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John: sign every copy of The Fault in Our Stars (2011)

promise · status: kept · last event: progress update (2011-12-23) · owner: John · last mentioned: 2024-12-31

In June 2011 John promised to sign every copy of the first printing of The Fault in Our Stars by hand, about 150,000 copies. After months of progress reports he finished in early November 2011, and he has looked back on the feat in videos ever since.

Part of: The Fault in Our Stars: writing, title and publication (2011)

Told alongside: John points viewers to pre-order The Fault in Our Stars (2011) · John: sign at least 200,000 copies of Turtles All the Way Down (2017) · John's signing hand stops working right; doctor and occupational therapy (2011) · John's 'signing madness' from signing every copy of The Fault in Our Stars (2011) · Hank: test every permanent marker he bought to find the best one for signing (2020) · A bookseller ships over a thousand copies of The Fault in Our Stars three weeks early (December 2011)

About: The Fault in Our Stars, Sharpie

date event what video
2011-06-29 promised John commits to signing every single copy of the first printing of The Fault in Our Stars by hand, so every pre-order is autographed. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS 00:00:29
2011-07-13 progress update Hank recalls that the day before they talked about John signing every pre-ordered copy of The Fault in Our Stars, and says that was not enough, so he offers more for Ellen Hardcastle. ELLEN HARDCASTLE IS HERE! A Reunion Video 00:00:41
2011-07-27 progress update John restates his agreement to sign every first-printing copy of The Fault in Our Stars: 150,000 sheets (about 2,000 a day for 75 days, per Daniel Biss); all pre-orders, wherever buyers live, will be signed, and he promises to get it done. 150,000 Autographs 00:01:37
2011-08-15 progress update John brought the sheets because he can't take a week off from signing; all pre-ordered copies of The Fault in Our Stars will be signed. HANKLERFISH! 00:03:14
2011-08-17 progress update Hank notes The Fault in Our Stars is available at a link below and all copies will be signed. Hank's Question Tuesday DEBUT! 00:02:54
2011-08-26 progress update John reports about 35,000 signed with a long way to go, and restates that all pre-orders of The Fault in Our Stars will be signed, wherever ordered. Will He Kiss You? Am I a Muggle? It's Question Friday. 00:00:58
2011-08-31 progress update John says he has signed 42,000 copies and is going to continue, after seeing a doctor about his hand. How to Become An Adult 00:03:20
2011-09-07 progress update In the description John says all pre-orders of The Fault in Our Stars will be autographed. The Great Gatsby: Living the Dream in the Valley of Ashes video description
2011-09-12 progress update In the description John says all preorders of The Fault in Our Stars will be signed. Adorable Baby and Insufficient Cartography video description
2011-09-16 progress update John signs The Fault in Our Stars sheets in airports during flight delays; he brought 2,000 sheets to sign that day and signs about six hours a day. Narrowly Avoiding Arrest: Some Airport Insanity 00:00:31
2011-09-21 progress update John says he is going back to signing The Fault in Our Stars. NERD FACTOR 00:03:26
2011-10-05 progress update John reports progress on signing all copies of The Fault in Our Stars: over 80,000 signed, 150,000 needed by November 3, about 300 Sharpies used, just over halfway; he restates he will sign every copy. SIGNING MADNESS 00:01:53
