IVP - Behind the Books

February 1, 2011

Book Tour

Thanks to Kent Annan, author of "After Shock," for this guest post to BTB.

I’m starting a book tour for After Shock in a few days. I’ll be in 19 cities in February and March. Here are some thoughts on book tours, bullet-point-style. Because in the midst of finalizing details this week, my brain is functioning as bullet-points, not as narrative.

I’m excited. I wrote After Shock during the most intense work year of my life as we were responding to the Haiti earthquake. It’s more than a bit audacious to write a book about faith, doubt, God, suffering, and hope. Big topics, to say the least. I’m grateful for how it came out, but it of course doesn’t provide the definitive answers on this. (Wait, badly said! We would we sell more books if we did provide the definitive answers…okay, all those big questions are answered in seven easy steps and only 129 pages!) Anyway, the book is honest and raw, with inspiring stories—and it’s all a conversation with you (the reader) and conversation/protest with God. I hope this tour will continue the conversation so I can learn from you along the way.

One has to be somewhat of an introvert to write this kind of book. But in February and March, I’ll be embracing the 30% of me that is an extrovert and sucking the marrow out (in a good way, I hope, you know, like Dead Poets Society). I like retreating, but also connecting.

The details. Whew. Details of getting a sentence just right, finding the word, keeping a narrative pace, structuring the book: yes. Details of flights and rentals and hotels: not as much fun.

A snowstorm is moving into Chicago as I type this. So I look at my calendar over the next two months and wonder what kind of dummy who lives in South Florida plans a book tour to many cold places in February and March? Answer: me.

The differences between writing and speaking intrigue me. Some things that are really intimate seem right on the page. . . but don’t seem right to speak on a stage. And other stories that I quickly go over in the book that seem to demand more attention when speaking. I’m interested in exploring and understanding this more.

I enjoy speaking to people who haven’t read the book yet—and also to people who have. The conversations start in different places, but always seem to lead in interesting directions.

I remember Bono saying something like, “We need to have 12 great songs to convince us to leave our families and go out on the road again.” Well, I’m sure 5-star hotels, private jets, and tens of millions of dollars in profits don’t hurt U2’s motivation. But leaving family is by far the worst part of this, so I really resonate with what he’s saying. After Shock feels like a book worth going out there with.