Crowdsourcing a Book Deal.

I’m looking for a Publisher or a Literary Agent. Can anyone connect me?

I’ve just launched The Work Project. It’s an experiment on disrupting the structures around work, where I’m the subject. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be insightful, it’s also going to be a challenge. I’ll write a book about it.

In line with the project and its complete openness, here’s a sub-experiment.

Can I crowdsource a Publishing deal or a Literary Agent?

My personality is out there for all to see via Social Media, as is my writing style and the topics I like to write about. Surely it’s far more prudent for Agents and Publishers to take that into account and start a conversation, than wait for the standard email submission and then have to wade through a heavy inbox?

The Work Project book will be a made up of few elements:

• Project Diary – The main narrative. The story of The Work Project and my meanderings through it.
• Insights – The findings, problems, case studies it creates.
• People – The people I meet on the way.
• Thoughts – Brief, bitesize concepts, learnings, ideas and challenges for the reader.

It’s my belief that we all spend a lot of our lives at work, but not many of us ever stop to question it. While the project itself will throw up ideas and themes to explore from a workplace research and employer perspective, this will be the accessible Airport book, rather than a business tome.

It’s a chance to grab people’s attention in an enjoyable way and through my grapplings with the notion of ‘work,’ make everyone think a little about what work means to them (and what they’re doing with their lives!).

Light-hearted and human…

I received some amazing advice from a published author recently.

Because it’s about more than just writing the book (there’s a whole strategy that goes with it), it’s best to start a relationship with the publisher as early as possible.

I’m only just starting out on The Work Project, but if I start that relationship now, it will help shape the project and may even contribute to the direction in some way. There’s also the matter of the book I’m already working on. If you’d like to chat, I’ll tell you about that too…

If you happen to be a Publisher or Literary Agent who has come this far, let’s talk. If you’re not a Publisher or Literary Agent, then thanks for taking the time, I really appreciate it. If I can ask for one last favour — please share this idea and let’s see if we can cause a little disruption!

Anyone can contact me about anything to do with The Work Project via @AndySwann or www.iamtheworkproject.com.