Liveblogging the hardbacks, and an open mic

ByWil

This is a big day for me, and a moment of truth: was I foolish to think that at least 300 people would want signed, numbered, limited edition hardbacks of The Happiest Days of Our Lives? I’m about to find out.

I feel the same way I do before a big poker tournament or extremely important audition: my stomach is queasy with excitement and apprehension, my hands are a little shaky, and though I’m hoping for the best, I have to be prepared — at least a little bit — for something less than the best.

Because this is an event for me, (and because I have to watch the server to make sure nothing goes wonky)  I’m going to live blog it for a little bit. I’m also going to do this thing Warren Ellis calls an Open Mic, since I’m going to be here anyway: In comments, feel free to ask me anything, and we’ll have one of those time-shifted discussions we sometimes have on blogs and message boards.

Live Blog!

11:56pm: Whoops. We threw the switch a little early. Someone must have been F5ing, because about a dozen orders went through in the first minute.

12:00pm: Okay, we’re on sale for real now! Orders are coming in as fast as I can count them. I see some familiar names in there, and that makes me really happy.

12:06pm: The first count has 65 to the US, 7 to the Canada, 3 to the the UK, 2 to the the Europe (it’s the final countdownnn . . .) and one to the Australia.

12:10pm: 80 sold so far. Anne says, "I honestly don’t know why you were worried so much." You’d think she’d know me better after 12 years.

12:15pm: I can hear a train whistle from the train yards about 20 miles away. It’s one of my favorite sounds, because it conjures up romantic images of a time when people traveled by rail.

12:17pm: I’m looking through the Romper Room magic mirror: I see Angie, I see Starshine, I see Clay, I see Alice, I see Bill, I see Chuck . . .

12:26pm: 100!

12:30pm: Secret Agent from SomaFM is the perfect soundtrack for this moment. It’s okay to feel happy and relieved and excited now, right? That’s not tacky, is it? I feel like we’re all sharing in something that’s incredibly special to me. Is that corny?

12:33pm: OH HAI APRIL! YOU CAN HAS BOOK!

12:37pm: This is a good time to thank Roughy, who did all the design work on Monolith Press dot Com, makes sure the server doesn’t barf all over itself, and keeps me sane in my moments of panic and doubt.

12:42pm: Nothing to add. I just liked that it was "42" on the clock.

12:51pm: From gabrielwalker:

300_hdool

12:56pm: This is going better than I ever dreamed.

1:03pm: My count may be off a little bit, but just about half of the hardbacks have sold in the first hour. I’m trading nervousness and apprehension for pure, unadulterated excitement and joy.

1:13pm: We’re having an awful lot of fun in the open mic. Well, I am, anyway.

1:19pm: Updated scoreboard, not counting eChecks and the few times PayPal doesn’t include an item number in the e-mail header: US – 111, Canada – 11, UK – 5, EU – 9, Australia – 3, Asia – 0.

1:24pm: From Clay:

1:28pm: Nolan just made himself a Dennis The Menace style slingshot, from a "Y"-shaped stick and some surgical tubing. It’s pretty awesome.

1:48pm: Looks like orders are slowing down a little bit, so readers who were worried about it selling out real fast should still have a chance to get copies in the next few hours. That’s pretty cool.

1:57pm: This is probably as good a time as any to share this review of The Happiest Days of Our Lives from Firefox News:

The nostalgic photos on the cover and the title might lead someone to
think he’s calling his childhood the happiest days, but if anything,
his book serves to show that the happiest days of his life are right
now.  As I said earlier, he’s madly in love with his wife and adores
his kids.  He’s discovered a love of writing and an enjoyment of
poker.  He’s run to raise money for breast cancer, he’s put the spirit
of Wesley Crusher to rest, and he’s found a purpose in life.  (Okay, he
also listens to "Mr. Roboto" in his car.  Nobody’s perfect.)

