A Dream Deferred

A few years ago, when I first began doing the at-home dad thing, I was disappointed about the general dearth of information about primary caretaker dads. There were a couple of how-to oriented books and a smattering of first-person accounts, but nothing that really looked at why families should think about at-home fatherhood or what benefits involved fathers brought to the table.

So I decided to remedy that omission, and I began this web site, in part, to help me log interesting pieces that I could draw from in writing a book about stay-at-home dads. A colleague of mine was kind enough to put me in touch with an agent, and I spent a good many stolen hours hammering out a proposal and a sample chapter. I finished that initial step almost two years ago.

Since then, the proposal has been rejected over and over by large publishing houses, who invariably say the same thing: great concept, no audience. It goes without saying that I believe that's flawed logic. There is a tremendous market for an accessible book that talks about how at-home dad alter their lives -- and the lives of their children and spouses -- for the better. But a stay-at-home dad book of that scope is still uncharted ground.

I have no doubt that if I continued to search for a smaller publisher or self-publish, I could make "Rebel Dad: The Book" a reality. But without the prospect of a payday, I just can't commit the time to completing the manuscript. The project is now on permanent hold. I want to thank all of you who provided your time and expertise to this project, and I certainly hope that it can be revived someday. (Indeed, should a publisher happen to stumble across this, drop me a line ...)

It seems a shame to now shove that work into a drawer, so I've decided to share it here with you. It's not quick-read stuff, but if your kid is into long naps, feel free to print and save:

Rebel Dad -- Proposal (PDF)
Chapter Five: Helping Mom with a Real Choice (PDF)

All text copyright, Brian Reid.