Kontent is King

Chatting with a fellow from Toronto who had purchased Jon Severson's book, Delivered With Pride, a Pictorial History of the Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific Railroad, prompted some interesting memories. The Canadian railroad buff said that Jon's book, "Tells the story of a monumental task that took courage, hard work, and great ambition to accomplish."

I had to agree on two fronts. Not only does Jon's book illustrate the tremendous amount of ambition and hard work required to build a railroad through some of the most hostile terrain on the planet using technology that looks feeble by today's standards, the fact that the book is published and pleasing its many readers is a testimony to Jon's interest, professionalism, and determination to bring a fine, fine product to market.

The comment also lead me recall something that Pfeiffer-Hamilton publisher Don Tubesing once said to me: "No cry. No buy, Mike." He was saying that, in order to offer a contract to the author, and in order to invest the time and money required to bring a book to market, and in order to believe that a book is going to sell well enough to return a profit on said investment, the content had to move the reader emotionally.

I'm glad that Delivered With Pride does just that.

Signing Success!

Congrats to Jon Severson whose book Delivered With Pride made train-sized appearances at two Duluth, Minnesota bookstores this past weekend. Both Barnes & Noble and Northern Lights Books & Gifts sold through their in-store stock and Jon had to go out to his vehicle to get more books to meet the demand. This "DWP Book" as it is becoming known, looks like it may be a real locomotive. And you know what the means. It's hard to stop a train once it gets going.

DWP = Delighted With Product

A nice steady stream of orders are coming in for Jon Severson's book Delivered with Pride.

DWP= Don't Withhold Purchase.

DWP = Do Write (your) Pals about this great book.

DWP = Definitely Want Plenty (of books for gifts this Christmas).

DWP = Delighted With Purchase.

DWP = a Down Write Pretty book.

Send more DWP acronyms, if you would.

New Book Out NOW

Jon Severson's fantastic railroad book about the history of the Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railroad is now available. What a sweet book. Totally cool. 240 glossy pages of fantastic information, stories, photos, old newspaper articles, facts, and figures. And priced at only $24.95, it is a true value. Tell your pals about it, please.