Marley and Me
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Harry Smith & Me
This blog has been inactive for the past couple weeks, not because I'm a total slouch (well, ok, if the shoe fits), but because of technical problems that prevented me from posting. All is again well in bloggerland. So, hey, it's time to catch up.
The most exciting news of late is that I got my five minutes in the national sun Friday morning when I appeared on CBS's The Early Show. Harry Smith interviewed me about the book, the dog, the bestseller list, the whole surprise phenomenon -- I guess it's safe to call it that -- that is Marley & Me. He was great. I thought I'd be nervous...oh, no pressure at all, just 19 gazillion people watching...but Smith was so warm and friendly he totally put me at ease. I actually forgot I was on TV, and before I knew it, we were done. As if the morning were not surreal enough, I appeared in the same half hour with Queen Latifah, movie mogul Jerry Bruckheimer and "the world's only twin belly dancers." As Smith put it after we went off camera, "Only on morning television."
Smith impressed me for another reason. After my spot was over, I assumed I'd be whisked off the set and out of the way. But he leaned in close to me as his co-anchors were talking with the belly dancers across the set and chatted with me for another five or six minutes. He seemed sincerely interested in the book and what it has done and in me and what I plan to do (yeah, right, as if I have a clue). "This book is changing your life," he said, and I guess he's right; it is.
After I left CBS, I got snookered by my William Morrow editor, Mauro DiPreta. "Stop by the office so we can chat for a minute," he said. So I swung into the HarperCollins building and got ambushed. He led me into a large conference room filled with people. And they were all holding flutes of champagne.(Good God, how do I get a job there?) It seemed half of the HarperCollins staff was present, starting with CEO Jane Friedman, Wm Morrow president Michael Morrison and publisher Lisa Gallagher. We all toasted Marley -- multiple times. A lot of writers complain about their publishers, but my experience has been nothing but positive (beyond positive, actually) from Day One. And Friday's surprise champagne party was just yet another great warm-and-fuzzy author-publisher moment of many that have come before it. What a great and talented bunch of people. And what a great and skillful job they've done publishing, marketing, distributing, and promoting my book. Hats off.
OK, now for an update on the bestseller lists:
This week I'm #4 at The New York Times, #3 at both the Wall Street Journal and Publisher's Weekly (down from #1 at both last week), #2 at both the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post (up from #4 last week), and #2 at Book Sense, which reflects sales at independent bookstores. Marley remains the #1 nonfiction book on the Barnes & Nobles Store list.
And the last piece of good news: Today, my editor informed me that Marley & Me just went into its 19th printing, which will bring the total number of books in print to 735,000. Holy cow.
posted by John Grogan at 7:51 PM
 
4 Comments:
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My wife gave me your book for Christmas this year and read it first herself. I finished it Monday 1/16 while lying in the sun on Miami Beach as we were celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary.
We have a male Chocolate Lab weighing in at 112lbs and 27" tall at the shoulders. He is 6 1/2 yrs old going on 2. We call him our "gentle Giant." We too were from So. Fl, living in Pembroke Pines then Boynton Beach from '96 - '02. We now live in No. Illinois and can relate to the first time our Hershey played in the snow and your Marley did. What a great sight. He was our daughters until her landlord told her she would be charged $25.00/day as the condo association did not allow any dog over 25lbs. He was almost that when she got him. She was living in Davie, FL at the time and you know how the condo associations “rule their world” down there. We rescued him from being adopted by a stranger.
He now runs free in both our yard and our neighbors’ yard and houses as they have a yellow female about one yr younger. We have the electric fence that encircles both properties and gives both dogs two houses to beg treats from and plenty of safe space to romp.
Thanks for sharing your story, your family and yourself with us about the tremendous values we can learn from our four legged friends.
John,
I enjoy keeping up on your success with your blogs...I missed your CBS debut as I was out of the country on vacation, but from all your friends over at the Lab Board I just want to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Hi John! My husband gave me your book for Christmas. He bought it after an episode where our not even one year old black lab, Dash, almost destroyed our living room sofa trying to reach for some tennis balls that were under it. I was so upset that I couldn't even speak to Dash. All I did was tell my husband: I want him out of here. Just like Jenny did. Well, after reading your book, I will not be saying that again. Marley has showed me to be more patient and my already big love for Dash has multiplied many many times. Thanks to your book, Marley will live forever and will forever teach us love and understanding.
Dash has a special role in our family, because besides being another beloved member of it, he is being trained to be an assistance dog for our youngest son, who has autism. Dash already know how special our son is. Just like Marley, our Dash has been able to "see" inside our souls and has been able to recognize how each of us is.
Congratulations in your success with the book... I am recommending it to everybody I know (don't forget me if you ever decide to pay commissions!!)
Take care,
Vivian
Tampa, Florida
Hi John & Grogan clan!
Your book was my best Christmas present this year, and I have already bought five copies to share with fellow hopelessly devoted dog owners. I have never laughed and cried so much during a story and I sincerely thank you for sharing it with us all and for being a spokesman for so many similiar stories.
Mason, my two year old Pug, was supposed to be calm, lazy, docile and predictable. He didn't get that memo. Instead, he spends most days in hyperactive mode, going into those same running sprees as Marley often did. Out of nowhere!! He's got Nepolean syndrome BIG TIME, thinking he's just as big as our Great Dane neighbor, Ari. Oddly, their friendship works since Ari is convinced he's Mason's size. I travel a lot in my job and being a single parent of this crazy two year old is no small task. I sometimes think how easy life would be without my Mason Boy, but who wants easy when I get clumzy, goofy, cartoon-like, unbelievably charming Mason?! He has become my rock, stability, my everything. Even the mere thought of something bad happening to my sweet boy can cloud my vision and sink my heart in an instant. I am so excited of the future adventures that Mason and I have together, and you're right, there's nothing better than coming home after long, hard day's work and knowing without a doubt that your loyal companion has been dying all day just to see you again.
Thanks again for sharing Marley's story. You really touched on the important elements of unconditional love. Congratulations on your success & I wish you and your family all the best!
Mary
"My dog's not spoiled, I'm just well-trained!"