'Goosh': York County teacher publishes his first book, more on the way

Seth McLane spends his weekdays teaching his students at Spring Grove Area Middle School about literature. When he’s not in the classroom, he’s spending time with his family, coaching York Thunder Basketball and watching a game on TV.

In his eighth-grade classroom, his students' desks are surrounded by middle grade books spanning nonfiction, fiction, empathy and mystery, among a variety of other genres.

In the little free time he had, usually in the early morning hours before work, he pursued his goal of becoming a published author – secretly – for the past 10 years. And after nearly a decade, he finally self-published his first book this year.

“The goal was to be traditionally published, to be fought over by literary agents, to travel to New York, and to get multiple offers from the big publishers.”

He got close. One agent offered his book to several big publishers, but the idea didn’t “fit their list.” McLane worked with several other agents, each of whom guided him with feedback that he would use to eventually draft several more manuscripts. But no one bit the hook.

Seeking out agents and publishers, McLane sent hundreds of query letters and received hundreds of rejections.

When the pandemic happened, McLane started book 4: "Goosh." He said while the waiting period between hearing back from agents, took time, his favorite part of the process was writing during his downtime—"creating characters, brainstorming plot ideas, filling up my notebooks with my ideas, typing them out,” and having his loved ones read them.

“As long as I kept writing, I felt like eventually I would break through,” Mclane said. He played back two mantras in the back of his mind that his father instilled in him: “Keep your chin up” and “Don’t give up.” In September of 2022, halfway through writing "Goosh," his father passed away.

The difficult relationship he had with his father plays out in the story of the main character and his father. The book also features locations in York County where McLane grew up, including Shelly Park, on Highland Avenue across from the fairgrounds.

McLane finished writing "Goosh" this year, and with no word back from his last agent for an entire year, he opted for the self-publish route. McLane said he felt like a "fraud" and "imposter" when he decided to self-publish. But the responses of his friends, colleagues and students' response were better than he could have imagined.

"Goosh"

McLane worked for years to complete his manuscript and even sought out help from digital designers and editors to proofread "Goosh" and bring it to life.

After receiving his first copy, the feeling of being a published author began to feel real for McLane. He even hosted a book launch party at Archetype Pizza in downtown York this month, where his students, friends and family gathered to celebrate.

Now available on Amazon, the story follows middle school student Isaac Strawbridge, who discovers his mother has cancer. He and his family find different ways to deal with the tragic news.

He escapes to Shelly Park to shoot some hoops before meeting an old 6'-8" man who imparts basketball wisdom on him as he navigates middle school and his school team.

The word Goosh, an expression similar to swish, a basketball term. It's one that McLane's father used all his life.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: 'Goosh': Spring Grove PA middle school teacher publishes first book