Web Analytics: An Hour A Day – Book Update

circles of loveLet's have some fun, and a break from all the tough work of . . . well . . . . work.

It has been an incredible eight months since I wrote about my book Web Analytics: An Hour A Day, clearly I am not doing enough SSP (shameless self promotion)! This blog gets a nice amount of traffic each day, I should be "pimping" the book all the time!!

All kidding aside, I had been meaning to update you all about the progress of the book and I have just been too swamped.

In this post I want to share with you how the book is doing in its tiny mission to change the world, news about the translations and finally some reader pictures! The last one to me is such a delight, please keep 'em coming.

Financial / Donation Update.

Some of you might know that 100% of my proceeds from sales of my book are donated to charity. Two in fact, Doctors Without Borders and The Smile Train.

The main reason for that the book came from this blog and this blog is a labor of love and a way to give back a little bit to the Web Analytics community. Hence my wonderful wife and I decide to donate everything to charity with the thought that if this blog is monetized then that could be for a good cause.

Wiley pays us and Jennie and I promptly send a personal chq to the charities.

We got our first royalty chq from Wiley in Nov '07 and it was for $18,000. That was a lot of books (on a very low first time author commission!), so a bit surprise and also of course joy.little-engine-that-could

We got our second royalty chq in June '08 (this post is late!) and it was for $10,000!

This was also a surprise, I did not think a) there was that much demand for a web analytics book and hence b) there would still be such momentum.

I owe all of you who own the book a huge thanks!

There is one other nice thing this time around, my employer matches personal philanthropic donations up to a max of $3,000 each year. So the charities can also benefit from that sweet gesture.

This time around each charity will thus get $6,500 each.

In 11 months of sales Web Analytics: An Hour A Day has raised a total of US $31,000.

There is no way my personal finances would have ever allowed me to donate that much money. I wish I could put into words how gratified I am from this outcome.

Translations Galore!

This is another fun development.

In July the book was published in Portuguese!

web analytics an hour a day-portuguese

The book is a bit thinner than the English version, but every bit as good as the English version! :)

In August the book was published in Korean!!

wahour korean

The Korean edition was translated by Jeanie Jung (youzin) who herself is an accomplished author, and its her book that you see behind our web analytics book.

I have to admit that the Korean version is my favorite, the book is heavy (!), it uses very high quality paper and the cover itself has a great texture. Awesome job by the Acorn Publishing Company.

You have to get a Korean version even if you don't speak Korean, it will make a great show piece. :)

Next up are the Chinese and Russian versions of the book. They are expected to be published in October. The Japanese version will be published early next year.

Could anything make a small first time author happier?

The nice thing about international editions is that it is all about spread of the knowledge (the royalties are quite tiny). Hello world! :)

Reviews & Kind Words.

My goal for the book was for it to do well enough that readers would write 75 reviews on Amazon. The US website has 60 reviews thus far which is so great. Amazon.co.uk has 6 reviews, and Amazon.ca has 1. Most reviews are quite kind, which is so nice.

If you have read the book and have a few minutes to spare perhaps you could add a review ? Thanks so much.

book reviewThe book also shows up in interesting place, which to me is always fun.

The other day it was listed by The Reader's Advisor Online in a blog post [Planes, Trains, and Lanes] where they tried to spot patterns in their data when they categorized readers they spotted by age and gender.

Web Analytics: An Hour A Day showed up in the 20-something Men category, along with John Grisham's Playing for Pizza! There's a doozie!!

It was also happy moment when I noticed the book was on The Personal MBA's 77 Best Business Books.

You see my own MBA is in Finance and MIS so it was nice to see the book listed as one of nine books in the Finance & Analysis category.

If you have seen a review some place fun could you please let me know?

Pictures: People, Places & Analytics!

When the book launched I had requested the readers to send me picture of the book, either with them or at a interesting place or …. really anything was fair game. I still get interesting pictures and here are some of the latest ones.

