Speed to Me, Friendly Mailman

So I just did it. I just placed my order for this book. And now I wait ...

On her blog today, Erica asked what people enjoy about being a writer. Among all the many things, here is one small one: I get a little thrill when I'm in a bookstore and see a book and think, "I know the editor!" or "I know who wrote that book!"

Call me infantile, but it makes me feel like I'm in some kind of secret club. Books have been my great love since my earliest, foggiest memories. In high school, I used to skip class to hang out in the school library every so often. (And I still got lousy grades ... go figure.) I can still remember exactly where some of my favorite books were shelved. And I remember riding my bike ridiculously long ways to get to a book store, then just hanging around in the racks. I always pictured myself as that kid outside the ice cream shop, hands plastered to the window, nose smashed against the glass into a little piggy snout, just watching in rapt fascination.

You'd think that some of this goofy enthusiasm would have worn off now that I actually work in publishing. But it totally hasn't. I'm still just gaga for the whole business -- all of it. The writers and editors, the design, the distribution, the marketing, the binderies and the presses, the anal-retentive copy editors who drive me crazy ... I just love to be part of it all.

And it makes it better that writers are just about my favorite people in the world. Find a bunch of smarter, more interesting, more creative and more singular people anywhere. Go ahead. I dare you. So it's my pleasure -- my honor -- to support my writer friends, whether it's buying their books or reading manuscripts or just hoping, and I know that when all is said and done, I'll never look back and regret a moment of living in this business.