Leon Hale with a few things you might not want to hear about publishing

I knew I was in for something good when I heard Gary laughing out loud at Starbucks this morning as he read Leon Hale's column in today's Houston Chronicle.

The rumor I'm hearing is that you're writing a book. Is that true?

Well, why not? Half the planet's population seems to be writing books, and the other half is probably threatening to do it...

...since you've already decided to go through with this iffy enterprise, let's say you do finish your manuscript, and it's published, and you get a couple of favorable reviews from critics who have actually read more than the text on the dust-jacket flap.

Now you're faced with going onto the battlefield to promote your creation. You stop being a writer and become a salesman.

You may say, "I don't want to be a salesman. I'm an artist. I want my work to live or die on its merit. Look at Cormac McCarthy. He doesn't promote his books, and they sell by the tens of thousands."

Trust me on this — you're not Cormac McCarthy.

Check it out and be amused.