2011-10-14 progress update John reports he has signed his name over 100,000 times in his mission to sign every copy of the TFIOS first printing, denies cheating or using a stamp, and shows himself signing. Defying Wadsworth! 00:00:47
2011-10-19 progress update Asked whether he will really sign the entire first printing of The Fault in Our Stars, John says 'Oh, yes!' Question Wed — THE COVER OF THE FAULT IN OUR STARS! 00:02:01
2011-10-24 progress update John reports 25,000 copies of The Fault in Our Stars left to sign; he signed 5,300 in about 14 hours yesterday and must keep that pace every non-travel day until November 3; he hopes to finish. Signing Psychosis Takes Over 00:00:55
2011-10-28 progress update John shows the TFIOS-ometer: very nearly 135,000 signed, roughly 15,000-20,000 to go; all pre-ordered copies will be signed. (hedged) Reading Chapter One of The Fault in Our Stars 00:27:50
2011-10-31 progress update Hank tells John he is excited about John being done with signing, and even more excited about The Fault in Our Stars coming out. Pumpkin Slashing, Sexy Watermelons, and Zombie Tools with Jayne 00:03:35
2011-11-02 progress update John reports he is almost at 150,000 signed copies ("almost doesn't count") and later says he must sign 5,000 books in the next 24 hours. LECTROJOG! 00:00:00
2011-11-04 kept Hank congratulates John on signing 150,000 copies of The Fault in Our Stars: "You're done!" You CAN Judge a Book by its Cover! 00:03:37
2011-11-07 kept John announces he has signed all the books, having just signed the last one. IS THIS HEAVEN? 00:00:34
2011-11-09 recalled Hank thinks Coulton's joke that he didn't have to sign 150,000 pre-ordered CDs was probably a reference to The Fault in Our Stars. (hedged) 27 Part Video 00:00:36
2011-12-05 progress update John calls the copy he received one of the few unsigned copies of The Fault in Our Stars. 5 Worst Typos of History 00:00:07
2011-12-23 progress update Every copy of the first printing of The Fault in Our Stars is signed by John — all of them. There Will Be NO SPOILERS!!! video description
2017-06-27 recalled Signing all pre-orders means signing the whole first printing; for The Fault in Our Stars that was 150,000, charted on a 2011 poster Sarah made, and John signed almost all its pre-orders. UNBOXING 00:00:46
2017-07-11 recalled Amazon might be onto something: for about a year after The Fault in Our Stars came out, unsigned copies were much rarer than signed ones. (playful, hedged) Signing 200,000 Autographs 00:00:43
2020-02-28 recalled Hank says he was watching John's 2011 video of signing The Fault in Our Stars very quickly, when John was a little frazzled, and admits he is a little frazzled too. I'M FINE EVERYTHING IS FINE 00:00:50
2020-10-20 recalled John recalls that in 2011, signing the first printing of The Fault in Our Stars, he listened to Moby Dick. How to Sign Your Name 150,000 Times 00:00:53
2021-02-23 recalled John recalls signing 150,000 times for The Fault in Our Stars: at the end he signed 12 or 14 hours a day and doubted he could do it, until the purple Sharpie reminded him he had made this promise and would keep it. A Little Joy and Color in an Otherwise Unbearably Bland Life 00:03:05
2021-04-02 recalled All first-edition copies of The Fault in Our Stars were signed except a tiny number of misprints, which makes unsigned first editions extremely rare and more valuable. John's World Record 00:00:58
2024-12-31 recalled John says signing has been a significant part of his life for 12 years, ever since he signed the first printing of The Fault in Our Stars. I Just Can't Do It Anymore 00:01:30

