How I got a blank book to the top of the Amazon charts

kennyc · 04-12-2011, 10:25 PM

Shed Simove: How I got a blank book to the top of the Amazon charts

Here's how I published a bestseller in just nine days (and made a million authors instantly hate me).

http://realbusiness.co.uk/news/how-i...-amazon-charts

kjk · 04-12-2011, 10:28 PM

lol, did it have DRM?

Giggleton · 04-12-2011, 11:16 PM

He's not selling a book, he's selling a practical joke that people are most likely to buy for the purposes of leaving around, on their coffee tables for instance while they wait for someone else to pick it up and then they'll have a laugh.

bZkindle · 04-12-2011, 11:23 PM

I read that book and found it lacking.

GA Russell · 04-12-2011, 11:54 PM

I remember attending the 1978 Grey Cup game in Toronto. A best seller at that time was a mass market paperback called The Official Toronto Argonauts Playbook.

Page one had a run stopped for no gain. Page two had an incomplete pass. Page three had a punt. (There are only three downs in Canadian football.) Then there were 200 blank pages!

I believe that the Argos finished last that year.

J. Strnad · 04-13-2011, 12:33 AM

I've acknowledged for some time that we live on the other side of the looking glass. We can only press our noses against the glass and gaze wistfully at a world where life makes sense. It explains so much.

bhartman36 · 04-13-2011, 01:04 AM

Good for him!

On Amazon, this book is clearly described as having 200 blank pages, so no one's getting swindled, and there isn't an electronic version, so everyone buying it is at least getting a book they can take notes in.

I think it's a great idea. I wish I'd thought of it!

elemenoP · 04-13-2011, 08:58 AM

Very interesting article on marketing, thanks!

eP

carpetmojo · 04-13-2011, 10:40 AM

I seem to remember, a few years back now, a brief craze for rocks as pets.

You could get accessories for them - I remember a leash for taling it on walks, a training whistle, "kennels", and a warm waistcoat for cold days.

The height of the craze came when it was announced you could buy an "attack" rock, to safeguard your home and loved ones !

Hmmmmmm............... and you think a blank book is strange ?

RainingLemur · 04-13-2011, 10:47 AM

I can't help but laugh at this. Good for him.

sakura-panda · 04-13-2011, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjk

lol, did it have DRM?

Probably.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhartman36

Good for him!

On Amazon, this book is clearly described as having 200 blank pages, so no one's getting swindled, and there isn't an electronic version, so everyone buying it is at least getting a book they can take notes in.

I think it's a great idea. I wish I'd thought of it!

I saw this book was a *freebie* in the Sony store, but I passed over it because the title didn't grab me. I didn't make it to the page with the description about it being "a 200 page book that is completely blank inside."

http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/she...00000000359510

Asawi · 04-13-2011, 02:15 PM

OMG! I think this is brilliant!! I can see myself buying this as a paper book and give as a gift or put on a table at work!

Bonex · 04-13-2011, 05:02 PM

This reminds me many years ago when I found in a toy shop a book about horses. All pages were completely filled with "Cloppete cloppete cloppete" (a funny way to write the italian onomatopoeia of a horse trotting). There was a complete series of books like that. Each had one typo and if you found it, you could send a post card explaining the typo and win the whole series.
I actually found it by chance (a new sentence starting with a small "c") but never bothered to buy it anyway.

Angst · 04-13-2011, 06:44 PM

The Amazon reviews are hilarious.

Solicitous · 04-13-2011, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhartman36

Good for him!

On Amazon, this book is clearly described as having 200 blank pages, so no one's getting swindled, and there isn't an electronic version, so everyone buying it is at least getting a book they can take notes in.

I think it's a great idea. I wish I'd thought of it!

Argh how can he sum up my thoughts about topics other than sex in 200 pages? Surely my lack of thoughts is at least 300!!

