Trust

on August 27, 2010 in Uncategorized | 10 Comments »

A number of people at the festival expressed an intention to blog about the Honesty Edition and I even had one lady tell me that she was from the BBC and would be in touch (nothing yet).

The following is a link to the first that I know who actually followed through. I like the fact that it comes out of left field – a post about using trust in the voluntary sector.

The festival is coming to an end and I am moving to a different phase as I await the results.

Over the next week, I will write a number of articles and dip my toe in the media waters and certain key blogs I follow and admire. No idea how that will work but if the interest on the ground is reflected online, I can but hope.

Interlude In The Rain

on August 23, 2010 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

It is raining – no – it is pouring down. While I have no problems standing with an umbrella all day, it is pointless because the streets are virtually empty and the few people who do pass, do so at a pace with their head down. So, I take the day off, secretly pleased for the chance to take a breather, to catch up with a hundred little things such as answering mail and writing this blog entry.

There are so many anecdotes to write about that it is difficult to know where to start so I’ll stick with a few that might shed light on where this project is going. In truth, it will be weeks before the tea-leaves begin to settle and at least another month after that to start drawing conclusions. In my early market research, it was six weeks between giving out the books to calling in the results.

In the past two weeks, I have given out over 1,500 copies. The next month or two will be nail-biting. In my early summer experiments, I received twice the payments needed to call success. If that scales at the festival, I will be euphoric. Will the city pay its dues? Have I learned the lessons of those early experiments, or is my approach flawed? All I have to go on is the immediate reaction on the streets and that has been overwhelmingly positive.

On Thursday, a young man dropped by to tell me that he had read the book overnight and really enjoyed it. He was to be paid next day and would return then. This he did, paying the full price. At various times during the week, people passed by and called out that they were 20 pages or half-way through the book and gripped by it or captivated or some other wonderful descriptor.

Some have also paid online already and I am extremely grateful to those speedy and honest readers.

In starting such a journey, you leave yourself open to happenstance and unexpected results. One surprise lies at the door of Laggan Cottage and the wonderful people who have passed there in the past few weeks. For those unaware of the place, the cottage was the inspiration for Creggan in Book One (and shown in the video a few entries above this one). Its owner, Charles Fforde, allowed me to use the cottage for the past couple of months to conduct one of the experiments I alluded to earlier. When I left for Edinburgh, I placed a plastic trunk (designed to hold children’s toys) outside and taped a label to it announcing that it was an honesty box. I put over a hundred copies inside, inviting people to help themselves under the terms of The Honesty project.

Although it sits miles from any road in an isolated part of a quiet island off the opposite coast of Scotland, a number of passers-by in Edinburgh stopped to tell me that they had picked a copy up from Laggan! The first to do so was a lovely lady called Bernice (Belgian). She and seven other walkers had each taken a copy and every one of them had paid for it on the spot by placing the money inside the box! I did not ask for this. Indeed the instructions (I hope) clearly said that people could just help themselves and pay later if they enjoyed it. Bernice also told me that there was already a lot of money in the box from previous visitors. The next day I got a call from a friend who told me the same and that he had emptied it on my behalf. A few days later, four separate emails (Jane, Kathy, Mike and Sheila) each told me that books were disappearing and money was deposited in return.

I genuinely did not expect or design that experiment for such a result, but I’m truly grateful to all those involved. There are a number of lessons right there. I do worry that someone might pay for a book they subsequently don’t enjoy but that worry is tempered by the marvellous generosity of spirit on display from all concerned.

I had a fun argument with an amazing character yesterday – a young man called Adam. Adam trades his own art in the same lane I am distributing my books from (to the east of the National Gallery in Edinburgh). He lives in a tree house. I have not seen it yet but am told that you can dispel your preconceptions. This building is not a shabby refuge but a real home built by a remarkable person who weaves his own path through life. Adam wanted to pay for the book on the spot but I refused, telling him that he needed to read it first to make sure it was worth it. I have had this discussion many times and only occasionally accept the offer after explaining that it is not required. In this case, Adam was insistent and I gave in. This is the second time at the festival I’ve lost that argument (another to a Canadian gent and his lovely daughter) but get offered money all the time. Any real businessman would be appalled.

The other artists and traders around me are among a rare breed. I should be out of my comfort zone but everyone is so generous and helpful that it makes the experience a real joy. I am surrounded by a microcosm populated by people from Peru, France, Guatemala, Israel, Mexico, Spain and even Scotland. Edinburgh during the festival has to be experienced to be believed. Thousands of shows and over 40,000 performances. The energy on the streets is matched by the smiling faces of thousands having fun.

