If you’ve read Furiously Happy, you already know I wrote an entire chapter about how I almost lost the chance to narrate my first book because I was too terrified and kept fucking up. My amazing friend Neil Gaiman gave me the wonderful advice to “pretend you’re good at it” and it worked. Since then I have written that mantra on my arm every time I panic. I write it a lot.
Today the Audie Award nominations were announced and I found out that I’m a finalist in the categories of Humor and Best Narration by Author. And I may have cried a little. Because I still have to pretend I’m good at it (and perhaps I always will) but maybe it’s not as obvious to everyone else. Which is nice. No pretending necessary.
PS. It just dawned on me that most of you probably have no idea what the Audie Awards are. They’re like the Grammys, but substitute “glamorous rockstars” with “audio books”. So, yeah. It’s a pretty big deal.
PPS. Giant thanks to everyone who bought my audiobook. I like to pretend that I’m going with you on long road trips, or that I’m in your house with you while you’re doing the dishes. It makes me feel less hermity and also lightly stalkerish, but in a friendly and encouraging sort of way.
PPPS. Everyone in these categories are amazing. You should check out all of these books.
PPPPS.
Psssst: Guess what? We’re ALL pretending. I keep waiting for my boss to tell me he got my resume confused with someone else’s, and that I should leave now. (I’ve been here over five years.)
Congrats on your nomination! 🙂
Congratulations! It looks like your fake-it-til-you-make-it mindset worked out for you! Standing ovation from Chicago, my friend!
Oh, man, I’d pay to see the book-rubbing performance. Lewd literary acts are my JAM!
Congratulations! That is fantastic news, though definitely not surprising at all. You are pretty fantastic. If you don’t see it all the time, that’s okay. There are people here to remind you.
There should definitely be more lewd literary acts in the world.
You’re obviously doing an excellent job, Jenny! Well done!
Oh my gosh, I read “Cat Talk Classics” instead of “Car Talk Classics” and had to do a double-take! Congrats Jenny, hope you win! <3
You have helped prepare so many Chemistry labs! Well done!
Great advice. I pretend everyday 😃 Congratulations on the award nomination and final position!
I wanna see that Lip Sync Battle happen! Congrats on the nominations, Jenny!!!
You are not hermity. We walk my dog. People look at us funny when we laugh out loud😀
WTF? And you have Martin Short in there, one of my favorite comedians? THREESOME!THREESOME!THREESOME!THREESOME!THREESOME!
(Honestly, that’s amazing to be nominated.)
I have your mantra on my phone screen lock page. I’ve considered getting it as a tattoo. It really does help me! Thanks to you and Mr Gaiman.
Congratufreakalations!!!!!
(I’m pretending I’m good at making up ‘happy for you’ salutation words)
I am truly proud for you.
You are in some pretty amazing company, and I am so happy for you.
OMG, just the fact that you can say “My amazing FRIEND Neil Gaiman…” You’ve got this. And thanks for the mantra. I’m going to use that.
Congratulations on your nominations!! I would actually pay (not much as I don’t have much) to see you and Amanda rub your books together. Lewd literacy acts!! whoop!
I desperately want to listen to your baby audiobook with AFP.
Congrats! That is awesome! You definitely deserve it.
I pretend I’m good at things all the time. That’s how I get through any day where I have to interact with humans, in real life or online. I am seriously considering getting “pretend you are good at it” tattooed on my arm as a reminder.
Obviously Neil Gaiman’s audio book advice worked like a charm. How could it not? He’s MAGIC at audio book narration! Congrats on the nomination- I fully intend for my next reading of Furiously Happy to be done through my ears. (If it’s half as wonderful as it was when I read it with my eyeballs, I’m in for a treat.)
Congrats!! Just started Furiously Happy and I was sold by the awesome picture on the cover. My kids keep asking why I am laughing so hard about a racoon book.
Good luck with the awards!!
I’m so glad that you narrated that first book, Jenny. That’s how I found you. I borrowed your audio book from my local library and fell in love with you and your message. I’ve been following you (in the good way, not the creepy stalky way) ever since!!!!
Congrats. Not that it means much, but I listened to your first book and read the second and I wished I had listened the second time as well. I really enjoyed listening to you read, enough so that I missed it with Furiously Happy.
I pretend I’m good at it whenever I write a blog post, otherwise I wouldn’t even bother.
Congrats!!
I would pay good money to see that lip sync battle! Congrats on your nomination. I hope you win, you deserve it!
Congrats!! I’ve read the book twice, now I want to hear you read it!! A big high five from the mitten (Michigan in case you didn’t know) you rock!!
Congratulations! I saw this earlier on Facebook and am thrilled for you. (The Audie Awards are a big deal to me, I love audiobooks).
Congrats on your nominations! As an audiobook aficionado, yours was one of the very few that I immediately wanted to listen to again, as soon as I’d finished it. I was also boggled that you described yourself as having a “creaky, old-lady voice” since I was initially taken aback when I hit play for how freaking normal you sound. I’d only recently encountered your blog before buying the audio book, and when I heard your voice I was suffering cognitive dissonance. You are my patronas, yet you sounded like a soccer-mom who probably was a popular cheerleader in highschool — and you have the utmost nerve to sound like you’re barely into your 30s. You are faking it well, sweet cheeks.
