The Morning After The Night Before

I'm really struggling with what to write today. Not because I don't have anything new to report but because things are happening so quickly that I'm no longer certain I'm able to keep up.

You'll have read many authors saying they have "news" but aren't allowed to talk about it yet (it almost always means they have a publishing contract. I'm pretty sure I'm not revealing anything unknown there) and for once, I'm saying the same thing - and it's not a publishing contract.

I've been very fortunate in having lots of people to turn to and ask for help, however small. Just spreading the word about the book is all I want from them, but some people are able to offer so much more. These people have so willingly and enthusiastically promoted The Long Second - in most cases without even reading it - that word is now reaching complete strangers, and new names are popping up in my Twitter stream and on the Facebook page.

To you new faces I say Welcome, I hope you enjoy what you find here and that it helps you with whatever path you choose to follow (or that you simply enjoy the book!)

Other things have happened because they've been made to happen. That whole "getting yourself out there" thing that I spoke about on Friday. Sometimes you tentatively pick up the phone, expecting nothing but ambivalence (at best) or blunt rejection (at worst) but end up speaking to somebody who is completely enthralled by your story, and then they make an offer which exceeds your wildest dreams (certainly this early in the process). Maybe nothing will come of it, but maybe it will... watch this space.

But it just shows: these are just ordinary people, doing what they do day in, day out. They don't know how nervous you are about approaching them. Maybe they'll be grumpy, maybe you'll be a time-waster, but maybe not. Maybe yours is the story they are looking for that day.

But it's given the whole process a second wind. I was honestly exhausted after the weekend. There were times I was struggling to keep up with emails - Facebook notifications, Twitter mentions and retweets (yes, I know I can turn them off, but I actually quite like them) and a flurry of general emails dealing with sales, potential sales and all the other things I spoke about yesterday.

I was almost happy to go back to work for a rest. Well, perhaps not.

One thing's for sure: the journey has only just begun. If the momentum can be maintained, then who knows where it will lead.

But wherever it goes, it certainly looks like it's not going to be boring. Come along with me, why don't you?