Update: The Book of Blogs 22/07

Quick recap: The Book of Blogs is an upcoming book of HR/OD/L+D/Business blogs that we are attempting to produce as a crowdsourced project, with conception to publication on Amazon in a total of less than 2 months. Currently we are making amazing progress. Thanks to everyone who has agreed to contribute.

This week’s milestones

Milestone 1 – I’ve just finished the next phase of the experiment. This involved exporting the content that we have so far to an Amazon Kindle.  There are some problems with spacing, but it has worked. I have been able to open the book and the links within it using my PC, android devices and an original Kindle. I may have jumped up and down in excitement a small amount. Bloggers:  It’s worth noting that links to video will work on all of these except the original Kindle

Milestone 2 – not only did we have our first blogs added via the online software, but we are now up to 7 having been added, well in advance of the deadline of 16/08. Thanks to @dougshaw1 for kicking it off. If we can keep a steady stream coming in then that will really help me manage my time effectively and help ensure the formatting is correct etc. Apparently the upload process is pretty painless, which is good news

Milestone 3 – the goal last week was to hit 30 contributors. Given that we are now standing at 49 and counting we have definitely exceeded expectations

Milestone 4 – I am delighted to welcome a number of US contributors to the project, something I wanted to happen last week,  including 2 bloggers who were in the top 10 of the recent Huffington Post  list of Social HR Influencers. I’m really happy about this, not just because I know they’ll provide great quality, but also because I think it will be amazing for some first time bloggers to be published alongside them

Milestone 5 – we still need a name, that will be the next milestone. Please make any suggestions you have to me and I’ll set up a vote in a few weeks time

1. @simonheath1 – Simon Heath – as well as contributing an entry, the incomparable Simon Heath, will also be creating the cover illustration. 
2. @Projectlibero – Jon Bartlett
3. @TimScottHR – Tim Scott
4. @HR_Gem – Gemma Reucroft submitted: A little more conversation
5. @OD_optimist – Meg Peppin
6. @dougshaw1 – Doug Shaw – submitted: In Fear of Fear 
7. @LadyLoki – Niki Rosenbaum
8. @ruchikaabrol – Ruchika
9. @Malcolmlouth – Malcolm Louth
10. @StephenTovey13 – Stephen Tovey submitted: Watch the children play
11. @paperclipgirl – Louisa de Lange
12. @Jawaddell – Julie Waddell
13. @HRManNZ – Richard Westney – submitted: Collaboration is the new Competitive Advantage
14. @sterling_amanda – Amanda Sterling
15. @Jsarahwatshr – Jane Watson
16. @KateGL – Kate Griffiths-Lambeth
17. @KingfisherCoach – Ian Pettigrew
18. @conmossy – Conor Moss
19. @dds180 – me
20. @bphilp – Bob Philpin
21. @fourgroups – Four Groups – submitted: A Physics of People
22. @sukhpabial – Sukh Pabial – submitted: What is hope?
23. @verawoodhead – Vera Woodhead – submitted: No need to act like a Man. Women in leadership
24. @myhr_nz    – Jason Ennor
25. @Joolztybura – Julia Tybura
26. @BenMorton2 – Ben Morton –submitted: Leadership in a VUCA world
27. @IanandMJ -Ian Davidson –submitted: Why thinking in averages is below average thinking
28. @ariadneassoc – Simon Jones
29. @octopusHR – David Richter submitted: How to recognise and nurture disruptive innovation
30. @MrAirmiles – Jose Franca
31. @MorrisElise – Elise Morris
32. @sineadcarville – Sinead Carville
33. @engagingemma – Emma Lloyd submitted: It is decision time ~ Round 1 ~ Heart vs Brain?
34. @kat_hounsell – Kat Hounsell
35. @TashTasticNZ – Tash Pieterse
36. @fuchsia_blue – Julie Drybrough
37. @pontecarloblue – Amanda Arrowsmith
38. @wendyaspland – Wendy Aspland
39. @HRswitchon – Nicola Barber
40. @mervyndinnen – Mervyn Dinnen
41. @damiana_HR – Damiana Casile
42. @EmilydouglasHC – Emily Douglas
43. @MeghanMBiro – Meghan Biro
44. @DwayneLay – Dwayne Lay
45. @PamelaRoss – Pamela Ross
46. @Nicky_T – Nicky Texeira
47. @Lembitopik – Lembit Öpik  submitted: HR challenges on the USS Enterprise
48. @LetSdeG – Leticia S. de Garzón
49. @zoemounsey – Zoe Mounsey
50. @Susanpopoola – Susan Popoola
51. @academyofrock -Peter Cook
52. @mindstrongltd – Tracey Davidson
53. @brocedwards – Broc Edwards