“Lightly stalking.” I love it. Sounds like something that Alton Brown might suggest on one of his better Good Eats! episodes. (They were all good, some were better)
I really want your audio book but I really gotta keep the lights on and food on the table first. Soon.
As 12 step groups sometimes say, “Fake it, til you make it.”
I’ll root for you in the other category, but that’s actually my sister and brother-in-law who read Texts from Jane Eyre. Super excited for them!
You did go on a long road trip with me! My mom and I listened to Furiously Happy each time we had to drive the 4 hours from my Central Oregon town to Portland in order for her to have a hysterectomy, because she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, and then for ME to have a hysterectomy a month later when I was also diagnosed with endometrial and ovarian cancer. 2015 was a rough year for us… but we still laughed until we cried all the way to Portland because of your book. You deserve that nomination… and I hope you win the award.
I had never heard of the Audies before but now that I know what it is I am so proud of you. Also, I am writing this through voice to text and it listed your award as the Oddys, which is so absolutely perfect. I couldn’t make that up if I tried.
Awesome! I love audiobooks. You totally deserve this because pretending or not, you rock at it.
Girl, you need to get Kate Mulgrew in on that erotic audiobook action! You know there is some ST: Voyager fanfic out there somewhere that involves Janeway and erotic audiobooks.
Congrats! What an honor, you have an awesome “delivery” when reading your audio books! My 24 yr old son listens to your book, Furiously Happy with me when I borrowed it from library. Then I had an offer to join an audio book thing where the first month & first book was only $5.95 so the book I chose was Lets Pretend this Never Happened & before the first month was up I had to cancel because I couldn’t pay the monthly fee. But I got to keep your audio book! So, when ever I need cheering up or calming down, which is often, I listen to your first book. Then you blessed me with Booksgiving and got your Furiously Happy ebook. I am selling some stuff on ebay so I can buy your book for someone to pay it forward. I also hope to sell enough to buy your Furiously Happy audio book & the ebook version of your first book. You are amazing & thank you for all you have done!😘💖
This is amazing!! I’m so happy for you!! I’ll buy tickets to watch the mating books (a phrase i though i’ll never say)… so… let me know 🙂
Congratulations!
Congrats on a well-deserved nomination! My favorite audiobooks are the ones read by the author – I feel like I am getting the full story will all the correct and best tones and nuances, exactly as it was intended when written. I am on my way to get the audiobook now.
Also I think if I should ever get an actual tattoo, it’s going to be “Pretend you’re good at it.”
Congratulations! You deserve it! :o)
I already said this fifty hundred times, but I LOVED the audiobook of Furiously Happy!!!! And, Fake It Till You Make It is my motto 😃
Congrats! After all without you I wouldn’t own taxiderm animals 😀
Thanks Jenny
Love Dawn
Another confused and lost one
You and I hang out in the car a LOT, and you’re the friend my husband wished I would stop quoting Also, you help me fill out awkward party conversation! This weekend I talked about your book to a friend whose husband fills their house with taxidermy from hunting.
I live for Lewd Literary Acts! Can that be your imaginary band name? The first album can be “My Etchings” and you can have a naughty librarian (shushing us) on the cover. Oh, my imagination is running wild 🙂
Congrats on your nominations <- plural!
Truncated: pretend you’re good (people won’t suspect stabbiness); pretend you are (for those times when the mind is terrorizing you to not be); and good at it (what we all want to hear in some circumstances but not others).
Can hardly wait to bring you on a girls’ road trip! xo
So furiously proud and excited for you. Good luck!
Thank you for explaining what the Audie Awards are. My dad’s name is Audie, and I’m all “what the hell has he been up to?” And then you tweet about a dance off with books rubbing together, and I think “that’s EXACTLY what he looks like when he dances!” But without books. So basically, I’m just so glad they are book awards. Also, you could beat David Spade and Martin Short, and when you were only pretending you were good at it. What a kick in the nuts…poor guys…
Hope you win an Audie! (not my dad…)
I LOVED Furiously Happy sooo much! I read it though, I think I wanna listen to it now too so I can feel like we’re hanging out. I’ll be playing candy crush while I listen to your hilarious stories 🙂
Kudos! Now I’m glad I haven’t bought the book yet. We’ve got some road-trippin’ coming up and we can bring you along. (Travel that is, not LSD.)
Congratulations! I just read that story in “Furiously Happy”, as it happens. I am loving this book!
First of all congratulations! You are in incredible company and so deserving!!!! Secondly, I believe all creatives (myself included) all have a degree of imposter syndrome embedded deep within us. My mantra’s: “Fake it, t’ill you make it” and ACT AS IF…(ie, act as if you are already there…(with humility of course!) The latter is more of invoking the Law of Attraction. More importantly, WHAT WILL YOU WEAR to the Awards??!!!! xo
I was going to ask at the reading in Los Angeles but I was too freaked out to people, how did you become friends with Neil Gaiman? I’m guessing that could be an entire blog post.
