The Writing and Publishing Roller Coaster

October marks the tenth anniversary since I began working on my natural history of Mount Rainier National Park. Along the way, I’ve experienced a wide range of emotions: confusion at first, lacking a clear direction; hope and confidence as the book came together; discouragement upon receiving a publisher’s rejection; and, unbridled joy when I signed a publishing contract last November.

The roller coaster winds on as we inch toward the March release. I’m still recovering from the copy editing phase, the process where the editor sends one chapter at a time with suggested edits; the writer responds to each one. Trained professionals, editors are cold-blooded word killers with little mercy. Prose assassins. Poet and author Tim McNulty told me that “The editor isn’t always right, but she’s always your editor.” How many edits were suggested for each chapter? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? How about an average of 450 per chapter?! Getting a tattoo with a blunt needle would produce a similar level of pain. Most edits are minor, add up quickly, and strengthen and tighten the work. Still, after numerous drafts and dozens of expert readers, it’s a humbling process. Some of my editor’s comments: “Filler.” “Hyperbolic.” “Too personal.” Me: “But I slaved over that paragraph—I love it!” On the other hand, comments like “So interesting!” or “Lovely writing” reassure me.

Beyond copy edit trauma, things perk along. The design team has drafted the front cover, which now appears on the website. I’ll soon receive and review the first proofs, the original paper copy of the book. In the meantime, I’m getting the back cover endorsements and finding reviewers. Reading the description for the Press’s online catalog was a huge boost. My first ISBN number! Here’s the catalog copy—I hope it excites you as much as it did me!

Uncommon, undeniably Northwest reads

Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910
Pullman, WA 99164-5910
wsupress.wsu.edu

Tahoma and Its People
A Natural History of Mount Rainier National Park
Jeff Antonelis-Lapp
MARCH
Illustrations / maps / notes / bibliography / index
6″ x 9″ * 324 pages
ISBN 978-0-87422-373-6
Paperback * $27.95

A magnificent active volcano, Mount Rainier ascends to 14,410 feet above sea level—the highest in Washington State. The source of five major rivers, it has more glaciers than any other peak in the contiguous U.S. Its slopes are home to ancient forests, spectacular subalpine meadows, and unique, captivating creatures.

In Tahoma and Its People, a passionate, informed, hands-on science educator presents a natural and environmental history of Mount Rainier National Park and the surrounding region. Jeff Antonelis-Lapp explores geologic processes that create and alter landscapes, interrelationships within and between plant and animal communities, weather and climate influences on ecosystems, and what linked the iconic mountain with people who traveled to it for millennia. He intersperses his own direct observation and study of organisms, as well as personal interactions with rangers, archaeologists, a master Native American weaver, and others. He covers a plethora of topics: geology, archaeology, indigenous villages and use of resources, climate and glacier studies, alpine and forest ecology, rivers, watershed dynamics, keystone species, threatened wildlife, geological hazards, and current resource management. Numerous color illustrations, maps, and figures supplement the text.

Jeff Antonelis-Lapp taught environmental education, natural history, and writing at The Evergreen State College from 1998 to 2015. Prior to that, he was a continuing education program coordinator for the Muckleshoot Tribe, adjunct faculty member at City University in Renton, and a classroom teacher. He holds an M.Ed. in science education from the University of Washington.