[And if you have the book I would love to get a picture from you! Please email blog at kaushik dot net. All pictures published here are only after I get the sender's permission.]


karen, autodesk, web analytics an hour a day

A little while back I had given a talk at a Autodesk offsite, the picture above is of everyone who was at the talk. At the very front you can just make out Karen holding a copy of my book (everyone got a copy!).


vernon, web analytics an hour a day

I think Vernon might have purchased the wrong book to improve his golf handicap! But of course I am still very appreciative!! Just kidding.


tomi madeira portugal, web analytics an hour a day

Web Analytics: An Hour A Day on vacation with Tomi at the hills of Monte in Funchal Madeira in Portugal. How pretty! [And I wonder how Tomi got it to stand like that on a downward slope!]


linda bustos, web analytics: an hour a day

Linda Bustos and I "met" through this picture, then did a webinar together, then a video interview and more to come I am sure. See what a book can do? Linda writes the wonderful Canadian ecommerce blog www.getelastic.com.


samuel gemma hugo, web analytics an hour a day

Two beautiful boys (Samuel & Hugo) get a early start on learning about analytics from their hard working mom! Gemma writes the lovely Spanish web analytics blog Dónde está Avinash cuando se le necesita? , I think I like that blog title. :)


wahour korean2

The Korean version of the book on store shelves in Seoul. 26 copies in a shelf that can hold 31. So 5 sold on day one?


web analytics an hour a day-borders bookstore

My 4-year old son Chirag took this picture at a local Borders bookstore.

No matter which bookstore we visit he'll say "Daddy we are at the library, can we find your book!". Eliciting both slight embarrassment (he is loud and people turn heads), and I have to admit some pride (when we find the book ). But then he says "this is my daddy's book!!", then slightly more embarrassment.


will, web analytics an hour a day

Will in absolutely gorgeous Bend, Oregon. I think he is not too excited that his Dad is making him read about Web Analytics when he would much rather read A Fly Went By (I love that book!). Thanks for posing Will!


web-analytics youzin

Guess who would love a book this much? The author! Well in this case the lovely Jeanie Jung who translated the book into Korean. I don't think I have this much courage (and I am very shy about my pictures), but this set of pictures made me very happy. Thank you Jeanie!


tim duke, web analytics an hour a day

Tim tweets: "Hit my 40th page of (detailed) notes re: @avinashkaushik's analytics book. Only 2/3 through."

I replied to that tweet and a few days later I had the opportunity of seeing Tim's notes and I have to admit that there is something utterly remarkable about seeing something you created have that much of an impact on someone else. Tim's notes are meticilous, I could see the concepts he got, and his comments (in different color ink). Quite rewarding for me.


rob snell, craig paddock, web analytics an hour a day

Web Analytics: An Hour A Day has traveled a lot around the world but this is one of my favorites. Craig Paddock, and Rob Snell lugged it all the way from the US to Brazil (inspiring airplane reading I presume :). Here they are at the statue of Christ the Redeemer on top of the Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro. Craig, thanks for being such a sweetheart!

That was so much fun.

I was a reluctant author. Then it was a lot a lot a lot of work to write a book. But it turned out to be totally worth it. The book's got stronger legs than I had ever imagined. It has reached so many parts of the world and so many absolutely fantastic people. I feel incredibly lucky.

I want to end this post with my sincerest thanks to all of you, those that have bought Web Analytics: An Hour A Day & to all of you who read this blog. You all make work fun.

Comments

  1. 1

    Love what you did and do for WA community whilst fundraising. If you need a german translator, I'd really love to help you out.

  2. 2

    Avinash,

    I am glad to see the Korean version of the book! I wish I translated your book (I was born and grew up in Korea) but I believe Youzin must have done a good job. Also congrat on your philanthropic achievement! You have been a great role model for all of our fellow Web Analytics professionals.

    Jonghee from Columbus

  3. 3

    Avinash – very interesting read! Remember my review I did on your amazing book (I still use it often at work!)

    Also, are you going to blogworld expo at the end of this month? I hope so, because I would love even just 10 minutes with your great mind…

    Also, my website optimization ebook is about to be released today! Stayed tuned on my blog: http://rich-page.com

    Rich

    Rich

  4. 4

    Congrats Avinash!

    You deserve the success, and its very nice from you to help other people.

    Also you set an example :-)

  5. 5

    I echo the congrats. Your blog is such a service to the community (well, multiple communities)! This is hero grade work that you're doing. I'm reading as long as you are writing. Keep it up and many blessings to you and your family.

  6. 6
    Alice Cooper's Stalker says

    Avinash,

    Congratulations on the success of your book. Your dedication to serve higher causes is to be commended. It must be exciting to see how your effort has spread into something global…crossing geographic, ideological, and language barriers. Given that it's a year of politics, I'm sure you have people on all sides of the political spectrum reading your book, too. Amazing! Your whole effort…the blog…the book…your correspondance with your groupies…something to be proud of.

    Keep up the great work!

  7. 7

    Congrats Avinash! Not only have gained international attention and admiration, but have done so in the most humble of means. Do you think that an the book has a potential of being translated to Arabic (is there enough demand?)

  8. 8

    Avinash – You may want to fix that link to Amazon .. snipur.com/wahour is a 404.

