the limited edition hardbacks have sold out

Wow. I hoped it would happen, but I didn’t think it would happen so fast!

I took a break from the computer to go eat dinner with my family, and while I was up, we sold the last copies of the signed, numbered, limited edition of Happiest Days of Our Lives.

The really sad news is that we oversold by 24 books, and I’ll have to issue refunds to those people. Please accept my apologies in advance, but it looks like if you placed your order after 5:30 or 6pm PST, you’ll be getting a refund from me.

I wanted to reprint my final update from the liveblog and open mic thread:

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.

Now I’m going to celebrate by playing some games with my family (looking like Ticket to Ride: Europe and maybe Settlers) before I have a Stone IPA, which I think I’ve earned.

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82 thoughts on “the limited edition hardbacks have sold out”

  2. Whoo!
    Congratulations Wil! I’m glad I got two of your books. They will go on my not-to-be-loaned-under-penalty-of-death shelf next to my books signed by Douglas Adams and Neil Gaiman.
    And I sorted out depositing in Pokerstars, so I’ll be sure to make the next tournament.
    Yay Wil!

  3. Ah, and we’re still having such fun in the other thread 🙂
    Congrats, Wil! I think you’ve earned at least one, if not two. 🙂
    Can’t wait to find out which number I have 😉

  4. Uh oh…it’s gonna be a close one for me! My confirmation email puts my order @ 5:18 your time.
    Well, if I didn’t make the cut, I’ll just have to buy a couple of softcovers when they’re available again. Hugs to you, Wil. Enjoy that IPA, you have definitely earned it.

  6. Congrats… and curses! Saw this morning that they were going on sale… and just got home from the BGG con in time to see I missed it. I suppose I’ll have to “settle” for a regular copy!

  7. I meant to mention this when they actually went on sale, but forgot…I laughed when I saw the thing on Monolith that youd be selling from now till the 25th. My first thought was “HA! Theyll be gone in 24 hours.” Six is good too. Congratulations, once again.

  8. I’ve got all your books, and I’ll keep buying them until you jump the shark.
    But I don’t see that happening in the near future. You know how to write an ending, unlike that Crichton hack. 🙂

  9. Congrats Wil on selling out (er…in a good way!). I think I’m going to celebrate your fabulous day by reading your book again before bed!
    I’m happy for you, lucky 300…it’s a really great book. Hope you enjoy it!

  10. Thank you, Wil for appreciating your fans so much! I feel honored to be a part of this day in your life, as I’m sure everyone else does. 🙂 By the way, I just noticed you have The Guns of Brixton on your playlist….one of my alltime favorites from The Clash-awesomeness!!!

  11. Congratulations on selling out. I was one of the people today who held off to buy your book until the hardback version came out. I’ve begun only buying hardbacks when I can so that I have a library that lasts longer, something I can pass on. So please take it as a compliment that I held off on buying so as to include your new book in the ever-growing [brazos605] library.

  12. Congrats, Wil! With everything you’ve been through the last few years, you definitely deserve it. Sadly, I didn’t get a signed hardcover, but I finished the audiobook of Just A Geek last night, and I am eagerly awaiting my paperback copy of Happiest Days of Our Lives.

  13. *sigh* This is what sucks about a) living on the East Coast, and b) having been in a movie theater to watch Beowulf when the hardback sale went on. I even set an alarm on my phone when the sale started, and I believe it went off (on vibrate, of course) when Beowulf was getting it on with Angelina Jolie–which is somewhat oddly appropriate.
    I’m a little sad that I won’t be able to have the limited, signed, hardback edition of THDOOL, but when I get paid this week, I’m definitely buying the paperback for myself because I’ve chosen to ask all my relatives to buy toys for Child’s Play instead of giving me Christmas gifts. Only… I kinda want it signed, too. I know I owe you a pint from way back when I interviewed you for Sequential Tart and gave you one of your first online reviews for Just a Geek… is there any chance I can shout you a round between December 20 and December 26 when I go home to SoCal for Christmas?

  15. Stay happy, and thanks for clearing up that last starfighter thingy. Watched it a few times in the last year or two and never did see you, just listed as louis’ friend. Off to more movies…
    …and congrats on the poker cashing. My PStars account was felted, but FTP still strong. Cya.

  16. Surprise you big silly. Never underestimate your fan base. Congrats! You should be proud of yourself. I know I am so proud of you. Way to go Wil!

