author reports in Advance Copy does not constitute NASW's endorsement of any publication or the ideas, values, or material contained within or espoused by authors or their books. We hope this column stimulates productive discussions on important topics now and in the future as both science and societies progress. We welcome your discussion in the comments section below.