Hello folks,
Hope you’ve all had a great start to 2018. I realise that it’s been quite some time since you last heard from me. I did send an update just before the new year but I’m not sure Unbound sent it on my email. Therefore you can view this as something of a double update – or even read it first here ("All I want for Christmas is") before continuing with this update.
In summary, I’ve been very busy over the past three months with the various editing phases of the book. The structural edit was completed mid-January after several iterations. Then I was given a fresh set of editorial eyes for the proof edit, which is all about checking factual inaccuracies, copyright clearances, legal considerations and the like. Yes, someone does that for a living! That phase ended mid-February and we’re now in the middle of proof reading with yet a another editor.
There has been a slightly more creative cover design process going on in parallel. I’m attaching a copy of a relatively final draft cover, which I hope you like. The designer proposed a fairly clean image – business like, but with red crayon conveying the underlying ‘crazy’ theme of the book. We’ve also tweaked the title to “The Intrapreneur: Confessions of a Corporate Insurgent” which gives it more of an edgy feel. Agree?
Now, the more observant amongst you will notice that my name is missing. Heaven forbid! But that’s deliberate. We tried using the name and it looked a bit busy and besides, the publisher feels a bit of anonymity fits well with the ‘corporate insurgent’ positioning and I tend to agree. Don’t worry mum, my name will be on the spine.
What happens next?
Well, I’m expecting to receive the Foreword from Paul Poiman, Unilever’s CEO, any day now and the final version of the book should be with the printers by mid-March with a target publishing date of 10th April. Inshallah. You’ll have your copies sent out from Unbound soon thereafter.
The book will be launched at an “ecosystem” event at the Skoll World Forum in Oxford on the evening of 12th April, which is being kindly organized by the book’s sponsor, Business Fights Poverty. Thanks Zahid. If you happen to be in the neighbourhgood then be sure to let me know and I’ll get you an invite. I’m also including a link to Amazon where the book is now available for pre-order. It's all quite exciting.
As my highly valued crowd-funding supporters, you’ve already done a huge amount to bring the book to life. However, if any of you feel inclined to pay a few pounds more to order a copy on Amazon then I’d be extremely grateful, as that will all count towards sales rankings. Indeed, for those outside of the UK, the shipping costs with Amazon are a lot more reasonable than with Unbound for some reason.
That’s more than enough from me. I’ll be back in touch nearer the launch date, but in the meantime let me thank all 312 of you once again for helping me get to being 158% funded – amazing!