Bestseller List

I'm breaking one of my rules. I never go out there and yell from the rooftops when we get on the bestseller list. And y'know why? Because being on a stupid list doesn't mean anything. It doesn't make me a smarter, nicer, or better person. It just means my family bought a lot of books.

But.

Sometimes you need to say thank you. And I need to say thank you for this: When Heroes For My Son launched, it was seen as a small idealistic book. It didn't have crazy orders. It was always the underdog. And the entire advertising budget for the book was...zero.

Zero dollars.

Not a single ad was bought. Not a single TV or radio or print ad ran. In fact, in the weeks before the launch, the entire imprint that bought the book was shut down. It was an orphan book.

But, as it was launched, it had one thing going for it: you. Yes, you -- our family and friends and beloved readers who supported this little dream of a book. You came out, and supported it, and bought copies for Dads and Grandparents, and kids and new babies. And Kodak came in and believed in that dream. And so did all our friends in the media and in publishing, who have looked out for us since page one. And so did the people at Harper, who took it over.

And that was how the book with zero advertising dollars just made the number two spot on the New York Times bestseller list (which I just got the call about).

So as I finish the tour tonight in Michigan, thank you for believing in this little book -- and in me. It is your love and support of the thrillers that let me do this book for my boys. And it's why it was launched with so much love. And that love is the only damn way to explain anything in this world.

Love on all of you.

b

PS - Right after we got the news, look what we passed. No kidding.

Heroes For My Son - Dallas Signing

This is how you welcome someone to Dallas. Never have I seen a bigger balder head on a stadium.

I'll be at Borders tonight at 7:00 PM

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All Things Considered, NPR Interview

From All Things Considered (NPR) -- me talking about Heroes For My Son.

One More Day

This post is also on Heroes For My Son.

It's now less than twenty-four hours until Heroes For My Son is released into our wild cruel world. So in this quiet little moment, let me tell you the most important thing of all: thank you. Thank you for what you've always done for all of us. If it weren't for you buying the other stuff, I don't get to do this one. And this one is just so personal to me.

As I've said before and will say again, this isn't a book to me. It's a dream. More important, it's my dream for my son -- and it's something I thought up on the very first night Jonas was born eight years ago. Is that schmaltzy? You better believe it is. But I want my son to learn that too. And I hope that whoever you give it to -- Dad, Grandparents, Mom, teacher, or child -- I hope they get the joy that I had building it.

In fact, to show you what I'm talking about, take a look at this, which answers the real question my son asked me (and also gives you the first peek at some of the heroes inside).

Link to YouTube

My Mom

With less than a week to go until the release of Heroes For My Son, things are getting crazy here. But even with all that's going on, nothing in my professional life has hit me as hard as putting together this video. Anyone with a mother will understand.

We usually go through a few drafts when we do a video. Here, we went through dozens of edits, tweaks, etc. This one had to be perfect. It's for my Mom.

So yes, she's in the book along with Jim Henson, Rosa Parks and Mr. Rogers.

Of course, feel free to forward to your own Mom. And happy Mother's Day to all.

Call Your Mother - Brad Meltzer's Mom (YouTube)