i haven’t felt so alive in years

Posted on By Wil

Yesterday, (well, today, actually. I’m composing this at 8:16pm on Monday, while Anne and Ryan assemble a desk, because I won’t have time tomorrow to write this up) while I was digging a hole in my yard, I thought to myself, Man, there’s been a big build up to this. People are expecting a major announcement, and there’s no way it will live up to expectations.
One of these years, I’ll find some way to not be so goddamn insecure. It’s in my nature. Just part of being a nerd, I guess.
So, without (much) further ado . . .

WIL WHEATON dot NET PRESENTS
The Epic Announcement!
brought to you by Slurm

There’s been a lot of speculation about the epic announcement. Ideas have included:

  • Anne and I are hatching a kidlet of our own.

  • Several different variations on the “Wil’s gonna be back on Star Trek” theme.

  • I’m doing a voice over for a television show, like The Simpsons.

  • I’m doing a voice over for a Pixar Movie

  • I discovered a bunker in my backyard, and it’s filled with a thousand cases of Guinness.

There were some who thought it was acting related, and a few who thought it was literary related.

If you were one of the very few in that last group, you totally win a pizza and a trophy, because . . .
I have totally signed a three book deal with a major publisher. O’Reilly & Associates, to be precise.
Okay, I’m totally trying to play it all cool, but . . .
HOLY MOTHER OF CRAP!! WOOOO!!!!!! ROCK!
YEAH!!! KICK ASS BABY!!! UNGH!!! UNGH!!!
*pant*
*pant*
Sorry. I’ve been getting those massive rushes of excitement with alarming frequency. I hope you all understand.
This is a very exciting relationship for me, for several reasons. First, I am a huge geek, and without O’Reilly, I wouldn’t know HTML from LMNOP. I never would have been able to get Linux running, and Perl would be one of the not-quite-as-good-as-Mrs.-Garrett replacements on Diff’rent Strokes.
This means I will be able to get my books into more stores than I ever was with Monolith Press. It means I’ll be sent out on a real book signing tour. It means I’ll be on national television and radio to promote my work, and maybe even get a review in major newspapers or magazines.
Dancing Barefoot sold 3,000 copies in less than five months, without any of that, and I can’t wait to see how it does when it’s got the power and budget of a major publisher behind it.
It also means that I will never royally screw up days worth of orders again, and I will be free to work like crazy on Just A Geek because I won’t be running the business any more.
I spoke with my editor at O’Reilly this morning (” . . . my editor at O’Reilly!” that sounds so cool!), and he told me that O’Reilly is so excited to carry Dancing Barefoot, they’re going to have a printing available in time for the holidays. They are currently working on a plan with Powells to get it out there right away, and I understand that they are in talks with Amazon as well. If you’ve been kicking yourself in the pants, or punching yourself in the back of the head because you wanted Dancing Barefoot for a holiday gift and missed out, you can stop the madness right now!
It should be in most major book stores very soon and y — Oh my god! I’m going to walk into Vroman’s and see my book on the shelf!!! AHHH!!! That RULES!
RAWK! \m/
Oops. There it goes again. 🙂
O’Reilly will also publish Just A Geek in Spring of next year, and I’m going to write a currently untitled technical book on personal website design that I think will come out in Summer.
So, you see, when I made my audioblog post back in July, I had just gotten off the phone with Brett from O’Reilly, who had called to tell me that none other than Tim O’Reilly himself had come back from OSCon talking about “the Wil Wheaton phenomenon” and instructed Brett to tell me that he wanted to be my publisher. Since that day, we’ve been working out the details. They were actually finalized a few weeks ago, but we all decided to wait until today to release this epic news, because I guess December 2 is a good day to release news, and there’s a good chance some mainstream media outlets will pick this up.
I want all of you who read WWdN to know that none of this would ever have happened without you. Many of you have been here since the early days of Where’s My Burrito?. In this strange, impersonal-but-personal way, you’ve gone with me through the ups and downs (mostly downs) of my Sisyphean struggles in the acting world. You were excited with me when I was added to Nemesis and cried with me when I was cut. You have been there when I’ve loved, and when I’ve lost. I’ve introduced you to Ryan and Nolan, Ferris, and Anne, who is more than my world . . . she’s my entire universe.
You’ve supported me so much . . . I can’t tell you all how wonderful it feels to share my tremendous joy with all of you now. Everyone who has read Dancing Barefoot, or come to see me at a show, or left a comment on this site, Soapboxers, Farkers, Slashdotters . . . I’m sure I’m forgetting people . . . but every single one of you owns a piece of this amazing new chapter in my life.

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Comments (484)

  1. I have to say I admire how far you’ve come, Wil, and I’ll be raisin’ a pint o’ the Guinness to ye tonight, ye swarthy bastadge….
    too cool, too cool…

  2. *Please make it available in Canada. Please make it available in Canada.*
    That totally rocks, Wil! Never met you (but my twin did!), but I’m really proud for you.

  3. Rock on Wil!
    Dancing Barefoot was a great read. Now I can put JAG on my O’Reilly shelf in between my Motif Reference Manual and my Sed & Awk manual.

  5. A) Congratulations!
    B) I had a weird thought you’d be writing for Marvel’s Epic line.
    C) Does that mean you get a nifty animal clip-art on the cover, like O’Rielly’s tech books?

  10. Wil, now you’ve really earned your standing as a geek. 🙂 You seemd to fit in just fine when I saw you at OSCON with Tim, the alpacas, and everyone else.