FAQ (it stands for Faked Anticipated Questions)

Why did you decide to do this? 

I had the idea on a whim when I was thinking about crowdsourcing and in particular this list of HR social influencers http://list.ly/l/5qg. It seemed like a nice community project and, as I enjoy the content shared on HR blogs so much, I thought it might be nice to collate it. I then shot out an impulsive tweet and things took off from there.

So, what is your motivation?

My motivation is very much about giving people an open space to create as individuals, whilst at the same point creating something as a group. I’m unlikely to get a job from this (if you’d like to hire me have a look at goo.gl/fySbh  ) but  I currently have some space in my days I thought it would be fun to build something. The book will be priced at free, so this isn’t a stealth commercial project. It is a community project, plain and simple. I like ideas, I have the time to invest in helping and motivating people to share theirs. If you agree to take part then please understand that this is the ethos and don’t ask be complicated questions about who owns the rights etc. I simply don’t know and am probably disinclined to make things more complicated, if you are worried about this then just don’t take part. If you can think of it as a giant collection of guest blogs then you are in the right place.

What are the entry criteria?

Anyone can contribute – it can be their first blog or their hundredth. It can be new or their favourite old blog. It just needs to make sense standing alone. I’m sort of hoping that we do get to showcase some new bloggers and that the experience helps them go on to create more, that would make the project worthwhile in itself. There is no quality control – if someone has taken the trouble to write it then I will take the time to publish it. I haven’t approached anyone directly as I wanted people who were involved in the project and didn’t want to place any pressure on people to contribute. Please don’t attempt to sell a product – that is the only thing that won’t be acceptable.

What are the timescales?

A month from today for the content (!) should be enough for the length of writing required. So by 16/08 please have your content submitted or uploaded (see below). If you are able to do it earlier then please do, as there is only one of me so having 30 arrive on deadline day will doubtless cause issues.

*cough, cough* but you don’t know anything about publishing do you? 

No, I don’t, good spot. I do, however, love new technology and I’m also able to use Google. The combination of these things has led me to PressBook which is like a communal WordPress tool that will allow people to upload their own content and then for me to publish the content as an eBook to make available on Amazon etc.

So we are all uploading our own material?

It would be really helpful if once you have written it you could upload it yourself. If you write it in WordPress it brings everything over quite painlessly.Send me your email, I’ll send you a log in and then you can just paste your material in as a new chapter *update 22/07 – apparently this is quite painless*. Click on text and then new chapter…

If this seems like the scariest process in the world then there is a two step process

i) attempt it yourself, you only get to live this life once and being in fear of useful things isn’t very useful

ii) send me your content directly – I don’t want anyone to suffer undue emotional distress in what should be a pleasant process

How will the book be structured?

I’m undecided. I might attempt to collate similar entries together or deliberately leave them apart. Who knows? It’s fun embracing an open approach.

What if everyone writes on the same topics? 

I don’t think they will, but if they do then we will still have a book – just on a narrow range of topics. My experience is that people have their own style which means at the very least people will offer different angles on topics.

Is there anything I can’t do?

Please don’t link to any material that we don’t have rights for.  I like putting video and pictures in my blogs, if you are doing so then please make sure you aren’t breaking the law when you are doing so.

What will it be called?

I haven’t a clue. I’m accepting suggestions. In fact if you send me suggestions I’ll run a poll and we can choose together. That is how collaborative this can be.

Can I contact you with questions?

Yes, I’m weak on Geography, but I’m pretty strong in most other areas.