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Don Miller: Tour and New Book

Posted on August 31, 2009 by Jeff

I’m as excited as I’ve been in a long time.  88.7 WAY-FM is partnering with Chaffee Management Group to bring author Donald Miller to Nashville to speak in November.  He’s probably best known for his New York Times best-selling book Blue Like Jazz.

As a book review blogger for Thomas Nelson Publishers, I also confirmed today I’ll be receiving one of just 250 review copies of his new book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years – a review of which you’ll find here on September 29th, the same day the book hits store shelves.

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In the meantime, I thought I’d pass along to you a bit of a sneak peak into what’s in store from Don’s new book.  Feel free to share these materials with your network and, if you’re in the Nashville area, stay tuned to 88.7 WAY-FM for more on where and when you’ll find Don Miller speaking.

Let’s Get Viral

First, Thomas Nelson has taken the liberty of uploading the first 20 pages or so of the book to Scribd.  Scribd is a website that brings the concept of “social” to publishing and describes itself as “the website where more than 60 million people each month discover and share original writings and documents.”

I’ve embedded the Scribd preview below, but you can also visit the site itself (just click the link at the bottom of the Scribd frame or the one in this sentence).  You can also share this with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and more than 30 other social networking sites.

Next comes a three-part YouTube video interview Donald did with Michael Hyatt, CEO at Thomas Nelson.  Don, not to mention Michael, comes across as just a regular, very down-to-earth guy.  If you have dreams of being a writer some day, let Don inspire you to not let go of that dream.



Additionally, there’s this really cool video widget you may have seen me share a few weeks back if you’re a friend of mine on Facebook.  In addition to Facebook, it can be added to your blog’s sidebar, shared via Twitter and as many as a few dozen other places you might frequent online.

[clearspring_widget title=”Donald Miller: Million Miles Tour” wid=”4a71a0d82e788bc1″ pid=”4a9c7e6847e4d1f8″ width=”358″ height=”315″ domain=”widgets.clearspring.com”]

The widget also allows you to download and preview an audio chapter from the book.  If  you prefer, you can even listen right now by linking to my Chirbit profile.

Officially, tickets for Don’s Nashville appearance are set to go on sale from the 88.7 WAY-FM website beginning September 20th.  However, I’m toying with the idea of sneaking the ticket link out a little early either through our Facebook Page, our Twitter account, this blog or all three simultaneously.  Stay Tuned!

What are your thoughts on sneaking the ticket link out early via our social networking sites versus a more public “heads-up” on the air?

Filed under: Books, Publishing, Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

The Importance of Consumable Content

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Jeff

I read with great interest a recent post from one of my favorite social media bloggers, Chris Brogan, on USA Today, CNN Headline News and the world of bite-sized media.

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His observations of the two media giants won’t be revelatory to most media veterans, but they do serve as timely reminders.  Are you offering your content (your station’s, your blog’s, your label’s, your company’s) in bite-sized, consumable portions?  Or do you view doing so as bastardizing your business model?

The music industry, of course, has had no choice but to revisit the bite-sized model with the advent of the iPod.  No longer are long-form album projects the default purchase for a wider and wider swath of consumers.

For radio this means, among other things, taking advantage of more and more ways to distribute your content (be that podcasts, behind the scenes video from the studio or backstage at concerts, or wherever).   Furthermore, every break has to, from beginning to end, stand on its own.  If I’m new in town and just hearing your show for the first time, will I “get it” from the moment you open the mic, or feel like I’ve joined a conversation already in progress wondering what I missed?  If not, go back to the drawing board.  Study broadcast industry veterans like Tommy Kramer and John Frost for more.

For the publishing industry, the scenario is similar.  You must take advantage of newer and bolder ways to distribute content, as opposed to shunning those opportunities (including the Amazon Kindle and the iPhone).  One of my favorites to follow in the publishing industry is Michael Hyatt.  For more on his thoughts on where the publishing industry is going, check here.

As Chris Brogan puts it, “we’re trending more towards the short info.”  I’ll put it this way:

If you’re not ready or willing to adjust the way you distribute your content or product in order to meet the needs and desires of those consuming it, you will not last.

Filed under: Music Industry, Publishing, The Future of Radio | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »