A new bedtime book for parents, Go the F--k to Sleep, released on June 14, is a sudden surprise hit and will debut on the New York Times best-seller list in the top spot.
Written by author Adam Mansbach and released by a small publisher, Akashic Books, the book was launched with an event at the New York Public Library that featured a reading by German director Werner Herzog and drew more than 400 people paying $15-$25 per ticket.
Based on the unexpected enthusiastic reaction for this mock nursery rhyme book -- a joke for frustrated parents -- spinoff projects are already in the works, including an edited kid-friendly version for the fall or spring.
An audiobook version of the bawdy kids' book, narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, has been posted online by Audible and is available free for a limited time.
The idea for the book began as a humorous Facebook posting a year ago when Mansbach tried in vain to get his daughter to sleep and friends related to the title.
More than 15 international editions are now planned. "Go the F--k to Sleep is so very American in its colloquialism and its bluntness, that it has been interesting to see the offers come in," Johnny Temple, the owner and publisher of Akashic Books, told The Hollywood Reporter. There is interest from Turkey, Japan, Korea and China.
{{/usCountry}}More than 15 international editions are now planned. "Go the F--k to Sleep is so very American in its colloquialism and its bluntness, that it has been interesting to see the offers come in," Johnny Temple, the owner and publisher of Akashic Books, told The Hollywood Reporter. There is interest from Turkey, Japan, Korea and China.
{{/usCountry}}It will also be available as an e-book on Open Road.