This
is a great book for anyone who was a kid in the 80s.  Trek fans might
get a kick out of the backstage looks at the Next Gen cast.  Me, I like
it for the reminder that things really have gotten better since I was a
kid, and it’s just a matter of knowing where to find the sunshine.

2:06pm: Well, it looks like things are winding down for today. I didn’t intend for this to be an "event" when I planned it, but it’s kind of turned out that way, which is awesome. This has been an incredible rush for me, and I get the sense that it’s been an awful lot of fun for everyone who wanted to get a signed hardback.

I think there will be a few people who check in a few hours from now, who will be pleasantly surprised to find that there are still some copies left. It was always my hope that I could balance the business realities of this limited edition with my desire to make as many people as happy as possible; I’m thrilled that everything seems to be working out for all of us.

2:08pm: The Firefox News review was Propelled by Starshine. Go vote, so we can Front Page that sucker!

2:21pm: Hey, you know what would be fun? A celebratory SNG at PokerStars:

Tourney number:67601545
Time: 18:35 EST
Game: NLHE
Buy-in: $20
Password: monkey
Bonus: $5 bounty on Wil.

2:31pm: This whole experience has reminded me how important the WWdN community is to me. I don’t quite know how to put it into words, so I’m not going to try.

2:49pm: We’re closing in on 200. This is probably a good time for me to get really sentimental and mushy, and thank you all for your support. I sincerely hope you enjoy this book, and you should all know that without people like the 300 (heh. I love that) there wouldn’t even be a Happiest Days of Our Lives, or anything else in the future, for that matter.

2:56pm: Dr. Pauly, Change100, Penner42 . . . holy shit, this poker tourney is a shark tank!

3:23pm: Book review only needs five more votes to Propel it to the front page.

3:30pm: I walk away for a few minutes to give Ferris a Kong in the backyard, and when I come back, I see that five more people have bought books. Awesome!

4:06pm: Yes! The book review hit the front page at Propeller! Thanks, everyone!

4:36pm: Somehow, I forgot to share this from Starshine, featuring 300 copies of The Happiest Days.

5:07pm: The poker tourney was a lot of fun. 11 players, and I made it to heads up with Dr. Pauly. I would have won, too, if it wasn’t for his damn runner/runner flush powers.

5:18pm: So I’m adding things up, and here’s how it looks right now: 177 orders from the US. 16 orders from the Canada. 11 orders from the the UK. 13 orders from the the Europe. 5 orders from the Australia/New Zealand. That works out to 217. There are also about twenty or so orders that I can’t easily search for in Thunderbird, because they’re eChecks, or because PayPal didn’t include the item number in the e-mail subject. I think it’s safe to assume that I’ve sold about 240 signed, numbered, limited edition hardback copies of The Happiest Days of Our Lives. If things continue the way they have, the remaining copies will probably sell out with the next 24 hours, if they don’t sell out over night.

This is a very big deal, and an important affirmation for me. The paperbacks haven’t sold on the same pace as Barefoot or Geek, and I was worried that for reasons I didn’t understand, a lot of people like to read my blog, but didn’t want to — or weren’t able to — support my writing efforts by buying my books. Today, however, tells me that a lot of you were waiting for something special, and all of you who are part of the 300, and that subset of you who participated in the open mic are part of something that was and is very special to me.

Maybe it’s corny to feel good about this, but I love the sense of community I feel here, and spending some time today with so many of you turned a cool day into an awesome day.

Self-publishing is hard. Making it through the media filter is hard. Just getting the damn hardbacks available for sale has been maddening. But today made it all worthwhile.

I’ve felt discouraged and frustrated lately, and I’ve been doubting whether or not I can make a living doing this. Today, you all showed me that, while it’s not going to be lavish, and it’s certainly not going to be easy, at least it’s possible.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, and to everyone who supported me today. I sincerely believe you’re getting something special and wonderful, and it’s very close to my heart. It’s not a stretch to say that you’re all getting a big part of me when you get one of my books, an even bigger part of me than the average audience gets when they watch or listen to me act.

