The Sketchnote Handbook: Update 15 - Good News All Around

I'VE BEEN HEADS DOWN, working hard at getting The Sketchnote Handbook sent to reviewers, communicating with readers and appearing on podcasts these last few weeks. I've wanted to provide an update here, and now I have enough new information to share an update with you.

Before I get into the good news about book sales and impact, I want to share two podcast appearances I've had on the 5by5 Network in a single week — one on Mac Power Users and another on Systematic.

Mac Power Users Episode 120 with David Sparks and Katie Floyd

David was one of my early review copy recipients of the book, so when he got the book and applied the concepts to his own workflow, he was very interested in having me on the show. David, Katie and I had a great time talking about sketchnoting and note-taking in general.

Mac Power Users #120: Taking Notes with Mike Rohde (1:42)

Systematic Episode 27 with Brett Terpstra

Brett Terpstra's podcast, Systematic was my second podcast appearing this week Tuesday, and we too had a great time talking UX design, drawing, sketchnotes and note-taking. I was also able to share 3 favorite picks with Brett, two of which were coffee related.

Systematic #27: Mike Rohde, Master of Note Sketching (1:10)

Sales Update

I'm learning that book sales are initially pretty nebulous and that real numbers take a while to filter in. I suppose that's to be expected with a physical object, spread around the world. I've learned that the estimated sales data from the launch on November 30 through December 31, 2012: 1,300 books sold.

Since I have no context of good or bad, I had no idea what to think of that number, until both the Peachpit team and my literary agent told me that sales number is pretty darn good! I think the even better news is that The Sketchnote Handbook appears to be what they call an "evergreen" title in the business — not tied to software versions or changes in other ways — so that it continues to sell, month after month. I love that.

The second bit of good news about the book is that the Video Edition (with a video streaming code) has been sold out at Peachpit.com and they've ordered another run of that edition.

Of course, not all 3,000 of those books are "sold" as many are stock shipped to Barnes & Noble or Amazon for reselling. Still, it's really good news when a book sells out and must have reprints created.

I can't wait to sell out of the regular edition!

Positive Amazon Reviews

On the more good news front, the book continues to do very well with reviews on Amazon. As of this writing there are 47 reviews on the US site (40 are 5-star), 6 reviews on the UK site (all 6 are 5-star) and 1 new 5-star review on the German book page.

These reviews are so critical for sales and interest in the book, that I'm always asking people to leave reviews on Amazon (even if you didn't buy the book there). It impacts bestseller status at Amazon, so if you love the book and haven't yet added your review — please take 5 minutes and add one now.

Viral, Word of Mouth Effects

Something you hope for with a book, but can't predict, are how viral it can become. We did our best to create a cool book that feels great and looks great, with great content — but you never know how that will impact readers. Well, preliminary feedback suggests The Sketchnote Handbook has gone a little viral.

The best book I have gotten this year! @rohdesign you rock! instagr.am/p/UIEDhUtp0a/

— Joan Højberg (@Aylizia) January 6, 2013

I flat out *love* @rohdesign's book. And I don't care who knows it. Beautiful at every turn. instagr.am/p/UFObMzAvxu/

— Craig Dennis (@craigmdennis) January 5, 2013

Got "The Sketchnote Handbook" from @rohdesign, and it's now on my list of canonical design books. Reminds me of "Understanding Comics."

— Dave Seah (@daveseah) December 21, 2012

@rohdesign - I gotta to tell you I REALLY love the SketchNote Handbook!!! As a notetaker and @moleskine lover the book is just perfect!

— Oliver Asis (@olasis) December 13, 2012

I'm pleased to see people on Twitter or in email spontaneously writing me about the book. Very often those notes include stories of showing their copies of the book to other people, who get excited and buy their own copies. In one case, a copy of the book made its way to a co-working space in Brighton and has been making the rounds with the artists and others in the building.

@iansanders Great post. My friend @lizzieeverard gave me the Sketchnote Handbook for Xmas - it's brilliant isn't it: amazon.co.uk/Sketchnote-Han…

— Sonja Jefferson (@SonjaJefferson) January 7, 2013

@rohdesign So glad Mike, and well deserved. We work in a creative community @_spikeisland in Bristol. Your book is doing the rounds!

