…that people are about to read your book. If they want to. That people will open your book to the first page and start with the first sentence, and hopefully go on from there, and you can’t keep it close anymore, this book you wrote that started as a story for you and you only, this piece of writing you’ve loved and labored over, this piece of you. It’s too late now to delay showing people because you’re shy. No more excuses. It’s out. In the world. Where people who know how to read books can go get it.

This is that moment.

That’s a stack of ARCs—i.e., advance reading copies for reviewers, librarians, booksellers, and other industry people—at the American Library Association’s Winter Meeting in San Diego last night. Imaginary Girls made its ARC debut at this conference yesterday, as we only just got copies of the ARCs this week.

This photo was taken from the ALA floor by the kind Martha Flynn, who tweeted it to me on Friday night and I love her for it!

Now… how do you keep yourself distracted while you’re anxiously thinking of the possible people out there in the world possibly picking up your ARC and possibly opening it and possibly starting to read?

I guess this is as good a time as any to hide away at a writers colony, huh? Especially if you’re going to hunker down and write your next book.

For more ARC photos, check out this album.