November 28, 2006
MY BOOK/DIRECTORY IS NOW AVAILABLE
The most common activity for web users isn't online shopping or auctions, and it isn't downloading MP3 files (and believe it or not, it isn't even playing online games or viewing dirty pictures). No, the most common web-based activity is searching. That's because the Internet is big and disorganized, so you have to actively search for just about anything you want to find. The reality is that most Internet users spend at least part of every day searching for some type of information. But I digress.
After working for two leading publishers--Pearson / Penguin USA / Alpha Books, and John Wiley & Sons--where I signed dozens upon dozens of authors to book contracts, and at various stages along the way held their hands and managed their work, I am finally able to say that I now have a book of my own:
The 2007 edition of the Internet Yellow Pages is now available in bookstores all across the U.S. (as evidenced by this picture, taken on Saturday at a Borders bookstore near my home in Provo, Utah), as well as through Amazon.com and a host of other online retailers.
Having worked in the publishing business myself, I thought I knew how hard it was to write a book and compile information for a major directory, but in reality, I did not. Simply stated, I now have a much deeper appreciation for the sheer hell I put my authors though. For two-and-a-half months (from May through mid-July of this year), my co-author, Joe Kraynak, and I spent between 12 and 16 hours a day, six days a week, doing nothing but researching and writing about some of the best websites on the Internet today. The days were long and the work was overwhelming, and in the end, Joe and I produced one heck of a book.
If you're wondering if anyone actually buys a book with the words Yellow Pages in it, the answer is yes. Amazon has already run out of copies, and despite Google's attempt to take over the planet, no website that we're aware of does a better job of providing a handcrafted, unbiased review and rating of as many sites as Joe and I managed to cover. In all, we submitted 2,177 pages worth of editorial content to our publisher (which amounted to about 9,000 website reviews and rankings, of which the publisher printed nearly 7,000 over the course of 971 pages). In all, including the introduction and index, the book totals out at nearly 1,125 pages.
The value of the Internet Yellow Pages lies in the fact that the Internet is constantly evolving, presenting users just like you and me with new tools, new forms of expression, and new annoyances. Make it easy on yourself; pick up a copy of the book today. In the short term, you'll have fun reading about websites that cover everything from Accounting and Beer to Yoga and Zoos (and everything else imaginable in between, including sites that focus on Religion, Reiki, and Real Estate, and Nursing, News, and Needlecrafts). Then, 18 months from now, when you find yourself needing a really good doorstop or a big time paperweight, you'll be glad you bought my book!
Posted by Mikal at November 28, 2006 11:02 PM
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