~~~~Congratulations!~~~~
One thing I’ve learned as I’ve grown older is that everybody is winging it. EVERYBODY. (Which is kind of scary when you think of doctors, and politicians…) In your case, I think you’re doing it very well. Not just anyone can capture Jenny Lawson’s inner voice like that. You rock!
Woot! Woot! You’re keeping some great company, Jenny — just look at all those other nominees who want to be just like you! I’m sensing some “polyaudiobookery” in my future. 😉
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I’m so glad you are being recognized for all your awesomeness!
SO. DAMN. COOL.
I’ve completely forgotten how to not pretend I know how to do stuff. Life gets confusing.
Congratulations!!!!!! I love the idea of the dance-off.
The idea that rubbing 2 books together could yield another book makes me happy. And the fact that 3 creators whom I admire are in sync makes my head explode. In a good way.
it is great to see you and Amanda Fucking Palmer recognized. Yay you! Keep pretending and we’ll keep believing.
I can totally sympathize with needing to fake it. I have Imposter Syndrome which means that no matter how good I am at something, there’s always a little voice in my head saying “You’re not really good at this. You’re just faking it and everyone’s going to find out!” For example, it doesn’t matter that I have 22 years of web development experience, I still feel like a padawan pretending to be a master.
At times it may not come or occur to you that you are pretending but on the long run, u just see you have achieved what you have be “pretending” to achieve .. . God help us
I did UIL One Act Play competition in my youth in high school. I’ve pretty much been Lady Bracknell pretending I know what I’m doing ever since!
Pretending we’re good at it for the fucking win!
Except maybe brain surgery. I’d never try to convince myself I was good at that. Someone could die.
Amazing! Congrats. PS that twitter exchange is the first time, and probably only time, I wish I was on Twitter.
This is wild. Just today (at my second appointment), my therapist said maybe I should have a mantra. I suggested “Pretend you’re good at it” and told her about that part of your book. It really is some awesome advice, and I plan to take it as often as possible.
Congrats!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! You win just for faking it so convincingly! Isn’t that why they give out Oscars? You should probably get one of those too. I’ll look for your name on the ballots.
Question: If the category is “Best Narration by Author,” why do the nominations read
By <Author’s Name> Read By <Author’s Name…AGAIN>?
Are they calling us dummies?? So. Rude.
WAIT — Or is it to make the nominees feel awesome? Hmm…
Okay, Audies2016, you get the benefit of the doubt. THIS time.
I just had an interview today, so reading this afterwards was a huge boon.
Also, the Audies are a big deal to me, because I’m a librarian and I work with audiobooks and do an Audies display every year. I wish you the best of luck and will definitely be including Furiously Happy on my display!!!
Oh, and I listened to Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (I haven’t gotten to Furiously Happy yet, but I will) and I join my voice with the chorus of others that say you’re a freaking AWESOME narrator.
That is awesome (I don’t twitter so whatever that sequence is called).
Also congratulations on your noms. I was able to listen to your online reading, so if the audiobooks are anything like that, I’m sure they’re a hoot.
Hahaha, you’re all already winners from that Twitter exchange.
“pretend you’re good at it” — I need that mantra in my life. Fake it til you make it.
Also, CONGRATULATIONS!! This is exciting!
fake it till you make it….has always worked for me. way to go
CONGRATS! I wrote that loud so u could hear me😊
Congratulations! So happy for you!
Congratulations!!
As a librarian (and booklover) the phrase “lewd literary acts” makes me infinitely happy, I mean FURIOUSLY happy. 🙂 Thank you! And congrats on the nomz.
Congratulations! Now I want to get the audio book so your voice will be in my head, along with all the others, but your’s would be positive.
You should just tattoo “pretend you’re good at it” on your forearm and you wouldn’t have to waste so much time writing it in with a pen 😉
I love your audiobooks! You accompanied me on road trips, helped me in the kitchen and I’m pretty sure you were telling me funny stories while I was cleaning up the horrific aftermath of me learning the hard way how to use my pressure cooker (think burnt chicken grease & smoke spewing throughout my kitchen/dining/living room in my tiny apartment). I think of yellow rubber cleaning gloves with fondness now because of you.
PS. Thank you for talking about Neil Gaiman. I somehow never had him on my author radar, and every time I saw his name I conflated him with Gaiam the yoga product company. I just started reading (listening to) the Anansi Boys. I can’t believe I’ve never read anything he wrote before. Gah! He’s good.
PPS. If you’re looking for an author to love, try Carlie St. George. She’s a friend of a friend who is just getting started. She recently published a short story trilogy of noir mysteries loosely based on classic fairy tale characters and themes. I just read all three and I really hope she has more of those characters up her sleeve. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B018TPCRWQ/kindle/ref=sr_bookseries_null_B018TPCRWQ
PPPS. I’m all about a lip sync battle!
PPPPS. I didn’t really mean to copy your format, but it’s so much better than “btw,…” and “also,…” & “plus,…”
Congrats! That’s pretty awesome.
I have read your book, which was amazing, but think I may get the audio book just to hear you read it, like you said you can read to me in the car, or while I wash dishes!!
It made me cry, too! The strength you show by pushing through life keeps me going, too!
The audio book is amazing! I listened to it on my work commute during a rough week and I was laughing and crying and I actually enjoyed driving for once. I’m so happy it was nominated!
