I just got fantastic feedback I incorporated into one piece, and I'm in love with it. But the one I'm working on now has me insanely happy.

Okay, maybe this is just me but I think that this is the important part. Rather than freaking yourself out about whether or not you're worthy to write a book, why not try not thinking about the book thing? The writing itself is the only part you control. So enjoy the process and worry about the rest when you're done.

Does this feeling go away?

No, it doesn't go away. At least not until you've finished at least one book. Probably not until you've sold at least one, held it in your hands and seen it on the shelves of the bookstore.

There's a fabulous Nina Paley cartoon about how she proudly walked into a bookstore to see her first published book on the shelves, and found herself surrounded by towering, threatening stacks of books, clutched her little volume protectively and thought, "Oh no! What are all those OTHER books doing here?"

BWAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

KB, that really is fabulous. Perfect, in fact.

Deb, I just went to the Seattle Public Library website to place a purchase suggestion for FFoSM (since you can't do it more than 2 months or so in advance of publication). They've already ordered 5 copies.

WOOOT!

Lovin' me some Susan. Happy woman.

Oh, and the King County system (i.e. everything BUT Seattle, and a lot of time I have better luck getting a book I want quickly from them because they seem to be less broke and own more copies of popular titles) has ordered 8 copies. They originally had 5 of Weaver, but are down to three because one was lost and another is missing. And on their website (kcls.org), you can track how recently a checked-in book was last checked out.

I'm dying of curiosity to know how big multibranch systems like KCLS and SPL decide which branches get which books. I've noticed that when I request a purchase (and I'm a noisy, demanding library customer who places lots of requests), my local branch usually gets one of the copies, but by no means always. I'm sure there are demographic considerations and circulation statistics involved, but I'd love to know what exactly. Maybe I'll research it and try to make a magazine or newspaper article out of it, though it'd have to be for a fairly specialized book geek audience.

One of things that keeps me busy for months after a release now is tracking the library sales. More than half the original print run of "Weaver" is in American libraries; the figures saw a huge bounce after Library Journal picked it as one of their top 5 of 2003.

I suspect the number of jhits, holds, requests etc plays a part in additions to the original orders, too.

Heading out shortly. Thanks, Susan - you made my Friday.

Susan prompted me to go to the Cincinnati (Hamilton County) library's website and suggest that they get FFoSM as soon as possible. The form to fill out includes a space for comments, so I made sure to note that it's the second in a series, and that they currently have the first book in circulation.

Oh, and there are 6 copies in the system currently, with 2 checked out and 1 on hold by someone, to be checked out.

I'm sure there are demographic considerations and circulation statistics involved, but I'd love to know what exactly.

I asked Greg about this. What scientific system, what criteria?

He goes by his gut. There are some they have to buy, mostly NYT bestsellers, and Big Name Authors... and the rest... each area has someone with a bent for it, and they buy based on what they think their customers (it's no longer PC to call them patrons) will want, and they rely heavily on those types of requests. They LIKE noisy patrons like Susan.

eta: If he doesn't get at least one of a requested book at his favorite branch, it's because they ran out of money, or the main library hijacked his shipment.

Man, there is something genuinely ooky about calling the people who frequent and make use of a free circulating library "customers". Just - ew. Wrong, somehow.

Teppy, I have a drabble category suggestion for you for some future time: bells. Bells, or chimes; anything from campanology to the doorbell ringing to the phone to windchimes. Bells.