So, the book I mentioned yesterday is being done by yours truly.
Seems that someone else has realised this is a great idea as well.
There’s some history to this whole blogging books business (or business blogging books).
2 years ago more than 30 authors pitched books on blogging. Publishers didn’t want them. 6 months later they wanted to them and so they signed all the authors. So there was a raft of books on blogging.
But most of them were all hype, philosophical, “this’ll change the world”, “you need to get into this” types of things.
No practical. No real world. No lasting value for C-level folks, nevermind the people who’d actually have to do the work.
So, Robert Scoble and Shel Israel are looking to do a blogging book too. Same subject matter, same types of ideas. But they are looking to sell the book rights on eBay. I love Scoble. That’s awesome and is a great way to kind of refuel the wave that was started a week or so ago. Well done mate, luvin’ it!
Should I be concerned about two books? Hell no. In fact, if I do this book I’ll be promoting Robert’s just as much as mine. I’d love to be a chapter reviewer on Robert’s actually. Not so I can steal ideas but so I can tell him what a good job he’s doing.
The more the merrier on something like this, and if we can both come out with a fantastic book which benefits people in different ways… Well that’ll only raise the profile of blogging all the more. Plus, having two fantastic books out on a subject (same release date guys, you game for that?) it will also lend even more validity to the idea.
Really, really great stuff happening here.
I was going to take this weekend off to rest from the last week of craziness, but I’m too excited to do that now. I think I’ll probably throw a few hours into some brainstorming on the book. A blog and a wiki is a must. Community participation is key. If Shel and Robert are interested I’d love to bounce things off them as we go through this.
Community. Participation. Openness. Sharing. Transparency. Those are key tenets of some of the things that will really help companies. And what better way to make do a book on blogging (sorry, two books) than to do the same amongst the teams?
Obviously neither of us has signed a deal yet, but that’s never stopped me (or Shel and Robert I’m sure) from pushing ahead.
Robert, feel free to hop on MSN or to Skype me (jeremy_wright) so we can have a quick 5-10 minute chat. Obviously I’m blogging this because its more likely to get read than something in your email. But, feel free to email me if you want to set up a time (oh, and feel free to invite Shel too).
Am I excited? Damn skippy. And that’s saying something considering it’s -12F here right now.
December 4th, 2004 at 1:26 pm
Ironically, I completely by accident, stumbled on Scobles entry today. Now I come over here and see you talking about it. lol
December 4th, 2004 at 1:37 pm
I thought O’Reilly’s “Essential Blogging” was okay.
December 4th, 2004 at 4:06 pm
Make it two books on blogging
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Jeremy Wright also has a blogging book project in the works. He responds to Scoble’s announcement here….
December 4th, 2004 at 4:14 pm
Writing a Book from a Blog
Seth Israel asked Robert Scoble to do a books about blogs. Robert accepted on the condition that the book be written as a blog itself and where the rights would be sold on eBay. So, it’s going to happen. Indeed
December 5th, 2004 at 12:10 pm
Thanks so much for the gracious comments Jeremy!
Remember, our book will be done totally in public, so you’ll be a chapter editor!
It’ll be interesting to see how the two books compare and differ.
December 5th, 2004 at 3:30 pm
It seems that we have a little competition going on.
UPDATE I just learned that there a one more initiative on it’s way – Cool…;-) —- It reminds me on the early Reboot days in Denmark where we had this web-development competition between a team from West Denmark competing against…
December 6th, 2004 at 9:23 am
The original blog-book
December 6th, 2004 at 9:49 pm
My peace plan
My peace plan: Robert Scoble wonders if there’s a coming blog book wars as he’s collaborating on a blogging book and so is Jeremy Wright and so is Hans Henrik H
December 7th, 2004 at 2:27 am
Fundamental Shift in Communication — Albrycht is
While Scoble, Shel Israel, Hans Henrik, Jeremy, and Fredrik fray it out over who is really writing an open-source blogging book (pile on, boys), I am looking forward to Elizabeth Albrycht’s January blog on “Moving to a New Communication Model”.
December 9th, 2004 at 6:48 am
Seems like corporate blogging might be a useful thing. Can you give more guidance?