9/12/13

Comments, Messages, and Moments

Hi there! It's me again! Not that it hasn't been me as we've experienced the How To E-Book series, but you know how I like to chatter on, and it's all been a bit formal. Although I do remember some prouschetta. Anyway, it's time to chatter.

I HAVE A BOOK OUT! And it's...the weirdest thing! I mean, it's awesome, definitely, but people are now talking to me about my book. I don't bring it up. I mean, I didn't really bring up my writing much anyway to begin with {conversations usually go something like this: "I, uh, I write. I'm not published." Other people: "Oh. Okay."}, but now other people are bringing it up.
  • So, I saw you wrote a book. Well, yes, I did, well, technically it's my 6th, but, yes. Yes, I did. {Don't worry. I stopped mentioning the '6' thing a long time ago.}
  • I need help downloading your book! Absolutely, I will help you!
    • Note for all you thinking of publishing to Kindle: People who aren't familiar with Kindle will download the sample and think they're downloading the book. I'm not really sure why. But you may want to make it clear in your family/friends emails that there is the 'Buy' button and the 'Sample' button.
  • How's the book doing? I do not know how to answer this. {Are we discussing sales? The upcoming paperback? Its, um, health?} But I always come up with something.
And I get Facebook messages from friends! They tell me that they'll definitely be reading it again. They make my day by saying things like,
"OMG Clayton Ford #swoon."
And I just can't contain this happiness that people are joining me in the world of Jenn Alistor...not to mention enjoying themselves.

The comment that surprised me most was from a couple of college friends who noted that the book "looked dark." It's an absolutely true statement, and I've been waiting for it for some time, but I was 100% expecting it from church friends. Nope, no church friend has mentioned the subject matter {teenage murderer, come on!}. College friends get first prize on that one.

The best moment? When I was at a physics picnic--the Physnic, get it? Isn't it awesome?--and someone comes up and says, "I'm reading your book."

There is something about that statement that shocks a person, even when they technically know they have a book out. The person in question is a friend and a Facebook friend, but he's not someone I communicate with regularly. He hadn't commented on any of my book-ish things on FB before. I hadn't put him on my list of "friends who are dying to read this book and have told me so twenty times."

And he walks up and says, "I'm reading your book."

I couldn't stop smiling. In retrospect, I probably seemed more awkward than usual. Grinning and stammering like an idiot. I probably said, "Thank you," and "that's awesome" about twenty times. Each.

He said, "If somebody I know writes a book, I'm d**n well gonna read it."

None of my stammerings were going to match up to that, so I stopped talking and just kept smiling. Nobody smiles that wide for that long. Nobody except authors, I guess.

Author. That's going to take some getting used to. {I put it on my email signatures now, which means I see it half a dozen times a day. Still not used to it.}

2 comments:

AimeeLSalter said...

I have read your book. I own your book. And when it comes out in paperback I'm going to buy it again and ask you to sign it for me.

Now, do I win the awesome friend certificate or something?

AimeeLSalter said...

I have read your book. I own your book. And when it comes out in paperback I'm going to buy it again and ask you to sign it for me.

Now, do I win the awesome friend certificate or something?