I Know It's A Little Too Soon, But Fuck George Carlin

A few days ago, I wrote a very nice post about George Carlin and how much he meant to me as a comedian, but that was then and this is now. Only moments ago, I checked to see how my book is doing on Amazon.com, and I was pleased to see that it was ranked #4 in the Humor category. Pretty good, right? Well guess who is occupying spots #2 and #3? Not David Sedaris. George Carlin! Why? Because he fucking died, that's why! Look:

                     

1.		I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell     by Tucker Max (Author)                                                                                                             240 Reviews   5 star: (164)   4 star: (35)   3 star: (13)   2 star: (9)   1 star: (19) See all 240 customer reviews...                                                     (240 customer reviews)     | 12 customer discussions         In Stock                                             List Price: $12.95 Price: $10.36 You Save: $2.59 (20%) 73 used & new from $6.78
2.		Three Times Carlin: An Orgy of George     by George Carlin (Author)                                                                               8 Reviews   5 star: (3)   4 star: (4)   3 star:   (0)   2 star: (1)   1 star:   (0) See all 8 customer reviews...                                                     (8 customer reviews)             In Stock                                             List Price: $24.95 Price: $16.47 You Save: $8.48 (34%) 29 used & new from $9.48
3.		Brain Droppings     by George Carlin (Author)                                                                               153 Reviews   5 star: (71)   4 star: (41)   3 star: (16)   2 star: (7)   1 star: (18) See all 153 customer reviews...                                                     (153 customer reviews)             Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks                                             Price: $6.99 26 used & new from $3.53
4.		My Custom Van: And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays that Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face     by Michael Ian Black (Author)                 Publication Date: July 15, 2008     In Stock                          List Price: $23.95 Price: $16.29 You Save: $7.66 (32%)

If it wasn't for Carlin's unfortunate demise, I'd be number two right now! Number two is the highest ranked I've ever been in anything! Do you know where his books were ranked two weeks ago? They weren't, that's where! Carlin's heart couldn't hang on for a few more weeks? I'm not saying he deliberately dropped dead to fuck up my ranking on Amazon, but I'm not saying he didn't, either. Timing is everything in comedy, and as usual, his was brilliant, and mine fucking sucks.

Ironically, tonight I find myself praying for the health of David Sedaris.

It's Official: I'm A Genius

From the Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicist Blog:

Reason #127 why Michael Ian Black is a genius   

                    

When it comes to book publicity, comedian Michael Ian Black is exhibiting an edgy brilliance in an industry that often depends on book reviews and expert sourcing for pre-pub exposure. 

His new book, My Custom Van: And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays that Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face (Simon Spotlight Entertainment), hits the shelves July 15, and already the internet is abuzz—not exactly about the book itself, but about Black’s so-called “feud” with fellow nonfiction writer David Sedaris. (You might have heard of him.) 

Setting out to knock the popular literary personality off his bestseller high horse, Black states on his blog: 

“Am I attempting to start a literary feud with David Sedaris with the feeble hope that the resultant publicity will increase sales of my book? Yes.” 

Not one to settle for just any nonexistent, inappropriate author standoff, Black recently launched a contest for blog readers to turn Sedaris into a supervillan, and he even provides simple tips for casually putting down Sedaris at your next social event. 

The Black-Sedaris feud is becoming an internet sensation for the in-the-know literary crowd, garnering top media for My Custom Van, such as Galleycat and Gawker. Now, I’m not advocating new authors out there to start a feud with John Grisham, or anything—but the next time you’re looking to increase your book’s web presence and overall buzz, you might take a page from Black’s humorous and innovative approach to self-promotion.