when you read the media letter for your book, and it is perfect

A funny thing happens when you utterly trust the people you work with:  You don't ask any questions.  You just, well, trust.  And so it had never occurred to me to ask about the press release for SMALL DAMAGES or if, indeed, the book (which won't appear in bookstores until July 19th) was already making its way through media channels.

But yesterday, while chatting with the utterly delightful Jessica Shoffel (a Penguin publicist) about many things, she stopped and glanced toward a corner of her office, where she said the ARCS of SMALL DAMAGES were piled.  Oh and by the way, she said, here's the letter that I'm sending out with your book.

It wasn't until I was on my way home, on the train (after an enormously memorable lunch with Tamra Tuller), that I remembered the letter and thought to read it through.  And my goodness.  My absolute goodness.  What a letter it is.  Jessica happens to be a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, the top-ranked communications program in the country, and I am certain (beyond certain) that she graduated at the top of her magazine/journalism class.

Because her letter is a work of art.  And I'm one lucky author.