I have a new mission for us.
My book, Pay Attention, comes out in less than two weeks. And I recently made the mistake of looking at the New York Times bestseller list, where I discovered that the number one book right now belongs to Ted Cruz.
Yes, Ted Cruz.
A repugnant, radical, repulsive figure who apparently thinks he is going to stand in our way.
So the mission has changed slightly. When Pay Attention comes out, wherever Ted Cruz happens to be on that bestseller list, I want us one spot above him.
There is obviously some fun in making this about beating Ted Cruz. But underneath that is something much bigger that I genuinely want to test. For nearly 20 years, I have been building something completely independent, and I want to see what this audience can do when we all show up together.
What independent actually means
There is no television network behind this show. There is no billionaire funding it, no political party financing it and no giant media corporation deciding which stories I am allowed to cover.
This audience was built one person at a time.
Millions of people over the years have decided to watch a video, subscribe to the show, become a member, share something with a friend or otherwise support independent media. That is the entire reason this operation exists today.
Pay Attention is an extension of that project.
The book is about how our attention has become one of the most valuable commodities in the world. Political movements, media companies and technology platforms are constantly competing to capture it, manipulate it and keep us engaged. Over time, those systems influence what we see, what we think about and ultimately what we believe matters.
I spent a long time working on this book because I believe understanding those forces is incredibly important in the political and media environment we are living in right now.
Now we get to test another idea: What can a genuinely independent audience accomplish?
The Ted Cruz advantage
Ted Cruz has access to an ecosystem that I simply do not have.
He is a United States senator. He has wealthy political networks, conservative media, donors, organizations and an entire infrastructure capable of promoting whatever he is doing.
I have you folks.
And I am completely serious when I say that I think it could be enough.
If enough people who were already thinking about getting Pay Attention pre-order a copy, I believe we have a real chance to make a statement when the book is released.
I don’t need anyone buying 10 copies. I certainly don’t need anybody buying 50 copies or doing anything ridiculous. One person, one pre-order.
The timing, however, really does matter.
Why pre-orders matter right now
If you have been planning to get the book, please pre-order it now rather than waiting until you happen to see it at a bookstore weeks after release.
Pre-orders count toward the book’s first week, which gives us the best opportunity to make an impact on the bestseller lists when Pay Attention is released.
And yes, that also gives us our best opportunity to knock Ted Cruz down a slot.
There are plenty of ways to get the book. There are signed copies, regular copies, the audiobook, Kindle and other formats. The point is simply that if you were already planning on buying it, doing it now gives that purchase significantly more impact during release week.
There is also another completely free way to help.
Call your local library and ask them to order Pay Attention by David Pakman. Libraries can order copies, and I already know of some where people are waiting to borrow the book. If your library does not have it yet, give them a call and ask.
Even if you have already pre-ordered your own copy, you can still request that your local library carry one.
A proof of concept
Of course I want the book to succeed because I believe in what it says. I think the message is important, particularly at a time when so many people feel overwhelmed by information while simultaneously having less control over what information actually reaches them.
But seeing Pay Attention succeed would mean something beyond the book itself.
It would be a proof of concept for independent media.
This show started with no connections, no pile of money and no institutional backing. Over the years, millions of people independently decided that this was something worth supporting. That collective decision is why the show exists today.
Now I want to see whether we can do the same thing with this book.
We have 12 days.
Ted Cruz is number one right now. We have no idea where his book will be by the time Pay Attention comes out.
Wherever he is, let’s try to land one spot higher.
If you’ve been considering getting Pay Attention, now is the time to pre-order. Signed copies, unsigned copies, audiobooks, Kindle editions and more are available at DavidPakman.com/attention.
And I want to hear from you: Can an independent media audience actually go toe-to-toe with the political and media machine behind someone like Ted Cruz? I think we’re about to find out.
We’re reaching over 150 million people every month across YouTube, podcasts, Substack, and beyond. But algorithms can change. Platforms can fold. And when that happens, this newsletter is how we stay connected.
If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, please consider joining.
If you’re already paid on one platform, consider supporting us on both Substack and our website.
You can subscribe on our website and right here on Substack.
And if you’re really on fire, consider gifting a subscription—we’ve got thousands on our waiting list ready to read, watch, and fight back.
Let’s keep building.
—David
PS: Can’t contribute right now? No problem. You can support us for free by subscribing on YouTube, listening to our audio podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or become a free subscriber to this very Substack. Every bit counts.
Thanks for suggesting we contact our libraries. I've ordered my copy, but I'll
ask my library to do the same!
I'm hoping Sarah Longwell's book boots him from the top and then David's book goes to #1 after release!