For Grand Forks children's book author, a lesson in support and self-worth comes with a publishing contract

Sep. 18—GRAND FORKS — Robert Vigil wouldn't be a published author today if not for an act of love — and modest deceit — by his husband.

Vigil's first story, a children's book called "The Value of Zero," was published in June by the U.K.-based Pegasus Elliot MacKenzie Publishers, after his husband, Brett McCutcheon-Vigil, surreptitiously sent Vigil's manuscript to several publishers.

The book is now available for purchase online, and Vigil, a postal worker in Grand Forks, hopes it could be the beginning of an unexpected new career.

"Maybe deep down there was always that hope that one day, since I worked around them, I'd have a book," said Vigil, a former bookseller. "But I never envisioned a children's book career."

Vigil-McCutcheon always liked the story Vigil came up with on the latter's walk home from work one day nine or 10 years ago, when the couple still lived in Denver.

Vigil was listening to "Monument" by Jane Child, where Child sings about a "zero in its constant emptiness." He started thinking about what it would be like if the number was a living thing.

By the time he got home, he had the story laid out in his head, so he wrote it down and showed it to his husband.

"He said, 'This is really good, you should do something with it,'" Vigil said. "And I was thinking, 'You're saying this because you're my husband, you have to say nice things.' So I buried it and sat on it for seven years."

The story focuses on Little Zero, a grade schooler bullied by other numbers because he has no value.

Eventually (spoiler alert), Little Zero makes friends with another number, Small One, and the two discover they're more valuable together than apart.

"I thought it had a great message and was very well-written," McCutcheon-Vigil said. "And he just didn't think so. He wasn't being modest, I just think he really didn't think it was that good."

When the couple dug up the story during the COVID-19 lockdown, Vigil still didn't like it, but to McCutcheon-Vigil, it still had its shine.

McCutcheon-Vigil said he could relate to Little Zero as a nerdy kid who'd been bullied growing up.

"I knew it might not be a really good thing to do, going behind someone's back," McCutcheon-Vigil said. "But more recently I thought, no, I should do this because I really think it could make a difference and I really think it will be accepted by somebody."

McCutcheon-Vigil persuaded Vigil to apply for a copyright on the story, and, that night, submitted it to three publishers on Vigil's behalf.

Pegasus reached out to Vigil a month later with an offer to develop the story into a kids book.

Now, Vigil says he's working on five other stories, and working to find a U.S.-based publisher.

Meanwhile, he and McCutcheon-Vigil are headed to Winnipeg to celebrate their 10th anniversary.

"I really owe it to him, because he saw the value in the story when I didn't," Vigil said. "I didn't think it was publishable and look where it is now. So I guess that's me, getting the message of my own book."

Robert Vigil will host a book signing at Silver Dawn Books in the Grand Cities Mall from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. "The Value of Zero" is available to purchase on Amazon, Walmart.com and Barnesandnoble.com.