The document discusses an agile publishing model developed by Sourcebooks, Inc. that aims to be more reader-centric, efficient, supportive of authors, and timely. It involves developing content based on reader needs through a community network of users and creators. The model emphasizes starting with the customer experience, gathering feedback, iteratively developing modularized content, and experimenting to build what readers want. It also aims to better support authors financially and with marketing/sales. An example project to develop and publish the book "Entering the Shift Age" using this agile model is described.

1. Agile Publishing Model
version 2012
Tools of Change
February 2012
Dominique Raccah
Sourcebooks, Inc.

2. Where we started:
developing reader (user)-
centric models ~
based on your key verticals

3. Which means…
developing a publishing
roadmap: based on your
reader’s needs

4. “You’ve got to start with the
customer experience and work
back toward the technology —
not the other way around.”
—Steve Jobs, May 1997

5. community network
publishing model

6. community network
publishing model
community of users & content
creators (with no strict barriers
between the two)
and growing collection of content

7. community network
publishing model
1. Community will give you feedback on how to package/format
your content
2. Iterate what content should be
3. Content format will evolve to better fit the community
4. Community will connect through your content
5. Community may add content to your content
6. More than just print format. How when where content is
consumed
7. Community itself also becomes content
8. Content will become more modularized to better fit specific
user/reader’s needs
9. Pricing will evolve through the model

9. A model for experimentation:
From The Lean Startup

10. more efficiently build what
your readers (users)
actually want

11. Trademark/ Licensing &
Accounting;
Copyright protection Administration Positioning
Royalties
Cultural Filter Content
Development
Physical & Digital Copyedit and
Warehousing Proofread
what
book publishers do Content Design
Physical Distribution
Creation of content
Digital Distribution portable files
Printing/ Author branding &
Manufacturing career development
Trade Shows Niche community
building
PR, Marketing
and Advertising Creative Partner
Retail Marketing eCommerce
and Sales Administration

12. Author frustration during
publishing handoff

13. Support authors:
1. Financially

14. Support authors:
2. By creating better work

15. Support authors:
3. Providing marketing & sales
in addition to their
own/beyond their own scope

16. Better author experience?

17. Problem 3 - timeliness
How do you
publish a
futurist?

18. O’Reilly TOC
webinar

20. Agile Publishing Model – 3 goals
1. More efficient (successful product
development faster)
2. Better author experience
3. More timely/updated books

21. Agile Publishing Model
• We’ll be using the APM to develop
and publish the book Entering the
Shift Age by David Houle
• The APM will be dynamic and
changing
• Right now we see 6 initial guiding principles that
could be useful as we start building the APM
with the community

22. Agile Publishing Framework
1) It’s about creating a conversation between the
author and reader.
2) The author leads the content creation.
3) The APM is useful for expert-based authors.
4) It’s about creating a partnership between the author
and reader.
5) The author has support from the publisher.
6) The APM is a dynamic model that is open and
receptive to change.

23. Agile Publishing Framework
Join the conversation!
www.enteringtheshiftage.com

24. Agile Publishing Framework– 1st steps
1. Content delivery input
2. Pricing models survey
3. New content in 3 stages
4. What do readers actually do/use?
5. Preorders?

25. Let’s talk…