The funny thing is - I feel pretty strongly that publishers are increasingly important to the future of books. If you think about it, publishers are, at their core - curators. They find talent, they make often difficult judgments about what should (and what shouldn't) be published. They help readers by sifting through the large volume of material to find the best of the best.
So why, you may ask, are you crowdsourcing the funding of your next book?
It began almost a year and a half ago. People starting asking me about when I was going to write my next book on curation.The questions began gently enough. But over the course of a year they became more insistent reaching a crescendo that sounded something like this:
"Hey, we get it. You've convinced us. We need to curate. But what can we do? What are the rules? What are the guidelines?"
The world was turning to curation - and thanks to my work with McGraw Hill on what has become, some say, the leading big-think piece on curation. I'd become the defacto expert. Ok, that's not fair. I think about, write about, and curate about 'curation' pretty much all the time. I'm passionate about the power of human intuition and intelligence to help us filter the rising tide of unfiltered noise and data. I think curation rocks!
So, after the pings started to turn into a drumbeat, I went off to my publisher and said: "Ok, time to write the companion book to Curation Nation."
Here's what I learned from my journey with a number of publishers and my fine book agent John Wright; How-to books don't sell. They're hard to write, harder to market, and they tend to have a very short shelf life.They're not "sexy." And, with the exception of a handful of franchises like "Dummies," they're just not that interesting. Now, to be fair, there are some publishers who do a great job in 'how to' - my friend Tim O'Reilly for example. But I wasn't writing to become a how- to author, I just wanted to share what I'd learned.
The thing is, I love writing. There's no doubt that this is a book that is ready to be born. I just didn't want to have to engage the meat-grinder of publishing. What I wanted to do was on a more human scale, with a community of curators (or would be curators) that I could engage in a journey.
I started thinking about how to gather together friends, and 'pass the hat' for the dollars it would take to engage a professional editor, graphic designer, researcher, and printer. Yes, it would be an ebook, but I'd need some hard copies as well.
Then I gently reached out to my book friends, authors, and my agent, and they suggested that I might find some joy in birthing this book. Shockingly, even some of by biggest book-snobs all seemed to suggest the tide had changed.
"If you've got an audience of readers who value what you have to say, then mixing social publishing in with big name imprints can only help grow your brand," said one of my book-ish friends. So, then the question was how.
Here author and social media fellow traveler Guy Kawasaki came roaring in. He'd just published APE. The book for "Author, Publisher, Entrepreneurs." I'm not sure I've ever powered through a business book faster, or with more gusto than this resource-filled book. All I can say to Guy is thank you! It's a gift.
But that brings me to the big question, the scary one. Social.
Sure, there are platforms and I am on them all. But how do you launch a book? And what if you write it and no one comes to read?
Here's where my author friends have changed the world. Seth Godin's experiment on Kickstarter was a call to action. He dove in, empowered his community, and invited early backers to help him copy edit and even shape the book. Why? Because Seth isn't afraid of his readers and fans, he knows that he's got the editorial voice and chops to filter, organize, and.... curate the best book possible. And more input only makes it better.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.