Kickstarter

Hello KickStarter World: 08/01/2010

So I just found out about Kickstarter and, in a word, wow. I'm miffed that it took me so long to hear about it. Better late than never, I suppose.

I'm going to use it to raise the funds needed to publish my third book:
The New Small: How a New Breed Of Small Businesses is Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies.

Click here to watch a video about the book.

I am using this site to take pre-orders, bulk orders, and a few other types of requests. After some interesting experiences with proper publishers, I'm putting my money where my mouth is. (Well, I suppose it's actually the backers' money, but you get my drift.) I have no interest in using "publishing houses" such as AuthorHouse or iUniverse. Quite frankly, I can do a better job than they can. I know from personal experience.

FAQ

While hardly comprehensive, I've thrown together a little FAQ on the book. Here goes.

What's the book about?

Funny you should ask. The book is called The New Small. It is about how a new breed of small businesses is using cloud computing, SaaS, open source, mobility, and social networks to compete with larger organizations. In the process, "the little guys" are creating much more meaningful jobs. Employees can become linchpins, to use Seth Godin's term.

Who's writing the foreword?

I just confirmed that Chris Brogan has agreed to do it. He's the co-author of Trust Agents and the author of Social Media 101.

Where are you in the writing process?

I'm about 65,000 words in.

How many pages will the book ultimately contain?

240, give or take.

Were "traditional" publishers interested? Why do this yourself?

Yes, they were interested. I'm doing this myself because of two reasons. First, traditional publishers wanted to price the book at a level that I think would hurt its commercial appeal. Without going too much into it, their cost structures demand a high price. Second, books about technology are dated the minute they are published. I can get the book out much quicker by doing using a print-on-demand company.

When will the book be out?

Late 2010. Mark it, Dude.

What do you have lined up already?

Many things. I have found the print on demand company (Lightning Source). They produce high-quality books that I've seen first-hand. I'll be using the same editor and cover person who worked with me on the second edition of my first book. I have the cover finalized and website set up as well.

Does the book have its own site?

Yes. Go to The New Small.

I still have questions. Can I ask you?

Yes. Contact me.