This Rhode Island Lawyer Has Published an Inspirational Children’s Book

This Rhode Island Lawyer Has Published an Inspirational Children’s Book

Lawyer and Cranston native Marc Colagiovanni has just published his first children’s book with one of the top illustrators in the industry. 

Scoring both a publisher and book tour for his debut book, “When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left,” might seem like a home run at his first at-bat, but for Colagiovanni, it has been the culmination of years of effort. 

“An extraordinary celebration of the power of choice, charting your own path, and finding inner strength even in the most challenging of times,” writes Colagiovanni of his book on his website. “With an enduring message of determination and perseverance, this story is a powerful reminder to all that even when things aren’t going right…you can always choose to go left.”

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“I always loved writing and it's been a passion. I couldn’t figure out how to get the dream to be a reality — in college my senior year, I still had no clue what to do,” Colagiovanni told GoLocal. “I sent out manuscripts and nothing came of it. So I went to law school.”

Colagiovanni said that even after graduating from Roger Williams Law School, passing the bar, and practicing law, he still wanted to pursue his love of writing. 

“In 2010, when my first daughter was born, a light bulb went off,” said Colagiovanni. "I said I want to pursue this. So I started, and I wrote a story that was about 2500 words which I learned was 2000 too many."

"I joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, that’s when my education began. I had to put my ego aside. I said I want to do this but I clearly don’t know how," he said. 

It was taking a unique approach to promoting his work -- and a fortuitous introduction -- that helped put Colagiovanni on the path to being a published author.  

 

Cultivating His Passion - And a Chance Encounter

"I’d go to Kent County Court House then Barnes and Noble and read picture books to see where the market was at the time. I’m sure many people saw a guy in a suit sitting on the floor and wondered what I was doing," laughed Colagiovanni. 

“From 2010 to 2016 was a huge learning curve. I was sending out manuscripts, and you had to do it by snail mail. I sent it to every publisher and agent in the country in the world — after 6 years I got nowhere. Anyone who responded rejected me,” said Colagiovanni, who noted the double-edged sword, which is, to be published, you need an agent; but to find an agent, it helps to be published. 

It was then he decided to get creative. 

“I decided I was going to animate my best story to date — ‘The Reflection in Me,'" said Colagiovanni.

SEE VIDEO BELOW

Then fate intervened — and he teamed up with one of the top professionals in the industry. 

“It was serendipity,” said Colagiovanni. “The illustrator Peter Reynolds is one of the most famous authors and illustrators in the world, and he lives in Dedham, Massachusetts. And by pure luck, my aunt met Peter at the bookstore in Dedham, and she asked if I’d meet with him.”

“He had me come to his studio in Boston — he was behind the YouTube video and now my new book coming out,” said Colagiovanni of the partnership with Reynolds and publisher Scholastic Books.

While Colagiovanni is now embarking on a book tour, he says he has no plans to quit his day job. 

"I’m a day-by-day kind of guy — if I could write for a living I’d definitely do that," said Colagiovanni. "But I don’t take my legal career for granted. I’d never complain about wearing two hats."

And while his first publication is technically a children's book, Colagiovanni said he really believes it is for all ages. 

"I could see buying it fo for someone graduating high school or college," he said. "When I bought books for my kids growing up, I also chose books I'd want to read as well. My goal is to write something kids and adults connect to — open up that line of communication."