eta: anyway, I hadn’t planned to do this, but hey, why not. For people who mention the contest on their journal/blog, you earn an extra entry (which means video bloggers who enter, in case you do, get an extra if you include a shout out to the contest in your video/video info!).

I hope everyone has gone out and purchased Paper Towns! It is officially on sale. My question is, do you want a (second) copy? Perhaps a copy of the book with the cover you didn’t get? Hint: the answer is yes.

not photographic proof of my two extra copies, but close enough.

So, what’s this about an extra copy of Paper Towns?
In a live blog chat, someone asked John if buying both covers was necessary to get the book. John said no. However, I am a John Green completion junkie. I am the girl stalking shelves and auctions and used bookstores, tracking down every copy of his books in every format I can find¹. When you have a favorite author, you do crazy things such as buying two copies of the same book just because the cover is different². I never said I wasn’t crazy! Don’t look at me like that, guys!

The more I thought about how I was going to buy both covers the more I realized that I was probably not the only nerdfighter out there chomping at the bit to line both of these covers up on my bookshelf and possibly stroke them lovingly. As Gordy says in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, you’re supposed to get a little turned on by books you love:

I also realized that in today’s economy (HAHAHAHAHA) buying two copies of the same book, awesome covers or no, is really not feasible for a lot of us.

I have another nerdfighter going to GREAT LENGTHS to meet John for me and get me a signed copy of Paper Towns, so I thought, “I need to pass this awesome feeling along.” It’s not the fastest way to decrease worldsuck, but it’s a start.

Okay, Renay, just tell us how to enter already!
If you’re not a nerdfighter or a serious, hardcore John Green fan, you’re asking yourself what kind of contest requires you to buy something just to get something? Visions of Nigerian e-mail scams are floating in your head, but don’t worry: I’m from Arkansas and that totally makes me kosher! The contest operates by assuming we’re all rushing bookstores and not making a dent in Amazon’s bandwidth, although we will be giving it our all. So yes, you must have purchased a copy of Paper Towns to take part! Honor system, guys! Let’s be awesome!

1. Go to your favorite bookstore or website. Buy or order Paper Towns.

2. Read Paper Towns!

3. Come back here and share three things you found fabulous about the book. Yes, spoilers are fine because the point is to talk about the book. Those who haven’t finished yet, please don’t read the comments and come after me in a frothing rage.

• Yes, you may record a video with your three things and then post the URL to your video in the comments. Video entries are encouraged because they are awesome.
• (Text entries should still go in the comments here! But feel free to blog about the contest if you want.)

4. When you comment, please let me know which cover you have, so I can put you in the correct group! Two covers! Two winners!

5. Double-check your e-mail address! Is it correct? Good! I would be super sad if your e-mail bounced!

6. Bonus benefit: the joy of discussing Paper Towns with other fans and nerdfighters!

For bonus Paper Town project ideas, check out one of Hank’s recent vlogs, where you can also acquire a Paper Towns fan album. Two thumbs way, way up. :) For more reviews of Paper Towns, visit http://delicious.com/yafab/paper-towns (and feel free to let me know if you’ve reviewed it and send me the link!).

Technical details:

1. open to US and international nerdfighters aged 13 and above
2. one entry per purchased book
3. e-mail address must be valid! make sure your reply-to address is correct
4. purchase is necessary and recommended even if not entering because John Green is awesome
5. giveaway will end November 30th, 2008 — 11:59 CST
6. winners will be chosen through a very selective process concerning prime numbers, cats, tape and a hat, and notified by e-mail
7. mailing address will be requested to send prizes.

¹ And also writing Katherines/The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks crossover fanfiction that will never see the light of day after a recent live chat. There are nerdfighters out ther gunning for me, I swear it. Come on, seriously, Colin and Frankie? It’s hard out there for a fangirl.
² To be fair to myself and many other people who want both covers, it’s less about owning the two books and more about a feeling I personally cannot describe. I wish I could put into words what John’s work means to me as a writer and a fan and a lit crit nerd and why when he has a vision of something I want to experience the whole vision. I’ve tried; it just sounds fake and overwrought, like a bad monologue on relationships from a character on The Hills. Instead I’ll just say something like “COCK” and run away from this awkward emotional outburst.