Svec: Balance, Our Most Delicate Sense

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

Balance cover

BALANCE: A DIZZYING JOURNEY
THROUGH THE SCIENCE OF
OUR MOST DELICATE SENSE
Carol Svec
Chicago Review Press, September 1, 2017, $26.99
ISBN-10: 1613734824; ISBN-13: 978-1613734827
Also available as e-readers for Kindle and Nook,
and as an audio book (MP3 and CD)

Svec reports:

Balance was inspired by witnessing my mother fall head-first onto a concrete floor, resulting in two skull fractures. She was walking up three steps and simply lost her balance. That was a powerful impetus. Happily, my mom is doing well today.

Carol Svec

Developing the proposal was … different. For 15 years, I had been a coauthor or ghostwriter for medical professionals. That requires a specific set of skills, including writing in someone else’s voice. Balance was just me. I went through several iterations of the proposal, but my agent always sent it back with a note to “make it sound more like you.” Eventually, I got a little snarky and submitted a proposal that was totally, completely, over-the-top me. I expected to be advised to rein it in, but my agent loved it. That’s the style we went with.

I chose Chicago Review Press as my publisher because I love their eclectic mix of quirky authors, and because they keep a strong backlist of books, which is important in today’s market.

If I could go back and do it again, I would change the way I initially researched the topic. My usual method is to suck up every bit of written information available, organize by chapter, write the basics, then use expert interviews for support and interest.

With Balance, that initial research grab left me in a sea of paper — about 400 articles that couldn’t always be clearly categorized into my chapter list. The scope of Balance is huge.

My process changed to identifying and interviewing leading experts first. They explained the intricacies of their particular slice of balance in ways I couldn’t get from research alone, and they were happy to introduce me to other experts and recommend seminal journal articles. They set the tone for each chapter. I wish I had known that before complicating the process with a glut of paper.

My advice for aspiring writers is to not be afraid of putting yourself into your writing. Your personality is part of your style. Embrace it. Be a science storyteller.

Contact info:

Carol Svec, 919-269-6248, carolsvec@mac.com, http://www.carolsvec.com
Book websites: http://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/balance-products-9781613734827.php; http://www.carolsvec.com/books
Blog: http://www.carolsvec.com/blog-ish-musings
Jane Dystel, 212-627-9100, jane@dystel.com
Publicist: Olivia Aguilar, 312-337-0747 ext. 212, oaguilar@chicagoreviewpress.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.