The Everybody Writes audiobook is fresh out of the recording studio!
This means that you can now listen to all 8 hours and 44 minutes of the Wall Street Journal bestseller while you are in your car, working out, walking the dog… or raking, shoveling, wrapping, drinking, cooking, canoodling, prepping, pre-gaming, or whatever you might be doing when you might find yourself in need of some how-to content advice laced with a little humor.
Ten of you auditory learners can listen to the EW audiobook for free, because I’m giving away 10 copies to 10 lucky winners (or for those winners to regift to the favorite auditory learner in their lives).
I’m experimenting with an application called Gleam to manage the giveaway of 10 free copies. (Big thanks to the generous Dave Cutler for his help with it.)
There are two ways to win:
1. Share the love on Twitter.
2. Subscribe to get regular insights from this blog.
Subscribing to this site gets you one entry. Each time you tweet earns you another entry to win, and you can obviously tweet more than once. (More on that in the FAQ below.)
Enter here to win:
Should you have questions about the Everybody Writes audiobook giveaway, here’s a handy FAQ:
Wait, what? What is this?
It’s a standard random-drawing contest requiring no special skills and close to zero effort to enter. You enter for a chance to win… and maybe you do win.
If you do win, you get a free audiobook and 32-page companion reference guide that contains images included in the book that are awkward to describe.
Why are you doing this?
Because Audible.com gave me 10 free copies to do with as I please. I don’t need to hear it—because I wrote it. So I thought you might like a chance to listen in.
But I never win anything.
The Q in FAQ stands for Question. Please restate your issue as a question.
How good are my chances to win if I’ve never won anything?
That’s better. The odds for winning are based on the number of sweepstakes entries divided by the number of entries you’ve submitted and by the number of prizes being awarded. So the formula looks like this:
Total Entries / Your Entries / Total Number of Prizes
Say you enter once into this sweepstakes with 10 prizes, and 999 other people enter as well. Your odds would be 1,000/1/10, or 1 in 100.
As if. Do you really think 1,000 people will enter?
No. Here’s a question back to you: Did your mother raise you to be this rude?
Anyway, let’s just say that your chances of winning are somewhere between winning Powerball and winning the table centerpiece at your cousin Megan’s wedding.
I thought you were terrible at Maths? (Page 7, Everybody Writes).
“Maths”! Love that. Welcome, European friend! And thanks for your careful reading of the book.
Re: being terrible at Maths/Math: I am. I stole the sweepstakes calculator from the Internet.
Did you narrate the audiobook?
No. The narrator for the book is actress and voiceover artist Cynthia Barrett.
She’s an actress?! Do I know her?
She was once played CIA Officer #1 in Homeland and appeared on screen with Claire Danes. So maybe you don’t know-know her. But you probably know her work. Know what I mean? Here’s a screenshot.
Was narrating your book on Cynthia’s bucket list?
Yes.
Would she confirm that, in an independent poll?
No.
Why didn’t you narrate it?
Because I didn’t want to.
You just said no?
Right. I said no, thank you. I didn’t really enjoy the experience of narrating Content Rules. I came home after two days in the studio cranky and exhausted, and I had to record only half of it, because my co-author C.C. Chapman narrated the other half.
I might’ve been willing to do it this time around, too, if I was willing to do things I hate.
Or if I had a voice like Kerry O’Shea Gorgone.
But I don’t. I have a voice for writing. It’s important to know your limits.
Any regrets about not narrating?
No more than a twinge—about the same measure of regret I had last night after the second toasted marshmallow sweet potato latke, when one really would’ve been enough. Urp.
One friend said he found it initially jarring to hear Cynthia’s voice interpreting my “voice,” if you catch my drift.
Maybe it’s akin to how Maria Von Trapp felt watching Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. On some level Maria must’ve been like, “No. Just no. She’s doing it wrong.”
Is a book still a book if you listen to it? Or does it become something else?
The world can be a strange and mysterious place. Is that a shadow on the wall cast from your bathrobe hanging on a peg, or is it a murderous monster whose scaly mitts will close on your throat and choke you as your sleep?
Is a kale smoothie a drink, is it a salad?
