Thank You
I intended to save this post for next Tuesday.
I was going to mark the day my goal was officially achieved by telling you all that there’s no way I could have reached that finish line without the collective readership of this site carrying me part of the way.
I was going to show you what I had written on page 334 of the book, which is this:
I was going to describe for you how the supportive emails and Tweets you send me everyday have changed the way I feel about myself, and how I genuinely do not believe I ever would have made it to that day without those words. You’ve been so consistent, so effusive, so god-damned nice.
But I couldn’t wait until Monday. Some of you have already received your books in the mail or picked them up at the bookstore, and I want to say this now.
Thank you. Thank you so, so much.
The day I started writing Dad Gone Mad (which was then called Human Writes), I did so because I wanted to be a writer. One of the first questions asked when meeting someone new is, “So, what do you do for a living?” I don’t think I’m the only one who has ever fudged the truth with his answer, but I always said, “I’m a writer.” But I wasn’t living up to that definition. Yes, I produced words for a living, but they weren’t MY words.
During the first year or two of Dad Gone Mad, even though it coincided with some of my darkest periods of depression, you guys started to take notice of what I was doing. I think that’s the time when my professional life changed. That’s when I discovered, for the first time in my life, confidence. And it was drawn out by your words, your comments, your claims that you enjoyed the poop jokes and fart stories and whatever else I was writing at the time.
About four years later, when I first was introduced to the woman who became my agent, she asked if I had some sort of a “platform.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
She explained that publishers like to work with writers who have an established base of readers, the thinking being that each member of that group will translate into at least on book sale. Obviously, that assumes a lot, not the least of which is genuine loyalty.
I thought about it for a short moment. I thought about the unfathomable way you all responded when I asked you to participate with me in Project: Lovebomb, during which time we collectively “adopted” a military family and showered it with love and food and sundry other items. I thought about the t-shirts you bought and the way you were there for us through tragic times. I thought about all of the periods of self-doubt and struggle, when you all came through with atta-boys and “hang in there” and encouragements of all kinds.
“Yeah,” I said, “I have a platform. A pretty damn incredible one.”
You, the readers of this silly little blog, have quite literally helped me change the trajectory of my life. How do you adequately thank someone for that?
The next few days and weeks will be a celebration of sorts for me. I’m excited to meet some of you, talk to you, thank you in person if I can. But for those of you I won’t get to meet, I hope you can share in this excitement and feel good about the fact that you helped make it happen.
Thank you.
I can't wait to go get my copy!! :) Great work Danny yaaay. And, yeah. Youre welcome.
I'll be anxiously checking my mail for the next couple of days....
Congrats!!
Three cheers for Danny.
Danny, you are so awesome and brave for being willing to talk about male depression. Thank you for your courage. I am so excited to read Rage, it's silly. Congratulations, dude!
I'll be buying my copy of RAGE as soon as I can, Danny. I've been looking forward to the release much like everyone else. Thanks for being someone to look up to.
Revel in your success Danny-you earned it! I even violated my "library books only until the economy improves" rule and bought your book. That's how excited I am. Can't wait for it to get to my door.
Great job Danny! Enjoy your success!
Danny! We should be thanking you!
As someone who lives with depression and has a spouse who's struggled too, let me assure you that those like me are GRATEFUL!
Thank you, Danny!
Thanks for being YOU, Danny. Excited to see how the next few weeks and months unfold.
I finally got my book pre-ordered through Amazon. I can't wait!
And, thank YOU!
OK, two questions. How do I get a book? Amazon, I know- but I'd like one autographed : ) Secondly, how can I get you down to Texas to give my 5th graders an author talk? Can we tape you giving one? Video conference? Any ideas? So proud of you!!
Teary. That is all.
Wonderful, gracious post.
You have a lot to be proud of. I hope I get to meet you one day.
Are you going to come to the East Coast at all for this book?
You are so very welcome! If you don't come to Dallas I'm kicking your ass. All my favorite bloggers, when they do book tours, go to Austin. WTF? Austin is cool and whatever, but we shot JR (oh, and the president, but who is keeping track?) So, come to Dallas, I'll come to see you. You can sign my book. We'll hug, we'll take a picture, we'll laugh, we'll cry. It will be magical.
Enough of this sappy shit. How about Poo Poo Haiku Part Deux? haha, just kidding...kind of.
We wouldn't keep coming back if you weren't such an awesome writer, so thank YOU.
Yours is NOT a "silly little blog." And that's that!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
You're very welcome. You have been, for a long time, MY inspiration. You are the writer/blogger that I have been looking up to and I'm sure I'm not the only one. When I read (the first hundred times) (kidding) that you were publishing a book, well, that's inspiration too. So thank you. And keep on writing. I'm not sure what I'd do if you saved all your good stuff for books and quit writing here.
So, thank YOU. And I'll be checking my bookstore today to see if I can score.
