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 The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,892 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; 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

04-13-2011, 10:40 AM	#9
carpetmojo Wizard Posts: 3,117 Karma: 9269999 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: UK Device: Sony- T3, PRS650, 350, T1/2/3, Paperwhite, Fire 8.9,Samsung Tab S 10.5	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 ?

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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 Banned 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 New season! Posts: 7,683 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	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: 915 Karma: 3537194 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, 01:04 AM	#7
bhartman36 Wizard Posts: 1,323 Karma: 1515835 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Jersey, USA Device: Kobo Libra Colour, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2021)	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!

04-13-2011, 08:58 AM	#8
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	Very interesting article on marketing, thanks! eP

04-13-2011, 10:47 AM	#10
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	I can't help but laugh at this. Good for him.

04-13-2011, 02:15 PM	#12
Asawi Gadgetoholic Posts: 1,467 Karma: 3865860 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sweden Device: Kobo Libra2, Tolino Vision 6	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!

04-13-2011, 05:02 PM	#13
Bonex Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: KDXG, Kobo Glo, Kobo Aura HD	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.

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04-13-2011, 06:44 PM	#14
Angst Cannon Fodder Posts: 2,876 Karma: 52253556 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Probably a library Device: PRS-350, Kindle DX, Kindle Paperwhite	The Amazon reviews are hilarious.