Keep on pretending… I love it and you!
That’s so awesome! I love your books, and you have a great speaking voice because you sound just so totally friendly and reassuring and funny and unpretentious. It’s like you’re standing next to me and suddenly you go, “Psssst. Can you believe they’re letting us in here? I know, right! And check out the booger in that lady’s nose – it’s just dangling there and I can’t stop staring at it.” And I’m the person you chose out of the whole room to share that with. You should TOTALLY win the audi. And they should also give you an Audi. Appropriate.
Dangit – you should TOTALLy win the audiE, I mean.
Congratulations!!
Congrats on your nomination! Yepper, one of my favorite sayings is, “fake it ’til you make it.” Many years ago when I worked in tourism, I’d welcome people on our boats first thing in the morning. Plenty of mornings I was very tired, but because I depended on tips, I’d give everyone a smile and a cheerful “good morning!” After a while, I was actually starting to feel cheerful myself.
I think I have done that most of my life…most people never know how scared you are or how much you don’t know if you look and act like you do…I really like that saying though..
We all feel proprietarily proud of you and “pretend” in pretty script sounds like a great tattoo!
And now I must get the audio book…because I’d LOVE for you to go on a road trip with me! Congratulations!
I still want to get this tattooed. In your writing, with a works cited from Neil.
Oh my God, I just love you…and one of your wonderful fans sent a book to my friend that needed it (even though she didn’t know it). She love love loves the book! And I love love love you! If I had any inclination towards stalkery, you would be the one…totally kidding, don’t every worry about seeing me on you lawn peering in your office window!
Dammit, I hate grammatical errors – “don’t ever worry”….
Jesus, I really need to not drink when I post…”don’t ever worry about seeing me on your lawn”…
You go girl. Congrats and hope you win. I pretend I’m good at being successful, quitting my job and being thin.
Jenny—you don’t seem to understand how important you are. Can I tell you? You are important. You make a difference in people’s lives. You make me laugh. I thank you for that. But more importantly, you let depressed people know that they’re not alone. And you let people know who are afraid to go outside their house that they’re not a freak. Or maybe that they are a freak, but they are in good company. We’re not responsible for changing the world, but we are responsible for the little corner of the world that we occupy. You’ve done your corner proud.
Imposter syndrome – it’s a real thing…I’ve suffered it forever but so far no-one’s called me out …yet….
Jenny,
Congratulations! You are amazing! As a woman in a male-dominated career that has nothing whatsoever to do with my college degree I constantly feel intimidated and like I have to “pretend (I’m) good at it!” I bought your new book on Cyber Monday but haven’t had a chance to read it. Perhaps I’ll start tonight with this chapter. Forgive me for skipping around but seeing as how one of my (all) male co-workers pulled a real dick move on me today perhaps this chapter will give me the reassurance I need to go in and give him hell tomorrow…and the laughs I need to cool off my temper so that I can be professional instead of nasty! Congratulations again and I promise some day I’ll buy your first book too!
KP
I pretend about a lot of stuff all the time so I get it, Your audiobook is pretty awesome and very genuine in my opinion–I love your voice, and not just because I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine and I find you soothing when I’m like this. Huge congrats and I hope you win!
Hah!
To the person who said, “You have helped prepare so many Chemistry labs! Well done!”…
Me too!
Jenny, you’ve helped make and purify so many compounds! You’ll never even know!
Congratulations – keep pretending. We love it!
You’re amazing. Once again–words to live by. I’ve written it on my right arm so that I’m sure to see it CONSTANTLY while I force myself to sit at my laptop, applying for jobs that I know I can do, but am 90% sure I won’t get (because damn Imposter Syndrome!). I hope I can “fake it til I make it”, too. <3
Good affirmation. Hope you win!
Ooh!! Lewd Literary Acts sounds like a band name…a band Amanda Palmer might sing in…
While doing your lewd literary acts, you can have Ed Grimley play the triangle, I must say.
Furiously Happy came along just when I needed it. I bought it on audio first so I could start listening right away in the middle of the night. At some point I’ll get the actual book so I can underline some of the parts that really really helped. Thank you.
You fake it better then Meg Ryan! Congrats!
You go girl! You fucking rock!
Congratulations on the nomination. Loved FH and the cover. Just got your first book. I’m so happy to have found your blog – you definitely are gifted!
Congratulations Jenny, you should be proud of yourself.
I love this. congratulations!
I’m an audiobook addict and think that both you and Neil Gaiman are pretty danged fabulous in your narration. Can’t say that about all the author narrated books, which is kind of odd considering. I hope you win.
I love the twitter post. You deserve this honor – you audio star, you.
Wow! You rock:). Forget being up there with Mindy K–you made it up there with Click and Clack (the Magliozzi Bros). They’ve got a following you wouldn’t believe:). And so do you. Love to see your success–truly!
When my husband of 23 years up and left, I was absolutely terrified. How was I going to keep doing all I did on a daily basis and figure out his stuff as well?! How was I going to know how to take care of the house and yard? How would I know what to do if a water pipe leaked or the garage door springs broke or the screen door went off its track?! How on Earth would I be able to handle all of it myself??!!
