Recently, I received an unexpected package containing a guidebook to six Spanish cities published by the Spanish consumer community 11870.com in honor of its second anniversary.
The attractive book is a “best of” directory quoting 11870.com of the restaurants, shops, and bars that generated the most discussion in the 11870.com community. What a good idea! There is also a digital version of the book available for free download here: http://11870.com/imprescindibles
I can think of many other communities with user-generated content that could be edited into useful books. For example:
- Sites with travel reviews and commentary
- Sites with book and movie reviews
- Recipe sites
- Creative writing sites
- Sites where users are sharing tips related to a specific hobby
- Sites where users are sharing advice on a specific life problem
- Sites where users are debating a topic (not too time-sensitive) of general interest.
I’m not thinking about a book that would necessarily be for commercial distribution. But why not follow the example of 11870.com? You can:
- Send the book as a gift to members to reward their contributions and increase their loyalty.
- Encourage members who create high-quality content by turning them into published authors (In 11870.com’s book, each review and photograph is credited with the author’s login name).
- Use the book as a viral marketing tool to promote your community.
If you decide to make a book out of your community’s content, you should consult with a legal counsel about copyright issues. 11870.com’s book is published under a Creative Commons license for non-commercial use.
