Can You Put the eMarketing Textbook in the Hands of Someone Who Needs It?

by Katharina Scholtz

2008/07/23

The QuirkStation is buzzing this week, with the formal launch of our eMarketing Textbook representing the culmination of a huge amount of work and investment for many of the QuirkStars. We've been blessed with some great community support, and all the positive comments and posts (a few here, here, here and here) have put a massive smile on the collective Quirk face.

This kind of community involvement and growth was a large motivation for the birth of this project, and something we'd like to continue to cultivate as the textbook makes its way out to the world. It's for this reason that the next step in the life of eMarketing: the essential guide to online marketing, very much involves YOU.

The textbook is freely available online, and forms part of the Open Education initiative, which intends to make learning resources, ideas and methodologies freely available to all. To play our part, we've licensed the textbook under Creative Commons and made it available online for free download. This means that readers, students, teachers and you can share, alter and make contributions to the book as you wish. Its open source education all the way!

The real challenge now is to find ways to get the textbook into the hands of people who otherwise wouldn't have access to it. People who are essentially outside the online community and who also are unlikely to be able to afford the R325 ($40) for the printed version. The best way to make this happen is by sharing ideas and developing a community strategy for distributing the book. We are looking for your input and ideas to make this a reality and the contributors of the three most inspired solutions will be rewarded with their very own limited edition textbook signed by ALL the QuirkStars. Wow!

It may be a lofty goal, but this book can be a tool to grow our community. If this can be achieved, we will all benefit, so please put your ideas in the comments - RIGHT NOW!

Credit: Shuttleworth Foundation

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Good Morning Rob

Excellent ebook will purchase the hard copy when it comes out, will also put a shortcut to my site and recommend every registered user to read it!

Regards
Mike Shraga
Increasing Customer Service With Systems Technology
0832557910

Posted by Mike Sh raga on 2008/07/23

Hi Katharina,

Can't wait to get a hard copy...

In varsity, we didn't have online marketing as a part of our course because there wasn't enough demand and all my requests were swept under the rug.

We often were given supplements to our textbooks for topics which weren't large enough to justify the purchase of an additional textbook. These budget books often written by our lecturers hardly cost anything and worked as a print-on-demand system (pod).

I'm quite certain most universities/schools would happily add a book like yours to many of their courses.

Regards,

Mike Metelerkamp
E-Marketing Executive
1st Contact Group (SA)

Posted by Mike Metelerkamp on 2008/07/23

Have put a short cut on my site to your download area, my site is aimed at the startup entrepreneur who cannot afford a hefty web development bill. they can get a online presence fast and learn as they do it, this is where you ebook comes in!

Regards
Mike Shraga
--www.warehouse-it.co.za

Posted by Mike Sh raga on 2008/07/23

Hi Mike and Mike :)

Thank you for your great comments, I know everyone who worked on the book loves seeing their own excitement reflected in people outside of Quirk.

If you'd like to get your hands on a copy you don't have to wait for the book to appear in bookshops, you can also order one directly from the website here: www.quirk.biz/emarketingtextbook/buy.

Posted by Kat on 2008/07/23

1. Make the eBook available to Universities and each University can print the book for students using it own resources.
though some Universities may charge for printing of the book, it will be cheaper.

2. Companies and Organisations that offer bursaries/learnerships in related fields may be willing to buy the buy the book for their sponsored students/staff.
Approach these companies and if possible offer them a discount.

3. Offer free hard copies to Libraries.

Posted by Leko on 2008/07/23

I told the usability guys (on the SA User Experience forum) that you guys are the ones making life difficult for them (the front-end people) with all your back-end demands which includes SEO requirements, marketing, etc.

That should stir them enough to read your book. :)

Posted by AJ Kock on 2008/07/23

Thanks for the mention AJ, the more readers the better! :)

Usability and good rankings shouldn't be mutually exclusive, as Tim just pointed out the problem tends to come in when one specialisation is done in isolation of the other :) . Hope you enjoy the book!

Posted by Kat on 2008/07/23

Those are excellent suggestions Leko, you're definitely in the running for a free copy. :)

Get those suggestions coming in people, how else can we get the textbook out there?

Posted by Kat on 2008/07/23

Kat, this is proving to be quite a mind bender...

How about creating those mini cd's and trying to get them inserted into some marketing/business/IT text books - or give them to universities to hand out in lectures?

Really cheap and less tree killing :)

Mike

Posted by Mike Metelerkamp on 2008/07/24

Hi Kat, please let us know when the hard copy is out, I'd definatley like to purchase one for myself.
Thanks,
Hilary

Posted by Hilary Cross on 2008/07/24

@Hilary, you can actually already order a hard copy directly from the website, just follow this link www.quirk.biz/emarketingtextbook/buy
we'll definitely let you know when it's in book shops as well though :)

@mike Less tree killing is always a good idea. The cd idea is intriguing, and would probably be great for people who have limited connectivity but are keen to learn.

Posted by Kat on 2008/07/24

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