04-12-2011, 10:25 PM	#1
kennyc Priorities! Priorties! Posts: 29,923 Karma: 36859010 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Galaxy SIII; Xoom; Kindle Fire	How I got a blank book to the top of the Amazon charts Shed Simove: How I got a blank book to the top of the Amazon charts Here's how I published a bestseller in just nine days (and made a million authors instantly hate me). http://realbusiness.co.uk/news/how-i...-amazon-charts __________________ Kenny A. Chaffin Art Gallery - Print Gallery - Writing&Poetry "Strive on with Awareness" - Siddhartha Gautama

04-13-2011, 01:04 AM	#7
bhartman36 Wizard Posts: 1,304 Karma: 1457889 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet	Good for him! On Amazon, this book is clearly described as having 200 blank pages, so no one's getting swindled, and there isn't an electronic version, so everyone buying it is at least getting a book they can take notes in. I think it's a great idea. I wish I'd thought of it! __________________ My Website My Smashwords page My Amazon Author page

04-13-2011, 10:40 AM	#9
carpetmojo Wizard Posts: 2,892 Karma: 8604393 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: UK Device: Sony PRS650, 350, T1, T2 .	Not quite so silly ? I seem to remember, a few years back now, a brief craze for rocks as pets. You could get accessories for them - I remember a leash for taling it on walks, a training whistle, "kennels", and a warm waistcoat for cold days. The height of the craze came when it was announced you could buy an "attack" rock, to safeguard your home and loved ones ! Hmmmmmm............... and you think a blank book is strange ?

04-13-2011, 10:47 AM	#10
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,360 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	I can't help but laugh at this. Good for him. __________________ "Can't judge a book by another man's treasure."

04-13-2011, 02:15 PM	#12
Asawi Gadgetoholic Posts: 1,304 Karma: 1922514 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sweden Device: Sony PRS-350, Assorted Nooks	OMG! I think this is brilliant!! I can see myself buying this as a paper book and give as a gift or put on a table at work! __________________ Asa

04-12-2011, 10:28 PM	#2
kjk . Posts: 3,408 Karma: 5647231 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: never enough	lol, did it have DRM?

04-12-2011, 11:16 PM	#3
Giggleton Suspended Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	He's not selling a book, he's selling a practical joke that people are most likely to buy for the purposes of leaving around, on their coffee tables for instance while they wait for someone else to pick it up and then they'll have a laugh.

04-12-2011, 11:23 PM	#4
bZkindle Fanatic Posts: 510 Karma: 1025024 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Canada City, Soviet Canuckistan Device: k2, k3G, kindle DXG, Sony T-1, iPad, iPhone, stone tablet	I read that book and found it lacking.

04-12-2011, 11:54 PM	#5
GA Russell Argos win the Grey Cup! Posts: 3,366 Karma: 11423475 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: jetBook Lite, Libre Pro	I remember attending the 1978 Grey Cup game in Toronto. A best seller at that time was a mass market paperback called The Official Toronto Argonauts Playbook. Page one had a run stopped for no gain. Page two had an incomplete pass. Page three had a punt. (There are only three downs in Canadian football.) Then there were 200 blank pages! I believe that the Argos finished last that year.

04-13-2011, 12:33 AM	#6
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 916 Karma: 3434192 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	I've acknowledged for some time that we live on the other side of the looking glass. We can only press our noses against the glass and gaze wistfully at a world where life makes sense. It explains so much.

04-13-2011, 08:58 AM	#8
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,445 Karma: 2827758 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Sony 650	Very interesting article on marketing, thanks! eP

04-13-2011, 05:02 PM	#13
Bonex Enthusiast Posts: 48 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: KDXG	This reminds me many years ago when I found in a toy shop a book about horses. All pages were completely filled with "Cloppete cloppete cloppete" (a funny way to write the italian onomatopoeia of a horse trotting). There was a complete series of books like that. Each had one typo and if you found it, you could send a post card explaining the typo and win the whole series. I actually found it by chance (a new sentence starting with a small "c") but never bothered to buy it anyway.

04-13-2011, 06:44 PM	#14
Angst Cannon Fodder Posts: 1,016 Karma: 6630934 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-350, Kindle DX	The Amazon reviews are hilarious.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
(Living) Top 100 Free eBooks from Amazon	AdamV	Deals, Freebies, and Resources (No Self-Promotion)	6	10-06-2010 08:30 AM
PRS-505 Help Please,Book goes blank from page 23 or so onwards	Liquidsilver	Sony Reader	3	07-05-2010 03:33 AM
blank pages on a pdf book	afsandiego	Sony Reader	2	09-13-2009 09:32 PM
Blank book titles in the list	bigmoney	HanLin eBook	3	01-30-2009 05:31 PM
Top half of screen has gone blank	Tulkas	Bookeen	12	11-15-2007 07:05 PM


Advertisement Enthusiast