Monday nights are writing nights for me. So, last night, after work I went to the Barnes & Noble on Route 17 in Paramus, NJ. It is one of my favorite spots to write while jacked-up on coffee and triple-chocolate-espresso brownies.
In a caffeine and sugar induced groove, I spent several hours editing my next book, a collaboration with Ryan Avery, the 2012 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking. Though the book won’t be released until early 2014, you can check it out at: Speaker, Leader, Champion: Succeed at Work Through the Power of Public Speaking.
As I was walking out, I stopped at the self-service kiosk to see if my recently released book, How to Deliver a TED Talk, had made it onto store shelves. I figured the chances were somewhere between zero and “you must be kidding.” My excitement built as I saw the option to “locate in store.” Strolling over to the business section, I erupted into an ear-to-ear grin with pride and gratitude. To save the moment, I snapped a few photos and headed home to show-off to my wife and kids. My 13-year-old put things back in proper perspective, “Dad, just 3 books?” You’ve got to love the honesty.
I started to feel like an author when I self-published my first book. The feeling grew stronger when McGraw-Hill released an expanded version of my TED book. In my wildest dreams, I never expected I’d have a book on store shelves. Thank you to my brilliant editor Casey Ebro and the team and McGraw-Hill. Thank you to my meticulous line editor PJ Dempsey. Thank you to my wonderful agent Jackie Meyer. And especially, thank you to the buyer (or the person who designed the buying algorithm) at Barnes & Noble for making one of my dreams come true!
