Ask the Author: How did the idea for On the Job come about and how did you find a publisher?

Answer: I was teaching English at a high school in the western suburbs and gave my sophomore classes (about 75 students) the assignment of finding a character in any of Studs Terkel’s books and, then, analyzing how that character felt about his or her place in life and society. A number of the students, maybe as many as twenty, selected police officers and right there I noted their natural curiosity about law enforcement work. I lumped that onto my own experience from a Chicago Police family in which people were frequently curious to know more about that line of work and On the Job was born—at least conceptually.

At the end of the school year, I took early retirement from teaching and began pursuing the writing life. With the idea for On the Job in my mind in the summer of 2004, I came across a Chicago Tribune Magazine interview with Sharon Woodhouse of Lake Claremont Press and I knew I had my match. I sent a query letter and heard back from Lake Claremont in less than a week. They requested a full book proposal and I obliged. They later accepted the proposal and we moved ahead on the project beginning in November 2004.

Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.

Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.