Meeting some friends to see a movie from a French director. The film is called The Illusionist and is an adult animation set in Scotland (and in particular, Edinburgh). Looking forward to switching off for a while.

Honesty

on August 13, 2010 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

It appears that I might have hit on something deeply felt. I designed The Honesty Edition as it is because I sincerely believe that most people are honest. I also believe in my work and that is why I am making it jump the highest bar. So many things have to come together to make the book a success that it sometimes seems an impossible task.

Even so, listening to and watching the reaction of those hearing the details for the first time, I realise that I am not alone. So many good things are happening that I cannot help but feel extremely positive.

I am a long way from knowing the outcome of the project but all these little kindenesses build up and if I was to measure success in goodwill, I would be wealthy.

I am about to crawl into the back of the van to sleep a happy sleep.

The Book Festival starts tomorrow. Can’t wait.

More Books

on August 10, 2010 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

The forecast was for rain today, so I’m using the time to head West for more books. I’ve distributed 600 in the last three days. Exhausting, but fun.

To anyone commenting on this blog… Please forgive me if I’m slow to respond. While I can check using my mobile, answering comments seems to be beyond it. I am on the go from around 5am until after 10pm and then sleep in my van just outside Edinburgh. It could be a week or more before I get access to a real Net connection (each time I duck out to restock).

To everyone sending me good wishes and stopping to talk, to those who have taken a book on trust and to all of you who get what this is about – Thank you.

Brilliant!

on August 8, 2010 in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Two brilliant days.

I started distributing The Honesty Edition in the centre of Edinburgh yesterday morning and continued today. Both days have been exhausting – clocking on at 5am and then 6am -and finishing at 10 pm.

People have been fantastic and the response has been amazing. In the two days, I’ve probably talked to around 700 people in small groups at a time. Over that period, I’ve distributed almost 500 books and thrilled at how people seem to love the idea and also the sound of the story. There are too many anecdotes to recount right now and I’m so tired that I must go to sleep. I’ll give more detail in the next post.

Edinburgh

on August 5, 2010 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

For the past two days, I have been sowing seeds; putting flyers in the most popular pubs in the centre of Edinburgh. A sensible person would not have had a sip of beer, but I have been in the wilderness for weeks and the lure of the city was too much. My excuse to myself was that I was working, but excuses are no less pitiful for their plausibility.

The next day I felt terrible – not sick, but low. As I walked around town, trying to figure out the best way to do this, the enormity of the task seemed to grow with each step and I found myself wondering if I was up to it. Don’t get me wrong, when you try the impossible, you are a fool if you are frightened of failure. But here, as Edinburgh shakes its crusty, magisterial cloak and puts on its artsy, vibrant, funny, fun, dangerous, delicious, courageous and outrageous warpaint, the streets and bars and stages come alive with performers, the buzz surrounding them filling the air with something close to magic. The energy is contagious. And yet, yesterday, all I saw was the mountain and my own inadequacies. It was enough to drive you to drink – to seek courage in the pub, to tear down the inhibitions and join the party.

Instead, I drove to the outskirts of town, put on my running kit and did something I’ve not done for over 30 years – I ran up a mountain. Now, this mountain is really a hill (1600 ft) and to call my gasping, wheezy effort a run is an insult to runners, but still, I wanted to die. I did it again tonight and I’ll keep doing it each night to put some fire into my belly and remind myself to fight for the prize.

The thought of failure does not worry me but the thought of failure without trying does. The hurdles are all lined up. They are just as high as they were on that first day and yet I want to run at them.

I’m ready.

Leaving Laggan

on July 30, 2010 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

I am days away from taking the Honesty Project to the Edinburgh Festival. This is it. This is when I get to see if honesty scales. Laggan Cottage was more successful than I dared hope for. People do pay. I am humbled by the number of readers who kindly jump the barriers I’ve put in their way. Think about it: You finish a book. You enjoyed it. Instead of moving on, you pause, go back to the beginning and read the instructions again. You get the chequebook, write it out and address the envelope, find or buy a stamp and go out to put the payment in the mail. Others choose to settle online and go out of their way to do so and, easy as paying by sms is, that method of payment is still an extra step that goes against the natural order of things. And yet people do – enough of them that, if I can scale it up, by this time next month everything I’ve worked for will start to take root.

Before Laggan, it was all theory. Now it is fact. I was told by so many well-meaning individuals that what I was doing was crazy – that the world is populated by the lazy and dishonest, that there would never be enough who would take the time and trouble to jump through those hoops when no one was watching them. I admit that there are still a million ways to fail. I never take anything for granted. At Laggan, I would sometimes go for days without seeing anyone but in Edinburgh – at the festival – there will be thousands within shouting distance every minute of the day. I will be a small voice in a sea of talent. I could be ignored, the book lost amidst a cacophony of art screaming for attention. The average age of the crowd will be younger. Is that good? Bad? Do they still read? Will they get it?

