- Here we are with a completed book.
- We have over a thousand people who have signed up to buy a copy without even knowing the price.
- We could just release it now as a PDF and get folk to donate to a link how much they think it is worth directly to the Japanese Red Cross.
- Right now.
- But we wait.
- We wait so we can have a button with a direct link to the Japanese Red Cross.
- We wait so we can have the PDF reformatted so it can be read by an Amazon kindle and a Sony reader.
- We wait in the hope that releasing the book with Amazon's backing will add a couple of zeroes on the end of sales if we just gave it away from the www.quakebook.org blog.
- We are losing speed in the hope of grabbing a bigger prize and therefore helping exponentially more people.
And I wait. Helpless again.
30 comments:
Sometimes you have to gamble. We here in the US will not let the momentum stop!!!
oh man... this must be so hard! Do you think it will be out within this week??
The problem is the ability and the will of the quakebook team is such that we could hit send pretty much right now. But organisations the size of the Red Cross and Amazon don't seem to move so quickly.
I'm sorry I don't have more understanding or clue about how to go forward with big business. But if we did our own thing we could potentially help 1,000s but blow our chance with Amazon. Wait a few more days? We could help 100s of thousands of people. I'm holding out for the bigger impact. I hope that's the right thing to do.
I disagree with your final comment that the longer we wait the less useful our contribution becomes. I agree with the rest because I think we should JFDI, but the reality is that the work the Red Cross and Japan needs to do will go on for YEARS.
I have finally seen a copy of the book, and although I have tried to resist reading it until it comes out, I started. And it is enough to make you cry. This is one helluva book, whenever it is released.
I do think though that whatever happens and whoever is behind it, it must launch this Friday at 2:46. End of. That's your deadline Jeff Bezos etc. Thursday evening.
I hope you won't take this the wrong way... I am nothing but an armchair warrior in this project... but from a sales person, we must get it out until next weekend latest. Hanami-season, people starting to move on - you can see it in the blog posts. Keep tweeting updates. Is there a facebook page?
I have to agree with Cybersavvy UK--I appreciate that given how quickly the original idea progressed from just that to what #quakebook is now must make the slower pace of Amazon & JRC feel like torture, but ultimately, the needs of all those who suffered in Tohoku will continue for a very long time, and if the book is able to come out 4 weeks after the disasters, then that is still completely REMARKABLE! And if there are 2nd and 3rd editions to come, at least the structures that you need to publish them will be in place!
http://www.facebook.com/Quakebook
http://www.quakebook.org
The beauty and tragedy of the stories in Quakebook is that they will stand the test of time. It will be a book our grandchildren read. It will be used in schools. It will be around far longer than any of us involved in its creation. The suffering (and hope) expressed between Quakebook's covers is timeless.
And my apologies for writing to you here, but I'm hoping to distract you temporarily from your agony! I know you are a teacher, and feeling even less useful than you did before #quakebook took off, I've been trying to figure out how to help those up north--particularly children...I was wondering if starting a pen-pal program would be something that might be of interests to various schools? I discussed trying to coordinate a larger project with my husband, but I think keeping something like this small and local, from school to school, would be better/easier to monitor, etc. The kids could write within a few choice parameters, and on the envelope, write their names, mention a favorite thing, and a favorite color as well, and the letters could be distributed on that basis.... Maybe people are already doing this, but if not, do you think there is any merit in such an idea?
@Joli - how about a kids' quakebook?!
sometimes waiting is just part of the process. i too cant wait to get my hands on it, especially to translate it to german, but great things always take time. or as we say in german: eile mit weile [haste with patience].
it will lift off and it will do good for a long time!
Joli, my wife is already thinking along the same lines. There are many evacuees with children in shelters around Tokyo. Perhaps we could start there?
Make the kids thing global by using technology - log on to a page, get your name translated into Kanji, pick your fave colour, cartoon character, and a simple message.
Hit Submit and your card will be printed out at the other end for delivery. We've got a Japanese print company on Yammer.....
Frankly, the donation will mean more later - the relief effort will go on for years, and as donor fatigue sets in, the contribution projects like this make will be more meaningful then. I think you're doing it right, mate.
It is worth the wait, as this initiative is as much about momentum as about the longevity it will have and the widest possible impact it will have both within and outside.
Having said that working with a cut-off date is important too and i believe it should be this friday.
Launching as pdf will in no way holdback Amazon/Sony/Apple from promoting it through their sites when the compatible versions are ready. It is good to have the first few 1000s of us who are keen and waiting be seeded at the earliest and let us continue to leverage our respective networks.
