Shel's New Book on Hold

Don't hold your breath for Global Neighborhoods, Shel Isreal's anticipated new book. I wrote about it in an earlier post, but it looks like it won't be coming out anytime soon.

From Shel's post:

"But I need to face up to bread and butter issues. Being an author is not as lucrative as many people might think. Nor are the speaking engagements. In fact, on the fame-and-fortune continuum, I have been way over on the fame side and need to move closer to the fortune side, at least to the mortgage-covering side."

What other new Web2.0 books are hitting the shelves? Check out Neville's new one on Podcasting.

Mr. Israel's Neighborhood

Shel Israel is blogging about his yet to be released book, Global Neighborhoods. He has posted on the chapters he plans to write and has solicited feedback in these areas:

“I need your help in telling me..

• Am I covering the right subjects?
• Does the flow hold together?
• What have I included that does not belong
• What have I missed, that needs to be included.”

What a fantastic way to develop the newest blogging bible, as I’d like to call it.

What better way to showcase the idea that no single person controls the conversation than to solicit the input of the blogosphere on a book about blogs! Genius. I mean that, seriously, I think this form of collaboration could be applied to other countless other organizations who depend on customer input to develop products.

He, along with Robert Scoble, wrote a fantastic first edition and I look forward to reading Global Neighborhoods as soon as it comes out in book form. In the meantime, go over to his blog and check it out. Offer your suggestions. You could have a hand in shaping the book.

I've included below my own comments to Shel's chapter two and his witty and immediate response below:

Shel,

I love this in chapter 2:

"In organizations accustomed to forming opinions through branding campaigns, we now have a place where people influence each other and the key influencers are the most generous in what they give to the neighborhood, not what they spend on advertising."

So true, my only advice would be to make sure you restate what you said in N.C. = you no longer own the conversation. No amount of money can buy you a seat at the table...

Thanks for this, what a great way to collaborate.

Posted by: John Stauffer

John,
I forgot I had written those words. Thanks for reminding me that plagiarism begins at home.

Posted by: shel israel

Naked Conversations


I just finished reading Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel. It's a recently published book on how blogging is changing the way organizations are communicating with consumers. I found that nearly the entire book can be applied to public relations as it relates to the new social media communications tools. This book could really benefit young public relations professionals who are being asked to build an expertise around new social media.

Most interesting to me were the many case studies presented in the book that showed how companies have used blogging as a means to navigate through crisis. After reading through those examples, I've feel I'm better equipped to answer clients when they ask about the pro/cons of blogging. It's nice to be able to point to a company successfully blogging and say to a client "see, this tool really works, even for corporate blogs -- if it's done right.

I say this because too often my clients begin to see how blogging could be used a means to communicate with consumers, but then, just as the idea gets some momentum -- it stalls. There's alot of hand wringing going on in the corporate communications world about blogs, especially upstairs in the C-suites. Certainly, not every one of our clients is a shinning candidate for blogging. But, in my limited experience, I've found that more often than not, companies who really could truly benefit from blogging simply choose not to.

As the PR pros, we've got to be able to counter some of this sentiment and this new book gives us the ammunition to do that.

You can find more about the book and the related Naked Conversations blog here. Thanks to Scoble and Israel, two icons of blogging, for all their work on this book. My copy is already well used from being passed around the office.