why isn't runrev more popular?

Bill Marriott wjm at wjm.org
Mon Dec 5 19:50:15 EST 2005


Dan,

You probably wrote a great document.

The problem with ordering your book is that we don't know what's in it. 
There's no "table of contents," no ability to "look inside" (like there 
would be if it were on Amazon), no sample pages to peruse. The product 
description talks "about the Author" and promises a great text, but does not 
tell me what I will be able to accomplish after purchasing this book. You do 
say it's "nearly 300 pages" but on the other hand most of the books I own 
for Flash, Director, JavaScript, PHP, HyperCard weigh in at 500-600 pages or 
more.

So we don't really know what audience it's for, what the style of the book 
is like, etc.

Additionally, it appears (I could be wrong) that the printed book is just 
the printed book, and the software download version has many extra, valuable 
materials in electronic form. Buying one does not get you the other. Most 
people would like both.

It would be up to your publisher to get the book on Amazon, and in book 
stores.

A very useful marketing vehicle for RunRev would be to have a substantial 
book on Revolution in book stores:

- with an attractive cover
- in the 400-600 page category
- covering from start to intermediate usage
- with a good reference section (doesn't have to be the full depth of the 
online docs)
- under $40
- with a CD-ROM in the back which contained a trial version of Revolution 
with samples, tutorials, goodies, and online reference material.

Such a book belongs in the "programming languages" and/or "rapid application 
development" category.

It's important to have a physical presence in book stores, as this is how 
people can "discover" it. On Amazon, you have to be looking for the book. 
And of course, it does little good (as a marketing vehicle) to have it in 
the RunRev online store, because people would of course already know about 
Revolution if they are there.

Bill

"Dan Shafer" <revolutionary.dan at gmail.com> 
wrote in message 
news:70ed6b130512051553w74d7d448jc87913b70118f1b5 at mail.gmail.com...
James...

There is in fact a book. I wrote it. It's called "Revolution: Software at
the Speed of Thought"  It's avaialble through the RunRev store in hard-copy
form and through my online store (
http://www.shafermediastore.com/tech_main.html) as a SmartEBook (eBook on
steroids). So are two (and this week to be three) smaller topic-specific
eBooks on CGI and Custom Properties. Printing is the subject of the next
eBook which is in final testing right now and should be announced to early
adopters in a day or two or three.

The book isn't on amazon.com and I'm not exactly sure why. But the printed
book supply is nearly exhausted and once it's gone, you'll only be able to
buy the printed version via print-on-demand which will be more expensive.


On 12/2/05, James Z <jazu at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> Re: why isn't runrev more popular?
> There's no book. Even hypercard has one book in print and many more used.
> If
> there was a runrev programmers guide on amazon more people would use it.
>
>
> --
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dan Shafer, Information Product Consultant and Author
http://www.shafermedia.com
Get my book, "Revolution: Software at the Speed of Thought"
>From http://www.shafermediastore.com/tech_main.html
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