Success Manifesto

I've spent the last 12 hours planning the marketing campaign for The Student Success Manifesto (SSM). So far I've done so-so in terms of marketing. 60 people have downloaded free previews, 15 people have bought the book, and a little over 300 people are subscribed to the newsletter. Some milestones are:

1. July - Print paperback book using Lightning Source POD (me).
   
2. July - Finish the workbook (Sheena; biz partner/girl friend).
   
3. August - Complete planning system (me).
   
4. Summer - Publicize, learn, and improve ebook features (me).
   
5. Summer - Sell memberships to entrepreneurship clubs and teachers (Andrew Swan; Marekting/Membership Director)
   
6. Fall - Tour schools in NYC (Sheena and I).
   
7. Spring and on - Tour schools nationallly (Sheena and I).
   
8. Spring and on - Start (e)publishing other works by young adults for young adults on topics related to Extreme Entrepreneurship.
   

I invite your honest comments on anything that comes to mind or the following...

1. What are your thoughts on the book's concept?
   
2. What major hook do you think I could use to sell the book to high school and college students?
   
3. What are your thoughts on the sub-title of the SSM?
   
4. What are your thoughts on the web site?

   Posted by Michael Simmons at 10:39 PM | Permalink

Yesterday, I jumped out of a plane at 10,000 feet in the air (a.k.a. - I went sky diving).

It was definitely quite an experience. Have you ever stood close to the edge of a tall building and looked down? You know that feeling you get? The hardest part for me was sitting on the edge of the plane with my feet hanging over it and looking down. Once I was actually in free fall and parachuting, I felt more relaxed. (Note to self - Keep mouth closed when free falling if I don't want to feel light-headed).

I will post pictures on the site later this week hopefully.

Posted by Michael Simmons at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've come to believe that to be extra-ordinary, one must must not follow the paths that lead to being ordinary. In my life, I've gotten a large amount from following what I believed was right even if it was unconventaional. The three major examples of this are:

1. Starting a successful web development company when I was 16-years-old with no experience.

2. Moving in with my girl friend the summer after my freshman year at NYU, when we had only been dating for nine months.

3. Taking a semester off of school when practically everybody around me was urging me not too.

Posted by Michael Simmons at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Earlier today I was fooling around with Adobe Acrobat and I was amazed by some of the features and I'm surprised that some of them aren't more widely used in ebooks. Beyond improved navigation, mobility, instant access, and search capability, some features that are particularly exciting are:

1. Video - Embedded video clips allow you to watch the video directly from Adobe Acrobat. During the summer, I plan to add video clips of interviews with successful people into The Student Success Manifesto.

2. Sound - Sound has incredible potential to alter people's moods. It would be possible to embed sounds (ie - classical, house, hip-hop, etc.) depending on the part of the book the reader is at. Movies can use this feature brilliantly. Why not books? Perhaps artists will record sound tracks specifically for books in the future.

3. 3. Comment Sharing - If installed on a server, it would be possible for readers to leave comments (like a discussion board) about certain parts of the book, that other readers would have the option of seeing. In the past, books have mostly been centered around author-reader relationships. With this discussion board feature, readers can communicate with each other and add value to the content of the book.

4. Forms - It is possible for people to submit forms via ebooks. These forms could be used to collect personal information about the reader or to be submitted to other individuals. Later this summer, a workbook for The Student Success Manifesto will come out. We plan to intersperse activities throughout the ebook. As the reader fills out forms, the info could be stored in an online profile or submitted to close friends who can give feedback.
   

Posted by Michael Simmons at 09:22 PM | Permalink

Most people underestimate ebooks, and I guess I can't blame them. With all the hype from a few years ago, ebooks are still fairly unpopular. However, I should point out that the usage of ebooks is growing steadily and I believe they will continue to do so until they are mainstream, in a few years, for the two following reasons:

1. Cheaper and Rapidly Evolving Hardware and Software - The range of hardware that ebooks can be read on is increasing (desktops, laptops, PDAs, tablet pcs, ebook readers). The price of hardware is constantly dropping, the software is free, and both the hardware manufactures and software creators are constantly increasing the value-added with new releases.

2. Books Aren't Evolving - Books haven't really evolved that much for decades and I don't see anyway they could make an big jumps moving forward.

Posted by Michael Simmons at 09:02 PM | Permalink

For the past four years, my vision in life has been to make the largest, lasting, positive difference in the world that I could. I've found that pursuing this vision has been very inspirational.

Over the years I've made the realization that change is accomplished through networks of people and not just by single creative and dedicated individuals.

As such, I hope that this blog will help me create and manage a network of individuals who would like to further the vision of making a large, lasting, positive change in the world. I also hope that the ongoing story of "The Student Success Manifesto" will be an inspiration for others.

Posted by Michael Simmons at 11:51 AM | Permalink