— Sonja Jefferson (@SonjaJefferson) January 8, 2013

It's very exciting to hear that the book sells itself in readers' hands. I couldn't have hoped for a better reception or word of mouth sharing.

Kindle Issues - Almost There (I Hope)

Not all of the news is good, in particular issues with the Kindle edition on iPad.

The Kindle version issues have been tougher to solve than I think anyone expected them to be. I worked with the Peachpit team to created some modified documents to help troubleshoot the issues, and hopefully that will identify and rectify the problems we're seeing.

I'm pretty sure the issue is only affecting Kindle Reader on the iPad, as I was able to see the entire document on Kindle Reader for the Mac. If you have the Kindle edition on a Kindle Fire or Android Tablet, I would love to hear your feedback. Right now we have the Kindle book pulled while we resolve the issue - hopefully soon. I apologize for this and appreciate your patience.

More to Come

I have more posts in store — one about the events I have lined up for the next several months, one about the workshop I'm exploring and a third post about the sketchnote typeface status. As I'm catching up from everything going on, I will write and post those here, so keep an eye out!

Thanks again for your support everyone. I couldn't do this without you.

Mike

The Sketchnote Handbook: Update 14 - Maintaining The Momentum

THE SKETCHNOTE HANDBOOK will be 30 days old on Sunday. It's hard to believe almost a month has passed since the book was released. In that month, the book has been well received and is getting some great Amazon reviews.

To understand how to maintain the momentum of the launch, I've documented my observations, so I know what to emphasize going forward:

The Physical Book Experience

The paper version of the book is impactful. I've heard report after report from buyers and reviewers that the combination of heavy cover stock, fingerprint-resistant coating, rounded corners, cream-colored matte paper with orange and black inks make a great impression.

Peachpit editors Nikki, Katerina and I had the feeling these elements would work well together, but we never really knew until they were brought to life in the actual book. Lots of credit for the details goes to the Peachpit team — I am very thankful for their guidance on the printed book.

LESSON: don't forget the physical experience of a project. How a thing feels and looks can have a huge impact on the person interacting with it. This suggests I should strongly recommend the physical book over the digital versions, because the physical object is so integrated with the book's message.

Clear, Encouraging Ideas

Having a great looking book which also shared a clear, encouraging message about sketchnoting was another key goal. The effort put into making sure that sketchnoting was approachable by non-artists is paying off. I've heard stories of readers who didn't feel artistic, giving sketchnoting a shot because of the approach and examples made drawing approachable and easy.

I intentionally repeated the encouraging message of "you can do this" throughout the book and video (which drove my editors nutty). But I felt that unless this message was repeated over and over at different points through the book, it wouldn't be strong enough to encourage non-artists.

LESSON: work hard to communicate your message clearly. It may feel repetitive, but constant reassurance might be just what someone experiencing the work needs. This also clarifies the core group to focus the book toward are regular, non-artists who want a way to become more visual.

Embrace Emerging Customers

In the last month, I've discovered groups I wasn't anticipating would dig the book so much. The first group — kids. At the launch party several kids were excited to be at the event to learn sketchnoting techniques and my own 10 year old son immediately grabbed an early copy and claimed it for his own.

I've had personal experiences showing the book to a variety of kids and in every case they immediately gravitated to the book and wanted a copy of their own. In fact, Nathan brought his own copy of the book to school and several of his friends and teachers wanted a copy!

Teachers also seem very interested in sketchnoting, because they see their students having a new way to engage in the topics they're learning. I've heard positive feedback from grade school through college educators and am excited about opportunities to positively impact both students and teachers.

Finally, I saw how much physician Bryan Vartabedian loved the book in a review on his blog. His perspective was that of a pediatrician explaining concepts to young patients and parents. His review has generated quite the discussion in the comments of the article.

LESSON: be open to readers of all kinds and embrace those you aren't expecting might love and resonate with your work. Knowing how much kids, students, teachers and physicians are embracing the book's ideas encourages me to reach out to those groups more intentionally.

Momentum Focus for 2013

I'm trying to find ways to keep The Sketchnote Handbook momentum going, using the observations above and opportunities that are opening up now that the book has launched. Here are a few I can share:

Amazon Reviews

Amazon reviews are a huge benefit to my book. They determine how buyers see and consider the book and can influence how books appear on Amazon bestseller lists. If you've bought The Sketchnote Handbook, please take 5 minutes to post an Amazon review. As of this writing there are 30 5-star reviews. I would love to add yours.

