How to lose 192 pounds in 7 seconds: Viral video prize giveaway and super secret bonus content!

Contest! Woo-hoo! If you enjoyed the video above (and even if you didn’t) you can enter to win the Half-Assed Prize Pack in celebration of the release of my book, Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir. The prize pack includes:

• A $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com
• A signed copy of Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir
• A signed galley copy. (Galleys are early uncorrected proofs that are sent to reviewers.)
• A Burt’s Bee’s gift basket
• My favorite kitchen gadget, the apple corer and slicer
• A Spaghetti Scepter from the PastaQueen

Interested? To enter, all you have to do is:

1. Embed the video in your blog, MySpace, message board post – whatevah. The code to embed the video is here:

   <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hU8L0l85dp8&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hU8L0l85dp8&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

2. Link back to this post: https://www.pastaqueen.com/halfofme/archives/2008/06/how_to_lose_192.html
3. E-mail me a link to your entry at contest@halfassedbook.com

I’ll check your post to verify you did everything correctly and then you will be entered for the prize. The contest runs from now until 11:59pm EST on June 30, 2008. A winner will be randomly selected in July. You may enter as many times as you like, though each entry must be on a different site. Official rules are available after the jump.

Super Secret Bonus Content!

The purpose of the video is also to announce a promotional experiment I’ve been cooking up – Super Secret Bonus Content! If you bought a copy of my book, you can submit a ticket to access extra content including:

• 16-page commentary track pamphlet that provides additional insight and observations on the writing process
• Every recipe mentioned in the book
• Humorous video of what my cat does while I’m away, mentioned in one of the chapters
• And more!

Details on how to apply are here. I know when I hear about an interesting book my first reaction is usually, “That sounds cool. I’ll go get that….from the library.” Because I’m cheap. And looking at the number of requests for my book at the local library, I’m not the only thrifty person in town. While I’m honored and grateful that so many people have given up hours of their lives to read the words I’ve written, I’d prefer it if they bought a copy instead of borrowed one. So I asked myself, what would make me buy a book instead of request it from the library? I would need some sort of extra incentive. Thus, the Super Secret Bonus Content was born. We’ll see how it goes. I reserve the right to redact the bonus content offer at anytime (if I determine it’s not worth the hassle), so get your entries in now.

Half-Assed Viral Video Giveaway

Ground Rules

1. You may enter the contest by embedding the video on your site, linking back to this post, and sending a link to your entry to contest@halfassedbook.com
2. You may enter as many times as you like as long as your entries appear on different web sites. (You can’t post 10 times on your own blog.)
3. Be respectful of other people’s web spaces. Don’t get spammy! It’s rude.
4. Contest is open to anyone on the planet.
5. A winner will be drawn randomly from the verified entries. I decide who is verified. My decision is final. No arguments.
6. I will not sell, trade, or barter your email address to anyone, even for Ho Ho’s.
7. I will not print your name or address without your permission.

Thank you to the following sites for listing my sweepstakes:

Online-Sweepstakes