Monticello Live

A local pastor is part of a unique collaboration via the internet, involving 237 marketing professionals who blog from 29 states throughout the U.S. and from 14 other nations from Australia to the Ukraine. Jeff Noble, of Monticello, joined online with other bloggers to write The Age of Conversation 2, a book that is being published this month. All proceeds from sales of the book, available in hardcover and softcover editions, as well as a downloadable e-book, will be donated to Variety, the international children’s charity.

Jeff is the founding pastor at Journey Church and is also the founder of MonticelloLive.com and owner of Noble Design. He writes a blog called Notes from the Trail.

The book has an unusual story behind it, involving online connections between people around the world who have never met each other.

Drew McLellan, who heads an advertising agency in Des Moines, writes a blog online. Drew’s Marketing Minute is among the 25 most-read marketing blogs, and a regular reader is Gavin Heaton, who works for global software giant SAP in Sydney, Australia. Heaton writes a blog called Servant of Chaos.

Nearly two years ago through a chance online conversation, McLellan and Heaton decided to invite fellow bloggers to participate in writing a book about conversation and how it impacts us in marketing, in business and in life in general. “Blogging, after all, is about conversation,” McLellan said.

More than 100 bloggers from the U.S. and eight countries responded by contributing essays on conversation. The book, published in the summer of 2007, earned $15,000, all of which was donated to the international childrens charity Variety.

“Gavin and I were overwhelmed with the response,” said McLellan “Almost as soon as the first book was published, we heard from bloggers asking when the next book would be published so they could contribute essays.”

Noble contributed an essay titled “Listening Is An Action,” which urges Christians to stop, take time, and truly listen to what others are saying. Noble says in the essay, “There has been far too much yelling and too little dialogue from people of faith in our age, regardless of their age. “

“Blogging has become a new way for professional to share and discuss ideas,” Jeff said. Collaborating on a book about conversation is a perfect way to share among ourselves and among others who don’t read blogs. And we have the added incentive of helping a charity that does important work around the world. I am thrilled to be a part of this project.”

The Age of Conversation 2 will be available as a downloadable e-book beginning October 28, at a cost of $12.50, of which $10 will be contributed to Variety. Beginning on the same date, orders will be taken for a limited number of printed books in hardcover ($29.95, with $6.04 to charity) and softcover ($19.95, with $8.02 donated to charity).

Purchases can be made online at http://stores.lulu.com/ageofconversation. More information can be seen online at www.ageofconversation.com.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 30th, 2008 at 12:00 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.