Sydney, Australia; Des Moines, Iowa, USA, July 16, 2007 -- In what may be a first-of-its-kind collaboration via the internet, more than 100 marketing professionals have joined together online to write The Age of Conversation, a book that will be published July 16. In addition to the downloadable e-version, the book will be available in limited quantities in hardcover and softcover. All proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to Variety, the Children’s Charity. The proceeds will be earmarked to help children in the authors’ home countries.
The book has an unusual story behind it, involving online connections between people around the world who have never met each other.
Drew McLellan, who heads McLellan Marketing Group, an advertising agency here, has been writing a blog online for since September 2006. His blog, www.DrewsMarketingMinute.com is among the 25 most-read marketing blogs in the world. McLellan’s partner in this adventure is another marketing blogger in the top 25, Gavin Heaton. Heaton is the Interactive Director of one of the world’s leading marketing and promotions agencies, Creata, where he is Director of Interactive. Heaton blogs at www.ServantofChaos.com.
In March, McLellan wrote about Wharton’s effort to create a collaborative book and Heaton commented, “And it sounds like it could be fun ... but you know what, Drew? I reckon between a few of us we could knock out a short book and publish it. All we need is a theme and a charity ..."
“Three e-mails later, we had named the book and the charity. It just fell into place, McLellan said. “The Age of Conversation was the prefect topic. The marketing industry is abuzz about how the citizen marketers are changing the landscape. This book captures that new phenomenon,” he added.
McLellan and Heaton, through their blogs, invited other marketing professionals and other bloggers to commit to writing an essay about conversation. They set what they thought would be an impossible goal – 100 bloggers. They received commitments from 104 authors in less than 7 days.
“What began as a comment online has grown into a major collaborative effort by marketing professionals from 24 states and nations, beyond the U.S.,” said McLellan. “Gavin and I were overwhelmed with the response.”
“We heard from people, telling us what they planned to write about,” Heaton added. “We’ve been amazed at the variety of approaches that have been taken, and with hardly any duplication or overlap. This book really explores the art of conversation and how that is changing the face of marketing from virtually every angle possible.”
A fellow marketing blogger in New York, Christina Kerley, had just lost her mother and many in the marketing blogging community were looking for a way to comfort her from afar. McLellan and Heaton decided that they would dedicate the book to Sandra Kerley, their colleague’s mother.
The Age of Conversation will be available in all three formats on July 16. Prices will be:
e-book: $9.99 ($7.99 going to charity)
paperback book: $16.95 ($8.10 to charity)
hardback book: $29.99 ($8.55 to charity)
Orders will be taken online at Lulu.com/ageofconversation.
Oh, and you can DIGG THIS here.
I am honored to be part of this project, and I just purchased my first two books.
Posted by: Lewis Green | July 16, 2007 at 10:52 PM
Congrats! nice work.
Posted by: Eric | July 17, 2007 at 12:09 AM
Great work guys. I bought my copy this morning as well, and I'm also glad to have been able to write a chapter for the book. It looks and reads great.
Posted by: Jim Kukral | July 17, 2007 at 12:18 AM
I'm happy to have been a part of such an inspiring project. I can't wait to read eeveryone's chapter.
Posted by: G. Kofi Annan | July 17, 2007 at 01:06 AM
Wow. Great work everyone (especially our esteemed editors). I can't wait for my book to arrive.
BTW, you might want to link the book photo to http://stores.lulu.com/ageofconversation instead of to flickr.
Peter Corbett
Posted by: Peter Corbett | July 17, 2007 at 02:57 AM
Congratulations Gavin and Drew... thank you for all the work. May this extra-ordinary ebook do good for both children in need and people reading it. Being part of it is indeed a great honor.
Posted by: mindblob | July 17, 2007 at 06:17 AM
Congrats to all. I'm proud to be part of it -- and humbled by the effort it took to assemble it! Nice work, guys.
Posted by: Ann Handley | July 17, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Sounds like a very interesting and worthwhile project- good luck!
One Man, One Year, $100,000. How will he do it?
http://www.oneyeargoal.com
Posted by: One Man- OneYearGoal.com | July 17, 2007 at 01:39 PM
Congratulations! Will be checking out the book, too. :)
Posted by: Meikah Delid | July 17, 2007 at 05:19 PM
Drew and Gavin,
Thanks for leaning into this project - such great results! And to have AdAge, FastCompany, and others reviewing and writing about this effort shows your passion and commitment to the charity and the project.
Posted by: Joe Raasch | July 17, 2007 at 10:33 PM
You have an incorrect URL to Drew McLellan's site on this post.
Posted by: Joe | July 18, 2007 at 09:56 AM
Your article is now promoted on my Blog. Care to check out my Blog, contains reviews and topics of interest to anyone who like books and new topics.
Posted by: jcorn | September 09, 2007 at 05:59 AM