Joe Wikert discusses agile publishing at O'Reilly Media at the BISG Agile Content Development Summit, 3/27/12.

1. What Does “Agile” Mean at O’Reilly?

2. Some of O’Reilly’s Core Beliefs
 DRM-free
 Direct sales channel
 Multi-format
 Lagging vs. leading indicators
- Bookscan vs. “earlier” sales and engagement
information
 Experiment, experiment, and experiment some
more
- Feed the eagles and starve the turkeys

3. O’Reilly’s TOC-based Agile Publishing Projects
 Minimum viable product published July 2011
 Latest update posted just prior to TOC NY
 Key agile components:
- Very small initial publication showing full TOC
- Get satisfaction page for audience feedback
- Frequent updates; building content
- Basically, “lather, rinse, repeat”
 Dynamic pricing model
- Rewards early adopters

4. O’Reilly’s TOC-based Agile Publishing Projects (cont’d)
 Minimum viable product published October 2011
 Latest update posted during TOC NY
 Key agile components:
- Very small initial publication showing full TOC
- Written & reviewed in open format on
PressBooks
- Frequent updates; building content
- Again, “lather, rinse, repeat”
 Dynamic pricing model
- Rewards early adopters

5. O’Reilly’s TOC-based Agile Publishing Projects (cont’d)
 Free Preview edition (MVP) published
December 2011
 Final release later in 2012
 Key agile components:
- Very small initial publication showing full TOC
 Free price for Preview Edition
- The freemium model
- Full version will have a price and will be
offered on a variety of platforms

6. Other O’Reilly Agile Publishing Projects: Early Release
 Early digital access
 Raw & unedited
 Flat price (not dynamic)
 As with all O’Reilly ebooks,
free updates to that edition

7. Other O’Reilly Agile Publishing Projects: Rough Cuts
 Another early digital access
option
 Served via Safari Books Online
 Raw & unedited
 Flat price (not dynamic)
 As with all O’Reilly ebooks, free
updates to that edition

8. Other O’Reilly Agile Publishing Projects: OFPS
 Open Feedback Publishing
System
 Early digital access
 Emphasis on gathering reader
feedback
 Raw & unedited
 Free access via OFPS
 Content remains on OFPS
even after book is published

9. Other O’Reilly Agile Publishing Projects: Short Form
Content
 Riskier topics and/or the need
for speed
 Primarily digital, but print
offered too
 Minimum viable products on
cutting edge topics
 Can grow over time into larger
works
 Test the market with smaller
investment & gather early
feedback

10. Questions?