Shed Simove, Ideas Man and entrepreneurial maverick, is
back with his latest blog. He talks about his latest crazy mission
to get a blank book to the top of the bestseller
charts.
Chutzpah... Courage... Cheekiness... Massive Cojones... Whatever
you call it, having an attitude that takes you where others fear to
tread is the mark of a true entrepreneur.
Now, let's see how far you think I'm pushing it with an idea
I've just launched. I'm actually going to need your help to make it
blow big and I wonder if you'll think it's good enough to warrant
that help?
Recently, I began to wonder if there was an easy way to launch a
bestselling book. Most books take years to write and get published,
and this includes my first book, 'Ideas
Man' which although selling well and getting rave reviews,
hasn't yet caught on fire in terms of sales - especially compared
with my novelty gifts, which have sold over a million units
worldwide...
Then it hit me! Perhaps if I crossed the idea of a novelty
product with a book, that might create something people would be
instantly attracted to. Maybe if the book was a funny item in
itself, rather than a traditional book - and priced
reasonably, then maybe people would buy the item as a product for
themselves so they could make their friends laugh or as a fun gift
for people they know...
And BOOM - that was it! I instantly knew I wanted to create a
book where the front cover was the setup to a joke, and a realistic
wedge of totally blank pages inside was the punchline. As soon as I
realised that the blank pages neatly communicate the word
"NOTHING", I quickly had my setup line - or in this case, the title
for the book.
I immediately tapped on my keyboard: 'WHAT EVERY MAN
THINKS ABOUT APART FROM SEX' and then swiftly found a
printing company specialising in books. Within nine days, I was
holding the first copies of this new masterpiece in my hands...
The idea of a book that took just over a week to 'write' and
publish going on to become a bestseller is a curious thought. Sure,
part of me would find it pretty galling if this book outsold my
other book, which took so many years to create and distribute, but
I'd also find it deeply amusing and perversely wonderful.
It would be a neat comment on today's 'instant gratification'
influenced society, a demonstration of how books are becoming less
attractive to people, and a signifier that perhaps what most people
need today is a good laugh instead. And actually, perhaps I'd
create an entirely new category of job description for myself -
'Comedian Entrepreneur'
So, here's where you come in - if you'd like to see a blank book
reach the top of the Amazon bestseller charts, then take a look on
Amazon and, if you think the book is reasonably priced, buy one
for yourself and another five for your friends (boom boom!). By
doing so, you'll be helping it up the charts, especially if
everyone reading this buys one right now.
Who knows, perhaps our collective chutzpah might well get a
blank book to top the bestseller charts and make publishing
history? And also become a beautiful example of how trying
something new often brings wonderful adventures and exciting
success.
<<< NEWS UPDATE >>>
The book, What Every Man Thinks About Apart From Sex,
has sold out on Amazon after heavy promotion in student unions
across the UK.
Despite being intended as a novelty item sales have rocketed
after students started using the £4.69 book as a notebook for their
lectures.
Nottingham university student Jess Lloyd said: "I bought a copy
for my mate as a joke and he started using it as a note pad for
lectures. Now everyone seems to have one. It's started a real craze
on campus."
"Author" Sheridan Simove says: "This book is the result of 39
years of painstaking research and practical study into the subject.
I left nothing to chance and really threw myself into my work.
"After many years of hard work I finally realised that men think
of absolutely nothing apart from sex. It was a shocking conclusion
and I realised that the world needed to be informed of my
findings.
"I never thought for one moment that my life's work would be
embraced by Britain's students in their thousands. It is very
gratifying to see my book outselling many other academic works
whose authors claim to have worked even harder than I to break new
ground and further the extent of human knowledge."
See the book on Amazon by clicking HERE
Visit the Facebook Fanpage for the book HERE
Find out more about Shed at www.ShedSimove.com