  17. I am not surprised. When the tweet cam across and I was on my way to work I was worried I would not get one. But luckily I was able to order around 1:38…
    Can’t wait to read it Wil!

  18. I’m surprised they lasted more than one hour, much less 6!
    I was one of the ones F5ing… from about 10 minutes before 12. I actually hit order before the tweet came across my phone. Although it wouldn’t be a name you would recognize, since my guy bought me this edition for part of our first anniversary present! (Best present ever! He’s awesome!) I can’t see too many other people coming up from Grove City out of only 300 people however. 😉
    I can’t wait to see what number is mine, and if it’s one that a random song/thought was posted for in your entry about signing them. LOL
    Congrats Wil! You deserve to celebrate, and for sure deserve to feel great about this. =)

  19. It was so hard to hold out for the hard back edition of Happiest Days, but I am so glad I did, I think it will be worth the wait. You most certainly deserve to celebrate and have a cold one. I would buy you one if I could. Anyway this girl from Oregon, loves your books, and can’t wait to the Audiobook comes out, because I love them too! Congrats Wil, on your success today, and everyday!

  20. Wow! Congratulations Wil!
    I echo the sentiment that I felt honored to be part of this special day. I read all the comments as they came in on your Live post, and kept hitting F5 every 10 minutes for hours just to feel that special bond with the Wheaton 300. I realized as I was forced to turn off my laptop and actually pay some attention to my 6 year old that I would miss the fun. I checked first thing this morning, and sure enough, sold out! Whoo-hoo!
    You have a special knack for making your readers feel connected to you. Never lose that and you will continue to have AMAZING success 🙂 Congrats again.

  22. Congrats, I feel privileged to have been among the 300 and to think I almost forgot. I was telling myself a few days ago, “Ok, Wil is selling his hardcopy at noon, come on.. REMEMBER!!!”
    And then I forgot.
    And then I remembered at 3:30 p.m….. cussing myself out for forgetting.
    And then I told myself I was a dumbass because 3:30 here (Ohio) is only 12:30 PST.
    So, it’s Kool and the Gang, I’ve got a copy and can’t wait to read it when it arrives. I didn’t even mind eating my almost burnt pizza. It tasted like geek success.

  24. love2all-Hello, fellow Ohioan!!! I’m happy to see that I’m not alone, here! The Buckeye State is representin’ in the Wheaton 300!!! (Somehow, that sounded better in my head and less dorky. Oh, well.)

  25. I’m not surprised they sold out so fast. I remember what happened when you sold your chapbook. I got my order in early, and I’m glad I did, so now I can proclaim myself as a proud member of the Wheaton 300.

  26. While I’m looking forward to reading your new book, I can’t help but wonder when we’ll be able to go through this all again with some of the fiction you’ve been tossing about. I also can’t wait to throw around my 300 number as a status symbol at work.

  28. That’s fantastic that the signed hardbacks sold out so quickly! Dude. I wish I hadn’t been out camping this weekend and missed the sale entirely, though — I’d been holding out. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to support you, or not want to buy your book. On the contrary, I felt that waiting until you were selling the more expensive hardback was a better way to support you, and from the way the sale went, I wasn’t alone.
    So, are you going to be selling unsigned hardbacks, now? Or signed paperbacks?

  29. Well, I was on a train to NYC when the sale started and I was watching a play (written by one of the actors, nudge, nudge, maybe you can think about that) when you sold out. Oh well, bad for me but I’m so happy for you.
    Really, Wil, you should listen to Anne and chill when it comes to your writing. I think this once again proves that your writing is something a lot of people respond to.

  30. Dude.
    Some of us have lives, too, kwim? Also, I read considerably faster than you write. So, generally, checking in once a week or so gives me good access to your fine writing. I’ll mail a check for books when my round-to-it comes back from the cleaners, but this neurotic insistance on real-time processing is something you could work on.
    It took you 47 years (or so) to develop this stuff, you might want to imagine it’ll take you more than 5 hours to evaluate it.
    All the best, sir. ;o)

  31. Doh, I missed it. I thought it would be at least available when I got back to work. The bad part here is that we can’t even order the paperback anymore… I waited for the hardcover, but now I got nothin’.
    Can we open the ordering again for paperbacks, please?
    -bill

  33. Congrats on the successful sellout (in the good, not bad sense of the word!)
    I’m disappointed that I missed out on getting a book, since I was waiting anxiously for it. Unfortunately for me I was out having one of my personal best mountain bike rides on the North Shore of Vancouver, and then spending the afternoon with my mother-in-law showing her around one of the mountains. It’s just too hard to spend one of the few sunny, nice days of Vancouver’s rainy fall/winter season inside waiting for anything on my computer.
    Still, I’m terribly disappointed. I’m sure I’ll come to terms with it eventually. 😉

  34. We’ll put paperback ordering back online by the end of the week. I just want to make sure that the 300 hardbacks are actually shipped correctly first.
    Jenny: I’d take a bike ride in the Vancouver sunshine over just about anything, including my books!