Remember: you do not have to buy the book at Amazon to leave a review.

Speaking and Presenting

I'm lining up several events to present at, including Portland Oregon in mid-February, San Antonio and Austin Texas (SXSW) in mid-March, Judson College in Chicago in early April and a few more (including Minneapolis/St. Paul) in the pipeline. More details here as they are finalized.

The Sketchnote Workshop

Still in the early stages, I'm seriously considering a Sketchnote Workshop in Chicago, for 100-150 people in May or June of 2013. I'm working on a venue, speaker and presenters and a curriculum that builds on the book, since I think attendees will have already bought and read the book.

If I decide to do a workshop, I'll write about it here on my blog and on Twitter as well, so stay tuned. If you are interested in an advanced techniques sketchnote workshop in Chicago this summer — let me know!

The Sketchnote Podcast

We've already released the first of 10 podcasts at Peachpit.tv and have 8 of the 10 already shot and in production. We plan on releasing those every 2 weeks, starting in January 2013. You can subscribe to these video podcasts so you're alerted when new ones appear. We're also publishing these to YouTube.

Sketchnote Fonts

In 2013 I plan to finalize and add items to the font family I created with the help of my friend Delve Withrington of Delve Fonts. We're aiming to release a family of body and headline typefaces in the spring of the year — I want to perfect the characters and add some fun dingbats. More here when those are released.

Thanks!

A big thank you to all who have bought and mentioned the book. It's your hard work that's helping The Sketchnote Handbook reach those who may not hear of it another way. Keep sharing the book and if you haven't left an Amazon review yet, please add yours to the list!

The Sketchnote Handbook: Update 13 - Launch Party, Video Preview and Press Mentions

ON A COLD DECEMBER NIGHT, I stepped to the front of a room full of people at The Sketchnote Handbook launch party, amazed to see the turnout for my book.

  
  

In the back of the room, a table was lined with crock pots of soup (Aga Artka's Pickle Soup was a hit), fresh bread, Milwaukee Brewing Company beer, water and sweet treats. At the front of the room, I and Len Kendall presented an evening of sketchnoting fun for 60+ people at Translator.

After an hour of mingling and signing books, I kicked off the evening with words of welcome and a brief drawing lesson for the crowd. Len Kendall took the floor after me, sharing his story of using social media to propose to his girlfriend Katie. Many captured sketchnotes while Len presented.

We ended the night having volunteers come up to share their sketchnotes with the group, using my connected iPad as a document camera. It was great fun for everyone on Thursday night.

Thank you Mark, Cindi and Katie at Translator for making everything so easy.

The Sketchnote Handbook: Video 2 (Overview)

Just last week we were able to get video 2 from the 20-part, 70 minute video edition released for the public to see. I love this, because it introduces the video and shows tidbits of the entire series:

I think this preview shows why The Video Edition is a great value.

Press Mentions and Interviews

The Sketchnote Handbook is being very well received. I've read many positive tweets from those who have received a copy as Amazon began shipping their stock on Friday. The book printing and paper have exceeded my expectations, and I think readers notice those details too. It's exciting!

There have been a bunch of great interviews, articles and podcasts around the book launch, so I've gathered those here in one convenient place. Eventually I'll create a press page for the book where media mentions will live.

BOOK REVIEWS:

The Sketchnote Handbook: A brilliant new guide to visual note taking
Chuck Frey, The Mindmapping Software Blog

The Sketchnote Handbook
Ben Brooks, The Brooks Review

Visual book review: The Sketchnote Handbook
by Sacha Chua, SachaChua.com

Writing scripts for 'Sketchnote: the Video'
by Gabe Wollenburg, WriteLarge.com

AUDIO & WRITTEN INTERVIEWS:

Mike Rohde on CMD+Space (Audio Interview)
I speak with Myke Hurley about sketchnoting and the new book.

Mike Rohde's Interview on Author Talk (Audio Interview)
I talk with Nancy Runzel, of Peachpit Press about my book and writing process.