I was sitting in a [male] co-worker’s office crying about all this and he calmly responded, “Don’t worry. We men are all just pretending we know how to do stuff. We have to figure it all out as we go and you will too.”
It was the most empowering thing anyone had ever said to me.
PS – Listing to your audio book now!
I pretend all the time I’m good at things, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. Like the pretending I’m not a klutz is a never win battle I’ve accepted I will have unexplained bruises from bumping into things. However you’re very good at pretending to be good at audio book narration because both of your books and The Harry Potter series are the only audio books I’ve listened to since I was little and listening and reading a Dr. Seuss 8 track of Bartholomew and the Oobleck, and Yertle the Turtle. I’m more of a actual book over an audio book. So you’re already a winner at least in the Me Audie awards. This message was brought to you by The Lewd,Crude and Highly Inappropriate Literary Supporters Branch 34.
Congratulation!
Congratulation!!!
Brilliant advice because you were
AMAZING.
I listen to a lot of audible and you rocked it.
Furiously Happy, is inspiring, hysterical, and relatable.
Listening to you tell your story is what turns hysterical into fucking hysterical.
So from now on I’m going to pretend that that I’m awesome at grammar, time
management, fourth grade math
the list goes on…
I will surely fool the world!
(All grammatical errors on this
Post never happened)
PS. I have a dog who is extremely picky about her cookies. Well she is a poodle. Maybe it’s a French thing?!
The tweets at the bottom made my day. CONGRATS!
CONGRATULATIONS! I think you should add, “I am good at what I do,” to your mantras.
Sweetie, repeat after me, “I am fabulous at what I do”. Write it on your hand, your arm, the mirror, and repeat 20 times a day. Congratulations – you deserve it.
I would DEFINITELY tune in to the Audie Awards for the Lewd Literacy Acts! And did you write on your arm for the book tour? Because if you didn’t, then you don’t need to anymore. And if you did, then no one there was any the wiser, and you stick with what works. You TOTALLY nailed it on tour!
Congrats Jenny! My husband Chris and I will be listening to your book on audio when we go on our epic camping/road trip this summer. We’ve already listened once and I think it will be fun to listen again. Thank you.
Yay YOU! I’ve been ‘pretending that I’m good at it’ since I first read it. Best advice I’ve continued to share… and I found it when it could do me the most good!
Thank You!!
Oh, congrats!!
And you totally want to go on a road trip with me. I tend to ROCK road trips and I know you would too. 😎
Well done. Next up…your coloring book, with quotes by Jenny Lawson!
So Furiously Happy for you, Jenny!! Congrats on your nomination! I wish I could “pretend I’m good at” ANYTHING right now. I just received “booksgiving” & I Totally relate. Except, you inspire me & teach me how to cope & keep battling. All I can do for you right now is GIVE THANKS 💗 and make my prediction….Jenny Lawson For The WIN!!💐🏆
You sooooooo deserve this!!
Well I don’t know who Amanda Palmer is, so Jenny, you win!
Congrats!!!!
My sister has me playing on HitREcord. I had to use this very “pretend you’re good at it” mantra. My sister said to me “just remember the advice Neil gave Jenny in the book” (she apparently thinks she is on a first name bases with Neil and you Jenny. lol) And you know it worked, I ended up stepping out of my comfort bubble and actually posted a couple of things there. Had fun I didn’t even know I knew how to do. Thanks Neil Gaiman and Jenny Lawson, you guys know how to inspire. Thanks for the boost when I needed it.
When I sat my final accountancy exam after failing once, I went in thinking “if I was someone who was going to pass this exam, what would I write?” and scored 70% for an easy pass. Seemed to work!
Congrats, Jenny! <3
Oh my goodness gracious this is fantastic!! A massive congratulations to you Jenny!!! Geez. I was just beginning to go into voiceover work before I left NYC to live with my honey in France so I know what a huuuugely competive world this is and yet…by being true to yourself (and with a little help from a wise friend) you have risen straight to the top of the tops. Thank you for this inspiration. Brava!
Jenny I recently told this to a friend who is another fan of yours. I am a HUGE Neil Gaiman
Can who’s started following everything he did online after seeing hiim on the American Gods tour. I some twitter/Instagram/tumblrish picture of you two hanging out before I’d read a tuning you wrote and thought “I’m so jealous how come this blogger chick gets to hang out with him and I don’t.”
Then I discovered your blog,read your first book, waited months to see you on book tour and now when I see your name linked with Neil’s i I think “Damn Neil is so lucky he gets to hang out with Jenny.”
True.
Almost everyone else nominated is a professional actor. You should be VERY proud!!
EVERYONE WINS with lewd literary acts! Love it.
Well well well. How adult of you! Grats Jenny 🙂
Many many congratulations, well earned! I bought the audio book and loved it so much I longed for a hard copy of my own, which I received yesterday through Booksgiving. I danced around my living room, I am so thankful. While I wanted to sit right down and read it all over again, this morning, I loaned the book to a coworker to whom I’ve been raving about this book. We’re already chuckling in the office. I encouraged her to highlight her favorite passages and pass it on. Meanwhile, i have a road trip coming up on Friday, and I’m sure I’ll listen again while others are enjoying my gift! Thank you for all you do.