  35. passinthru: Are you kidding me? I think a true fan would be checking the site daily, or hourly, or at the geekiest level have a perl script checking every 30 seconds 😉 . Not to mention the fact that we live in an I-want-it-yesterday world, welcome to the future. I think most would consider it neurotic to expect otherwise from the internets. Or you’re just just old.

  36. I had to go out, so I left my other half at home f5ing his little heart out, bless him. He didn’t even know what he was buying, he just knew I wanted one. Awww. 🙂

  37. Lisa: You’ve got him trained pretty well!
    I woke up at 1 and panicked, and then I remembered that 1 in the afternoon on the East Coast was 10 in the morning on the West Coast. I refreshed for 1 hour and 57 minutes, and then caught one of the early birds. The rest of the day was spent talking with you peoples on here and annoying my roommate with my glee.
    *Proud Member of the Wheaton 300*

  38. I need to pay closer attention. I missed the whole party, including (dammit) the poker tourney. But you know what? I will take comfort in knowing that someone else who really wanted a hardback will get one now, since I didn’t. And I still consider myself ultra-fortunate for having bought the very first paperback copy of THDOOL ever sold.
    For those of you among the 300, congrats! I’m sure you will enjoy the book.

  39. jason. B, I’m just old. Like Wil is. ;oD Not sufficiently geeky to be automated in my reading, yet, however.
    In MY day, we played D&D with pencils. =8oO

  41. passinthru
    Dude – Wil is not 47! Just by typing that, you’ve aged him by more than 10 years in cyberspace. Pretty soon Wikipedia will be reporting that he landed the role of Wesley Crusher at age 26 (a la Luke Perry).

  44. Wow. That number 47 just keeps popping up all over the place. 🙂
    It is hard, sometimes, to keep on top of the limited releases but since we had a good two days of lead time I think it was valid. I’m just happy I was home at the time. And yes, I am okay with admitting to much F5ing yesterday. (But apparently disappearing for the 300 party. There was cake? I missed cake? Drat. Is there any leftover cake? I’m an Opera Singer, does that help?)
    Cheers!

  46. I had really hoped I’d be able to get a hardcover – signed or not (tho signed would’ve been better). Unfortunately my financial situation doesn’t allow for it. I’m not even sure when I’ll be able to get the paperback. I really want this book! (And the audio version of JaG).
    You 300 are a lucky group of people. In all sincerity, I hope you ejoy the book. I remember my excitement when I got Dancing Barefoot (from Monolith press then the O’Reilly print I found at a Barnes & Noble) and of course my hardcover of Just a Geek.
    And congratulations to Wil on selling out of the special edition so quickly. I’ve been reading this blog from the early years on WWdN and I love to see this great stuff happening in your life. Thanks for sharing these things with your fans.

  47. Oh noes. They be taking my cake!!!
    And I assume Jason’s kidding about the “real fans would be checking the site daily, or hourly, or at the geekiest level have a perl script checking every 30 seconds” as he put a smiley face after it. It’s problematic to define things like “real fan” or “true geek”. Real fans get busy, have family obligations, and just plain don’t check the site every hour, too. There have been stretches where I haven’t checked the site for weeks and stretches where I leave it up all day, occasionally refreshing it to stay up to the minute. Checking it fanatically or not I’ve always thought I was a “real” fan.
    But again, I take no umbrage at the remark because I assume it was facetious.
    Anyway, this cake is great. It’s so delicious and moist.

  49. Well crappers. I missed out on all the fun yesterday. After I got my order in I just unplugged for the rest of the weekend. Oh well. I am totally stoked about getting the HB. I wonder what number it will be. I Can’t wait!

  50. there are day im glad i don’t have an x-box… although i was out with a friend last week and agreed portal on the wii would be hawesome…. however… the cake is not a lie at my house mwahahaha….
    now i just need the last sandman book to tide me over until my book arrives!! (thanks wil for blogging about that piece of awesomeness…. cause im not sure i would have found that otherwise… )

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