# Ask the guy with a book coming out in five days **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 20, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669 "2009-02-20T03:37:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/61 "2009-02-20T22:53:42Z")
I’m confused. How did your book know that it was gay? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/62 "2009-02-20T23:10:18Z")
I’ll recommend this to my wife and mother in law, both of whom love to read and love baseball and _really_ love to read about baseball. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/63 "2009-02-21T20:57:00Z")
I know you said you contacted 10 agents, and two wanted you (_shakes fist in rage_). How did you find the 10? Were you recommended to any of them, or contact them cold? Do you send any synopsis with your cover letter? What did your cover letter say? In short, what did you (or anybody else) say to the 10 agents, and what do you think ‘made the sale’? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/64 "2009-02-21T22:31:24Z")
If I buy your book, can I beat you up too? Wished listed your book for future reading and maybe even buying. I have to win the lottery first. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/65 "2009-02-21T23:28:07Z")
Thanks to everyone for their interest/purchasing/consideration/recommendation, etc. For bup’s questions… I did have a couple of referral/recommendations, including for the agent I now have, and others were cold. My experience is that a recommendation can speed up the response but will not make a difference in the agent’s decision. The friend who put in a good words was surprised and delighted when she learned the agent was now representing me; she confided later that she’s recommended a dozen friends and I was the first the agent represented. I wrote a query letter only with basic info and a well-honed, much revised and critiqued letter (critiqued by the same friend) giving a summary of the book and my background info. Most requested “partials”, i.e., a few chapters, and a few then went on to request “fulls”. I kept a record and have exact count somewhere, but I remember only one or two flat rejections so the letter must have been a good one. Incidentally, one agent actually contacted me first after reading a short story in a magazine, and that’s not uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/66 "2009-02-21T23:46:09Z")
Will there be a Kindle edition? My son might like your book, but there’s no way we can acquire a hard copy here. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/67 "2009-02-21T23:47:08Z")
I just read the description. Damn, that’s a compelling idea for a story. Did you have any say on the cover art? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/68 "2009-02-21T23:54:44Z")
There will be a digital text edition, but I’m not sure where you buy it or if it works with Kindle. ([http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375891564](http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375891564)) They sent me the cover art for my approval… I don’t know if they would have changed it if I didn’t really like it. I do like it, so it wasn’t an issue. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Priori\_Tea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@A\_Priori\_Tea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Priori_Tea)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/69 "2009-02-22T02:04:14Z")
Congratulations! I am working on writing my first article series (and my first book will follow, hopefully), so you’re living my dream right now. I would be jealous, if we were in anything like the same genre, heh. The excerpt looks awesome, and I will look forward to reading the whole thing. May all your mses sell millions, and may every editor maim your children painlessly! 😃 (And because I’m a pedantic asshole… you should make them fix “warrantee,” because it looks like you meant “warranty” in that context. Please don’t hit me.) ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/70 "2009-02-22T03:11:13Z")
Ulp. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/71 "2009-02-22T03:44:30Z")
Kindle edition just went up tonight on Amazon! ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/72 "2009-02-22T03:57:42Z")
Congrats **cricetus**! You are indeed lucky to have your first attempt published. That’s a rarity, indeed. May Mudville be a sellout! ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/73 "2009-02-22T04:03:24Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Cool. [Red Balloon Bookshop](http://redballoonbookshop.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp) on Grand Ave. in St. Paul. Saturday the 28th. 2:00 PM. Meet the author. Get a book signed. > > I have a pre-publication, reader’s copy thing. I’m holding onto it. If he blows up and gets famous, I’m going to get paid. Especially if he dies. > > This is the first book I’ve ever read by an author who I’ve personally beaten up. Could **Cricetus** be conceivably selected in the **2010 Celebrity Death Pool**? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/74 "2009-02-22T04:56:12Z")
Wow, you know **Diogenes the Cynic**? Cool! 😃 Your book sounds awesome to by the way. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![toadbriar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@toadbriar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadbriar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/75 "2009-02-22T09:18:05Z")
Congrats! How exciting! The cover is great. The synopsis is intriguing! Kudos for seeing the project through, and turning it from an idea into a real thing. Very inspiring! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/76 "2009-02-22T12:57:35Z")
> [@raindog](#): > > Could **Cricetus** be conceivably selected in the **2010 Celebrity Death Pool**? 😉 Cricetus, how are you feeling??? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/77 "2009-02-22T13:58:01Z")
Ha ha ha. I’ll eat some extra bacon with breakfast and have an extra drink with dinner. I want to support anyone who bets on me. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/78 "2009-02-22T19:35:01Z")
I just read the excerpt too and loved it. (Maybe I read at a 3rd grade level? 😃 ) I’m looking forward to reading the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/79 "2009-02-26T03:46:41Z")
I remembered to place my order today. I should get it next week. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669/80 "2009-02-26T04:52:49Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Cricetus is my little brother. I used to make him eat snow. He’ll probably try to deny it. I hope it wasnt yellow!! :eek: 😃 S^G [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-with-a-book-coming-out-in-five-days/486669.md?page=5)