Hey, maybe I’ll get to meet you…
My son made this card for me, after I bought him Pokemon Cards. So it seems appropriate that after you guys bought so many copies of my new book last week, I give the card to you.
My book sales are going great, probably because I'm very happy having something to sell. Book sales were supposed to close yesterday, but I have a new idea. For another week. Maybe you can do this with your friends.
If you buy 10 books, I'll work with you on the phone to rewrite your resume or provide an hour of coaching.
If you buy 100 books, I'll fly to wherever you are and speak, or do a workshop or hang out with you — whatever you want.
I'd really like to speak at a high school. I've done it before and it's a blast. So if you buy books for all the kids in a high school, I'll spend two days there inspiring the kids to think bigger about what makes a good life for them — one day speaking and one day meeting with students.
Here’s the place where you buy the book.
Thank you for being so fun to do a blog with. I hope I get to meet a lot of you this way.
Hey Penelope,
I like speaking at high schools too, especially on the topics of career and communication skills. I find that teenagers can benefit a lot from some smart, reality-based advice. Like some marketers say: get them while they’re young ;)
Hey –
When can we expect the books to be shipped? I purchased my on 3/15.
Thanks!
Monica
Monica.
First. Thank you for buying a book.
The books all have to be printed together – there’s only one, limited printing of the book and each book will be pre-ordered. So everyone will get their books about six weeks from now.
I’m going to sign and number each book. And since you ordered on the 15th, though, you’ll end up with a very low number on your book :)
Penelope
on your last post someone linked to a talk you did in 2007 to a mixed group of high school and MBA students. i just watched it today and thought that you were such a natural in the classroom, so i hope some school out there does take you up on this and you do get to go and meet some more students! i had expected you to be more awkward and brash but instead you were clever and charming in your delivery of direct and relevant advice.
Penelope,
I read your blog regularly. Is there anything in your new book that I wouldn’t have already gotten from your blog?
Either way, I’ll probably buy it… but I was just curious.
Kelly,
I think the difference between a book and a blog is how big the idea is. So a blog is a pile of many small ideas. A book is one, big idea. So the book does not have small ideas that you don’t know, but the book is sort of curated to add up to a big idea.
Organizing my thoughts into grand ideas that come at the end up a buildup is harder for me than writing posts. This is how I know that a book is different than the posts even if there are no new posts.
I hope this is a good answer. And thank you for buying the book :)
Penelope
PT – Just wanted to say I love your phrasing here.
Hi Penelope,
I’m a recent subscriber to your blog, and am really enjoying it!
My 14 year old cousin has recently been asking me about jobs, colleges, etc. I would really like to get some things together for her to read through and think about her future. I’m considering buying your book your book for her, do you think it’s appropriate for a 14 year old? And could you suggest other reading material that might be appropriate?
Thank you!
Yes! This book is great for a 14-year-old. It’s crazy that people start thinking about what to do with their time when they have a job and are not happy with what they do with their time.
If we start thinking early about what excites us, what challenges we like, etc, then we are ready to make tough adult decisions by the time we become adults (which I do not think is the case right now).
Penelope
That’s exactly why I was thinking of getting this for her. Thanks so much for your response!
Great idea! Signing on to buy!
What a wonderful offer! Makes me wish I were happy to share a room with 100 high school kids! :)
Go you! I don’t know high schoolers any more, but I hope this goes gangbusters.
Hi Penelope,
Your neighbor Kathy told me about your blog. Just want to let you know I really enjoy it. (Kathy is my sister)
Thanks!
Sandra
If I already have a good job/career on track, do you think I have anything to learn from the book ? I’m continuing to wage ‘The NeverEnding Global Jihad Against Clutter’ so I’m not sure I really need a career advice book.
BUT: If you say it’s a good idea & you have some useful take-aways even for the non-jobseekers among us, I’ll pull out the plastic. Promise!
I think we’re all job seekers. Because a job is about how we spend our time. And we have so little time that how can we ever stop thinking about the best ways to spend our time. It seems so sad to give up thinking about this.
Penelope
Hi Penelope,
I’m a huge fan of yours, and also of Tim Ferris. I couldn’t help but notice your promotion technique here is very similar to his (or the one he uses).. are you starting to see more eye-to-eye with young Timothy? :p
Can I buy your book in New Zealand?
Penelope,
Your experiment with the book seems to have gone quite well as it is, but have you thought about using Kickstarter for similar projects in the future? It seems to be designed for this sort of thing, and I’m currently finding its projects fascinating.
Also, Congratulations.
Other people have mentioned Kickstarter. I actually think that we are doing just that right here. Kickstarter is for people who do not have a community of their own to ask. My blog is my own Kickstarter. I have noticed that as long as I only bring up cool ideas, my own blog community will get involved in whatever I’m doing.
A lot of people ask me how I can possibly spend so much time writing a blog that I don’t even get advertising revenue from. But having my own Kickstart program is so so exciting, and I can’t stop feeling grateful for how well the book project is going.
Penelope
That’s an interesting observation about this blog functioning as your own Kickstarter.
