When I learned The Outstanding Organization’s publication date, I groaned. The book was slated for release in July 2012, just as summer vacations were getting into full swing and leaders were heading to the beach for some decidedly non-business relaxation. If they had a book in their hands, it would surely be a sizzling thriller, quirky comedy, or moving biography. I made the decision not to put money into a proper book launch until it would money well spent. Several well-meaning people told me that a launch MUST occur within one month of a book’s release, a long standing “publishing rule” that seemed a little too rigid for my taste.
As I was contemplating how and when to execute a delayed launch of sorts, I had the good fortune of meeting Becky Robinson of Weaving Influence, a firm that specializes in promotion via social media. We decided that TOO, as I refer to it, was well-suited for a “start the year off right” campaign. We designed an experiment to see if the “one month rule” was true. I’m happy to report: it was not.
Last week was “buzz week,” as we chose to call it. And BUZZ it was! TOO rose from an Amazon rank of 70,000 to 7,000-9,000 for much of the week. And it made Amazon’s “top 100” list in two categories. I was a guest on my first TweetChat (60 minutes of Twitter on steroids – I’ve never typed so fast in my life!), hosted by Lolly Daskal at #leadfromwithin.
I invite you to explore last week’s blog posts, book reviews, podcasts, and interviews. It’s been a joy learning which aspects of my book resonate most deeply with reviewers and interviewers—and seeing the new phrases they’re creating, such as Andy Uskavitch’s “duh factor.” Enjoy the different perspectives.
David Dye, Trail Blaze – Got Results?
Becky Robinson, Weaving Influence – To Become Outstanding
Dan Rockwell, Leadership Freak – One Thing All Outstanding Organizations Do
Andy Uskavitch, SuperVISION Motivation – The Outstanding Organization
John E. Smith, Srategic Learner – The Outstanding Organization And Chaos
Karin Hurt, Let’s Grow Leaders – Chaos Curtailed: How to Shield Your Team
Karin Hurt, Let’s Grow Leaders – The Problem With Opportunities
David Burkus, LDRLB – Anti-Planning Zeitgeist: Embrace It At Your Peril (guest post)
Melanie Hoffer, Blog Talk Radio – SPARKs of The Outstanding Organization
Mark Graban, Lean Blog – Words Matter: Why I Prefer PDSA Over PDCA (guest post)
My greatest learning from this experience was to, once again, trust one’s gut, break the rules when it seems appropriate, and hire talent.
Thank you, all who played a role in last week’s blitz. And thank you, Becky Robinson, and your rockin’ team. You are amazing…er..OUTSTANDING!