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Paper Towns: writing, revision and publication (2007)

project history · status: completed · last event: milestone (2008-10-30 (said on 2008-10-29, implied)) · last mentioned: 2023-11-07

John's novel Paper Towns: he named it in February 2007, revised it through 2007 with his editor Julie Strauss-Gabel, and it was published in October 2008. It debuted at number five on the New York Times young-adult bestseller list.

Began with

John asks Hank to come up with a title for his new novel, Paper Towns (2007) — The Paper Towns thread's entities include John's untitled new novel, the new novel from that January 2007 ask for a title. The novel was named Paper Towns in February 2007, so the ask is where it starts.

Parts: John asks Hank to come up with a title for his new novel, Paper Towns (2007) · John: finish the first draft of his new novel by Wednesday (2007) · John: read Paper Towns draft excerpts on Brotherhood 2.0 (2007) · John asks viewers which Paper Towns cover they prefer (2008) · John: answer why Paper Towns has two covers in his next video (2008) · Hank asks viewers to pre-order Paper Towns (2008)

Told alongside: Paper Towns Tour (2008) · John's 'liquid brain' after finishing a revision (2007) · The Fault in Our Stars: writing, title and publication (2011) · Paper Towns advance-copy giveaways to Nerdfighters (2008) · Brotherhood 2.0 Book Club: each brother reads a book the other assigns (2007) · John writes the Paper Towns screenplay (2008)

About: Paper Towns, John's untitled new novel, Julie Strauss-Gabel

date event what video
2007-02-09 milestone John reveals that his new novel is called Paper Towns and will be published in September 2008. Brotherhood 2.0: February 9, 2007 00:01:09
2007-04-16 milestone John is just beginning to seriously revise his book, a process he expects to take several months. Brotherhood 2.0: April 16: Brotherhood of Traveling Shirts 00:03:14
2007-07-11 milestone John decides his new novel will be called Paper Towns, unless he changes his mind again. (hedged) Brotherhood 2.0: Harry and the Potters are Nerdfighters! 00:00:11
2007-09-06 milestone John will make a draft of Paper Towns available to Hank and Katherine in a couple of weeks; how, without textual communication, remains to be seen. September 6th: The Book Club Returns 00:02:56
2007-09-18 milestone John finishes a revision of Paper Towns. September 18: In Defense of Chris Crocker 00:00:10
2007-10-22 milestone John's editor Julie Strauss-Gabel has sent back her colour-coded edits of the Paper Towns manuscript. October 22nd: The Anniversary of Young Earth Creationism 00:01:02
2007-11-05 milestone The Paper Towns manuscript is back with John for editing, about 14 hours a day for the next week or so. November 5th: John's Not Happy about Pakistan 00:01:01
2007-11-28 milestone John finishes the most recent revision of Paper Towns. November 28th: Amy Winehouse and Brain Liquefication 00:00:45
2007-12-12 milestone John says today is one of the last days he can make meaningful revisions to Paper Towns. Dec. 12th: w00t is the WORD OF THE YEAR?! 00:00:09
2008-04-14 milestone Advance reader's copies of Paper Towns have been printed; John also reveals the two covers and the October 16 publication date. PAPER TOWNS-TACULAR 00:01:41
2008-09-04 milestone John shows the first two finished copies of Paper Towns. Paper Towns Tour Dates! 00:00:00
2008-10-09 milestone Hank reports that Barnes & Noble pre-orders of Paper Towns have already reached readers before the release date. Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow 00:00:31
2008-10-14 milestone John reads the revised Paper Towns prologue, very different from the version he read months earlier, as a glimpse of revision. (hedged) Paper Towns Reading 00:00:00
2008-10-17 outcome Paper Towns is out: John reports from its release party in New York. Vital Status Report from NYC 00:00:00
2008-10-24 milestone Paper Towns will debut at number five on the New York Times young-adult bestseller list. Talking to Myself 00:01:07
2008-10-24 milestone Paper Towns will debut at number five on the New York Times bestseller list next week (week of 27 October 2008). Paper Towns MOVIE1!!!11! 00:00:51
2008-10-30 (said on 2008-10-29, implied) milestone Paper Towns will spend its second week on the New York Times bestseller list, at number six. Hank is Late (dr horrible) 00:01:23
2009-04-14 looked back John recalls that the first draft of Paper Towns was largely devoted to the world's largest balls, most of which he later cut. The World's Largest Balls 00:00:00
2023-11-07 (happened 2007-11) looked back John completed a draft of Paper Towns in November 2007 during his first NaFaDoYBIMSCoM. NaFaDoYBIMSCoM 00:02:14

Dates are upload dates, which set the order. Where the speaker gives a different recording date in the video, it is added as "said on YYYY-MM-DD, implied" (derived from the date said in the video).

