Behind the Scenes<g>

Everyday, I am more and more amazed that I have written any book, much less one on child Internet safety and using the Internet as a family resource. I'm a cyberspace lawyer, with a background in international corporate law. I advise corporations on Internet law and electronic commerce.

You'll be able to learn more about how I became a reluctant author in the book (which you can review online in its entirety)...but the story I want to tell here is about some of the people who are key to the book, its success and getting it published...you'll meet them all here soon.

Nancy and Audrey

There are two people in particular, without whom this book would never have seen the light of day, Nancy L. Savitt (my law school buddy and now my law partner) and Audrey Smith (my long time friend and the book designer and the woman who made it all come together).

Running a law firm takes more than a law degree, it takes lots of work, dedication and creativity. When I announced to Nancy that I wanted to write this book, she realized that this meant I wouldn't have the time to carry my full case load at the firm. She never complained once -- instead she carried her work and mine, and edited the book in her spare time. (She wanted to make sure I told you that my son, Michael, was the first one to edit the book.He did a terrific job, and I'll share more about what my kids did to help me next time I update this page.)

Nancy began editing my writing in our first semester of law school. (Thank goodness she did, since my law school writing instructor said I wrote relatively well for someone who spoke English as a second language. What she didn't know was that English was my first and only language<g>. I was born and bred in New Jersey, although there are people who might say that residents of New Jersey don't speak English, but that is another story...) Although I had been Valedictorian of my college class and Phi Beta Kappa, Nancy swept all law school awards and honors. She knows how to edit me, without losing the gist of what I was trying to say, and still makes it sound like me, only better.

We hired a professional editor, who hated my writing style. After wasting a week arguing with her, Nancy just took over. I will always be grateful for her generosity in helping me, carrying my workload and hers, covering for me in all the legal discussion boards I host and helping me research constitutional issues for the book.

Nancy is the best partner in the whole wide world! (Except she likes to use semi-colons whenever she can, and sometimes when she shouldn't...but you can read about that in the acknowledgement section of the book<g>.)

In order to understand how much help Audrey gave me, I need to explain about how this book got published. I did a piece for CNN, discussing the Communications Decency Act for them on the date of the oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court (March 19, 1997). They asked me to cover the topic of filtering software as well as the first amendment issues.

After the appearance (not one of my best, I'm sorry to say<g>) I found myself deluged with phone calls, e-mails and faxes from parents who were worried about how they were supposed to keep their kids safe online, if the law were overturned. (It was overturned in June 1997, since it was clearly unconstitutional.)

So, I started searching for a book I could recommend to parents to help them understand all the issues and all the choices. I couldn't find one.

My best friend, Lanell (you'll learn about her later) suggested I write one, but I only laughed at the time. After everyone else joined her in trying to talk me into writing the book, I did what any novice hopeful author does, I cold-called the publishers. And I got the same result that any other novice hopeful author gets when they cold-call a big publisher..."send us a book proposal, and wait until Hell freezes over hoping that we will respond. Thank you for calling." Even when I managed to get past the receptionist, I was told that getting a book published takes about a year and a-half after they receive a finished manuscript. There was no way I could write a book, and wait for more than a year to get it out. It would be far too stale by then.(It took us a total of six months from the time I wrote the first outline in my hotel room in Moscow to get our first hard copy of the book...)

So, I never sent them a book proposal, and didn't even know what one was. My friend Audrey used to head a major university press's publication department, and now heads its new media department. When I called her complaining about the publishing industry, she told me I should do it myself. She offered to help me figure it out.

I set up SC Press, Inc., naming it after Sophia, our blue and gold Macaw mascot (my friend's pet bird). I started writing, through the night, and Audrey started designing, also through the night.

I called in favors from everyone I knew. My cousin posed for the cover photo, which was conceived by my best friend on the phone. My girlfriend lent us Sophia for the photo shoot. Audrey took one look at the photos of Sophia, and decided to use her photo at every part and chapter opening. (She's on the spine of the book too...)

I designed a "bird's eye view" for every chapter, giving the reader an overview of the chapter.

Audrey had to have been very frustrated. I was clearly a novice, thought the book could be printed as typed (lawyers only know one type face, courier<g>), and didn't understand about book designing and layout. Audrey, ever patient with my ignorance, managed to design a work of art. It was easy to read, looked great and matched the tone of the book. I finally understood what a book designer does.

She worked through the night, literally. I would bring marked-up proofs to her at 1:00 am in New York, and she would work on them until morning. I would then reread them, and send them back for any revisions around noon. The final changes would be sent back to me for my review around 6:00 p.m. If any further changes were needed, they would get to her around 1:00 am, and the cycle continued. The messenger service got rich.

Audrey even did the cover design...

Neither Nancy nor Audrey ever took a dime from me for what they did...I owe everything to Nancy and to Audrey. I wanted everyone to know that.

Pretty terrific people, aren't they?

I'll share more about how this book got to the bookstores from time to time, but we owe its success to many people, including all of you...when I walk into a new bookstore, and ask for my book (not telling them that I'm the author), and they say "who is SC Press, I've never heard of them, and who is Parry Aftab, I've never heard of him either..." I just smile (and write a scathing letter to the corporate headquarters too, I am after all, a lawyer<g>)...since I know who SC Press is, and how many people helped to make it a reality.

Here's a photo of the research team. Audrey wouldn't let me use a photo of her.<g>

Nancy's the one in the top row center with dark hair...

The best part of writing a book is being able to acknowledge everyone who helped you, and dedicate it to people you love...

Thanks...

P.S.( This was my first attempt at signing my name with a mouse...<g> I'll get better, I promise!!)