And what of a subtitled film? Is that a movie you can read, or is it a book you can watch?
These are the questions we can spend a lifetime trying to answer — plumbing the churning waters of our hearts and minds, squeegeeing kernels of condensation that fog the clarity we seek, and (if we are lucky) glimpsing something that feels like our own truth.
P.S. If you don’t want to listen to a book, you can always kick it old school and just read it.
Can I enter more than once?
Yes. Every action gives you an entry to win, so you could theoretically tweet about this giveaway over and over and over and over… thereby stacking the deck in your favor to win the free audiobook.
But because I don’t want you to embarrass yourself, the contest allows you to tweet only once a day until the giveaway ends 10 days from now, on January 1. Be smart about it — Twitter is a social platform, not a broadcast tool. So use discretion, because publishing is a privilege.
If you want the audiobook that bad, maybe you should buy it? It’s only 20 bucks. So, I’d say consider purchasing it, and launching your own contest — perhaps a Kickstarter? — to fund it.
Again, that’s what I would do if I were you.
Which I’m not.
So it’s your call.
How will I know if I win?
Winners will be chosen at random on January 1, 2015. I’ll notify you by email shortly thereafter with your free code to download your free audio copy of the book, along with its reference guide.
Enter to win above.
Got more questions? Hit me up in the comments below.
And as always, thanks for your support.
Ann, this FAQ was worth more than $20. 🙂
LOL thanks, Clay. Happiest holidays to you!!
Clay took the words-out-of-my-mouth! I loved the FAQ for your audiobook giveaway. You make me feel like I am in a conversation with you each time I read your writing – THAT is an incredible skill you have and a great gift to your readers. 🙂
Big thanks, Jo! Much appreciated. All the best to you. Here’s to 2015!
OK you’re right this was hilarious. I still think you should have asked Tina Fey’s people.
Dammit. Where were you when I needed you?!
I think Kerry should have narrated it, and then you (Ann) could have played her in the chapter where you ask Kerry questions. Only makes sense…
Another great suggestion. Although I’d rather hear Kerry do voices… because that would be hilarious.
I’d make myself Russian or something, just to mix it up a little.
Congrats on making the WSJ list! Now, about those latkes…:)
It seems a quite interesting give away! I’m looking forward to hear, read the book. So, if I didn’t get it here, I’ll buy it for sure. Just a few questions. It’s there any choirs, like on those most important moments, highlighting them? And some ads jingles? It would be nice to hear, ” this chapter was nicely brought by…” have you considered this? And some drumbeats before suspense moments? Anything? One last question, it was you narrating? Thanks for all. With these FAQ you won another reader/listener for your book!
I’m definitely ordering choirs of angels singing for the next one. 🙂
Thanks, Marco!!
Another Q.: What do we get if we already own the hard copy and the audible version. PLUS, pre-ordered both?
You get my undying appreciation and affection. Also, send me your address and I’ll pop a surprise in the mail to you. 😀
This is the best FFFAQ (Funny, Farcical, Facetious Answers to Questions) ever penned. (Inherent in it is your sequel: Everybody Laughs.)
LOL Tom… thank you and happy new year!
I’ve got tears of laughter mixed with tears of sadness. Loved the FAQ, but depressed at the thought of my own writing skills in comparison. This book needs to teach us how to be you.
Thanks, Ben… I hope the book inspires a better *you,* anyway!
Hi Ann.
I’m a member of the Toronto Public Library which owns practically every book published, except – unfortunately – Everybody Writes. (I’ll work on them.) I’m on a tight budget so unfortunately can’t buy books right now. I went to my local bookstore and pored over a copy before making The Big Buying Decision. It’s been worth every cent, I’ve gained so much knowledge and confidence and am so glad to own it. The endorsements on Amazon were what first attracted me so thank your friends, family and whomever else you bribed. 🙂
I don’t want to be entered in the contest for the audio book as I can read a 600 page book easily but can’t concentrate on an audio book for more than a minute!
I understand — honestly I prefer printed books to audiobooks, too.
Thanks for the note and I’m so glad you love it, Denise! Big thanks!