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Yes, it’s true. I have a book deal.
Official news came out in Publisher’s Marketplace this morning, and Eat Me Daily broke the news to the food world soon afterwards.
Needless to say I am pretty psyched about this whole thing, especially as I had been as quiet as I could about the prospect until it actually happened. (Didn’t want to jinx anything.) Writing a book has been something I’ve wanted to do since my early 20s, and I gotta say the reality is as good as the fantasy I’d harbored for more than a decade.
First the mechanics: I signed with Rodale Press, my editor is Pam Krauss and the book is tentatively slated for release in the first part of 2011. The working title is Honest Food: Finding the Forgotten Feast.
The back story: It began early this year with my nomination for a James Beard Foundation award for Best Food Blog. I did not win (my friends at Sunset did), but even before the awards ceremony I began getting calls from literary agents wondering if I had “representation.” I kept wanting to say something like, “Hay-ll yes, you damn right I rep-ree-zent!” But I didn’t. (thankfully.) Instead I politely said “no” and asked to hear more.
Now the idea of several agents calling and wanting to represent me was at once flattering and ironic. Nearly a decade ago I wrote a political novel set around Virginia’s legislature (the book was about how the Old South is still very much alive, despite the commonwealth’s New South veneer) and tried mightily to find an agent who would help me find a publisher for the thing. Nada. Not even a listen. So I shelved the manuscript and moved on.
Flash forward and here I was in the enviable position of choosing agents. Most were good, although one I declined with a rejection letter that was almost word-for-word what an agent had sent to me back in 2000. Have to admit that was fun. But I finally went with the duo of Lydia Wills and Jason Yarn at Paradigm. Why? Mostly I just liked them the most, and chemistry matters in any creative business. But they’re also interested in a lot of opportunities outside straight-up book publishing, and I like that, too.
I wrote a proposal in May and Lydia and Jason sent it out. I wound up with three good offers – again, an enviable position – and liked what Rodale had in mind best. (And yes, I got an advance. No, I am not telling you how much. Suffice to say I will be keeping my day job.)
Enough backstory. What the hell will this book be about?
At its core, Honest Food will be about my adventures through this edible world – as well as a guide to help others become more active participants in what they feed themselves and their families. Honest food is all around us: We just need to look for it.
Americans used to be able to cook, and Americans used to eat a far more diverse array of foods that they do now in this Age of Corn. When even lamb and duck are considered by many to be exotic, we have a problem. My goal is to offer an alternative, to open to those willing to walk with me a wider world of edible options. Mercifully, Americans are beginning to cook seriously again, though this will not be a book about basic cooking skills, nor will it dwell on those foods commonly seen in supermarkets – although many of the better mega-marts are starting to carry things like squab and cardoons and wild mushrooms, making my recipes a bit more accessible.
Which brings me to this point: Honest food does not have to be plucked from a tree, reeled in from a boat or shot from the sky. Honest food means knowing what is in your food and knowing where it came from. I buy domestic pork from a local hog farmer who raises his Berkshires humanely, lets them grow fatter, and kills them far later than any factory-farmed pig. I’ve bought lambs and goats from farmers I know and trust. I am a regular at several farmer’s markets. And yes, I still shop in supermarkets, too, largely for dairy products, salt, sugar, grains and beer.
What I hope to achieve with this book is to help show people that foraged, fished and hunted food can easily be integrated into an otherwise typical life. After all, I too have a day job I intend to keep. All you need is a sack and some scissors to turn a walk in the woods into a foraging trip. And what better way to be sure the meat and fish you eat is free of hormones and antibiotics, that it led as good a life as it could have, than to hunt, fish or raise it yourself?
Will there be recipes? You bet. How many remains to be seen.
And regular readers of this space need not worry: I am not simply cobbling together all my old blog posts into a book. You will definitely see some of the same topics I write about here, but Honest Food will go deeper, be more helpful for those looking to get started on these endeavors, be less regional in focus (I’ve lived all over the country, so the book will not be California-centric.) and will – I hope – not only tell readers how to hunt or fish or forage wild greens, but will also tell them why they should bother in the first place.
That’s my hope. Now it’s time to get crackin’. Wish me luck!
Hank, this is such great news — congratulations to you!
Congrats mate, I couldn’t be happier for you. If there is one blog out there that really deserves a book – just to cover topics in more depth if anything, it is yours.
Course your interesting topics, joyous writing and wit are going to make it incredible reading in a year or so.
Congrats! I’m so excited for you! Can’t wait to read it.
