The 13th Cycle

When and how did you come up with the idea for the 2012 ebook?

The year, 2012. May to be exact. I had just graduated from NYU with my M.S. in publishing, where I had spent the last two years studying the digital trends. My family came to visit me from California for the ceremony. On their last day, my mom pulled me aside. "Now just remember, you need to come home for December 21. If the world ends, I want my family to be with me." I thought this was silly. But then I started getting scared. What if the world ends this year? I thought. Where would I want to be? I tried to shake it off. Nah, that's ridiculous. I can't let fear dictate how I live. Then the idea hit me. Maybe I could write a book about the Mayans and their end of the world prediction. It could be a thriller, and it might be a comforting way to deal with the doubts and fears. With any luck, people would read it and be reassured that the world will not actually end this year.

How did you write the 2012 ebook?

Well, 2012 is a time of rapid change in the publishing industry, between creating new genres, to publishing digital shorts, to trying out new business models. Personally I love experimenting. Last year I co-founded a digital publishing company just so I could say I tried. For the 2012 ebook, I decided I wanted to try agile publishing. Agile publishing comes from the idea of agile software. In the startup world, entrepreneurs use the agile structure to quickly and effectively evolve to meet their customers needs, without wasting time or money. Some publishers, such as SourceBooks, are now using agile publishing to write books they know customers will want to read. For the 2012 ebook, I have created a website, http://the2012ebook.com. On this site, I regularly posted chapters of my book. I got a lot of feedback, most of it private, which I incorporated as I went along, shaping the story into something I and other people would want to read.

What's up with the dinosaurs in the video?

Everything about the project is explained in the video, but there's also a little extra. I really love dinosaurs--if I could do it all over I think I would study palentology instead of communication/writing/publishing (though I do love that too...). So my friends and I made a short video involving some dinosaur hand puppets I got for Christmas. If you want to just watch that part of the video, skip ahead to the 1:22 mark. Enjoy!

What's the next step for the 2012 ebook?

Sometimes self-publishing gets a bad rap. This is because some people publish too early, without enough editing, or because they don't have the funds to effectively market, so not enough people see their work. For the 2012 ebook to be successful, I will need funding for marketing, editing, design, and more. Marketing. It takes money to be successful. I will need to reach out to bloggers and reviewers, place ads, and more. Editing.To make a high quality ebook, I need to be able to pay my editor. Cover Design. I'm not an artist, so I've hired a designer from Biblicrunch, and I'd like to use some of my Pubslush funds to pay him. Miscellaneous. This includes registering copyright, researching metadata, etc. (Read more about self-publishing on my blog, http://digitalpubbing.com)

So what's in it for me?

Well, a lot! Depending on which perk you pick, you can get free marketing/advertising or even ebook conversions. If you're a writer, this is a great deal. Automatic ebook conversions often come out sloppy and jumbled, which will make readers angry. Angry readers means negative reviews, negative reviews means fewer sales, and it becomes a viscious cycle. I used to be an ebook developer at Simon & Schuster, and I'm currently a freelance ebook developer for NBC Publishing and The Experiment Publishing. Work with me and I'll ensure your ebook looks good.

Are there ways, other than funding, that I can help?

Absolutely! If you like my project but can't contribute, no worries there are other ways you can help! Get the word out about the 2012 ebook. Tell your friends, share the link, and make some noise! Thanks for your support!