I will soon know. The aim is to roll out Dreamwords in the thousands over the coming weeks, to talk to as many readers as possible, to find out if the microcosm of Edinburgh in August is full of enlightened art-lovers or if the very remoteness of Laggan lent itself to self-select honest people that would enjoy the book.

Soon.

The View From Laggan

on June 25, 2010 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

It always amazes me that I can update my blog from Laggan Cottage. The signal reaches out across the sea from the Ayrshire coast or from the Isle of Bute – I’m not sure which. Over the hill – in Downtown Lochranza – reception is terrible, so it is a minor miracle that the remote location at Laggan has 3G.

That said, I am constantly frustrated by being unable to post images. I was going to take this time to do so now, but have used most of it to compile a video in an effort to repay the owner of the Cottage for his kindness. I will likely make changes to it, but the following clip is a compilation of some of the time I’ve spent here in the past few weeks with a view to letting people know about Laggan Cottage – the inspiration for Creggan in the book. Don’t forget to expand to full screen (bottom right icon) and ensure that HD is on. Enjoy:


A Puzzle

on June 15, 2010 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Yesterday was the quietest day yet. It’s the middle of June and the weather is glorious. I was talking to Mark, a guy I had the pleasure to meet walking along the coast and was so engrossed in our conversation that I did not notice that no-one had come by all day until he had wandered into the sunset. I do not worry about quiet days despite the fact that there are no ‘customers’ for the book. It gave me a chance to paint the door on the cottage and to think about the plan ahead.

I’ve yet to decide, but at the moment feel that the Edinburgh Festival beckons in August. For sheer enjoyment, I should stay put, but the Festival should come a close second. Lack of people will not be an issue in Edinburgh. The only thing that gives me pause is that, in throwing the Honesty Edition to thousands of festival-goers, I may be able to distribute a good percentage of them in a four week period, but there is no way I could get the same level of enthusiastic response that I get here. Or could there? That’s the problem, I really don’t know. If I stay on Arran and it remains quiet, I miss the chance of being in Edinburgh in August and if I go to Edinburgh, push out the rest of the books and the results are poor, I’ve blown the whole project.

I won’t stand frozen in the headlights and I will act, but there are a few weeks yet to form a plan. If I do go, I will face certain challenges. After being here for a number of weeks I’ve spoken to hundreds of people. From these conversations, I’m convinced that I need to speak to each reader as they take a book (even if he or she is just part of a group). That appears to be a key criteria. To do this, I’ll need a static location where I can unload a thousand copies each day, stake my claim to it and give the books to those who are willing to agree to the honesty conditions. Now, during the festival, there are countless street performers and if I was busking or doing something that would allow me to move on at a moment’s notice, I doubt I’d have a problem. But I can’t do that and a thousand books is a heck of an obstruction. I’m on my own and while I could recruit family and friends for various days, a month is too much to rely on anyone except myself. Along with the all-or-nothing nature of being there, this is a potential killer that has me stumped for the moment.

I love a challenge!

Three Weeks

on June 4, 2010 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

I have been here over three weeks now. Early signs are good. The reaction from people I meet continues to be enthusiastic and, although it is far too early to draw conclusions, it looks like I will make my target long before I expected to. Perhaps it will hit a wall or perhaps it will continue to build and build as I meet and talk to people and continue to distribute the books.I hope for the latter but try to keep my expectations in check. Time will tell.

I am now in the cottage, courtesy of Mr Charles Fforde. Charles owns (and is the enthusiastic custodian of) the land surrounding Laggan and the cottage itself. Despite my vandalism of his coastline to fit the fiction of the book and despite one of my characters (inadvertently) stealing his first name, he has been extremely kind and supportive of what I’m doing.

Laggan Cottage was the inspiration for Creggan and staying there is a real treat. Being so remote, no-one passes here by accident. Most come from far-flung places and many have a close and ongoing affinity with the place. This adds to the buzz that the book seems to generate and if it gains a fraction of the success of its reception, this part of the experiment will soar.

As an aside, spending so long in such a beautiful area means that I cannot help but find myself close to some of the wildlife here. I’ve filmed seagulls attack an eagle, sea otters play at my feet, dolphins fish a pebble-throw from my front door and seals bask on rocks close enough to count their freckles.

All this and yet I cannot attach images when posting with my mobile. I must be missing something obvious and with luck, I’ll find a way.

Until then, I’ll continue to paint a picture of the ongoing adventure with words.