Woot! I’m looking forward to buying a copy of your book for myself–and more importantly, as gifts! I’ve tried to get friends & family hooked on your blog like I am–because I know they’d love your info–but they just aren’t blog readers, no matter how hard I try. Yay for print!
Can’t wait till 2011.
Congratulations Hank. That is terrific. Enviable indeed. Choosing your agent and the publisher is enviable indeed. I hope for a signed copy when the time comes.
Now.. I gotta go research sausage stuffers. Thanks Hank!
This is exciting news, coming at the start of fall hunting seasons no less. You’ve got a wonderful and exciting adventure ahead of you, Hank. Congratulations. Put me down for an autographed, blood-stained copy.
That kicks ass, Hank! I’m pretty stoked for ya! I know this has been kind of a big deal for you for a while, and actually watching it turn into a reality has got to be awesome!
Hope you’ll still find time to hunt with us little people once you’re a famous, published author!
Congrats–can’t wait to buy a copy!
how exciting! i know i’ll be looking forward to it. good luck with all the work ahead!
Super good news indeed! Congratulations! I am very happy for you. I am so proud of you and have told all my friends about it. I am really looking forward to reading your book. I know it will make an impact on how people think about their food.
Love,
Mum
This is my first post to your blog, though it has been a mainstay of my morning/evening reverie before/after running to work at my restaurant. I wanted to thank you for your fine work and say I’m thrilled you’re working with Jason–we went to college together and are very good friends. This book is already off to the most auspicious of beginnings…keep at it and know you have loyal industry readers who are keenly interested both in what you say and–not least of all–how wonderfully you say it.
Mille grazie,
CBH
Awesome news, Brother-man!!! I’ll be honored to read it and have a copy on my shelf for others to see. Great job!
Do I really have to be the one on Mum’s heels? We’re so thrilled for you and saving you a space on the kitchen counter. Can’t wait for the book … and the journey! Did someone say sausage stuffers? I was thinking more along the lines of stocking stuffers…
Congrats! I’ve loved the Blog and can’t wait to read what you’ll create in book form. Best of luck!
Like CBH, I don’t post (much), but find my busy days necessarily interrupted when a new article is added. I have received many positive comments on the meals I have made based on recipes listed here. An exotic venison dinner served to guests gives me the opportunity to preach the honest food gospel and further our message of sustainable hunting. I look forward to the book.
Much of what I make nowadays is inspired by the likes of what I pick up here. Thank you for your contribution to my kitchen! Now I need a curing refrigerator. Can I request a post that covers how to make one?
Congrats!
-dave
YES!!!!
Fantastic, Hank! I know you have your built in photographer, but let me know if you need a book jacket portrait — or anything else, for that matter. Amy and I are so happy for you.
Hank, congrats on a well-deserved deal and recognition. This is good news for all of us and I’m in your corner…wishing you all the best!
Congratulations! This is exceedingly exciting (as well as the James Beard nomination.). Especially in this era when I wonder what will happen to publishing… to be recognized for your writing is doubly impressive.
Absolutely wonderful news Hank!
You are now, livin’ the dream!
Congratulations! I find your blog informative and unusual- you are a man for all seasons. It will be a super book!
Congrats! A dream come true, for you and your readers, that’s so awesome! I happened upon your blog this past spring while researching online resources for a first time NH B.O.W. workshop on foraging plus prepping and cooking wild game; Cook like a Wild Woman. Your book will be a wonderful addition to the information we can make available to our enthusiastic “Wild Women” in future workshops! I have read your blog avidly ever since and have passed the link on to many.
Congratulations. This is wonderful news. As much as I love food blogs, I would love even more to have a real, physical, pages and all, book about your food on my shelf. I’ll look forward to 2011. Best of luck as you move forward on the project.
Congratulations, Hank! Count Nate and I in for a few copies (gifts and such). I hope your wicked sense of humor creeps in alongside your mad cooking s-k-ills!
What a well-deserved honor. Your blog is an inspiration to all of us whose goal is to live closer to the land. I would wish you good luck, but you hardly need it- your talent and dedication will take you anywhere you want to go. Congrats!
Best of luck! Your blog is a breath of fresh air, thanks for taking us along for the ride
Well deserved, Hank. Good luck!
Many congratulations to you! I look forward to your book.
Very good! Sort of a River Cottage Cookbook for Americans? One of my favorite books… I’ll be looking forward to yours.
Great job! Congratulations, and it truly is a well deserved acknowledgement of your work.
Best regards,
Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles.