What is said about it

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

  • 2007-01-24 · Brotherhood 2.0: January 24, 2007 — John says the major next thing is finishing his new and as yet untitled third book. — 00:00:59
  • 2007-04-16 · Brotherhood 2.0: April 16: Brotherhood of Traveling Shirts — John: The sign was made on recycled paper, a page from John's book, which he is just beginning to seriously revise; it will take several months, so he expects to be moody until about September. — 00:03:14
  • 2007-07-11 · Brotherhood 2.0: Harry and the Potters are Nerdfighters! — John has to make the video quickly because he is going out tonight and must get back to revising his new book. — 00:00:11
  • 2007-07-11 · Brotherhood 2.0: Harry and the Potters are Nerdfighters! — announcement: John announces his new book will definitely be called Paper Towns, unless he changes his mind again. (hedged) — 00:00:11
  • 2007-07-11 · Brotherhood 2.0: Harry and the Potters are Nerdfighters! — John concedes the title isn't very commercial but calls it perfect for the actual book, and asks Hank whether he likes it. — 00:00:11
  • 2007-08-16 · August 16th: Finding — and Licking — a Cat — John hasn't had much time to think about the Evil Baby Orphanage in recent months because he has been doing nothing but working on Paper Towns. — 00:00:57
  • 2007-08-22 · August 22nd: Um. Uh. IN YOUR PANTS — John says he has nothing to talk about: his brain can only think about Paper Towns, which he can't discuss without giving away plot or characters. (playful) — 00:00:09
  • 2007-08-28 · August 28th: Starring Mom — John is working like mad on Paper Towns and has only a couple of weeks left before he turns it in. — 00:00:27
  • 2007-09-06 · September 6th: The Book Club Returns — announcement: John announces the next Brotherhood 2.0 book club book is his own Paper Towns, which Penguin won't publish until September of next year (2008). — 00:02:56
  • 2007-09-10 · September 10th: Airports and Whitman — announcement: John says many people concluded from one of his videos last week (week of 3 September 2007) that Paper Towns was finished; it is not, and about six months of work on it remain. — 00:00:11
  • 2007-09-10 · September 10th: Airports and Whitman — announcement: John is seven days from turning in what he hopes will be the biggest revision of the book; after that he thinks he will show it to Hank and Katherine. (hedged) — 00:00:11
  • 2007-09-18 · September 18: In Defense of Chris Crocker — John says he has finished a revision of Paper Towns and is happy, relieved and excited enough to dance. — 00:00:10
  • 2007-09-20 · Sept. 20th: Wacky String — John says he has no particular topic because he is still awash in the joy of having finished the revision of his book. — 00:00:11
  • 2007-11-05 · November 5th: John's Not Happy about Pakistan — John: Paper Towns is back with John, so for the next week or so he will edit about 14 hours a day, which will be very stressful. — 00:01:01
  • 2007-11-26 · Nov. 26th: Writing Advice (And Notes on Surnameless Tiffany) — John says his puff levels are high today; he must turn in the final revision of Paper Towns tomorrow evening and is a little stressed. — 00:00:00
  • 2007-12-04 · December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! — announcement: John: Asked what appeals to him in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself, John says readers will find out when Paper Towns comes out, in September. — 00:02:07
  • 2008-04-14 · PAPER TOWNS-TACULAR — announcement: John's publisher has let him share the covers: Paper Towns will have two different covers with identical books inside, and readers can pick either. — 00:00:43
  • 2008-04-14 · PAPER TOWNS-TACULAR — announcement: John shows an advance reader's copy of Paper Towns, printed about three days ago for librarians and reviewers before the book's October 16 publication. — 00:01:12
  • 2008-09-04 · Paper Towns Tour Dates! — announcement: John shows the first two finished copies of Paper Towns, which has two different covers (happy Margo and sad Margo) with the same book inside. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-10-06 · Berlin and Let it Snow (in Your Pants) — announcement: John says his new book Paper Towns comes out in ten days. — 00:03:22
  • 2008-10-09 · Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow — announcement: Hank says people who pre-ordered Paper Towns from Barnes & Noble have already received the book, well ahead of release. — 00:00:31
  • 2008-10-11 (said on 2008-10-10, implied) · Question Friday — John says Paper Towns comes out in six days and is the culmination of two and a half years of his life. (playful) — 00:01:43
  • 2008-10-11 (said on 2008-10-10, implied) · Question Friday — John is not thrilled that Paper Towns is being sold early in some places but says there is nothing he can do about it. — 00:02:37
  • 2008-10-14 · Paper Towns Reading — announcement: John tells Hank he will read from his new book Paper Towns, which comes out on Thursday, over his next couple of videos. (hedged) — 00:00:00
  • 2008-10-14 · Paper Towns Reading — John starts with the prologue, which he read several months earlier in a very different form, offering it as a possible insight into revision. (hedged) — 00:00:00
  • 2008-10-16 (said on 2008-10-15, implied) · Paper Towns Collab Album Project!!! — announcement: Hank says John's book Paper Towns comes out tomorrow, October 16th, its official release date. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-10-24 · Talking to Myself — Hank says Paper Towns so deserves to be a bestseller and he is so excited that it is. — 00:02:27
  • 2008-10-24 · Paper Towns MOVIE1!!!11! — announcement: John thanks Hank and the Nerdfighters for making it possible for Paper Towns to debut at number five on the New York Times bestseller list next week (week of 27 October 2008). — 00:00:51
  • 2008-10-30 (said on 2008-10-29, implied) · Hank is Late (dr horrible) — announcement: Hank announces Paper Towns will spend a second week on the New York Times bestseller list, at number six, showing people beyond the first Nerdfighter rush are still buying it. — 00:01:23
  • 2009-04-14 · The World's Largest Balls — John: Noting that two major balls of twine have mailboxes, John writes the ball of twine a letter: it says something interesting about America, but he couldn't figure out what, so he cut it from his novel. (playful) — 00:02:47