anyone can play guitar

I spent all day yesterday and most of today packing and preparing books for shipment. It’s so much fun, sitting at my dining room table with Anne and the kids, listening to the New Wave station on satellite, getting things ready to go.
And check this out: today, we passed 800 orders.
Holy. Mother.
800 orders in less than three weeks. How cool is that?! I think I may pass 1000 by the end of next month.
1000!!!
Now. Here’s the bad news about all this success: I’ve totally run out of postage, and was only able to ship the first 200 orders. The rest will ship as soon as I get back from Cruise Trek on June 9th.
Back to the good news! Barnes and Noble contacted us today about “special ordering” some books for Barnes and Noble dot Com! There’s a chance we’re going to get a review in a MAJOR US newspaper! I may reach a deal with a distributor to place Dancing Barefoot in stores in just about every major US city by the end of the year!
I’m making really good headway on planning a tour, too. I think I’ll be hitting Alberquerque and Amarillo on my way to Tulsa at the end of next month, and probably a trip up the California coast on my way to Portland in August. If you live in one of those cities, and you’ve got a favorite bookstore there (preferably an independent one), take my media kit to them, and let me know about it. I’ll follow up with them, and see if we can work something out!
Last thing before I go pack my bags:
I have to fly tomorrow morning.
I’m not so crazy about the flying. Especially over more than 1000 miles of ocean.
If you can spare some “don’t be a sissy and afraid” mojo, I’d sure appreciate it.
I’ll be updating my site (and gallery!) from the cruise ship’s internet cafe, so WWdN readers can vicariously enjoy the cruise with all of us.
Be well, everyone. The next time you hear from me, I’ll be on the high seas!

Smalltown Trap

Today is Fark-tacular: I got a link posted, and just read this one about my friend Max. Max is the lead singer of the band Eve6, and I live my Rock-n-Roll lifestyle vicariously through him.
I think I’ll sit this one out, though.

Set Phasers to “Stunned” :)

J.D. “Illiad” Frazer, who does the insanely brilliant User Friendly has this to say about Dancing Barefoot:

For quite some time, the name and person of Wil Wheaton were equated with the Star Trek:TNG character of Wesley Crusher. Wesley was, by all accounts, deeply reviled by a significant portion of Star Trek fandom. This vilification carried over to Wil Wheaton the actor, and as I witnessed, was done with some glee.

This kind of behaviour is hardly uncommon in the world of entertainment. Art of any sort is often considered a pure reflection of the artist’s character instead of a demonstration of that artist’s depth and willingness to take risks. Of course, it’s far easier to follow the drooling mob in their demonization of someone than it is to carefully cull the rhetoric from the truth, and thus the less perceptive (or lazier) members of geekdom will by default refuse to even consider the idea that the actor behind Wesley Crusher is more than one-dimensional.

And I did say “geekdom;” this book proves that Wil is a geek through-and-through. He demonstrates through his prose his curiosity and that he is possessed of a quirky and often self-deprecating sense of humour. The five short stories in Wil’s book are strung together in an artful manner, giving the reader random glimpses here and there of a jigsaw puzzle that, when completed, deliver a clear picture of a complex artist with very common human feelings. The Wil Wheaton of Dancing Barefoot is a man who has learned hard lessons in humility, insecurity, sadness and joy, often at the hands of an unforgiving public. And yet, he clearly emerges from his experiences with greater strength and a greater understanding of himself.

It is an unfortunate irony that those who would most benefit from reading this book are unlikely to do so, as they are the same ones carrying the most prejudices towards Wil. On the other hand, those who understand the simple difference between an artist and his art will discover Wil’s stories are a delightful read, laced with a sentimental yet amused tone, written with both humour and dignity. Beneath all of it in quiet repose is an artist who genuinely wants to do what he was meant to do.

Dancing Barefoot isn’t just a book about a famous geek seeking answers to his own questions, it’s a lens with which we can all see the world of celebrity in a real light. Recommended!

Again, I am left speechless. I mean, it’s amazing enough that all these people like my book. But the fact that they are people I positively worship . . . it’s . . . well, sorry, mom, but I have to say it:

It Fucking ROCKS!!

WOO!!! MY BOOKS ARE HERE!!!!!11!1

Yes!!
Around 10 this morning, UPS arrived with a shipment of 366 copies of Dancing Barefoot from my printer! I nearly cried when I opened the first box, and saw “By Wil Wheaton” right on the cover.
My wife took pictures while I signed the UPS thingy, which I’m debating putting up, because I had major bed head. 🙂
I am just totally overjoyed. I feel like . . . well, like a *real* writer. When Anne and I opened the first box, and I held those books in my hands, I felt light-headed and tingly all over.
“I am so proud of you,” she said, “you’ve worked so hard on this, and here it is!”
We started packing orders right away — but not until I gave her the promised first copy.
Packing was really fun. Here we are, with this really cool, professional website, and this big old business plan, and filing cabinets and accounting books, and pre-inked stamps and all that crap . . . sitting on the floor of our living room, in our PJs, filling orders. It was awesome.
We completed 100 before I had to leave to meet with some producers who are putting together a pilot that seems REALLY cool. The meeting went very well, and I’m excited as hell to work with them. I hope it all works out.
Here’s the crazy thing: the producers, who are very professional and CLEARLY know what they’re doing, contacted me because of my website! How awesome is that? They actually liked it that I am so honest and opinionated on this little chunk of 1’s and 0’s, and that fits right into the show they’re doing. I guess we’ll talk more about the pilot when I get back from Hawaii.
One last thing. I gave a copy to Ryan before I sat down to write this entry and he said, “Really? I get to have one?! COOL! I’m going to read it right now!”
He’s sitting on the couch behind me, reading some of it aloud (he’s in the story “Ready or not, here I come!”)and he keeps telling me how much he likes it. I totally feel like I’m going to cry because I’m so happy.
And now I am off to the post office to officially send out my first 100 orders, to the first 100 people who bought my very first book.
Yay!!