  11. Congrats, Wil! How awesome for you. Being one of the loyal readers who waited patiently for Dancing Barefoot and loving it, I can’t wait for Just a Geek! Next spring can’t come fast enough.
    I hope you come to New England on one of your book tours…or maybe if you do any sort of con out here on the other side of the country.
    CONGRATS again!
    Emily

  14. CRAP!! For a second there I was going for the 1000 found cases of Guinness. I think I was just letting the excitement get to me…
    I wil (heh) make you a small prediction. I have thought for the longest time that if you just got a little mainstream national publicity, you would be huge. As someone who was an “early adopter” of your work, let me say that seeing you on the NY Times best seller list will restore my faith in the concept that quality rises, and that in the end, good guys do win.
    I cannot even tell you how much I think you deserve this.

  15. Go Wil :-). We all knew you’d be hot stuff. So so so happy for you!!!! Make sure Ireland is on the world tour, k? I got a pint with your name on it.

  16. That’s great Wi! Sounds like a good move! I wonder if you’ll have a dog on the cover, or if O’Reilly will branch out? (I hope they branch out a bit)

  17. You kept stressing Epic..and all I could think of was you had decided to do a cheesy album like other ST greats from the past….I could almost hear you doing recitatives of Depeche Mode and INXS….God help my imagination 😛 *giggle*
    Grats. Maybe I’ll be able to get a copy of one of your books someday.

  18. Congrats Wil!!!
    I’d never read the “Ryan and Nolan” entry. Thanks for linking to it! It was amazing.
    -AT

  19. Hell Yeah Willie! That is some kick arse news! Now you can come over to the East Coast and do some singings here. Buy a 30 pack of sharpies and get ready for the tour, and make sure you stop in Wash DC. Til then, keep making it so.

  22. If you were in Seattle, on 6th and University at 8:05 a.m. 12/2/03, you would have heard me scream in happiness for you! I am so proud, and your thank you to all of us log geeks was bordering on Academy award level, it was brilliant and you are welcome for my/our support. When will you come to seattle? I’ve never been to a convention but for you Wil, hell yeah! Annnd your love for Anne inspires me to find Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right now. I’m so happy for you I could pee! 😉

  28. Wooooooooooooot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Thats great Wil, however this does now mean I’ll need a new bookshelf.
    So happy for ya dude, rock on!

  31. HAs anyone ever studied the derivation/evolution of “w00t”?
    Wil…. w00t.
    (A visual would be funnier… I’m a 40 year old beauraucrat with an English accent, in a suit, tie and button-down collar quietly saying “w00t” to myself and to Wil).

  33. A well-deserved accomplishment for a talented writer. I’m looking forward to reading everything you’re willing to share.

  36. Will the format change any, illustrations or additions? Incentives for us to buy a copy when we already have one? (Prologue…?) I probably will pick one up anyway at the local B&N!
    Congrats!
    Sam

  37. Yes! Rock! Party! Bonus! Way to go, Wil! A well deserved break for a well deserving guy. That totally kicks ass. In fact, I think I’ll head to the tavern now and slam back a Guiness to celebrate.
    Great job, Wil! Good luck!

  39. Wil,
    I’m thrilled for you! And, more than anything, I hope this means that you WILL be appearing live in a major bookstore on the East coast SOON! Keep us posted (like you WOULDN’T!)!
    Congrats!
    Jay

  40. Wil, that’s is WAY too cool. Congrats over and over again, this is excellent news.
    I’m equally thrilled that I now have a chance to get Dancing Barefoot for Christmas! I’ll be looking forward to JAG in the spring.
    Go eat a beer… you deserve it. 🙂
    mr.ska

  41. I am so damn happy for you. It’s been a pleasure following your adventures through this website. Thank you for sharing your life with us fellow geeks. I know you’ll go far with this. This is it, the big break.

  42. woohoo! wil – this si awesome. in hebrew we say mazal tov, which basically means that your constellation and luck is and should stay good. great. *grin* huge congrats, man.

  44. Hey Wil, Wow, Congratulations are in order!!! I’m sooo happy for you. you totally deserved this! As so many others have said, good things come to good people, or in your case, GREAT things come to Absolutely F**KING GREAT people! well done dude! just one more thing you really need to come over to England! We love you over here!! And i want a copy of your book, signed by you! so, please please please come over here!!
    well, congrats again dude…you have no idea how happy i am for you! grinning like a cheshire cat!! ha ha
    you are the best! \m/
    love rach
    xxx

  45. WTG!! Damn I thought you two were having a baby. Sorry I was getting into mommy mode, as I am one.
    As a woman who loves to write, I’m in awe of you.

  47. Congrats to you m’friend. I dont know anyone else who deserves it more. Good luck and good fortune to you. And remember the ancient Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”

  48. Great news Wil. Finally, Dancing Barefoot will get the audience it deserves. My wife managed to find me a copy from Powells a few weeks ago before I went on a business trip. I had planned to read it on the plane, but I devoured it before I even got on the plane…thanks for a great read, and congrats on your new publisher.

  49. How great is that!!!
    Congrats, man. It is so very deserved. I can’t wait for the website book to come out, good to know I will have the other two to tide me over 🙂

  50. Wil, I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this success!
    Remember back at the end of summer when things were so shitty and you were feeling really crappy? Remember how we all told you “this too shall pass”?
    Guess what? It passed! And you are on to a fabulous new part of your life.
    Congratulations and very well done!

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