So Deserving, Jenny Lawson! I have been having to speak up a lot more in big meetings ( I know that seems like nothing, but it makes me want to run and hide in the supply closet) and just thinking of “pretend you’re good at it” already calms me in some way. Congrats!!!!!
Congratulations! Nobody deserves this more than you do.
Oh Jenny, I so need you in my life right now. It’s been a rough week and getting rougher and sometimes I don’t think I’m going to make it through. Thank you just for being you.
And thank you (and Neil Gaiman) for “pretend you’re good at it” — it’s on my arm now.
You’re the only reason I know what the Audies are. And I only found you because my library kept telling me to read this freaking book already every time I \went to them for another audiobook so that instead of commuting I could think about wizards getting busy. So I was like fine, but that raccoon picture better be relevant to the story. And then there was no story, but the raccoon was still relevant and there were so many cuss words that I had to keep it away from my kids, but it was all funny so I didn’t mind too much. And I like that you described the pictures that were in the book (which I still haven’t seen). It made me feel like you were talking to me, which you were, but not just me, but everybody, but I’m part of that so you were and it was good. It’s also kind of fun to imitate your speech patterns and style now. Good luck!
Good on you!!!!
Ever since reading Furiously Happy, I’ve had a sticky note on my desk that screams “Pretend You’re Good At It”! After 7 years of running my own business I went back into the corporate world (IT) and was scared to death. Your note grounds me when I begin to panic (which is often.)
Thank you!
I have both your book in audio and encourage others to buy that version. I’m not surprised at all that you are up for an award. Listening to you read is like listening to my friends talk ha ha. Congrats!!!
Most importantly: Congratufuckinglations!! That’s so awesome! I had
To stop listening to your book in my car because I was certain I would wreck out and if I didn’t die, is have to keep extra
Copies of your audiobook around to give the officer to explain WHY I wrecked out.
Secondly, I cannot tell you how much I needed to be reminded of this today! I start a new job Monday (same newspaper, new role) and I’m seriously freaking out over HOW will I do this new job? Everyone else is already amazing at it!
I’m a fraud and new boss will know and what have I gotten myself into?! And then I remember, hey,
If Jenny can get up in front of a new room full of people each night on her book tour, you can totes do this. Just fake it.
So; thanks for being awesome. And reminding your readers to be awesome too.
Yep, saw that this morning. I get daily reminders from Audible, mostly about the Deal of the Day, but today’s included the Audie finalists. I listened to a few of the entries. You’re in good company, and with stiff competition. Good luck!
And when you go to readings remember something Margaret Atwood has said she tells herself to get over stage fright: “These people like you and they’re here to see you.”
Heck, I bet Neil Gaiman has to tell himself that too sometimes. Ask him if he does.
You are friends with Neil Gaiman…my life is officially over. There is nothing more to see here.
I love the results of your pretending. And am glad that it’s not just me faking it. But as we all learned in philosophy class: You have to be very competent to doubt your own competence. Ha!
I’m oddly aroused at that twitter exchange. I had no idea that’s where audiobook babies come from.
I say you get the humor one and AFP gets the other one, and then you rub the audies together and see if they make a new one.
I don’t envy the jury though, I’d hate to have to choose my favourite between the two of you. I love you both. And Neil, but I think that goes without saying. You three are all officially in my top five celebrity crush list.
Does that make me weird? Does it matter?
that’s brilliant!
Congratulations!
First, congratulation on your nomination. Secondly, thank you. It is hard as a smaller blogger to keep the blinders on. I tend to get caught up in the accomplishments of others. I am going to adopt this mantra when I write. Thank you.
Thank you for the advise. I will start pretending right away!
My husband recently started listening to audio books to fall asleep. Sounded like a good idea. I already owned a digital copy of your book (I was half way through) and decided to buy the audio book version to listen too. It was great (note: I happened to listen to the chapter about making the audio book on the way to an interview, the matra “pretend you’re good at it” really calmed me down. Thank you for that!) I then started listening to another audio book by a different author…not for me. Then another…same deal. The only other audio book have found audio book I have found with a sound quality that competes with yours is Tina Fey’s. So, I guess I’ll be listening to yours and Tina Fey’s books again and again…lucky for me they’re such great books!
I have read both of your books, and was looking for some other good selections, so thank you! I think ” the art of asking” is next on my bedside table.
AND- Congrats! Everything you touch turns to gold glitter dust…hey, if I jump on a plane now,and fly down there… will you touch me ? Not saying that in ANY weird manner what so ever…I just really want to be gold glitter dust. THANKS!
I have both your books on audio. I LOVE that you did the reading.
Although now that I think about it, as a Ray Porter (best narrator EVER) fan, I’m currently calculating how much extra I might pay to hear Ray Porter say, “my vagina.”
Your award is well-deserved. I’ve read your book but will be eager to hear it for a second time.
Congrats! It’s so cool that you’re nominated for something you worked so hard on, not to mention overcame initial anxiety about doing.
Congratulations! We are audiobook fans in our house, so I appreciate the recognition good readers are getting!