On Failure: Mike Rohde
by Ben Krogh, benkrogh.com

SOME NICE TWEETS:

The Sketchnote Handbook, by Mike Rohde, is exceptionally well done: amazon.com/The-Sketchnote…

— Jason Fried (@jasonfried) December 10, 2012

.@rohdesign's new Sketchnote Handbook is so stinking COOL! Check it out, DL a free chapter, or just buy it. rohdesign.com/book

— Nancy Duarte (@nancyduarte) December 11, 2012

The Sketchnote Handbook is a thing of beauty. "Whatever your skill level, be happy where you are." congrats @rohdesign amzn.to/UKH7PI

— lisadimona (@lisadimona) December 7, 2012

The Sketchnote Handbook by @rohdesign is freaking ridiculous amazon.com/gp/aw/d/032185… instagr.am/p/THxJlXFsth/

— Ian Landsman (@ianlandsman) December 12, 2012

Got my copy of @rohdesign's Sketchnote Handbook. Awesome tutorial for illustrated note-taking: rohdesign.com/book/

— Matt Mansfield (@mattmansfield) December 10, 2012

#Sketchnote handbook arrived. Really love it! Great idea to use so many different sketchnoters to illustrate your story @rohdesign

— De Zagerij (@DeZagerij) December 10, 2012

I really want to read @rohdesign's new Sketchnote Handbook -- but my kids took it and now they won't stop drawing.

— DanielCoyle (@DanielCoyle) December 7, 2012

Sketchnote Handbook has arrived. Looks (and feels) gorgeous. Mad props to @rohdesign. twitter.com/sensibleworld/…

— Jory Raphael (@sensibleworld) December 7, 2012

@rohdesign Amazon image for your book does NOT do it justice. Wow, it’s lovely. Color and artifacts suffer on web.

— Daniel Jalkut (@danielpunkass) December 7, 2012

Check out more of my favorites on Twitter

Kindle Edition Issues

This week I found that the Kindle Edition of the book has a swath of blank pages, right in the middle of the book. I've alerted Peachpit and there is a new version being pushed out to Amazon, so if you get this edition, hold on for the updated document coming soon before canceling or leaving reviews.

Love it? Leave an Amazon Review!

If you have a copy of the book and you love it, the most valuable action you can take for me and the book is to leave an Amazon review.

It can be brief - just 5-10 minutes does the trick. Reviews help amazon determine popularity and drives more book sales. So, go review the book!

The Sketchnote Handbook - Book Launch!

IT HAS LAUNCHED! The Sketchnote Handbook officially launches today, November 30th, worldwide. It feels great to see this project coming to life.

The book begins shipping next week, so if you have pre-ordered, keep an eye on your email and snail mail boxes.

The central message of The Sketchnote Handbook is simple:

You can create visual notes that are a fun, engaging, valuable reference. Anyone can do it — especially regular people who feel they can't draw. Sketchnoting is about ideas, not art. This book gives you tools to start sketchnoting right away.

A year of hard work has gone into this book and video project. I'm excited to see this going out into the world. I can't wait to see this book help people find a new way to take notes at meetings, conferences and workshops.

Help Me Get the Word Out!

Here are 3 ways you can help make the Sketchnote Handbook a success:

1. Buy a copy of the book. The publishing industry puts a ton of emphasis on the first few weeks of a book's launch, so now is the time to order your copy of the book for yourself and as Christmas gifts. If you have a company and would like bulk pricing, talk to my friend Jon Mueller at 800-CEO-READ.

You can buy the book from any major bookseller:

• Peachpit
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Powell's
• Indeibound
• Books-A-Million
• 800-CEO-READ

2. Share the book with your friends. Mentions on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, App.net and other places are great ways to share the love. If you have a blog, I would love to see your review posted and will happily mention it on Twitter and here in an upcoming post of book reviews.

I've created a press kit of images you can use to write about the book — all of the images are there for you to embed right into your article or review, so go ahead and use that resource.

I've also created some sample tweets you can use, to make sharing really easy:

The Sketchnote Handbook has launched! More info at http://rohdesign.com/book and be sure to use code SKETCHNOTE at Peachpit.com to get 35% off thru 12/31/2014.

