Geeks: I need your help.

[yesthattom]

I'm stumped. We've had a terribly difficult time getting PR for the new book ("The Complete April Fools RFCs" www.rfc-humor.com). I'm asking for your help.

I'd appreciate it if people would go to this digg entry and click on the "digg it" link to vote for it. Hopefully it can get enough votes to be promoted to the front page.

Also... if you have a suggestion of where to promote the book, please let me know. (I have a generic press release I can give you if you want to spread the word to your user group, etc. Or you can say what you want to say about the book and link to the rfc-humor.com web site.)

Thanks!
Tom

Comments

[baerana.livejournal.com]

if you wants to emails me the press release, I'll post it around where appropriate

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

That'd be great! You can use the press release on the PR web site for the book. Could you Bcc: me or somehow let me know where it's been posted?

Thanks!

[b00jum.livejournal.com]

Wow, you forced me to join digg ;)

[stitchinthyme.livejournal.com]

How about Slashdot? I wanted to post something there on April Fools' Day, but not having gotten the book yet (I do plan to, really!), I didn't feel justified in commenting on it.

[stitchinthyme.livejournal.com]

...although, from your last post, I gather that you may have already thought of that.

*confused*

[marmota.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I'm a bit puzzled as to what the target market is. Similar to ESR's Hacker's Dictionary, the source material is readily available online to everyone most likely to get the jokes anyway. How many people are there out there who don't know what an RFC is that would enjoy the book? If I meet any of them, I'll be happy to suggest it to them.

Re: *confused*

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

That's an excellent question.

The value is in three factors:

1. having them all in one place.
2. the commentary... while it is minimal it is good.
3. having them on paper, bound with a nice cover. You can leave it on your coffee-table and people can pick it up and browse at a party, etc. Or you can have it in your office and when you need a break co-workers can pick it up and have a laugh. (and those co-workers will think you are an uber-geek)

Tom

[ladyinfidel.livejournal.com]

joined digg, voted for you

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

Thanks! You're sweet!

[kjc.livejournal.com]

I recommend Guerilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, & Michael Larsen. It has a pretty good take on how to market yourself as part of the package with whatever it is you're selling and is focused on selling your manuscript, then promoting the hell out of your book.

[rationalfool.livejournal.com]

I Dugg it a while ago and blog linked it in a couple of places. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it made it to the Digg front page? Perhaps a Christmas release would have been better timing? Would make a witty gag gift for geeky friends and family members...

Will remember to pitch it in casual conversations.

"Oh your bird pooped on the carpet? That's hilarious. Speaking of birds and hilarious... how funny was that IP over pigeon post RFC? What? You didn't read that one? What happened to your copy of Tom's book? No way? You don't have one? What are you? A user?" ;-)

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

Much appreciated!