Seth Godin Says We Are All Weird

September 21, 2011 by

Seth Godin has a new book out. Yeah, we know; it does seem like every time you look up, he has a new book out.

For those of you who don’t know Godin, he’s a New York Times bestselling author and speaker (well, now publisher too) who writes about marketing, innovation and ideas. His thoughts are both revered and rejected.

Here’s how he describes the new book We Are All Weird: “It’s about a new truth, something previously unexamined, appreciated or named. The bell curve is spreading, normal isn’t what it used to be and the age of mass is over.”

He says he’s only printing 11,000 copies, so Godin fans must act quickly before it sells out. But of course, there’s also a Kindle edition.

We interviewed Godin earlier this year about his new publishing venture The Domino Project, which he hopes will revolutionize the industry. So we thought it was appropriate to rerun what he had to say. Enjoy. Debate.

The Q with Seth Godin

The Q: What impact will new publishing initiatives like The Domino Project have on readers and our larger reading culture?

The A: I think that books have a mystical power; they are the knockout punch of idea spreading in our culture. Movies reach more people; TV is always on; but books change lives. I don’t think that’s going to change for another ten years.

So the question on the table is: How does a book get to a reader? The answer isn’t “book review,” nor is it “indy bookstore.” The answer is enhanced word-of-mouth and the viral spread of e-books and books that are easy to share.

The book lovers aren’t going to lose their books tomorrow. How can we make it more likely books get to everyone else?

DEEPER DIVE
Listen to a 25-minute rant by Seth Godin about the future of publishing.

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