I wrote about this earlier today on facebook and twitter. Then I realized not everyone on the planet follows me. (Not like posting this idea on the site is going to reach the Western Sahara, that country is still refusing to read Stuff Christians Like. I swear, you casually say you love Eastern Sahara one time and Western holds it against you forever.)
One of the things I am starting to work on with the book is the acknowledgments section. The truth is, if I listed everyone that I owe deep gratitude to in the book, the acknowledgments section would be 200 pages long and the actual book would be 2 paragraphs long.
So, me and Zondervan are starting to brainstorm right now about creative ways to make sure people get shout outs in the acknowledgments. I just think it would be cool to go to a bookstore and say, “Yeah, that page right there, that’s me.” And since C.S. Lewis always refused to do that kind of thing with his blog, I thought, why not? Why not me? Why not this book?
So on Friday, May 22nd I’m going to post a new creative exercise. The person that has the most responses and the person that has the best response (as voted on by readers) will get a shout out in the book. That’s a little cryptic, but now that the show Lost is off, someone has to be cryptic.
This will hopefully be the first of many ways I try to get folks in the book.
So stay tuned, stay funny and stay unibrowed. (I'm kidding about that last one but a few weeks ago when I ran into my cousin Josh, the very first thing he said to me was, "Hey, good to see that you kept the unibrow, I was worried you might have sold out and gotten rid of it.")
Jon
That sounds exciting. It wouldn't just make my day, it would pretty much make my life to make it into the book.
ReplyDeleteJon,
ReplyDeleteNo need to mention me in the book. Your friendship and the other friendships I have developed through SCL have been a bigger blessing than any shout out in a book.
(Read - you totally better mention me in the book! And I at least want equal billing with Stacy.)
Jon, I don't want a mention on the book. I want a mention on the cover. Or at least the dust jacket.
ReplyDeletewhew.....now we know the sign on "not selling out".......
ReplyDeleteWhy not do it a la Bathroom Reader style? Instead of facts located at the bottom of each page, why not make shout outs? :p
ReplyDeleteI agree w/ Anonymous. (I never thought I would ever be able to say that. kinda cool!) That way, there are like 200+ shoutouts! Even better, put them along the side of the page. Then, holding the book correctly, we could give 200+ people side hugs!
ReplyDelete(hmmm..best responses/most responses) great way to bring out the obnoxious competiveness in us! can't wait ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, unibrows are awesome - anyone know some good lines I can use to let my tweezers down easy?
ReplyDeleteOh, man! What laprez said!
ReplyDeleteI OWN obnoxious and competitive!
Haha, Kat should totally get a mention. I read her blog all the time and it really brings a new perspectives to life. Same goes for Stacy from Louisville, her blog is great.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I can't wait for the 22nd myself to see what kind of competitive response-giving I can partake in. As an aspiring writer, it would be kind of nice to get my name out there. (I should start posting more of my writing ideas on my blog, shouldn't I? I'm afraid of doing that before any of the book releases, though, but it's not like anyone reads my stuff anyways.)
You have a unibrow?
ReplyDeleteYou know, I wouldn't think you were a sellout if you got rid of it...
How fabulous. I'm featured in the most sinful one of all-time. I really need to be in yours to even it out!!!! lol
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your writing!
Hahaha Jon I live in the south eastern sahara.... thanks for the shout out again (since moving from Mongolia, home of the fedex-able eagle).
ReplyDeletetake it easy
Perhaps in your quest for entries on an acknowledge page, you have stumbled across a need for a new group. Unibrows Anonymous.
ReplyDeletethis does sound exciting...
ReplyDelete:)
As a nation our solitarity rests in being anti-unibrow. Move on, Mr. Acuff. There's nothing for you here.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't deserve to be in the book ... until now. I know the perfect way to include everyone you want and as many as anybody wants.
ReplyDeleteAll you've got to do is print names in the outer margins of the regular pages of the book.
You know, after the acknowledgments page, just state that everyone will be listed.
Use smaller type and a different font and just put the names of ten people on each page.
It was funny when Dave Eggers put stuff in the margins of "Heartbreaking Work ... " but it will be awesome when you do it.
so... this totally stresses me out. the tension between wanting to be mentioned and wanting to not care if i'm mentioned... probably parallels alot of the issues we have with pride as believers. ugh. i so want to not care if i'm mentioned... but i so keep thinking how i historically pimped you hard core...
ReplyDeleteso, thanks for the stress. i'm going to decide to try to be ok either way.
will see.
ReplyDeleteOur national strength and unity depends on the continued might of the unibrow. Take a razor to the top of your nose and the terrorists have won. Or at least scored, like, eleventy thousand points.
ReplyDeleteObnoxious and competitive?
ReplyDeleteI can handle that.
Bring! It! On!
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Man, I wish Chick-fil-a was open on Sundays.
ReplyDeleteSide hug Shout-outs - Jonathan, I think you're onto something there!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the crowd, very cool! As Shark Bait put it, "Obnoxious and Competitive? Bring! It! On!"
ReplyDeleteIf not participating, it will at least be a good read... as always!