Publisher Speeds Killer ‘Gators
Posted by: Loren Coleman on May 18th, 2006
There’s an interesting little note in Publishers Weekly this morning. In an item entitled “Forget Later, Alligator—Let’s Publish Now” by Lynn Andriani, we already can see the reaction to the gator attacks we discussed earlier, here and here. Cryptomundo addressed why such news is of interest, also in this link.
Andriani writes:
Publishers often speed up books’ publication dates if relevant news events—earthquakes, blackouts, mining accidents—take place. Now they can add alligator attacks to the list. Lyons Press, which planned on releasing Killer ’Gators and Crocs: Gruesome Encounters from Across the Globe by Michael Garlock in November, has moved the book’s pub date up to July to capitalize on the recent alligator attacks in Florida and South Carolina this spring. It has also doubled the book’s first printing, from 20,000 to 40,000 copies.
With a completed manuscript already in hand, Lyons made the decision on Tuesday to move the book’s publication up. It will skip the galley stage and go directly to finished books ($14.95 paperback). Jane Reilly, publicity manager at Globe Pequot/Falcon Guides/Lyons Press, says the books will be at Globe Pequot’s warehouse by June 20.
Lyons has had considerable success with books about deadly animals: last year’s Falcon title Death in the Grizzly Maze: The Timothy Treadwell Story was a bestseller, and older books on the Lyons list—Shark Attacks, Bear Attacks, Cougar Attacks—are staples of the house’s backlist. Killer ’Gators and Crocs describes alligator and crocodile attacks around the world, explains what compels the reptiles to attack humans, and tells readers what they can do to prevent attacks. Author Garlock, who has written for Reptile magazine, Florida Naturalist, and Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist, is an expert in the field. Reilly has been getting swamped with broadcast media requests for the author recently.
Thanks for Patrick Huyghe for passing this news along.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
You know something an animal should have a right to live. Humans are invading their turf at an alarming rate.
We are taking away his natural surroundings, driving away their food source then we wonder why they are attacking humans who wonder into their area.
I feel for the familys of the 3 wowmen who was attacked and killed but they were in the gators turff they should have used more caution.
I may be stirring up a hornets nest but If I were to go into any area with known dangerous animals it should be my responsibility to be safe and cautious. If I get hurt my fault I knew they were their. Any time this happens the only thing you see is a bunch of trappers go out start rounding up anything in sight and destroying the animal. It is like some here on this site have been saying when we do prove BF exists it is more than likely going to be a BAD thing for BF. Too many people will be out for the profit not the science aspect.
I do not know how many times I have watched venom E.R. on the animal planet and 98% of the victims were in the snakes turff and they cannot figure out why or how they got bit that just amazes me. I am not trying to start an argument just pointing out that when you enter any area you should be carful and try and be familiar with what you may encounter outdoors.
Killer Gators And Crocs love the title they kill and eat things in the area and yet we go into thier area get bit or killed and then we blame the animal sorry do not get that. I have seen kitty cats that are pets go outside and catch a bird in the back yard and kill it or a mouse maybe we should be calling them killer kitty cats and put them to sleep for that.
When you take away their natural habitat and the food is scarce what do you think any animal will do?? they will do everything they can to survive and protect what habitat they have left. Oh well I will get blasted for the above anyway.
Too True, If you Lived in the sea you should expect Sharks – Live in The Glades (or other similar areas) expect Gators!
Do they have warning signs all over the place in these areas of Florida, like they do in Australia?
On the kitty cats thing, I’ve always said kitty cats are deadly killers. I mean they kill for apparent “pleasure” (much like people) as opposed to food, because all the cats I’ve seen drag snakes and lizards onto the front porch were well fed pets. They shed on everything too, go feral in areas where they can have a devestating impact on native rodents and birds…
I imagine I will be the one receiving heat for this but, any unspayed/neutered cats running lose SHOULD be rounded up and put to sleep.
my cats are neutered but they still kill mice and birds. however they do eat them…and I then have to worm them .
Surely if people live among alligators or other dangerous animals they learn to avoid them? Personnaly I’m on the alligators side, it was their home first.
i lived in florida for a time, in fact i just moved away form the i november. EVERYONE there knows that freshwater=gators…its a simple equation. a lot of the attacks happen when people get to close to them and the gator reacts or they( on heaven knows why) go swimming in the fresh water. i know that it is mating season, and u have to be careful and look out your door. i lived for a year in an RV in a lot that was right on the river, and had to look out every time i went outside. common sense.
we had a cat that would attack baby rabbits and play with them. he would litteraly peel the skin off of their backs, and let them go run so he could chase them and catch them again
thats nature red in tooth and claw, to quote a poet( I think it may have been Ted Hughes) cats are still wild animals ,thats why i love them
I operated oil wells in Louisiana and Mississippi for years….every Spring the Mississippi River floods….it’s tributaries back up and flood enormous areas within the Atchafalaya basin…gators, snakes and nutrea would seek refuge around pumping units and the berms and firewalls around storage tanks and processing equipment….venomous snakes were a big problem….
ole bub and the dawgs
Shitzu’s and teacup poodles privide an essential source of protein to the gator population of florida. The Wife saw a gator catch a full-grown chow. It stalked the dog for over a week before making it’s move. The catch was over so quickly that the chow only had time to squeak as it’s ribcage was crushed. The gator was later shot and killed.
In general, Florida does not have signs warning folks about gators. The silver springs attraction, highway A! (at the glades), and KSFC are the only places I can recall having seen warning signs. The previous poster was right. Australia has lots more warnings about crocs than does Florida.
Any pond w/a boat ramp here in FL has a big bold “Aligator Warning” sign w/lots of text…As do any parks/conservation areas that abut swamps/streams/ponds, etc…
We have a short gator-hunting season, and a relatively tiny # of licenses issued (about 1/10th of 1% of the gator population). I’d quadruple that this year, why not?
I’ve just spent a very wet afternoon following up a supposed sighting of a crocodile in the local canal. (no laughing at the back there please). There was a sighting in Nov 2005 in Stroud waterway in Glos. and a sighting in the Newcastle area( but I have been unable to obtain an accurate date)and in the Birmingham area. The one in Stroud was presumed to be an escaped pet and the winter probably killed the poor thing off as we had snow all over the country this year.I would think any creature from warmer climes would struggle to survive in the Newcastle area.It’s seems like out of place animals are appearing everywhere.