What is said about it

23 statements, by date (the events above are the turns of the thread; these are the details).

  • 2011-06-29 · THE FAULT IN OUR STARS — John: In Target's Sharpie aisle John had an existential crisis over colour: black might look fake, blue or red ostentatious, green like a pun on his name. (playful) — 00:01:10
  • 2011-07-08 · Kill the Dollar Bill! — John: Nerdfighters Julie and Martha made a website asking whether all pre-orders of The Fault in Our Stars will be signed, John's favourite website ever, which answers a question he was asked hundreds of times this week (week of 4 July 2011). — 00:02:37
  • 2011-07-27 · 150,000 Autographs — announcement: John notes he has agreed to autograph every copy of the first printing of The Fault in Our Stars; the Yeti made him a thermometer to chart his progress to 150,000 books. — 00:00:48
  • 2011-07-27 · 150,000 Autographs — announcement: John says 2,000 books is not a lot for one day but a lot to do 75 days in a row. — 00:02:00
  • 2011-07-27 · 150,000 Autographs — John says he really wants to sign all the books because he likes the idea of signed books going into awesome Nerdfighter homes, like puppies adopted by awesome people. — 00:02:34
  • 2011-07-27 · 150,000 Autographs — announcement: John announces that all pre-orders of The Fault in Our Stars, wherever buyers live (the US, the UK, Canada, Malaysia), will be signed, and promises to get it done. — 00:02:45
  • 2011-08-15 · HANKLERFISH! — announcement: John says he brought the sheets because he cannot take a week off from signing: everyone who pre-orders The Fault in Our Stars gets a signed book, and 5% will be Hanklerfished. — 00:03:00
  • 2011-08-17 · Hank's Question Tuesday DEBUT! — announcement: Hank adds that The Fault in Our Stars is available at a link below and all copies will be signed. — 00:02:54
  • 2011-08-19 · Outtake Insanity and NERD FACTOR — announcement: John says his novel The Fault in Our Stars comes out in January and all pre-ordered copies will be signed. — video description
  • 2011-08-26 · Will He Kiss You? Am I a Muggle? It's Question Friday. — John: Asked how the TFIOS signing goes, John says he is at about 35,000, is temporarily out of red Sharpies and has a long way to go. — 00:00:40
  • 2011-08-26 · Will He Kiss You? Am I a Muggle? It's Question Friday. — announcement: John says all pre-orders of The Fault in Our Stars will be signed, wherever ordered (Amazon UK, England, Canada); the whole first printing is being signed, but only pre-orders are guaranteed. — 00:00:56
  • 2011-09-07 · The Great Gatsby: Living the Dream in the Valley of Ashes — announcement: In the description John says his new novel The Fault in Our Stars is available for preorder and all preorders will be autographed. — video description
  • 2011-10-05 · SIGNING MADNESS — John has signed over 80,000 copies of The Fault in Our Stars, but his publisher called to say he must reach 150,000 by November 3. — 00:00:00
  • 2011-10-05 · SIGNING MADNESS — John has used about 300 Sharpies and is only just more than halfway done. — 00:01:24
  • 2011-10-05 · SIGNING MADNESS — announcement: John says that, however the next month goes, he is going to sign every copy of The Fault in Our Stars, and thanks Nerdfighters for giving him such a wonderful problem. — 00:01:53
  • 2011-10-19 · Question Wed — THE COVER OF THE FAULT IN OUR STARS! — announcement: John: Asked whether he really will sign the entire first printing of The Fault in Our Stars, John answers 'Oh, yes!' — 00:02:01
  • 2011-10-24 · Signing Psychosis Takes Over — John is under stress from signing The Fault in Our Stars: 25,000 copies remain and he has few non-travel days left, so he is freaking out. — 00:00:41
  • 2011-10-24 · Signing Psychosis Takes Over — John signed 5,300 books yesterday in about 14 hours and must keep that pace every non-travel day until November 3 to finish. — 00:01:13
  • 2011-10-24 · Signing Psychosis Takes Over — John hopes he finishes, because otherwise some viewers will get unsigned books and be mad at him, and he at himself. (hedged) — 00:01:25
  • 2011-10-28 · Reading Chapter One of The Fault in Our Stars — ask: John points to doobly-doo links to pre-order a signed copy; all copies will be signed, nobody should feel obligated, and he prefers they reach Nerdfighter homes. — 00:27:40
  • 2011-10-28 · Reading Chapter One of The Fault in Our Stars — John: Showing the TFIOS-ometer, John says he is very nearly up to 135,000 signatures, with roughly 15,000 to 20,000 to go; he has not counted recently. (hedged) — 00:27:42
  • 2011-11-02 · LECTROJOG! — John: A Nerdfighter offered John the paper jogger at a signing; John says he has 5,000 books to sign in the next 24 hours. — 00:01:47
  • 2017-07-11 · Signing 200,000 Autographs — John: His hand doesn't hurt: very effective physical therapy for his ulnar nerve entrapment during the Fault in Our Stars signing means he can now sign all day. — 00:01:40