One thing I’ve been thinking about since your comment is the amount of work it takes to build this sort of community. It’s obvious how much work it takes on your part, but also that there’s a fair amount of engagement from those of us who read all your posts and think about them (even when we don’t comment) and who therefore have a context in which to place your book.
That’s a really cool thing; it’s a bit like a relationship, and, as we all know, relationships, even if only between an author and reader, take some level of work.
I think what I currently love about Kickstarter is that it allows browsing a bunch of different projects with much lower investment in any one of them. Perhaps it’s the equivalent of a one night stand, whereas the years I’ve spent reading your blog are the equivalent of dating (ok, a rather strange form of dating, so perhaps it’s not a great analogy).
In any event, I think I’ve wandered a bit from the original topic, and you certainly convinced me that you don’t need Kickstarter yourself for this project.
Thanks for the blog and once again best of luck on the book!
Oh I wish I could afford 10 books! Instead I’ll have to hope for meeting you a different way, another time. Alas, two is all my budget can stretch to. Either way I’m really excited about reading a book of your thoughts organised toward the specific overall thought, even if I’ve read most of it before (though in all honesty, by the time I get the book, I’ll likely have read all the archives anyway!)
You really have no idea how helpful reading your blog has been – I consider you a kind of mentor even though I only know you from your posts and on twitter. Thank you.
I look forward to reading your book!
I think you should offer discounts on your book to members of the long-term unemployed. Like me.
You absolutely fascinate me, I love reading your work. You have single-handedly changed my perception of Aspergers syndrome in a positive way. Also, I have been struggling with balancing my own quirky, unique, artistic ways and striving to be a successful a professional at the same time. Reading your musings makes me feel like I have permission to be exactly who I am – compromising nothing – and still be successful and make positive change happen in the world of business. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your honesty and insight.
On another note, I have to ask, with almost 60,000 followers and many seemingly die hard fans, how can you possibly offer to do a speaking engagement for whomever buys 10 books? Won’t you have too many interested parties? It just sounds so impractical to me – but practical is not always necessary, I know. But, what is your longer term goal, do you really just want to meet your fans and sell a few books, even if it costs you $? I am so curious.
Yeah, I want to meet people. I pretty much break even with these two offers. I can’t tell you how much I love the blog. And I am making a lot of money from the book anyway, even if I don’t make money with these offers.
Honestly, if I didn’t love talking to blog readers I wouldn’t love blogging.
Penelope
Girl, I admire your chutzpah. Are you really targeting high school teachers, after calling them dumb and lazy?
What are you to tell teenagers? To
a) have kids early,
b) get plastic surgery, and
c) to work on a segregated environment to be successful in life?
Or are you going to ramble about oral sex, trying to be a cool, edgy aunt?
Think about it.
Awww! The card that your son designed is too cute. Also, congrats on the release of your new book. I can’t wait to order and read it soon.
i just bought your book. it’s the least i could do for all the free therapy you have provided me over the years.
i found your blog when i googled “career change” and “crisis” from my desk a few years ago (old me: “but i’m a filmmaker! what am i doing at a desk!?”), and I’ve been reading ever since. your posts have encouraged me to ask for a raise, create a new job title for myself, talk to my husband about having kids NOW not later, go to a life coach, go to a therapist when i didn’t like what the life coach said, and start a blog.
thanks for everything.
Woohoo! I have to second Karina’s view on your blog being free therapy. Quite a bargain, in my opinion. I’m still trying to get myself to jump off the diving board in many areas of my life but I’ve come a long way and your blog has been one of my big inspirations.
I guess you could say that I’ve managed to come all the way to the end of the diving board.
And my toes are hanging off the edge….
:) Thanks for sharing your journey.
Hey Penelope,
I just ordered my book – can’t wait to read it and I wish you all the best! I will share it with my own teenager and see what she thinks.
Amy
Bought the book – not so much to read it (as I have about 20 books in queue to read right now) but as a way to throw some money in a tip jar for all you’ve shared here on this blog. And yeah, it’s nice to have a physical artifact as a placeholder to my online experience.
Hi Penelope,
I’ve been reading your blog for a while, and especially since taking a job as legal officer in Swaziland in Africa working in women’s rights. At 26, your advice is so on point for me.
I’d love to buy ten copies of your book – and speak with you. I’ve put a post on my blog wondering if my readers would like to buy it with me. Unfortunately because I’m in Africa, access to internet is not readily available.
Is March 27th the absolute deadline for this offer? Let me know if there is any chance of extending, I would so appreciate. If not, how much do you charge for one on one coaching – if you do that at all.
Thanks again Penelope. Hope you’re well.
Clara Vaz
ps. at first I wasn’t loving the new design. But its growing on me. And the pictures are fantastic.
Hi Penelope.
I love your blog, as you know.
Since I am 49 and STILL don’t know exactly what I want to do with my life, I’m wondering, should I buy your book? :)
Robbin
this is a lovely thing to do – speaking at schools … it’s a fab idea and you will make a wonderful impact – best le xox
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Definitely a good read. I am reminded about the value of relationships. This is something I have uncontiously stepped away from being it so hard to find a good friend that accepts you for who you are, and doesnt spill all of personal life out to other people!