Algospeak is out in ONE MONTH

mom can you pick me up i'm scared

I’m not saying that writing a book is analogous to having a child, but it has been nine months since I turned in my completed manuscript. Since then, the project has gestated through several layers of edits, publicity preparation, and formatting revisions—and now I’m about to release it into the world.

I usually mention this at the bottom of my Substack posts, but now I’ll say it directly: there is no possible better way to support me than pre-ordering this book right now.

Pre-orders are a crucial signal of demand to the publisher and booksellers, telling them to invest more in stocking and marketing my book. They’re also the only way to get on any bestseller lists, which generates hype and sells more copies. I usually don’t care for metrics like that, but they are a proxy for my ideas spreading (which I do care about), and my debut book’s success will be important in getting a second book deal.

But enough about me. All the advice for getting pre-orders says to tell the reader what they’re going to get out of the book. If you’ve been following my substack, you should hopefully know to expect consistently good writing on language, technology, and culture. You know that I always find a way to connect linguistics and the internet to the things that matter in your life. But don’t take it from me:

“All who use social media, or are puzzled by it, or are infuriated by it, will benefit from a reading” —David Crystal, author of Language and the Internet

“Algospeak is a must read for anyone seeking to understand how we communicate today.” —Taylor Lorenz, author of Extremely Online

You’ll also be able to get a free poster along with the book, only if you pre-order (enter proof of purchase through this website - only within the United States). So please, if you’ve been appreciating my free writings on here or my videos on social media, take a moment to pre-order at the following link:

Lastly, I’m going on tour!! Swing by one of these events if you want to hear a cool conversation + get a signed copy:

• NEW YORK, July 14 - 7 pm conversation with Depths of Wikipedia founder Annie Rauwerda in the Strand Bookstore Rare Book Room (ticketed here)

• BOSTON, July 16 - 7 pm Harvard Book Store (listing here)

• MENLO PARK, July 18 - 6 pm Kepler’s Books (ticketed here)

• WASHINGTON, D.C., July 25 - 7 pm conversation with Filterworld author Kyle Chayka at the Politics & Prose Wharf Bookstore (listing here)

(I’m also separately in Anaheim, California right now for VidCon if you want to come to one of my events on June 19).

Love you all <3

Adam