Productiviblah
I think the whole purpose for being more productive is to get to the point where you don’t need to worry about being so productive.
Of course, you could be at that point today, if you decide to be.
C.J. Chilvers counsels the first world on its issues.
The straightforward solution is to present a first time visitor with the simplest, most complete overview you can. It’s okay if it’s long, as long as each paragraph builds on the one that came before, and nothing along the way scares me away or bores me. Examples. Clear testimonials with specifics. Yes, that task is straightforward but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. But it’s worth it.
—Seth Godin (part of the reason why my home page is now on Flavors.me)
One Pen Addict to Another
Brad Dowdy (@dowdyism) was kind enough to include me in the lucky circle of writers to receive some samples from JetPens.com. I took my time and put each pen and mechanical pencil through its paces. Real world. From the heat of my car to the classroom to a jangly pocket full of change.
Most did well. One stood out.
I was sold the first time I took the Pilot Hi-Tec out of pocket and scribbled my first hurried note on a hand-held index card. The lightest touch is all that’s needed to write something legible and, on the rare occasion, when I’m writing in ideal circumstances, it remains consistent in its easy flow without clumping, stumbling or scratching.
I’m almost ashamed to say I wasn’t aware of the Hi-Tec. Apparently, it has a huge following. In fact, a kickstarter project started to give it the exceptionally-designed casing it deserves.
It’s easy to see now why this pen is causing a stir among writers and I never would’ve picked one up with Brad’s help. Check out the pen, Brad’s blog and the story of how he landed his dream job.
VHE Updates
I’ve started a twitter feed for my first book, The Van Halen Encyclopedia, currently being revised for its third edition. Follow @vhencyclopedia for updates, insider info and news on future versions of the book.
Hypocrisy
Being consistent is WAY less interesting than being yourself. And if you’re not interesting? Good luck with your Big Consistency Project.
This is why I call most things I do around here experiments. I write heated posts on a topic, calm down for a bit and then try the opposite, just to see the other’s guy point of view. If you get too hung up on consistency, you can easily find yourself itching for a fight on a topic for which you have no real vested interest.
My First Web Book
The logical progression of writing on a niche topic these days seems to be: create a blog, establish a following and, if the stars align, write a book. In the spirit of contrarianism and experimentation, I did the opposite with my 1998 book The Van Halen Encylopedia.
The idea was to create individual posts for every entry in the book (around 500) and link them all together in new ways. I’d update the book in real time as updates rolled in. The web was made for reference, so a reference book would be a perfect fit. Right?
It’s been over six months since the site started and I’ve learned quite a bit.
The CMS
I was fully expecting to regret my choice of Squarespace to host the VHE. It seemed like an expensive option for a low traffic, long-tail site. I chose it because I knew the system well and knew I could have a huge site up and operational over a single weekend.
What I didn’t know was Squarespace is especially well-suited for reference sites. While editing an entry, you can click a link within the entry and toggle between tabs to edit several entries simultaneously (without saving, or opening anything). This saved me days, maybe weeks of work. Even if I move the site to lesser expensive option in the future, building it would never have happened so quickly without Squarespace.
The Updating
This was over-the-top successful.
A great example of what’s possible occurred this week. I had been trading a few emails with a woman who swore a concert happened in a certain venue in 1980, even though there was no record of it. A week or so went by and she emailed again, this time with an image of the ticket stub from a Facebook group for the old venue. In the book it went!
I have hundreds of updates backing up in my queue. Turns out, putting this stuff out there for free has returned more information from readers in 6 months than in all 13 years the book was in print. I’m starting to worry I may not have enough time in my life to keep up with it all, which leads me to wonder if the book is of that much importance. This makes me think hard for a bit, then I get back to work.
Copycats
One downside of putting everything on the web is that it gets used everywhere, without attribution. From everyone’s favorite reference website to legit editorial sites, everyone is copying and pasting. I have no problem with that, as long as it fits within the bounds of fair use and there’s a link back to the site, but there never is.
The Next Few Months
There’s some things from the book that don’t translate well to the web. There’s a sense of discovery missing from flipping through pages and finding a entry for a song you never knew existed.
There’s a narrative to the opening Timeline chapter that pulls the whole book together, but there’s maybe one reader in a thousand on the web who’d be patient enough to follow that narrative without clicking dozens of links.
It’s clear to me that the book will have to at least be on the Kindle and in the iBook store to experience the full thing (for those who are interested). A book that lives in at least two mediums at the same to will be the next experiment.
Productivity Starts with a Why
“There is no money, inherently, in being productive.” - Stever Robbins
Perfectly put. If you don’t spend time on why you’re doing something before you dive into your favorite GTD app, you’re only moving more efficiently in the wrong direction.
Your latest tweet and comment on Facebook and the most recent blog post - that’s your resume now.
What Groupon Can Learn from Itself
A week ago, Patrick Rhone posted about the following copy he found in a Groupon offer he received:
“Sweet teeth turn into butter with the soft crunch of the chocolate croissant ($2.95), and macaroons ($2.25 each) melt the taste buds of sweet seekers without the inclusion of refined sweeteners—whose costly education did not increase their manners.”
Curious, I checked my email and found this deal from my own area for Leona’s Pizzeria:
“Tomato paste is the glue that holds many Italian dishes together, just as caulk is the glue that holds many construction workers’ children’s dioramas together. Enjoy edible adhesives with today’s Groupon.”
Yummy! How pissed off would you be if you owned Leona’s?
I have a hard time believing rogue writers across state lines are scheming to write the worst copy imaginable for the sake of my amusement. So, I have to come to the conclusion that Groupon probably just doesn’t care.
Of course, Groupon has an entirely different view of their writing, as stated in this Groupon job listing:
“Our editors ensure that all of the writing on our site is engaging, compelling, and most importantly, written in our voice.”
That “voice” is set by the administration of Groupon. That administration includes Jason Fried of 37Signals, perhaps the most well-known proponent of great copywriting on the web. Fried recently stepped down from the Groupon Board of Directors and now serves on the Advisory Board. Perhaps it’s about time he advises Groupon on why good writing is so important, like he did in his May 2010 article for Inc. Magazine titled, “Why Is Business Writing So Awful?”:
“Words are treated as filler — ‘stuff’ that takes up space on a page. Words expand to occupy blank space in a business much as spray foam insulation fills up cracks in your house. Harsh? Maybe. True? Read around a bit, and I think you’ll agree.”
I agree.
Drawing a Blank
Business cards are one-size-fits-all affairs, revealing the same information for total strangers and your best customers. Pre-packaged, pre-designed and pre-determined. What a waste of an opportunity to connect.
I’m talking about blank business cards.
Marketers often talk about the greater impact of hand-written materials when compared to printed materials, yet every marketer I’ve ever met uses highly polished materials to project some kind of professionalism. But is that how you measure professionalism? I measure professionalism by what you’ve done up to now, not what you’ve spent on designers and printers.
Do yourself a favor and buy some great blank business card paper stock and keep a pen handy. When you meet someone, make them feel a little special by taking the time to write out exactly what they need to know. It’s unique. It stands out. It’s powerful.
Of course, offering a solution that isn’t about throwing money at a problem may not ever be popular, but doesn’t that make the solution all the more unique?