Thank you all, most sincerely, for being a part of this, one of the happiest days of my life.

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250 Comments

  1. Yay ! Got one ! Thanks Wil ! Gonna give it a nice space next to DB, JAG and Neil’s signed 1st edition of American Gods 🙂 Cheers, Volker

  3. Another order for the EU… I’m curious as to what the extra cent in shipping is all about.
    Here’s hoping Wil spells my name right, and not Aiden, which happens all too easily and frequently (or Adian as Quentin Tarantino inexplicably spelt it).

  4. I guess we are!
    And while we’re hanging out, I would like to inform any and all New York Jets fans that you are currently beating my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, but since it’s only the first quarter, we have a shot. Oh, and *shakes fist at the NY Jets*.

  8. yeys… new LJ people!!!!
    this is turning into a great evening… curled up on the sofa wrapped in my shawl with my laptop, a beer, red dwarf on the telly and chatting on WWDN:IX

  9. Aidan The extra .01 is so I can easily identify at a glance where an order is going. I did the same thing to see the difference between US and Canadian orders.

  11. in fact the only thing that could make it better would be to be playing cthulhu munchkin as well… but as theres only me in the house… :S that would be weird!
    ive been trying to update my typekey profile but it won’t let me…. wanted to post one of my flickr pics up there…

  14. I haven’t see Fraggle Rock in years, so I’m surprised I recognize the name Mokey!
    Gods, this game! *shakes fist at NY Jets* Ooh, if only I could have Doctor Who land the TARDIS on you people!!!

  15. Duuude. I totally thought that I’d missed out but I just got my receipt so I guess all is well. Yay!
    And apparently the idea of missing out made me start talking like a Valley Girl…
    Thanks, Wil!

  16. Starshine: I am, in fact, working on a tour. My plan is to once again use Eventful to figure out where I should go (this will be very important to me, because I’m paying for the entire thing out of pocket) in different parts of the US and Canada. I would hope that I can do Montreal again, as part of a New England tour next year.

  20. oooh.. given enough notice if my planned trip to US/CANADA actually comes off next year i might have to try and combine that with some sort of con or appearance by you wil…
    its just giving me more excuses! now i just need to get that bonus at christmas and its paid for!

  21. Oh my gods! Points to love2all! I think the last time I watched Fraggle Rock…dang, only 20 and already having bad memory problems.
    And yeah, SERIOUSLY want the Doctor to drop the TARDIS on the NY Jets. SO annoyed with them!

  22. YEY!!! 😀
    I was actually trying to create a new Eventful demand for you in Montreal, but it just kept bringing me back to the old Demand… and I got tired of running in circles so I gave up.
    I wonder if there’s any way of “closing” a demand…

  23. Wil,
    Any chance Raleigh, NC might be under consideration for your tour? Just asking 😉
    Anxiously awaiting my receipt from Paypal…

  25. i have munchkin paul – just noone to play it with cause my darned husband is off playing serenity or some such RP system…. (last time i checked anyhow… )

  26. Thanks shewhobeatsass! You should get bonus points for your name. Totally. I want that name. I have a hippie-ish sounding handle which stems from my Prince obsession days (shh… only goes as far as this blog)You know, where I spelled everything with a 2, U, 4, heart, eye, symbol…
    LOL.

  28. lol love2all
    this is a special bonus which happens to be awarded in december…. i don’t think it will be paid until march unfortunately… and by the time the taxman gets hold of it itll probably be considerably less than the £1000 or so – but its an all or nothing one across the company so its not exactly guarenteed yet 🙁

  29. Starshine: You’re right. Eventful absolutely needs a way to close demands. I’m going to mention that to them.
    Kamala: The Mid-Atlantic and Southeast are definitely possibilities.

