So the word is out. I've sealed the deal on my next book, to be called "FREE". Here's how New York Magazine described it:
Long Tail Author Sells Next: Chris Anderson, author of much-cited paradigm-shifter The Long Tail, sells new book Free to Will Schwalbe at Hyperion. Agent is John Brockman. New title explores "the most radical price of all — zero — in the context of the economics of abundance." Times Magazine editors crack knuckles.
I actually have no idea what that last sentence means.
The book is due to be finished by mid-2008, for publication as soon after that as possible.
Here are some of the subtitles I've been kicking around:
1) FREE:
The story of a radical price (zero)
2) FREE: How $0.00 changed the world
3) FREE: How companies get rich by charging nothing
4) FREE: The economics of abundance and the marketplace without money
5) FREE: The past and future of a radical price.
I kind of like #5. What do you think?
#3 for me!
Posted by: dwlt | May 20, 2007 at 11:00 PM
what, are you telling me it won't be free!!!
Posted by: brian | May 20, 2007 at 11:03 PM
#3 for me too.
Brian - let's hope there'll be an online version we can read for free, a la 37Signals - Getting Real.
Posted by: N.Cauldwell | May 20, 2007 at 11:32 PM
How about a variation on 2 - FREE: How nothing changed the world
Posted by: Mark | May 20, 2007 at 11:33 PM
I'd go for 4. I guess that "economics of abundance" is an important concept in your book.
Posted by: Ronald | May 20, 2007 at 11:33 PM
is the contraction of 3, How to Get Rich by Charging Nothing, too obvious?
See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracking_joints
Something you said?
Posted by: Gary | May 20, 2007 at 11:51 PM
Companies have to learn how to give. And for someone trying to make a profit, the word "giving" sound insane.
We are throwing around ideas about this in our blog: www.strategyofgiving.com. (Sorry, currently only in finnish)
We think giving creates a motion in the reciever. If a company adopts a Strategy of Giving it will have to learn how to give. But more importantly it will have to learn how to redirect the motion it has created.
Posted by: Miikka Leinonen | May 20, 2007 at 11:53 PM
I like #3 because it sounds kind of paradoxical and thus grabs your attention.
Posted by: steve | May 20, 2007 at 11:54 PM
Definitely 2.
$0.00 is just too powerful a mark to be left out of the title.
Posted by: Dane Cao | May 21, 2007 at 12:00 AM
I would also prefer a variation of 2#: How zero bucks changed the world
Posted by: Felix | May 21, 2007 at 12:15 AM
Call it what you like, as long as you mention Girl Genius. But then, I don't think you need me to tell you that!
Posted by: Shaye Horwitz | May 21, 2007 at 12:16 AM
If I come up with a better one, I want a free copy of "FREE":
* Abundance and the cost of not charging nothing. (hmm...double negative)
* Why the right price is the lowest
* Never be undersold again
* Why the 5 cent lemonade stand is a thing of the past
Incidentally, it may not be your line, but I'd be wary of describing free as "the ultimate price". It immediately reminded me of soldiers making "the ultimate sacrifice", which isn't exactly a desirable connection to draw for a business book.
Posted by: Darren | May 21, 2007 at 12:27 AM
Depends on who your audience is:
Mass market - #3. Needs no explanation and makes your curious.
Your existing audience - #5. They are already half educated in your thinking so they will get the "radical price" concept. Also, they are probably people who think in terms of "future and past".
Posted by: David Koopmans | May 21, 2007 at 12:54 AM
Chris
I prefer #3.
I assume that you include the economics of multi-sided markets in your new tome. Recent research suggests that there may be scope for actually paying customers to become involved in such markets, even if they don't actually buy anything.
Graham Hill
Independent CRM Consultant
Interim CRM Manager
Posted by: Graham Hill | May 21, 2007 at 01:04 AM
Reminds me of the old Yippee's (oh dear, my roots are showing...) slogan
It's free because it's yours.
Nice to interconnect it with the idea of the social...
Posted by: Tommy Weir | May 21, 2007 at 01:10 AM
#3 by a mile. The others aren't even close..
Posted by: Jeff Atwood | May 21, 2007 at 01:18 AM
Congrats, Chris!
I kinda like #3 myself.
Posted by: Jeremy Zawodny | May 21, 2007 at 01:24 AM
Actually... You might find this relevant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steal_This_Book
From Abbie Hoffman one of the Yippee's founders
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_International_Party
Oh that was a laugh looking back at all that. The followers have a website now...
http://www.stealthiswiki.org/
What newspaper had the recent headline: "the Hippies were right, green power, organic food, computers are cool"...
Posted by: Tommy Weir | May 21, 2007 at 01:25 AM
How about "FREE: How nothing changed the world"?
Posted by: Tony Leach | May 21, 2007 at 01:43 AM
Ok with the title .... but the price will be 0$ too ?
Posted by: Lovny | May 21, 2007 at 02:05 AM
Number 3 will sell more copies, but number 5 is a nicer title (from a writerly point of view) :)
Posted by: Lisa | May 21, 2007 at 02:29 AM
You're probably already aware of his work, but Mike Masnick over at Techdirt has been doing an excellent series of articles on this very topic. Here's the recap/summary.
Posted by: Mark Murphy | May 21, 2007 at 03:22 AM
I like number 3 too. Maybe "get rich" could be changed to "thrive" or some other synonym if that is the sticking point.
Best of luck with your new book!
Posted by: Colm Ryan | May 21, 2007 at 03:25 AM
How about "Free changes everything"
Posted by: Marcel | May 21, 2007 at 03:45 AM
I like #3 the best as well. It is so completely the opposite of the huge numbers that are usually thrown around in the press that it makes a vast point all on its own.
Posted by: Clarence Fisher | May 21, 2007 at 03:57 AM