Restaurants call it the soft opening. Broadway shows head to the sticks to work out the kinks before mounting the production on the Great White Way. Jeter got his groove back in AAA.

We pulled the wraps off the web site this week, opened up the Facebook Author page, showed the Kickstarter campaign to a few loyalists and submitted it. Our own version of a soft launch for Mother Fracker, all in advance of Launch Day, Tuesday, Oct. 1. (Same day as the budget showdown & Obamacare rollout!).

It comes with hard lessons.

What have we gotten so far?

* Feedback. Solid, objective helpful feedback. The blow-to-the-ego stuff you need to hear. The video’s too long. You’re out too early. Your marketing’s unfocused. I hear you. We’re working on it.
* Sales! Good folks jumped at the suggestion to buy a copy! Whipped out the credit card and bought books. Thanks. Dang, this thing could work.
* A shortened to-do list. Funny, though. That list gets longer with all the new items from today alone.
* Headaches. Goes with the territory.
* Help. Help from expected (Anne) and unexpected sources.

And we’re only halfway through the soft launch. I think I’ll open some hard cider when I get home. At least I had a better day than Ted Cruz.