End Malaria Day
It isn’t very often that a book has the power to save a life. Yes, good books can improve lives, shape lives, even change lives. But when was the last time a book literally helped save a life?
The Domino Project is launching its latest book with an audacious and necessary proposal: end malaria.
In conjunction with Box of Crayons and Malaria No More, The Domino Project is helping to end malaria by donating $20 from every book sold to Malaria No More.
“At its core, End Malaria is about doing great work, and at The Domino Project we believe there’s no better work than saving a life.”
I’m so glad to be a part of this, and I hope you’ll join me.
Netflix for books
UPDATE: It looks like Amazon is making the first move in creating an eBook subscription service.
If you care about the way we publish and share books, do yourself a favor and read Craig Mod’s thought-provoking essay Post-Artifact Books and Publishing.
He asks the right question: How does digital change books?
In the article he links to Kevin Kelly’s blog post What Books Will Become. Here’s an excerpt that I think is too smart to ignore:
In the long run (next 10-20 years) we won’t pay for individual books any more than we’ll pay for individual songs or movies. All will be streamed in paid subscription services; you’ll just “borrow” what you want.
Who’s going to lead the charge and create the site that allows us to subscribe once and read everywhere? Who’s going to negotiate the licensing fees with publishers and independent artists?
Who’s going to find the right algorithm for recommending new books based on our reading habits? Is it based on our reviews? Is it based on the books liked and listed on our friend’s social media profiles? Is it based on the books ranked highly by people who highlighted the same sections of of an ebook that we did?
Will we subscribe to reading lists curated by our favorite authors, publishers, or culture shapers?
Will this be the library of the future or the bookstore of the future? Will they become the same thing once we stop buying individual books and start paying for a membership that allows us unlimited “streaming” of books and articles?
At least there’s coffee
You’re stuck in a meeting. Trapped. More bad powerpoint. More things you could have learned by reading an email. At least there’s coffee.
If you work at a 9-5 job, you probably know what I’m talking about.
It doesn’t have to be like this. Meetings can change. They’re our invention. They’re our tool. We’ve just been running them in the wrong way. We’ve been running them in the wrong way for so long we forgot there was a better way.
Read This Before Our Next Meeting (free on the Kindle for the next week) is the catalyst we’ve been waiting for. Written by the whip-smart Al Pittampalli, it’s aiming to kill the meeting culture we hate.
I designed the print edtion of this book for Al, and I’m so glad to have done my part to help end bad meetings.
One step at a time
Wouldn’t it be great if we could all leap to the top of the hardcover bestseller list and skip everything that comes before it?
Yes, yes it would, but I think it might actually be better to get to your goal one step at a time. While it takes longer to get you there, in the end, I think you arrive at a better place.
Along the way, you’ve accumulated friends and supporters; you’ve recovered from your hard knocks; you’ve learned what works and what doesn’t work; you’ve developed a process and built a tribe—the two things you’ll need to make your next book a success.
I’m thinking about this today because my friend, Aaron Goldfarb, just released the print edition of his book The Cheat Sheet. He’s doing some really fun stuff with the design by setting each story in a different typeface. That’s something he wasn’t able to do when he put out the Kindle edition nine months ago, but the Kindle edition let him gain the traction he needed to create the print edition.
More and more I’m hearing a similar story: digital first, then print. Build an audience, drive demand, get people to care—all before you print. Yes, you still need someone like me to create the digital editions. Yes, you still need a killer cover. But you don’t have to pay for pulp and ink until you know you can sell.
Digital books and the internet are changing the game. The old walls are tumbling down. A lower barrier to entry doesn’t guarantee success, but it does make it a lot easier to toss your hat into the ring and give it your all.
A disclaimer: Aaron is a friend. He’s plied me with food, drink, and good conversation, so yeah, I’m biased towards liking his book. Then again, if you also like getting lost in conversation in a bar, wandering your way from topic to topic, and telling stories of exes and the sexes, then there’s a fair chance you’re already biased towards liking it too. Why not give it a go?
Today, I raise a toast to another creative getting their work out into the world one step at a time. Here’s to not waiting for someone to pick you, but instead letting all the people who loved your digital book be the ones to tell you it when it’s time to print. Cheers, Aaron!
One step at a time still gets you there, and often gets you to a better place.
Quote Art: Roadhouse rules of life
Thank you Mr. Swayze. Also, thanks to playingwithbrushes for the background.
Book Cover Design
