PyroMarketing creates promotional plan for Bob Garfield's new book

Last June I created Stielstra Publishing in order to help Bob Garfield of Advertising Age and National Public Radio publish a wonderful book he wrote called The Chaos Scenario.  It is about the historic re-ordering of media and marketing brought about by a revolution in digital technology. It explores how traditional advertising tactics are being replaced by entirely new digital and social platforms.  You can learn more at www.thechaosscenario.net.

I helped Bob bring the book to life and also created and implemented its marketing.

Last week, I submitted the book to the IPPY Awards.  The IPPY's honor the year's best independently published books.  We entered The Chaos Scenario in three categories; Business, Current Events and Best Book Marketing.  Winners will be announced in May at an awards banquet in New York, just prior to the American Booksellers Convention.

For the Business and Current Events categories judges will consider the book itself.  For Best Book Marketing, however, we had to submit support materials highlighting what we had done and why those efforts might deserve the honor.

I am proud of the work we did on this book and thought you might like to see the elements of the plan.  So, here's a pdf of the The Chaos Scenario Marketing Overview.

Do you need help marketing your book?  Give PyroMarketing a call at 615-812-3821 or send me an email using the contact link on this blog. Spread the fire. GS

Comments

[Nancy Nall]

I see you used Crowdspring for your 80-percent-off cover, and it seems you got what you paid for. Tell Bob I'll consider buying his book for 80 percent off the cover price, but I want to read it first. I'm sure he'll be OK with that.

[Greg Stielstra]

Ah, but that's the point, isn't it? All of the designers who submitted a cover comp for our consideration "were okay with that." They joined CrowdSpring, understood the terms of the arrangement and bet that their skill would win the job.

It sounds from your comment that you would prefer not to work under those terms. That's your right. But why criticize the others (the 50,000 others who participate in CrowdSpring) who chose differently? Isn't that also their right? And, if they choose to work that way, aren't we also free to do business with them? GS

[Nancy Nall]

Of course it's their right. They might not be so desperate to clap for fish like so many performing seals, however, if all content hadn't been so brutally devalued by nonsense like this.

I see Bob will be at the SXSW conference, a gathering that likes to pride itself on how cool and creative it is. I wonder how the people who are now reduced to working for feeding-frenzy sites like Crowdspring will receive him. I wonder how long Bob would last if his employer -- boring old ink-on-paper AdAge, dull old pledge-week NPR -- would Crowdspring his job. I bet some hungry kid would be willing to underbid him in a heartbeat. As is his right.

[Greg Stielstra]

Has content been "devalued" by the digital revolution or was its price artificially inflated for decades by pre-digital conditions?

The answer is "both and neither." The price commanded by content in the 1980's was appropriate for the conditions that prevailed in the 1980's. The price commanded by content in 2010 is appropriate for the conditions that exist today.

That you can now buy a book cover design for less than before is the result of microeconomics. Don't be mad at CrowdSpring or Bob Garfield or me. If you must lash out, please direct your anger at the guilty party--the law of supply and demand.

Prior to the digital revolution the buyer had to choose from the tiny selection set about which they knew. Unaware of alternatives, they probably paid a higher price to a designer in their neighborhood.

The digital revolution expanded people's selection set to include designers in other countries and on other continents. This increased knowledge of alternatives, created near-perfect competition, and naturally lowered prices. In some cases it even delivered higher quality goods (It is not logical to assume that a lower price always means inferior quality. It is also irrational to assume that designers willing to work through CrowdSpring are desperate or inferior to those that don't. Many brilliant designers left their agency gig to raise a child and wouldn't mind earning some freelance cash between feedings.)

As for Bob Garfield's job. AdAge is subject to and struggling with the same forces ravaging other traditional media. I'm sure they are looking for ways to save money and increase revenues. AdAge would not hire a "hungry kid" if he lacked the requisite skills, simply because he was willing to work for less. However, if that hungry kid could do what Bob does for less money, then they would hire him. They should hire him. And Bob would agree. GS

[christian]

Wow! you were the one who did it. Congratulations! its a hit for me!