Ooooh--a kids' #quakebook!!!!
And yes--that's a brilliant place to start! My husband was concerned about language issues, but I was a JET teacher once upon a time, and I know that some kids would love to receive a letter in English :)) And more importantly, it's less about the content (initially, anyway) and more about reaching out and helping people feel good about something and helping people share their experiences...What kind of access would be needed to get into the Tokyo evacuation centers and collect names of children who would be interested in participating? Or would you round up pen pals in the classrooms first and then approach the evacuation centers?
@joli - Keep It Simple. Find out how many children in each centre, then deliver that number of messages. The people in the shelter can personalise them by writing the names on in the shelter. Then you are not releasing any confidential info outside of the shelters.
Thank you, Cyberysavvy-- I'll get on Yammer tomorrow to discuss this more in order to avoid further hijacking Ourmani-san's comment section here, but I really appreciate your input!
Waiting is torture for sure but worth it in the long run, The idea of getting a book out in a short time was amazing and proved possible, man you could have self published and raised thousands of dollars from all those that have followed it from the beginning. The book was written, everything you wanted was achieved, the rawness and immediacy will ring true through the years of people reading it. I can't wait and as i was busy at the time the call for pieces went out hope that i can contribute to any future editions. But waiting is right, this is too worthy a book to rush out to an audience that though large and growing will feel detached quickly if it is not done properly. Monday 11th at 2:46 put it to Amazon, launch date of a book that will probably raise hundred of thousands for those that need it and will continue to need the money trickling in for a long time yet. Nothing that is happening now lessens your contribution our man and not one person in the world thinks so.
Damon
Thanks all, think I'm just getting nervous. Shall turn off the computer and chill for a bit.
I was at the Peace Boat event in Tokyo tonight where they talked about how foreigners in Japan can help. One concern was that the the quake/tsunami victims will need help for years but that already the news cycle is turning elsewhere. In that sense, a delay in the launch of Quakebook is almost a good thing, because it creates an opportunity to get this story in front of people when they otherwise might have started to move on.
Boss, the people we have already spoken to about #Quakebook are floored by this thing, and the speed with which we are getting it done. Although I was initially totally with you on getting out the PDF exactly two weeks after the quake, I have come to firmly believe that we are doing the absolute RIGHT thing in waiting to get it published by Amazon, Sony, etc. They are going to study what we have done as a case study at Harvard Business School and journalism schools for YEARS after this.
The reason we're doing #Quakebook is because of a deep love for humanity and a need to heal the suffering of others. How we're doing #Quakebook is merely an amazing process, and a unique one. I think we can happily live with those two realities. --Dan
I can only cross my fingers for you and promise that I will buy it as soon as it comes out *although I never bought a PDF file eer before*. It is true with the circumstances that the victims are experiencing the sooner the money will come, the better it is for them, but the road to recovery will be a long one. Any help even a late one would sure still be appreciated. Although I think that with the Hanami and all, you gotta do it fast. good luck to you.
I haven't seen the design, so I don't know how complex it is, but it shouldn't take too long to create an ePub version of the book. Especially if it was laid out in an application that can create ePub (like InDesign). Can I ask what is causing your delay? Perhaps I missed it.
as retired gambler,I say gamble.It'll be worth it.
The wait is well worth it. The disaster is on everyone's minds now, there are stories everywhere we look. No shortage of stories. So many stories it's too much to absorb. People are donating like crazy all over the world. But in a few weeks, a few months, who knows... that's when we need the reminder that these people are no where close to rebuilding their lives. If you could be even more patient and get the same people to contribute stories one month, 3 months, 6 months from now, it'll be that much more interesting and the money will still be desperately needed.
Hang in there Our Man. It's gonna be what it's gonna be. You're doing your best and you've inspired numbers to do their part, and it's come together very nicely. Thanks to Quakebook and your quick inspired thinking, additional help will soon be on the way up north. Frustration is a small price to pay for the results the affected people are going to be seeing shortly.
Loco
Yeah - I'm with the people saying that the contribution doesn't go down by waiting a bit. With quakes like tonight's still hitting, there's plenty of contribution to go around. And many people send out money/supplies immediately, but they gradually dwindle, so long-term dedication is extremely valuable too.
I'm sorry that you have to wait for so long. I noticed that one of the reasons you're waiting is that PDF format cannot be read by Amazon kindle and Sony reader. I hope this free PDF converter helps. You can change files to Jpeg and to Word. Good luck!
Thanks all, think I'm just getting nervous. Shall turn off the computer and chill for a bit
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