Discussion

It’s official: The Astronaut Instruction Manual is Amazon Best Seller 

As of today, The Astronaut Instruction Manual is an Amazon Best Seller. That’s Top-100 Children’s Books: Science: Astronomy & Space for all age groups. This is the big list. Here’s a screen shot:

Amazon Best Seller! Gosh! So today if you are receiving this message from me it’s because you have been with me all the way here. If you have enjoyed the ride and The Astronaut Instruction Manual, there is one thing and one thing only I am asking of you to keep the momentum going.

If you enjoyed it all, write and post a book review on Amazon for The Astronaut Instruction Manual.

Writing and posting a simple review is how you and I will get The Astronaut Instruction Manual into more hands of more kids who are readers. And that’s all I really want, for kids who love reading (and love Space) to read the book I wrote for them because I was them. Here’s the link.

Four years ago (!) we started this journey together. Today, we have an Amazon Best Seller. In my opinion the best is yet to come. And if you can write an Amazon review it will guarantee it.

Thank you, my friends, family, and supporters…

Oh my Google! What a day!
Mike

Top-50 Amazon Children’s Books: Science: Astronomy & Space (ages 9-12)
 

The Astronaut Instruction Manual has made the Amazon’s Top-10 list for the past three years running. Even without any seasonal promotion–besides my constant touring as Mike Mongo, astronaut teacher–we are track to do the same this year: We will almost certainly be in Amazon’s Top-50 by the end of the business day.

The coolest part for me is last week The AIM was sitting at 100 on the list. This happens fast! I love the holidays! And if you know have a pre-teen reader in your life with a passion for Space, I am sure they’ll love a newly-minted copy of The Astronaut Instruction Manual.

(If someone needs a special signed copy or even a personalized letter from an astronaut teacher for special future astronauts, just message me at mike@mikemongo.com. This is what I live for!)

Season’s greetings, 
Mike

The Astronaut Instruction Manual is ON SALEGet it on Amazon for $6.50–limited time

Happy holidays, everybody!
Mike Mongo



IT IS OFFICIAL:
’THE AIM’ TV SERIES OPTION CONTRACT SIGNED SEALED & DELIVERED
The long-form contract for The Astronaut Instruction Manual tv series option by Legendary Entertainment (ie the studio behind such massive blockbuster films as Pacific Rim, The Dark Knight, Godzilla, Superman vs Batman, and Jurassic World) has been signed!

ENORMOUS THANKS to the Team who made this happen:
-Howie Sanders at United Talent Agency,
-Matt Tolmach & Tolmach Productions,
-the indispensable Brooklyn Weaver,
-my amazing lawyer Howard Abramson at Behr & Abramson,
-and most of all Inkshares and Adam Gomolin (!!!) who from Day One believed in The Astronaut Instruction Manual.

What happens next? As I understand there will be an announcement upcoming of the The Astronaut Instruction Manual series’ showrunner (television writer) about whom I’m sworn to secrecy.

(However, to "see what’s next" just do some networking and keep a lookout for someone worthy of adding daredevil to their credit. Got it?)

Stay tuned, the best is yet to come,
Mike Mongo

Core77’s 2016 Ultimate Gift Guide Contest

Hopefully this will make you smile some. It’s goofy and a touch of mirthful good news. My gift guide"Best Aunt/Uncle in the World–All 5 for $100" is winning list in design website Core77’s 2016 Gift Guide contest. Woohoo!

However what’s really fun is what’s on the list…

…including the Fondoodler, a $25 hot glue gun for cheese!

Which ALSO WORKS WITH CHOCOLATE.

(Of course The Astronaut Instruction Manual is on the list, too.)

Happy gift-giving, everyone. Fun notwithstanding, the best gift of all? Thanks.

Mike

Read & share:
The $11 Astronaut Instruction Manual
Thank you, supporters!
Mike

Jamison Stone · Author · added over 7 years ago
Very exciting @Mike Mongo !! Wish I could review twice!

Let’s Get It Started in Here

In the next few weeks, you are going to see some major heat coming off The Astronaut Instruction Manual. Legendary and Penguin Random House are uniting with Inkshares for a round of publicity surrounding the tv series and the upcoming audiobook release.

That said, I want to reach out to my 300+ followers and remind everyone of you all of this:

“If you really want to help, you write reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N.” It’s a tweet from my friend, author Malka Older, whose Tor-released hit title Infomocracy has only five more reviews than Inkshares-released The Astronaut Instruction Manual. (Malka’s so good I actually wish she was on Inkshares...and who knows what the future holds?…Infomocracy is a great read and great writing and there will be a follow-up.) And she’s right. Your Amazon review really helps now.

Here’s the Amazon review link for The Astronaut Instruction Manual. Sign-in, click Write a Customer Review, share your opinion, and hit submit. Each review makes the book more likely to pop up on some young reader’s (or parent, teacher, or guardian’s) radar.

Imagine writing a review of The AIM and its having a role in pointing out a future of possibility and hope to the next young Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, or Mae Jemison.

Goodness, what are you waiting for? Write, my friends, write!

Mike
PS And then go and listen to Chapter 1 of Darcy Conroy’s The War of Wind and Moon. Consider it a treat and my way of saying ’thank you’. You are awesome, review writers, and so is she. Listen for yourself.

Jamison Stone · Author · added over 7 years ago
Congrats, SEDS is awesome!

SEDS & The Oldest Space Science Student Member in the US

Students for Exploration & Development of Space (SEDS) is the largest space science student organization in the US. Most members are under 25. Some are under 30. You might be able to count any over 40 on one hand.

As of this year, SEDS had one single member over 50. And that member is me.

I have been an enormous fan and supporter of SEDS since attending the organization’s annual SpaceVision conference in 2013. Seeing as SEDS was not an opportunity when I first went to university–hello, 1983–and seeing as the only way to belong to SEDS is to be a student, I made a bold move this past year: I went back to school.

Like the saying goes, it’s never too late to be a kid. Considering the high regard I have for SEDS, being able to forever more own being an actual bona fide member of SEDS really meant the world to me.

Believe it or not, it just got better.

SEDS’ At-Large Board Members (there are two) support the SEDS Board and the SEDS organization by spearheading new projects and new initiatives. For one reason or another, of the two At-Large Board Members one had to resign midterm. A call went out to members for a fill-in At-Large. And I put my name in the hat.  Interviews of the candidates, including me, took place last week. Results were posted last night.

Needless to say, I was absolutely blown away to learn I am the newly elected At-Large Board Member for SEDS!

When I was a kid, I imagined the world to be a certain way. I imagined it is awesome and filled with infinite possibilities and life gets better and better everyday. 

Now I am a grown-up who has lived and put those ideas to the test. Through fire. And they are true!

So, this year’s SEDS Spacevision conference is in November at Purdue University.* While I may not be on the moon (yet), when you see me at SpaceVision this year I’ll be easy to spot.

I’m the guy walking on air.

Keep up the good work, what a ride,
Mike Mongo

* BTW Purdue University is where astronaut & first human being on the moon Neil Armstrong studied engineering. 

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