I think it's high time to show all eight of the nice people who signed up for the Chinese 24/7 newsletter that it wasn't for naught (sign ups still open). Here's a little update on the publication of my book:

1. Write book
2. Editing
3. Design / layout
4. Proofing
5. Print book

I was very privileged to have Chris Pitts from Lonely Planet edit my manuscript. He is not only very knowledgeable about the language, but also quite savvy about reader-friendliness. It was a great honor for me to work with him.When Can I Hold the Book in My Hands?Yes, that's what we all want to know. The publisher is still shooting for a March 2009 release, and we seem to be on track for that. The book is already for sale at Amazon if you want to reserve your copy now (I'm currently ranked number 16 in new releases about Chinese).[UPDATE (Thur, Jan 29): My linking to the Amazon rankings seems to have been the kiss of death. Not only am I not number 16 anymore, I'm nowhere in the top 20 (where I'd been for weeks). Also, the top 20 used to be top 36. Morral of the story: Keep Amazon rankings to yourself. Got it.]