June 2, 2004

I feel no small degree of shame about what I am about to confess.

I have jumped on the bloggers-writing-books bandwagon.

I have written a book.

And Random House is publishing it.

Those of you who’ve been reading this blog for a while may remember that I participated in the Blogathon by writing 49 haiku about gay dating and sex.

Well, people seemed to like them, and they were easy enough to write, so I decided to write 20 more and try and get the group published as 69 Gay Haiku.

Eventually somebody at Random House decided he wanted to publish it. The only issue was that he wanted 110 haiku. I had no problem writing the extra haiku; it’s just that 69 Gay Haiku is the only decent title I’ve ever come up with for anything. The current title of the book is Gay Haiku.

I would link to the haiku that I posted for the Blogathon, but I was contractually obligated to take them off the web site.

So, as I say, I feel no small sense of shame about this. However, the first part of my advance came yesterday, and, let me tell you, there’s nothing that takes that shame away like being able to pay the collection agencies what you owe them.

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41 Responses to I feel no small degree

  1. Me says:

    whoa?! congratulations! publishing is a vicious world. what imprint?

    Reply
  2. Broadway.

    Reply
  3. jon collins says:

    congrats! hardcover?

    Reply
  4. Thank you. Yes, hardcover. Until that sells a million billion copies and they issue a paperback version. And a book-on-tape version, which will be read by Linda Hunt.

    Reply
  5. Jess says:

    That’s terrific! Congratulations!

    Reply
  6. Me says:

    Broadway’s good–they’ve got a good publicity machine behind them. You need to push them to arrange readings/events for you. That and press are really the only ways to break through the deluge of published material that the industry vomits forth.

    Reply
  7. Chas says:

    Congratulations..
    You must keep us all informed as to the details as they become available.
    Sounds perfect bedtime reading.

    Reply
  8. Good on yer, Faustus.

    P.S. any chance of a Guest Haiku, some time?

    Reply
  9. Jay says:

    You will be famous
    Fortune and hunks will come too
    I am SO envious

    Reply
  10. mike says:

    I am almost speechless with delight.

    (And some small measure of envy – but I’ll work through that.)

    Many, many congratulations. Those haiku were outstanding, and it thrills me to know that there are more to come.

    Reply
  11. Adrienne says:

    Jealous, but happy. Congrats.

    Reply
  12. Annie says:

    Congrats!

    Reply
  13. Jeff says:

    Mazel tov, honey. I’m so proud of you.

    I am also insanely jealous, of course, but only in a good way. Tell me, whom do I need to sleep with to get something of my own published?

    Reply
  14. Chris says:

    Omigoodness!

    This is marvelous news, sweetpea! Congratulations! Is the book published under the nom de plume?

    Reply
  15. Thanks, everybody, for the congratulations. Non-Contact lens wearer, do you mean you want to guest haiku for me or that you’d like me to guest haiku for you? Either way would be delightful, I’m sure. Jay, I have my doubts about the fame and fortune, though luckily I’ve already got my own hunk, but from your lips to God’s ear. Jeff, if you’d like I can send you a list of everybody I’ve slept with (as I’m not sure which encounter resulted in this stroke of good fortune) but, to be honest, some of them were pretty unsavory fellows, so it might be a crap shoot. Chris, no, the book will actually be published under my own name, if you can believe it.

    Reply
  16. Toccoa says:

    When can we expect the link to Amazon so you can get link$ as well as royalties?

    Reply
  17. Shame? NO shame! Advances and royalty checks wash all shame away.

    Congratulations. That’s fantastic and well-deserved news.

    Reply
  18. Jeffrey says:

    Look out David Sedaris and David Rakoff. I’m senmsing some time on Fresh Air or This American life is next up on your to do list.

    Reply
  19. Patrick says:

    I want the movie rights!

    Congrats!

    Reply
  20. pixeldiva says:

    I know I’ve never commented on your site before, but I have to add this comment…

    On reading your post, what popped into my head was the tune for 76 trombones… and the line “110 haiku in the gay parade”.

    I’ve no idea why, or why I feel the need to tell you this.

    Reply
  21. pixeldiva says:

    Oh, and apparently the tune from 76 trombones removes my manners too.

    Congratulations on the book deal.

    Reply
  22. Tin Man says:

    Congratulations, Faustus! This is great news.

    Now you’ll have to turn it into a musical…

    Reply
  23. Tin Man says:

    Congratulations, Faustus! That’s great news.

    Now you’ll have to turn it into a musical…

    Reply
  24. Tin Man says:

    Congratulations, Faustus! That’s great news.

    Now you’ll have to turn it into a musical…

    Reply
  25. Tin Man says:

    Congratulations, Faustus! That’s great news.

    Now you’ll have to turn it into a musical…

    Reply
  26. Tin Man says:

    Crap. Sorry about the repeats.

    Reply
  27. oh faustus, congratulations. this is a big deal 🙂

    so the title of the book is “gay haiku”?

    Reply
  28. todd says:

    I see a movie deal coming out of this. A collection of short vignette’s a la “Coffee and Cigarettes” or “32 Short Films About Glenn Gould” The question is, who will play Faustus?

    Reply
  29. Paul says:

    Congratulations!! Is there an ETA as to when the book will be published and/or on our local bookshelves? And yeah I really did like 69 Gay Haiku as the title…but 69 is my favorite number…for a non-perverted reason though.

    Reply
  30. Jenni says:

    ‘gratz, honey!!! You deserve it!!

    Reply
  31. deb says:

    Congratulations – you have a great writing style, and I am always inspired by bloggers who get published without having to switch over to fiction/novel-writing.

    Best of luck.

    Reply
  32. Saltation says:

    I think you might find
    He meant to say: One
    Hundred one gay haiku

    Reply
  33. Saltation says:

    “can i come in again?” that’ll teach me to post just before i go to sleep while laughing at the drunks outside. i MEANT to say:

    I think you might find
    He meant to say: One hundred
    And one gay haikus.

    that way they can just relabel all that dalmation merchandise and recoup some of their investment

    Reply
  34. First time commenter here!

    Congratulations!

    This is the most non-smug declaration of intent from the bloggers turned writers so far. Those haikus were mucho funny!

    Reply
  35. Lux says:

    You know, I noticed a while ago that under the “Best of the Search,” the links for Gay Haiku were gone, and I was going to ask why…

    Can’t wait to get the print version. Congratulations.

    Reply
  36. Adam875 says:

    YAY!!! I expect a musical version within a year!

    Reply
  37. shahjay says:

    Congrats! Will you charge extra for the autographed copies?

    Reply
  38. Peg says:

    Congratulations!! I’m a few days behind in my reading and I just saw your post this very minute. I cannot wait to see the finished product!!!

    Reply
  39. James says:

    Thus reads the decree:
    Your wisdom shall be published.
    Congratulations!

    Reply
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