"Buy the ticket, take the ride." That's one of my favorite quotes from Hunter S. Thompson, also one of my favorite writers. And riders. Thompson wrote about life at 100 mph. That quote itself is actually from a longer quote that veers into a way of living I don't recommend, but the quote speaks to a way of approaching experiences. It's not half-hearted, it's immersive. Choose something you want to do, buy in and experience it to the fullest.
That's how I think of books. And for me, books are like taxi cabs. Here's how.
1. Attention: A lot of times, books pass through our attention a lot like taxis. You see them pass by in your peripheral. They have a consistent form, the paperback or the yellow paint, and while they each offer the similar vague promise of a journey, the inside of each and the destination is always going to be different. Maybe a cab drives past and sparks attention, or maybe you go outside looking for it. Maybe a book is on a friend's shelf, or maybe it's something they recommend, or maybe it's even something you specifically go looking for. In any case, the journey is there, if you want to take it.
2. The journey: Taxis and books both promise a beginning and an end with a journey in between. In both cases, that journey will always be unique. It's an adventure wrapped inside something familiar. And I think that's a big part of what's powerful about books.
3. Relatable: Everyone has read a book and everyone has taken a cab. Those are shared starting points for sharing and talking about an experience. That goes a long way. When something is a touch point for general experience and a constant in the ether that is our shared world, there is plenty of cultural currency to build on.
I bring these three things up because they help with marketing. A cab drives around and we are all familiar with its form, it's there when we need it and it's something we can all talk about. Books are the same. And in each case, there's a journey to be taken, if you want to buy the ticket and take the ride.
What's the best book you've come across lately that took you on a journey?
Image courtesy of PeterJBellis via flickr
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