Gifts and Books, Books and Gifts

So I’ve finished writing my masterpiece, my new book, You Are Your Media. What do I do now?

I’ve thought a lot about this lately. Not just because it is of direct personal relevance to me but because the future of literate culture – or OS2 culture, as I call it – is one of the subjects of my book.

I could try to get a literary agent or to approach publishers directly. That’s more or less how I got my last 4 books published. But nice as it is to have a box of freshly printed books arrive from your publisher (and it is nice), that’s no guarantee that your book will be widely read. Which is my primary goal.

So I’ve been considering other options. In fact I’ve got an altogether different plan to get my book into reader’s hands. I’m going to give it away.

What? Just give it away?

Well, yes. At least for starters. I’m going to start sending copies of You Are Your Media to people as gifts. Some of them will go to people I know and admire, as a token of respect. Others will simply be given to people who ask for them. And I’m not even talking eBook here. I’m talking a printed edition. A Gift Edition. I’m producing a limited Gift Edition. Maybe I’ll send one to you.

Oh I’ll still be trying to get an agent and get the bestseller thing happening. But in the meantime my book will be getting read. At least by a few people. And I do like giving gifts.

So today I’m sending a copy to my old pal and former business partner Freddy Nyiti, who now lives in Tanzania. He and I worked together at The Playground, which we transformed into Globalhood. It was the only digital playground for street kids in the world at that time. I’d like to say that now there are thousands, but unfortunately I can’t. Still, we had a lot of fun, and learned a lot working together, and Freddy pops up in the book a few times too, so I figure he should really have one. Freddy, I hope you like it!

Now who else should get one of these suckers…?