Congratulations, as I said on Twitter, I am so excited and cannot wait to pick up my copy! I can't wait to see your pictures with the book in the book store...your going to do that right? :)
You deserve it, really. From day one of reading your blog, it has been a "Honey you have GOT to come listen to this" blog. You are a great writer, enjoy the success.
It's an honor to be part of your fan base, Danny. You've made a difference in our lives as well.....thank you.
God, what a remarkable post.
The book arrived a few minutes ago. Rage has hit Toronto. Looking forward to reading it. Best of success with it.
I remember Human Writes, I was Lala Land back then....those were the days.......Congratulations on your success.
Thank you for making me smile on days i didn't feel like smiling. I've loved reading the site for many years, looking forward to reading the book. I actually put my daughter in dance class when she was 3 because of the post you wrote about how cute your little one was in her little outfit...pooping! I own the shirts, now I must own the book, if you ever make it to the Tampa area I would so love to meet you!
Thank you. :)
Pre ordered mine a coupla weeks ago, just waiting for it to arrive in rainy Ireland! Been following ya for a good coupla years now and, trust me, it is reciprocated xx
Wow. It's overwhelming to appreciate someone enough that you come back day after day to hear what they have to say, and then, out of the blue, that someone says, "Guess what? You mean a lot to me too."
Agghh!! I am so excited!! I am going to look in our bookstore tonight, and I hope I find it. I can't wait to read Rage! YAY!
You rock, Danny, you rock!!
IIIIIIIII LLLLLLLOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEE YYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!!!!!!
*sob*
*sniffle*
Your blog is one of the reasons why I still write mine. And why my husband laughs explosively at least once a day. Keep on keepin' on, Danny.
I'll be your platform any day, sir. :)
Enjoy the next few days, weeks, months! SOOOO EXCITING.
I am so retarded. I teared up at this line: “Yeah,” I said, “I have a platform. A pretty damn incredible one.”
I will definitely share in the excitement. I have the advance copy, the finished product and two more on the way! I am thrilled for you.
Hi Danny! Even though I don't comment all that much I just wanted to let you know that I'm a very loyal reader. Your blog is a welcome distraction to my very own boring desk job and that is invaluable. I am so happy for your success!
I live in LA so I am going to attend your book signing on Tuesday. It will actually be the first book signing that I've ever been to! I'm excited to meet you! Congrats again and thanks for the laughs!
Been reading your stuff since the early days - always loved it and came back - unlike so many other of my old reads who have faded off the scene, you have remained! Just wanted to say Congrats - looking forward to receiving my copy soon! You do a great job keeping us hooked! Best of luck! (unfortunately, I am in Kentucky, don't think you have anything scheduled close by)
That's a post every writer hopes to make. Congrats.
Can't wait for Tuesday!
You DO deserve it!!
I will be buying 3 copies for the other men in my life, besides my Sugar Daddy.
Are you taking any friendly bets about how many copies you're gonna sell? (:
BTW, I saw on the RAM book site that there were several reviews. One by the man who wrote "Look Me in The Eye". Have you read that? What an awesome book!
Good luck with your "appearances"! Are you getting anywhere near the East Coast?
I ordered my copy last week and it should be on it's way to Korea as I type this! I can't wait to read it!
You go, Danny!
'Dad Gone Mad' has forced eruptions of laughter...I've dealt with depression myself, can't wait to compare notes. Buying book tomorrow. I'm on that platform of yours in the hills of Tennessee. Much success!
What a great accomplishment, so many people try and they do not stick with it long enough to succeed, it is great to see such a success story!
I missed the first few years, but I'm glad to have jumped on board a year and a half ago or so. Long enough to feel a strange vicarious thrill at your success. Hopefully this is the first of many books to come!
I'll be picking up my copy ASAP
I got the book in on Thursday and I have about 20 more pages to go. I LOVE IT. It's very honest and humorous at the same time. THANK YOU! Thank you so much for letting everyone into your life. I hope you write tons of books; I'll buy 'em all.
I love this. Because I am a newbie in this big, bad blogosphere. But somehow I found you and your "silly little blog" and it is fantastic and I love the fact that you have parlayed it into living your dream. A writer, indeed. Funny thing is that I have done things in the opposite order. I got a book deal for my first novel and then a few months ago, stumbled drunkenly into this medium. I have fallen in love. What a magical place where you can be honest, and start conversations, and leave your own mark. Anyway, MY dream is to garner a web audience that is half as loving and supportive as the one you have cooked up. I look forward to getting my hands on a copy of your book. A sincere congrats from a rookie in the ranks.
I'm really proud to "know" you (in the blogosphere sense). You should be SO PROUD of yourself, as well.
I pre-ordered my book a million years ago (and I only do that for one other author- Jen Lancaster) and I am anxiously waiting for that bad boy to get here. I can't wait to read your story, a story so similar to mine (in the fact that I suffer from depression, not that I have had the big V as my vagina precludes me from getting one.) Your blog has made me laugh and cry for years so getting your book was a no-brainer. I couldn't be happier for your success than if you were my own child. Which would be weird.
Congrats man, you and your family deserve all the best.
No, thank YOU.