  30. It was a nickname a friend of mine had, actually, and she decided one day that she didn’t want it anymore, so I said I’d take it. It’s a hand-me-down nickname, but it fits nicely!
    And hey, nothing to be ashamed about with the Prince thing. My 51 year old mother liked him back in the day, and she STILL goes slightly gagafangirl when she sees him on the news. Our favorite way of annoying my little sister in the car is singing Little Red Corvette when it comes on the radio! LOL!

  31. Oh, I need one of those bonuses, Sara!
    Actually, I work for a nonprofit so, we don’t really get bonuses. I don’t work there for the money so, I’m cool.
    Although I just secretly WISH I could get a bonus that isn’t a mini flashlight or a floating pen. Because NOBODY WANTS those and you can’t return them because these are items that have been re-gifted since the beginning of time and have never actually been bought in any store.

  33. Oh, yeah!! Now you’ve got me singing it…
    But it was Saturday night
    I guess that makes it all right
    And u say, baby, have u got enough gas?
    Oh,yeah!
    Little red Corvette
    Baby ur much 2 fast, yes u r
    Little red Corvette
    U need 2 find a love that’s gonna last

  34. *sings along*
    A body like yours oughta be in jail
    Cuz it’s on the verge of bein’ obscene
    Move over, baby, gimme the keys
    I’m gonna try 2 tame your little red love machine
    Little Red Corvette
    Baby, U’re much 2 fast
    Little Red Corvette
    Need 2 find a love that’s gonna last, hey hey

  35. i’d rather have a slightly higher monthly takehome pay and no bonuses but unfortunately that the way the cookie crumbles… still… if you enjoy the work thats something at least

  39. Well, it looks like things are winding down for today.
    I didn’t intend for this to be an “event” when I planned it, but it’s kind of turned out that way!
    This has been an incredible rush for me, and I get the sense that it’s been an awful lot of fun for everyone who wanted to get a signed hardback. I think there will be a few people who check in a few hours from now, who will be pleasantly surprised to find that there are still some copies left. It was always my hope that I could balance the business realities of this limited edition with my desire to make as many people as happy as possible; I’m thrilled that everything seems to be working out for all of us.

  40. Awesome, I got my copy! I’m hoping it was double digits, but hey, I wasn’t *that* on the stick. Regardless, I’m lookin forward to getting my book, thanks Wil!

  43. I think it’s Prince again. Not sure, though.
    *sings*
    U don’t have 2 be beautiful 2 turn me on
    I just need your body, baby, from dusk till dawn
    U don’t need experience 2 turn me up there
    U just leave it all up 2 me, I’m gonna show U what it’s allabout
    U don’t have 2 be rich 2 be my girl
    U don’t have 2 be cool 2 rule my world
    Ain’t no particular sign I’m more compatible with
    I just want your extra time and your . . . . . kiss
    *was the only song with lyrics clean enough to repost!*

  45. It has been loads of fun Wil. 😀
    Congrats on getting teh book out. I know you have made (or are in the process of making) 300 people very happy!

  46. Byron: Yeah, it’s a funny story: I was cast as Louis’ Friend. We had a scene where he and I are camping out in a TeePee or something when Alex returns in the big spaceship at the end of the movie. I think I said something like, “Cool! Aliens!”
    We filmed out of order, so the scene where Alex shows up at the very end was shot first, and if you squint you can see me in the background, in cowboy PJs.
    The funny thing is, the scene where I talked and stuff was cut before we shot it. Because I had already been cast, contracts were signed, and I’d been filmed, I got credit in the movie.

  47. Wil, this is all you, man. Thanks for making this such a great afternoon, and BOY am I ever enjoying myself. I think this should be what happens EVERY time you release a book!
    PARTY AT WIL’S BLOG!

  48. i should go to bed soon.. i have work tomorrow.. but im entirely too awake.. :S
    is anyone from canada floating on here.. i have a random question for them if so!

  49. I just got back from breakfast, and put my order in.
    There’s no counter that I could see, so I’m taking the chance that since it let me order a book, I’ll get a book.
    P.S., Wil, I’ve got an autographed single of that Winger song, FTW!

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