Taking a cue from my best buddy Nore (pictured here), a MudScout is somebody who doesn’t mind wading into the muck if that’s what it takes to unearth a hidden gem. Or anything else worth digging for. Yes, there’s a story behind this.

Here’s how we explained it on my website:

MudScout founder Emma McKay has always had a knack for picking her way through tricky territory, which is why so many people place their most precious possessions in her hands—whether clean shoes or fresh ideas.

The nickname was awarded on a trek along a rough forest trail in Eastern Canada. When the going got really muddy, Emma (with her trusty rubber boots) was entrusted with the task of scouting out the best path around the biggest, deepest, stickiest mud puddles possible. The skill later translated into an uncanny ability to face whatever obstacle nature or bureaucracy threw her way, and to steer would-be authors through the murky process of book publishing.

And a little background on me (love the 3rd person!):

In her years as Acquisitions Editor and Production Manager at ECW Press in Montreal, Emma successfully guided a number of talented authors—from food critic Sarah Musgrave to turntable scratch legend Kid Koala—along the journey from concept to completed book. When ECW closed its Montreal office, Emma simply did what she does best: she blazed her own trail so that she could continue to help hidden talent find its way out of the woods and onto the printed page.

There’s more to it after this (I think we wrote this back in 2005), but I’ll save that for another post…