I just got done reading three marketing newsletters.
I used to be good about tearing open the envelope whenever a newsletter arrived and reading it right then and there. These days, I’m more prone to save up two or three and then “batch” them by reading them one right after the other.
Anyway, whether it’s newsletters, blogs, or books — I LOVE to read.
Always have.
In fact, back in the 8th grade, I started logging all the books I finished reading. I would record the title, author, a paragraph or two about my reaction to the book, and a rating.
I’ve been keeping my book log ever since. About 16 years now.
What’s cool is that keeping a book log motivates me to maintain or increase my reading levels every year. And it also encourages me to read quality material, usually found in books.
For instance, yesterday morning I finished reading my 24th book of the year. I’ll probably hit about 26 or 27 books total. I find I average about 30 books a year, give or take.
So back in 2005, I was thinking and thinking and thinking about Web 2.0 and how I might be able to capitalize on it. That’s when it hit me.
Create a Community for Book Lovers!
I actually mapped out the site, what it would do, why people would sign up, the marketing plan… basically everything… in Aug/Sep 2005.
The only problem was… I’m not a programmer!
But — I have a friend who is. His name is Ken Gary. We used to work together before I became a freelance copywriter.
So I approached Ken to gauge his interest in the project, and to see if he’d be willing to partner with me. He agreed to be a part, which was really cool. The not cool part is that…
It’s Taken Us 3 Years to Get to This Point!
I remember back at Harlan Kilstein’s seminar in San Francisco (early 2006), I was talking with Jim Van Wyck about my idea for the online book log.
He thought it was the best idea he’d heard in a long time. He even said, “Ryan, don’t tell ANYBODY about this. You just need to get it done.”
That’s not a direct quote, but it’s the gist of what he said.
I was totally pumped because of Jim’s encouragement. I knew it would be big if we could build the site and the community.
Unfortunately, along the way I found out we had (gasp!) COMPETITORS!
That’s right! Some other bright people had the same exact idea I had had… and they were implementing it as well.
In fact, one of these sites was recently purchased by Amazon for an undisclosed amount of money. Pretty cool. I felt vindicated when I heard the news…
And a little depressed that it had taken so long to get the site going.
Fortunately, my friend Ken didn’t give up on the idea. He got mad at me for being discouraged. This turned out to be a good thing because he then proceeded to make the site WAY better practically overnight.
So here we are. We’ve got a really cool web site for book lovers…
And It’s Ready for YOU.
You see, Ken and I have been using the site for quite a while. It’s called MyBookLog.com. We’ve attracted some other users naturally, but we haven’t really started promoting the site.
That time has now come.
So: If you are a book lover… and you’d like to check it out… go to My Book Log right now and sign up for a FREE account.
When you do, you’ll get the following:
1. Ability to log and track the books you’re reading.
2. Log books you own… books you’ve read… and books you’re now reading.
3. Upload a cool widget to your blog that displays the books you’re now reading. (You can see my widget in the column to the right.)
4. And more. Actually, we’re still developing more features, so if there’s something you want to see improved or added to the site, just let me know. We’ll get it done.
Alright, I’ve talked enough. Go get your FREE My Book Log account right now. When you do, leave a comment with a link to your book log so I can go check it out. Thanks! :-)
-Ryan M. Healy
About Ryan M. Healy
Ryan Healy is a direct response copywriter. Since 2002, he has worked with scores of clients, including BoostCTR, Alex Mandossian, Terry Dean, and Pulte Homes. He writes a popular blog about copywriting, advertising, and business growth, has been featured in publications like Feed Front magazine, and is a regular contributor to WordStream.com, BoostCTR.com, and MarketingForSuccess.com.
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{ 12 comments }
Ryan,
I noticed your widget earlier & checked out the site. Put it on my to do list to join. Went there again today, and signed up. Looking forward to adding some book reviews.
Cool, Keith. I’ll look forward to seeing what you’re reading. Thanks!
Cool, Keith. I’ll look forward to seeing what you’re reading. Thanks!
Ryan,
I noticed your widget earlier & checked out the site. Put it on my to do list to join. Went there again today, and signed up. Looking forward to adding some book reviews.
Ryan,
Interestingly I have bought book logging software a couple of times over the years and thought of something online. Though it was never more than a passing thought.
I used to average about 1 book a month, sometimes more. The problem I have these days is the time spent reading blogs, and various online materials related to the Internet. The Internet keeps changing and keeping up is a challenge. Plus now that everyone has discovered video makes it much worst. I prefer transcripts that I can speed read and mark up.
But I digress. So I do not read printed books like I use to. When I gave it some thought, I realized that my reading is kind of a personal thing. Not sure how much I want to share. Something I will have to think on.
I did a quick count and between two and a half bookshelves in my office I have something like close to 350 books. And that does not count some boxes of fiction that I have in the garage. When I get into a subject, I can easily buy 5 to 10 books if my interest persists.
I will make a point to look it over.
Thanks
John
Ryan,
Interestingly I have bought book logging software a couple of times over the years and thought of something online. Though it was never more than a passing thought.
I used to average about 1 book a month, sometimes more. The problem I have these days is the time spent reading blogs, and various online materials related to the Internet. The Internet keeps changing and keeping up is a challenge. Plus now that everyone has discovered video makes it much worst. I prefer transcripts that I can speed read and mark up.
But I digress. So I do not read printed books like I use to. When I gave it some thought, I realized that my reading is kind of a personal thing. Not sure how much I want to share. Something I will have to think on.
I did a quick count and between two and a half bookshelves in my office I have something like close to 350 books. And that does not count some boxes of fiction that I have in the garage. When I get into a subject, I can easily buy 5 to 10 books if my interest persists.
I will make a point to look it over.
Thanks
John
@John – Each time I’ve been blessed with a new child, I’ve been concerned my reading levels would drop. So tracking my books keeps me on… track. :-)
I understand reading is a personal thing. Maybe you only share certain books you’re reading instead of all of them?
@John – Each time I’ve been blessed with a new child, I’ve been concerned my reading levels would drop. So tracking my books keeps me on… track. :-)
I understand reading is a personal thing. Maybe you only share certain books you’re reading instead of all of them?
The biggest threat to my reading level has been the Internet, and bringing new skills up to speed.
After my post, I was looking at the various books. In some cases what I learned from reading has blended into other material I have read. My books on sales are that way. In case of other books, I can remember one or two key points that had an impact on me.
As part of my personal journey, it would actually be good for me to track and make comments on some of the my books.
There is kind of joke between my wife and I. When I traveled for sales account, she never worried about spending time in clubs. She knew in the evening I would find a starbucks or similar, and head to the nearest bookstore.
John
The biggest threat to my reading level has been the Internet, and bringing new skills up to speed.
After my post, I was looking at the various books. In some cases what I learned from reading has blended into other material I have read. My books on sales are that way. In case of other books, I can remember one or two key points that had an impact on me.
As part of my personal journey, it would actually be good for me to track and make comments on some of the my books.
There is kind of joke between my wife and I. When I traveled for sales account, she never worried about spending time in clubs. She knew in the evening I would find a starbucks or similar, and head to the nearest bookstore.
John
Cool man! I love the idea…I’ve tried doing a similar log by just filling an amazon widget with stuff I’ve read…but this is more involved and I like it. I will be trying it out.
Cool man! I love the idea…I’ve tried doing a similar log by just filling an amazon widget with stuff I’ve read…but this is more involved and I like it. I will be trying it out.
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