In an impressive scheme taken straight out of the Seth Godin marketing playbook, author Neal Pollack is making a plea for funds to attend yoga school. In exchange for your pledge of $1 or more, he's willing to send you signed books, his wife's artwork, or even private yoga lessons with Mr. Neal Pollack himself.

The gratuities for your donation are tiered (although he's not offering any tote-bags--this isn't public radio). Trust me when I say you don't want to know what a $1,000 pledge will get you.

His newest book, STRETCH: The Unlikely Making Of A Yoga Dude, will be published this August by Harper Perennial.

You might be surprised to find out that they *did*, if only for one glorious year. Here's one of four ads from "online stationery e-tailer" OurBeginning.com that aired in 2000.

Traffic to the stationery company's website jumped 82% on the Monday following the SuperBowl, but the $5 million worth of advertising didn't lead to any longterm name recognition.

In 2002, OurBeginning.com was sold to another wedding invitation printer. The site now belongs to a daycare.

Words of wisdom from sci-fi author Jay Lake:

"Those services the publisher provides the book are invaluable. And well beyond my reach were I to attempt to secure them on my own. The editorial process, from the acquiring editor as well as the copy editor, improves the quality of my books in ways I can’t begin to manage with my individual effort."