The Sketchnote Handbook is now available! buy the book! - http://rohdesign.com/book Download a free PDF of chapter 4 - http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780321857897/samplepages/0321857895.pdf

3. Write an Amazon review! Amazon reviews of books determine much of what Amazon thinks of them, impacting bestseller and other lists in their system. Your review doesn't need to be long. You can leave a review on Amazon — even if you haven't bought the book from them.

Thank You!

Thanks so much for your support and help. I can't wait to see how you react to my book arriving in your mailbox!

The Sketchnote Handbook: Book Version Details

SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I hear again and again about The Sketchnote Handbook include: How are the different versions of The Sketchnote Handbook similar and different from each other? Is the video in the Video Edition the same as the DVD? Is there an eBook version I can buy?

To clarify the different versions of the book, I've detailed each version below:

1. The Sketchnote Handbook - Video Edition

I feel this edition is the best value because it includes the fully illustrated book, with detailed information about how I came to sketchnoting, structures of sketchnotes and how to create sketchnotes yourself, with great worksheets in chapter 7. It also includes a code that lets you access all 20 of the the streaming videos (1 hour 10 minutes worth) at Peachpit.com.

The special video edition of the book offers a different perspective on sketchnoting than you get from the book alone that's both immediate and complementary, while still unique and compelling.

In the book, I show you sketchnoting techniques for translating ideas into simple drawings and type; in the video I actually put you in the room with me so you can watch as I work and see how the drawings emerge from my pen and unfold on the page.

The video edition provides access to 1 hour and 10 minutes of beautiful, documentary-style video tutorials. You'll see me in action as I demonstrate the drawing and sketchnoting techniques discussed in the book. Beyond the book, the video edition includes a series of episodes where I sketchnote a talk live — from start to finish — at an on-site event.

As I sketchnote the live talk, you can see what it's like to take visual notes in real time, how quickly I need to draw to capture big ideas, and the types of visual choices I make when taking notes with pictures.

2. The Sketchnote Handbook

This edition is the same printed book as the Video Edition — a fully illustrated book, but with no video component whatsoever. It has detailed information about how I came to sketchnoting, structures of sketchnotes and how to create sketchnotes yourself, with some great worksheets in chapter 7.

This version is great if you just want the book.

3. The Sketchnote Handbook - PDF eBook

This edition is the same as the printed book, but in PDF eBook format with your name watermarked into the PDF. it is the same fully illustrated book, with no video component, and has the same information about how I came to sketchnoting, structures of sketchnotes and how to create sketchnotes yourself, with some great worksheets in chapter 7.

This version looks great on an iPad, and is a good choice if you just want the book.

4. The Sketchnote Handbook - DVD Video

This is the complete video series on DVD. It has the same content - 1 hour and 10 minutes of beautiful, documentary-style video tutorials as included as streaming video in the Video Edition of the book. You can watch over my shoulder as I sketchnote concepts and a complete event from start to finish — all on one DVD.

This is a good companion to the regular book, the eBook PDF version or if you prefer a physical DVD disc.

5. The Sketchnote Handbook - Online Video

This is the complete video series online, in streaming format. It is the same content - 1 hour and 10 minutes of beautiful, documentary-style video tutorials as included in the Video Edition of the book. You can watch over my shoulder as I sketchnote concepts and a complete event from start to finish — all online.

This is a good companion to the regular book, the eBook PDF version or if you prefer streaming video.

5. The Sketchnote Handbook - Chapter 4 PDF

To see what the book looks like, we've created a sample chapter PDF you can download.

It includes the complete front-matter (copyright, table of contents, acknowledgments, introduction, author bio) and the full index, so you can really see how the book's illustrations look, see the structure and get more details on other chapters before you buy. Looks great on an iPad by the way!

More Questions?

There are a variety of options for you, so I hope this more detailed description of each version helps you find and buy just the edition you need. If you have questions, leave a comment below or drop me a line.

40% Off Pre-Order Coupon Thru 11/30/2012

In a little over a week The Sketchnote Handbook will be released, but if you pre-order from Peachpit between now and November 30th, use the coupon code SKETCHNOTEPO for 40% off the cover price of the print editions of the book.

35% Off Coupon Thru 12/31/2012

Peachpit is offering 35% off with coupon code SKETCHNOTE now through December 31st, which works on every edition and is especially useful for the PDF and DVD versions mentioned above.

November 30th can't come soon enough!