I have been trying for the last year to write a OneNote book. (Old news, I know) After a flash of inspiration caused by a friendly comment, I have realized why this book hasn't been working.
Most books on computer applications tend to be step by step directions on how to use the software. I write that kind of book, and not too badly either. But for this book, that approach hasn't been working. What I was writing was coming out boring and unreadable. I wasn't having fun writing it and I knew it wasn't right.
After a discussion with the editor of the book, we have decided to take a new approach. I want your input. I want to know what you want in a OneNote book. I want to know what you want it called. I want to know what kind of book you are looking for. I want to know what you think!
Title ideas
The first thing I need from you, my loyal readers, is a potential title for the book. If you were looking for a book on OneNote, what would grab your attention enough to get you to buy it. The title of a book says a lot about what is inside it. Think of the series title for your favorite books, and you will see what I mean.
I want you to tell me what title a OneNote book should have. The title should be fairly brief. It should say something about what you want to learn from the book. It should also be catchy enough to earn a place in the brick and mortar stores. It should be open enough to interpretation that people will "get" the book from the title. Oh, and if it has a bit of humor in it, that would help too.
The content and the style
The problem with a OneNote book is that it doesn't seem to lend itself well to an existing series title. Step by step books are great for some programs. But OneNote doesn't need a step by step book. It needs a book that tells you what you can do with the program, how to get started with it, how to use it to organize your life, and how to keep it up. OneNote needs a book that will spark your interest and creativity. It needs to excite you about the opportunities OneNote provides and the different ways everyone can use it to save time, money, space, and so much more.
I also don't want to go to a series of essays on OneNote. That's covered by all of the great blogs that already exist. I don't think that is a book that the publishing house could sell to the book stores.
I do see this as more of a dip and dive book. I expect that people will read it to learn about how to improve their lives with OneNote and then later refer back to parts of it for more information.
I also see this book as a resource about what power toys are already out there and how people use them to make OneNote do exactly what they want. I think that there are already a set of tools that have proven themselves invaluable. Those definitely have a place in this book.
Finally, I see this book as having a wide audience. I don't see this as OneNote for the business person. I know that many users of OneNote can't live without it in classroom settings, home settings, and much more. Somehow that depth needs to come across too.
What do you think?
This is what I think. I want to know what you think. What do you want to see in a OneNote book? Are there things that need to be covered in a step by step manner? Would a series of case studies and implementation ideas be better? Would an electronic book be better than a printed one?
Comment here or email me. Let me know what you want to see. I am going to try to start over from scratch. Your opinions would help with that process greatly.
PS:
I know that there is a segment of the OneNote community that really wants a book on the API. I am not the person to write that book. Sorry.