Congratulations! That’s awesome. I bought your book at Target and it was a great companion during vacation.
Jenny, you make me smile every time I listen to your books. And I am one of those constant people with a bitch face!! People look at me as I drive around Austin (really Rock Rock) and wonder what the hell I am smoking. Thanks for making me laugh!!
Congrats!
Listening to your audiobook got me through the holidays: the cleaning, the wrapping, the family drama, the angst. Thanks so much.
I love this post. Thanks for making me snort laughing.
I’ve already read the book twice, but now I’m contemplating listening to it, just so I can experience the amazing Audie-nominated narration. Congratulations! Btw, did you know the audiobook version of Furiously Happy is the number one bestseller on Amazon in the category of anxiety disorders? The hardcover version is number 4 and the Kindle edition is number 6.
You’ve totally come with me on more than one road trip, once last summer all the way across the country from IL to SC. Technically, you come with me most places I go since both of your audible books are on my phone. You’ve also kept me company many many lonely days stuck in this tiny little town where books are honest to God my closest friends, and I am truly grateful for that.
And you will be coming with me when Mike and I move to a new but hopefully less isolated apartment in a much larger town north of here in three weeks. I have a feeling that you and I will be spending lots of quality time together over the next few weeks as packing and unpacking is not my idea of a good time 😉
Congrats! I know this is going to sound suspiciously coincidental but I swear it’s true. I just listened to the audio excerpt of your book 2 days ago Amazon. I love books…but I’m not much of a reader. (Ridiculous combination, I know) Having the audio is right up my alley. You are right up my alley. It was meant to be. Congrats again!
“Fake It Til You Make It” has been my mantra my whole adult life, and that shit WORKS. I don’t mean “fake it” as in “pretend you’re someone you’re not”, but in terms of jobs and learning new skills and doing scary difficult stuff, it definitely helps me to go in with an attitude of “I GOT THIS” even when I’m feeling like “I totally DO NOT got this AT ALL” and contemplating barfing into the nearest trash can. Sidenote: if you see me inching toward a trash can, clear out. Things are about to get real.
I have been in a variation of the same job for 30-35 years. I find faking a big smile and a welcoming attitude have gotten me far. People think I know what I am doing. Behind the scenes i can be comfortable and mouthy, or shy and insecure. Mostly the latter. My motto? FAKE THE HELL OUT OF IT!!!
Jenny,I have been sewing since I could hold a needle and worked as a seamstress. Yet there are days at work I would think ” serious!y, I am the best they could find?” And then remember I was the only applicant. So, yeah, it isn’t just you.
I work from home now, mostly with gklass, and although I have read both books ( and they honestly both caused a fight because I kept the big guy up by trying not to laugh and hence shaking the bed so hard he KNEW I was trying not to laugh and tried to wrestle the kindle out of my hands.) But just downloaded your first book on audio yesterday. I wanted to hear YOU tell the story. You sound suspiciously like Reese Witherspoon. That’s a good thing. Also, I was laughing so hard I had to turn it noff because I was going to injury myself.
I’m curious: might I have heard you speaking somewhere online prior to listening to the audio book? Because I was gast needed a minor flabber adjustment when I realized you sound exactly like, well, you.
My phone ate my grammar. And my name.
“My gast needed a minor flabber adjustment” is what I meant to say.
Furiously Happy should have a warning label:
Warning: This tome will make you feel feels! You will tear up, laugh hysterically, sob and then guffaw all within a matter of minutes. DON’T READ (OR LISTEN) TO THIS BOOK AT WORK OR DRIVING A CAR. Read/Listen in the confines of your home when you want to feel raw, vulnerable and real because clearly this author knows what she speaks of. Read/Listen when the Universe is sending you a sign that you are not alone. Read/Listen when you want to exhale.
If there had been a label, I would have known and not embarrassingly been choking up, crying and then laughing heartily while I listened to your audiobook at work. Although I haven’t yet been called into her office by my boss to see if I am having an emotional breakdown, I have had to sniffle quietly and hide my face as I regain my composure while you are informing us that the world is better because we are in it. Your poisoned thoughts mimic so many of mine. It’s a feeling of isolation and unworthiness and for lack of a better word: SADNESS. Thank you for reminding me that some days are hell and some days are not but all of them are worth living.
Although it may feel like you are still pretending to be good at it, let me tell you, you never had to pretend. YOU ARE UNCANNILY WONDERFUL AT IT! You are so deserving of this honor and this award.
p.s. Even if there was a warning label, I still would have consumed your book with feverish zealous…. we have tissues at work!
We love listening to your books, especially on road trips. It made a slightly awkward drive with friends completely not awkward last weekend. So appreciative! Plus, we totally paused and asked our friend if he knew how to clean a deer. He didn’t. City kid. So your books aren’t just funny, they’re educational!
Congrats!! Your “faking it” is really good – you’ve faked out the WHOLE WORLD!!!!
Or maybe you’re just actually really good. Something to consider, anyway.
My nanny takes the boys to the library this semester because I teach that day. Yesterday they brought home Furiously Happy….finally! I was number 25 on the wait list when the library got its copies. Cannot wait to dig in this weekend!
