I finally got the 2nd edition of my book published (was supposed to happen last fall, turns out self-publishing was a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be). A lot of you had asked if a print version of the first edition was available, so that was one of the main reasons I went with an actual publisher (BookBaby) for the second edition instead of just publishing it in e-book-only format like I did with the first one. It’s also available through a lot more distributors (“Can I get it from ___?” – odds are the answer is “yes” at this point).
Improvements in the 2nd Edition
- Now available in print! It’s a 298 page paperback that retails for $16.99 (vs. $9.99 for the e-book).
- Whole new chapter on lessons learned in Spain, including how to get an unlimited supply of language-exchanges with locals (the first two months I was there I averaged 2 language exchanges per day during the week).
- Two new appendices (one on miscellaneous free online resources and one on recommended products) plus the others have all been significantly updated (especially the appendix listing free online lessons and courses).
- The method itself has been slightly revised (nothing major but I’ve backed off a bit on how much I think you need to note for review, e.g. in Anki).
- Cleaned up significantly (lots of typos fixed, reads easier). A few people complained about the overly casual, “blog-style” of writing, and I agreed: it needed to read like a book and I’ve edited it to that end.
- New resources added, old links that stopped working removed, most resources now appear at the end of each chapter, making things a bit more readable and organized.
You can now (right now) get the e-book (I cover the print edition below) from:
The Print Edition – Please Help Me!
The print edition is currently in what’s known as “pre-order status”, and this is where you guys can not only really help me out but also ensure that you get a copy of the print edition as soon as possible. If you’re interested in a physical copy of the book (paperback, 298 pages), please place your order now.
The way this works when new print books come out is that booksellers (Amazon, B&N, etc.) have a pre-order period during which they determine how many copies they’re going to order based on the demand for the given title. They’ll bulk order (from the printer) more copies than they received orders for to ensure they have enough in stock to meet future demand, and they predict future demand based on current demand (right now that means pre-orders). So the more pre-orders they get, the more copies of my book they’ll order in bulk (e.g. if they get 300 orders for it they might order 400). Amazon is saying they’ll have it in stock by March 23rd, so you won’t have to wait long, and how many pre-orders I get over the next couple weeks is really important. Please help me by placing your order now! Here’s where you can do that:
If you’re someone who buys books wholesale (retailer, library, etc.) BookBaby tells me it’s also available through the following wholesale networks: “Baker & Taylor, Ingram, NACSCORP, Book-a-Zine, Partners, Diamond Comic, BPDI and many others.”
I’m not remotely close to wealthy, and this (writing about how to learn languages via my blogs and books) is what I do for a living. I desperately want to travel continuously for the next few years, all while learning new languages and helping you all learn those languages through my blog posts, books, e-mails, videos, tweets, facebook posts, and instagram videos. I can’t do this for free because that stuff takes time, time which if I’m not being paid for I can’t afford to spare because I’ll be too busy working “a real job” (this is a real job damnit, I work six days a week, take me seriously, grumble grumble).
I really believe in this method. I used it to learn Spanish which I then tested for 3 months in Spain, I’m currently using it to learn German (quick tip: Lola Rennt is a great movie to learn German from, so much fun), and I plan on using it to then learn French, Italian, Tagalog, Japanese, and who knows what else!
Thank You
All of you who read what I write, watch my videos, and especially who buy my book (including those who bought the 1st edition, of course): thank you. I genuinely wouldn’t be able to do this without you.
It’s also vital, for one to be able to continue in their chosen occupation, knowing that other people value what you’re doing–that really means a lot (I’d have long since quit if I thought I wasn’t helping anyone).
Cheers,
Andrew
P.S. If you do buy the book I would greatly appreciate any review you could leave for it (on whatever site you bought it from), books live and die by their reader reviews, you guys have enormous influence over whether someone else will buy the book.
P.P.S. Yes, I know the site is old (this theme is 7, 8 years old now?) and ugly as hell. I’m in the process of completely revamping it right now…along with the newsletter…while learning Spanish and German…and figuring out how/when I’m going to get to Colombia in a few months…and how to unload all my crap I don’t need before I leave and make some cash in the process (anybody wanna buy some weight plates or a cocktail shaker?).
