!!! so it happened. my book is here. i can hold it in my hand and flip the pages. it's weird to finally have it here, after staring at the cover for weeks and having no idea what the inside will look like. it's much smaller than i thought, both figuratively and literally. it's definitely not a tome, more like an oversized pamphlet. the cover is pretty eye-catching, and the little embossed parts are nice to the touch. most importantly, my name is spelled right on the cover. the insides are beautiful too. i've been commended on how nice the layout and organization of the book is. of course, those were things i had nothing to do with. however, i'll take all credit that even flimsily floats my way.

i've only gotten a few advance copies, most of which were a tad busted up due to the shipping. all of those people i promised copies to, well, you'll have to wait. i was hoping to get more copies to distribute but i might not be getting them so you may be on your own. i'll let you know.

i can't imagine who's gonna sit through and read the entire book but i don't think it's that kind of experience. it'll be placed in the computer section in bookstores so it'll be more of a reference book. something that sits on a coffee table for someone to flip around and sip some information before promptly setting it down. i applaud anyone who even attempts to read it linearly. (any grammar/spelling mistakes are not mine, or are they?)

the fun thing for me so far has been to see exactly which pictures/images made it into the book. whenever possible i tried to use blogs of friends as image examples. it's like looking for little easter eggs.

my greatest regret about the book is that i didn't get an acknowledgements page. i mean, i had people to thank. well, one. but she counts as a plural. so i guess the only public venue i have to thank her is here. so many thanks to lilly -- "my agent, my life."

the book is being sent out this month for marketing and promotion things, possibly to be reviewed by various outlets. i'm working on my book's blog to position myself as a blog expert.

it's exciting isn't it? to finally have this book almost ready and out the door? i can finally start to get excited because this is like really happening. the trepidation, and hesitation, of having something go wrong is almost over. i can hold a copy of the book in my hands and it looks gorgeous. let it begin.