I’m so excited for you! I wish you the best of luck and I’ll be one of the first to order a book!
Well Deserved, Bravo! Have only recently become a fan, and Iam intrigued everytime I read a new post. Original schemes that leave me smiling, if only because I had never thought of it. Enjoy the Ride.
Hank, that’s great!! Many congratulations. It’s going to be a great read.
Hank, I can’t wait to add your book to my collection. I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now, and I always gain new and interesting perspectives about many things. Sometimes, even food! By the way, I hope you’ve saved that old manuscript; you might just find a much more receptive audience for it now.
Outstanding news! Your blog is itself an honest representation of your passion for natural foods of all sorts. Put me down for a pre-publication order of your book when it comes out. Hopefully you’ll have a passage or two about the sublime delight of eating Great South Bay fluke or flounder the same day you bounced a squid trip past their nose while on a head boat out of Bay Shore.
I’ve tried with little success to get my hunter/foodie friends to read and love this blog as much as I do. Now, in print, I stand a far greater chance. I see a perfect gifting opportunity in this book. Congrats, Hank!
don’t ever really comment, but wanted to offer congratulations. great news and very much deserved. I have learned a lot from your blog and often pass on posts to other folks. looking forward to the book.
Excellent news! You inspire me (and all of us that read your blog) to be more responsible and conscious about what I cook for my family and friends. I read alot of literature about this topic, but for some reason (and I assume I am not alone by the James Beard nod and the amount of followers to your blog) your writing seems to make it more accessible way of cooking and ultimately living. Thanks again for your blog, and i will continue to direct people in the direction of your blog as well as your book! Thanks again and keep up the great work you do.
That is so exciting, to you and to your regular readers! Best of luck to you. Hey if you need any help testing recipes, let me know.
Jeff and I had a great time talking with you and Holly in SF. I’m gonna keep on you about the Hank Shaw cooking show too. After all, you’ve gotta find something to do after you finish the book.
As for football, you didn’t tell me you were a Giants fan. I don’t know if I can go tuna fishing all day with a Giants fan. Now, if you tell me if you’re a Yankees guy instead of a Sawx guy, the entire friendship could be in jeopardy.
Susan: Don’t worry, I am not one of “those” fans. And I actually am a Red Sox fan — remember my mom is from Glaw-sta.
For all of you who are asking about recipe testing, all I can say is try the recipes on this site and offer me your suggestions! Many will appear in the book, although I reckon there will be new ones, too.
Tony: You bet there will be stories about fluke in the Great South Bay! I am planning on returning there in 2010 — want to make the road trip?
Will: The book I am shooting for is something like Euell Gibbons meets Fergus Henderson meets Michael Pollan — with a little Iron Chef tossed in for good measure…
David the Archer: You bet I will do a post on my curing fridge — when our wether cools. Until then search it on this site, and you will be able to glean enough to get you started.
Chris Hajduk: I am thrilled (and I don’t use that term lightly) that real, working cooks and chefs like this space. It’s been so long since I was one of you, yet I still refuse to call myself a “chef” because I never reached that status in a real working kitchen. Great to know my fellow grease-stained wretches are reading!
And to all the rest of you, THANK YOU ONE HUNDRED MILLION!!!!
8-D
Congratulations!And put me on the list for review copies — I’m the Cookbook Slut at Bookslut these days — this book is *exactly* the sort of thing I’ve been advocating.
Wait until the first time you see one in a bookstore. It’s a very weird feeling. Great, but weird. (Of course, it’s more embarassing when your brother is holding a copy over his head and yelling “Look! The author is RIGHT HERE!”).
I found your blog earlier this year and after reading a few posts, and without you writing it explicitly, I just *knew* you must be in Sacto. As a transplant in the south of France, your writing took me back to what was best about the region.
Good luck as you expand your focus!
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That is super awesome! Congrats!
Congrats, Hank, that’s wonderful news. Look forward to buying and reading it! Rodale seems terrific.
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Congrats on the book, Hank. Count me in for a copy.
Put me down for one hundred thousand copies.
Of all the best wishes I’d ever wish for you, this is the best one now come true!
i’m SO happy for you. it is so well-deserved. there is alot of crap out there in the way of food blogs (ok, i’m being mean – there’s alot of SIMILARITIES between food blogs) and yours is different. it still teaches EVERY type of food lover/cook new things. that’s why i come here. that’s why i love your blog. we have enough rachel ray lovers out there in the blog-o-verse and it’s time that people can embrace someone that really does write about things outside the box.
very excited for you…. i’m buying that book. advanced copy please!