A is for agents. Acceptance. Advance. Accolades.

B is for book. Book buyers. Bestseller. Bookstore. Book trailer. All kinds of good things start with B.

C is for critics, who love my work, and also for commitment, because it takes a lot of that to write a book.

D is for damn, that’s one good book!

E is for editors, who also love my work. E is also for e-books, because, you know, I’m going with the flow.

F is for final manuscript and also for first draft, because you have to start somewhere.

G is for guerilla marketing, because publishers don’t have the budgets they once did.

H is for hardcover, because as much as I’m willing to go with the flow—oh, do I want to hold a hard copy of my book in my hands and breathe in the smell of it.

I is for independent bookstores, which rock.

J is for “Jeez, did you see that awesome review in The New York Times?”

K is for Kirkus, because I’m a suck-up.

L is for library, because I’m sucking up to them, too.

M is for mass-market paperback (also fun to hold and smell), and also for “Make room on the shelf.”

N is for never give up.

O is for option, as in “How nice that the film option was sold before the book was even published.”

P is for publish. Press. Print. Publicity.

Q is for quitting the day job.

R is for royalties and reviews. R is not for rejection.

S is for subsidiary rights, sales, and sex scenes, because I like writing them.

T is for ten-city book tour, and also for trade paperback (yet again—fun to hold and smell).

U is for up, as in “Book sales are up.”

V is for video, because I’ll make ’em if you’ll watch ’em.

W is for “Would you like me to sign that for you?”

X is for x-rated, because I don’t want you to say I didn’t warn you.

Y is for “Yes, in fact, I did write that book.”

Z is for zeal, because if you don’t feel zeal for your work, why bother?