Well, I guess I wasted my time reading it in my own head with my own voice. Now I have to buy the audible version too! Because that’s pretty damned awesome. The curiosity will kill me.
I was always a fan of audio books, aka, “I am wearing headphones, so bugger off!” I have found when you read a book, people ask dumb questions…” Are you reading?” “Is that a good book?” these are a few of the dumb questions, maybe if I went back to audio books…hmmmm the possibilities of avoiding annoying questions. 🙂 By the way Jenny you are a ROCKSTAR and TOTALLY DESERVE THIS!!!!
Congrats Jenny!
You may have already seen this, but I thought of you when I saw it!
http://cheezburger.com/729605/persian-cat-room-guardian-creepy-monkey-statue-meme?ref=mosaicthumb2
(Smile)
Oh, yes, and I forgot: CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Pretend you’re good at it reminds me of a meme I saw this week from a teachers’ site. It was a picture of a young boy and under his picture it said my teacher thought I was smart so I was.
Congratulations on your nominations!
Oh yea, Jenny! I loved the way you narrated the book. I’m listening to David Spade right now, too! Laughter is the BEST MEDICINE!!!!Thanks for making me laugh!
And if you pretend to be good at it for long enough, you may forget that you are NOT good at it. And maybe you will BECOME good at it. Either way, you win. At least, that’s how it has been for me.
Your books got me through many commutes, especially working for Lucifer.
Aww, Ms Jenny, I am so happy for you over this. I’ve recorded a few books myself, and it’s real work. I’m a Palmer fan, too, so I wish you both could win. However, a nomination is as good as a win to me for either of you. Good luck!
oh my. Neil Gaiman AND Martin Short.
So, I’m super jealous that you’re friends with Neil Gaiman (when reading Furiously Happy the first time, I was astounded that two writers that bring me joy know each other, then recently my mom sent me a quote and I was like ‘Is that Gaiman?’ and she said ‘No, it’s J-La'(our nickname for you.) then it all made sense.
Anyway, congrats! And also, idk where else to send this (I’m new to your blog after only reading your books so far) but I just wanna say I got Furiously Happy as a gift from my mom, (we’d both read ‘Let’s Pretend This Never Happened’ and loved it) anyway the book arrived my 2nd day of being in a treatment center, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
I was feeling alone, isolated from anyone that knew me and I knew that was gonna be the norm for a while. So it was -great- to laugh riotously at something, it distracted me from all the OH MY FUCK I HAVE SO MANY ANXIETY DISORDERS AND I’M IN A NEW PLACE FOR 30 DAYS-edness.
You helped me laugh when I thought I couldn’t. So thank you.
Except when you made me laugh in random times during ‘serious’ treatment seminars, like, I can’t stop thinking about taxidermy racoon rodeos so I’m laughing at someone giving a lecture about depression.
That’s hard to explain to people who don’t know about you.
Still, worth it 100%.
I have learned that I cannot eat while listening to your books! I end up choking and laughing at the same time!
I love both books. I love the Victor arguments, especially when you are in your car, driving lost. Poor GPS. She doesn’t have a chance.
The audiobooks are also so cool because there are deleted chapters – go snowcones – and extra thoughts by Jenny! Congrats! Fingers crossed on a big win!
I feel like getting arrested for lewd literary acts should probably be on my bucket list. Which means I have to make one. Dammit Jenny! Lists make me all crazy.
Love this post, its so true that you really have to work on believing you are good at things. I know I do. I have just ordered your book Furiously Funny – looking forward to reading it. Congratulations on the nomination. I find Amy Cuddys on Ted talks helps me out when I need a little bit of belief.
I bought the audio book and I love it. But now, I have that thing, where when I’m talking to other people I talk in your voice. And, I know this is totally unrelated to your fine audio book but yesterday I was in a parking lot crying (thanks anxiety disorder!) because my husband has a 99% chance of having a cancerous tumor and this homeless guy who was trying to make money by helping people understand the stupid pay parking machine asked me what was wrong and I told him my husband had cancer and he totally backed up and threw his arms up in the air and shouted “no he don’t Jesus done told me!” He did this several times. I loved it. For the rest of the day I replayed the scene with homeless Don Cheadle (that’s who he looked like to me) and this morning we found out that he (my husband) probably doesn’t have cancer. So never underestimate Jesus using homeless Don Cheadle to cheer you up or bring you a message or help you with your parking.
Oh, how fantastic! Congratulations! And you’re friends with Neil Gaiman! And I can’t sleep tonight so it’s a perfect time to read Pretend You’re Good At It! Sorry, I’ll stop shouting now.
I would love to hear the audiobooks, please petition audible to put them in the uk store!!!
I love audiobooks because they help me cope with my anxiety. I have an hour long commute to work and they give me something to focus on instead of my own thoughts. I don’t know if you know how much of a difference it made hearing you tell your own stories. This has been a particularly challenging week and things like felt vaginas, koala costumes, and knowing that I’m not alone have been enough to get me out of bed in the morning. For this I am forever grateful.
I love this! I’m going to start writing it on my hand. I never liked the saying “Fake it til you make it” because it made me feel like I “should” be making it by now, but “Pretend you’re good at it” is totally neutral, and is not judging me 😛