How A Completely Blank Book Became An Amazon Bestseller

Real Business :

I stared at my computer screen. There, sitting in my inbox was an email that confirmed the world around me had gone totally and utterly, bone-fide, stark-raving, strait-jacket wearing, mad. I read the first line. It said:

“Shed! Your book is number 44 on Amazon... Congratulations!”

Read the whole story: Real Business

Comments

[PrairieGayCompanion]

09:33 AM on 04/11/2011

It's still a thousand times more intelligent than anything Paylin ever wrote.

[cameron d]

12:20 AM on 04/11/2011

And still better than anything Stieg Larsson ever wrote!

[VirginiaJeff]

12:17 AM on 04/11/2011

 
Neat story with some interesting marketing tips.  I'll pass this on to my son and his buddies, who are attempting to produce their own films!

[theuniversalcollective]

10:21 PM on 04/10/2011

Yeah that's great, but as an audible customer, can I get it in audio format?

[VirginiaJeff]

12:17 AM on 04/11/2011

 
LOL

[New Yorker]

09:26 PM on 04/10/2011

The book was titled, Wisdom of Rush Limbaugh, which explains why it was blank.

[feliznavidad]

03:37 PM on 04/11/2011

LOL!

[builderman55]

10:28 AM on 04/10/2011

Actually, it's only half as long as the blank book entitled, "Ways in Which the GOP Works for the Middle Class."

[tagtron]

08:16 AM on 04/10/2011

Sad critique on American "intellectualism" when a blank book is so popular. Maybe there is a connection to "news" programs devoid of information being so popular, a la Fox?

[BlueZoo]

12:30 AM on 04/12/2011

Actually, there is nothing sad about it! The book is given as a joke, usually by a girlfriend or wife to their significant others. It speaks louder than words! I thought it was hilarious!

[rdk70816]

11:37 PM on 04/09/2011

It wasd written by a ghost author.

[rdk70816]

11:39 PM on 04/09/2011

Obama is just made up, so why can't it happen? Or do you really believe that Obama is a competent person?

[triplettam]

09:28 PM on 04/09/2011

Ha!

[Lowell Thompson]

07:02 PM on 04/09/2011

My only response is the one most of us have to a brilliantly simple and elegant idea.

"Why didn't I think of that?".

I'm especially chagrined since I've been running my "Buy The Cover" blog for about 2 years where I rate book covers, not books.

Well, the least I can do is pay tribute to (and try to piggy-back on) this clever ploy. I should have the cover up on my blog soon. It's the best example of the power of covers I've ever seen.

http://buythecover.com

[cameron d]

12:22 AM on 04/11/2011

So since you judge book covers Clive Cussler must be your Black Eye'd Peas. Just horrible, but someone, somewhere is buying it.

[debbiejoy]

05:58 PM on 04/09/2011

I wonder if they will make a movie out of it??

[Lowell Thompson]

07:05 PM on 04/09/2011

debbie,

That's funny. Why didn't I think of it?

http://buythecover.com

BTW: But then they may be accused of racism. It would have to be an all "white" cast.

[profrac]

04:08 PM on 04/09/2011

It's not the idea that's important, it's the marketing. Maybe. You might have a different message from those who actually include words in their books, but you have a message, nonetheless. I'm torn. I want to go all philosophical and talk about the difference between a book and a text, but maybe I'm over intellectualizing. Enjoy the accomplishment. Enjoy the money. Meanwhile I'm still hung up on actually trying to write a book that people will buy.

[BeautifulOnDaOutside]

11:38 AM on 04/09/2011

I have nothing to say about this.

[MNKen]

11:36 AM on 04/11/2011

Careful. You might be accused of plagerizing the book!

[jayquintana]

10:57 PM on 04/08/2011

This idea is not new. I've seen "books" like this before -- it's bizarre that this one would be a best seller.