(Photo: Garland Cannon)
It was just past 5pm EST in Manhattan, and I’d been on pins and needles all day.
The report was coming in any minute. All attempts to nap earlier, despite two hours of sleep, had failed. There would be no rest on this Wednesday.
Now, in the lobby of the ACE Hotel, a few friends — including my agent, Steve Hanselman, my assistant, Charlie Hoehn, and my brother from another mother, Chris — had gathered with me to drink champagne. No matter the outcome, it had been a hard-fought battle over three years. THREE YEARS. Hospitalizations, surgeries, you name it.
I stared at the floor, reciting the reasons why things could go right. Most of them were silly and superstitious. Then my internal devil’s advocate chimed in with the reasons other books would beat me: better retail placement, celebrity authors, dedicated TV shows, etc.
“It’s here.”
I looked up. Steve smiled and handed me his Blackberry:
#1: The 4-Hour Body…
The 4-Hour Body had hit #1 on The New York Times bestseller list, on the hardest list (Advice, How-To) during the hardest week of the year.
I was in shock for the rest of the evening.
THANK YOU
For the rest of the night, as my friends fed me shots, I thought back to 2007, when The 4-Hour Workweek was turned down by 26 out of 27 publishers.
Everything that I’ve experienced in the last three years is thanks to you. I learn more from you than I could ever teach.
Much more to come soon (including a detailed post-game analysis of the launch), but — for the time being — I’ll keep it simple: THANK YOU.
I love you all.
May you and yours have the most joyous of holidays. Now, I need to get to wine and chocolate with the family… 🙂
Merry Christmas! 2011 is going to be the best year yet for all of us!
Un abrazo grande,
Tim