  9. 9

    Congrats Avinash!

    And with a short question:

    When could we see the Chinese version? I believe many Chinese web analytics practitioners are looking forward to it.

  10. 10

    Everyone: Thanks so much for the kind words!

    Amit: Great catch, I appreciate the help. : )

    Sidney: The Chinese version is expect in October. Fingers crossed.

    -Avinash.

  11. 11

    Avinash,

    I agree with everyone here – such an amazing book. I don't know what I would do without it. Seriously.

    What I love about the book is that it focuses on more than just e-commerce sites. It gives specific examples of how analytics can help other types of sites.

    Thanks! I'm heading off to Amazon today to create a review!

  12. 12

    Congratulations. I finally got my own copy of the book — found it a bit tough towards the end. Same here with "A Fly Went By": I was so happy when my son fell in love with it too!

  13. 13

    Congratulations, Avinash! To echo others, your success is well-deserved. I love the story about your son – he'll be an analytics guru in no time ;)

  14. 14

    What no graphs of the progress of the books sales? I'll admit I'm late to the game and actually slowly reading my way through the book now even though I've been reading this blog for close to a year now. I just can't find the quality time to really spend with the book because it's not the kind of book you can read before going to bed as it keeps me up all night thinking about new ways to measure things.

  15. 15

    Avinash this is marvelous. You deserve all this success, you have given so much back to the web analytics community. Many people talk, you walk the talk.

    It is so great to see the book all around the world in pictures, you have loyal readers. :)

    Simon.

  16. 16

    Congratulations, Avinash!
    You deserve all of the success because IMHO your book is the best about WA!!! I recommend it to everybody.

    I can't understand why there isn't a spanish version yet! Who I should talk to?

    I don't know what I would do without your book on my desk and your blog every week :)

    thanks for everything!!

  17. 17

    Congratulations Avinash

    here in Spain I´ve been asked so many times when could we read your book in spanish?

    I hope it could be possible soon

    regards!

  18. 18

    You have a very good website and all the contents shared over here is simply superb. Also am very impressed with the design of the website. I must say that you are very passionate about whatever you do because without the passion everything falls apart,sooner or later.

    Would be visiting your website more often to check more posts :)

    Take care,
    Justin

  19. 19

    Namaste Avinash

    Had the pleasure of hearing you speak at Google yesterday at the travel conference….we made eye contact…I was the old one…sitting in the center…very awake.

    I was taken with your presentation…how the concepts had so much life……and your not hiding the joy you feel at being alive…..very inspirational….oh to be in my 20's and have this business then….what to do.

    Be well.

    Jai Guru Dev.

    Charles

  20. 20

    I've been a big fan for a while and actually have two copies of your book. One for my work and home library of course. Your guidance on how to handle Web Analytics in a large unaccepting organization has been invaluable. Thanks Again and keep up the great posts!!

  21. 21

    Totally awesome and deserved! We have all reason to be grateful to you and the other web analytics authors & bloggers! What a passionate niche industry this is.

  22. 22

    That's just nice to know that the money has gone to a charity, especially it coming from a person who works on web analytics. It might set some benchmarks for it's followers that web analytics is not always about making money for self, or for the enterprise. It is about the society too.

    Seeing the way the translations are happening, I wish, some effort could be taken for the same for the Hindi language. I've not seen any book teaching technology (in an adequate manner) for the native Indians, as a result of which many are deprived of its potentials.

    Not being emotional; these are lines worth acting on. Some mild efforts are definitely in place. Can efforts be made say, the next bunch of money that may come, instead of it going to the charity, can some part of it go to translation of the content to many other languages.

  23. 23

    I would buy this book if it was accompanied by a PDF that could be immediately downloaded.

  24. 24

    Seeing my son (Will) on your blog brought me a weird sense of happiness – his first big blog appearance (they grow up so quick). That picture is over a year old, and yet as I type this your book is still sitting right next to me on my desk. No joke, I still refer to it weekly.

    If Matt Cutts is the Mic Jagger of search, we might need to pick a nickname for you. I've seen both of you at many conferences, and I would say that your fans now almost out number his.

    Like anything let this be a starting point:

    Avinash Kaushik the Iris Flower of Data

  25. 25

    Avinash, you're the man, good work, feeling it from the UK!
    DJ

  26. 26

    Avinash,

    Picked up the book a couple of weeks ago. It's fabulous. It's wonderful to see the proceeds going to two great causes.

    Best,

    Breakline

  27. 27

    Hi Avinash! Here's a great fan of your book which I am using for all the web analytics needs at British Council France as well as for freelance consultancy work . Please keep posting good stuff, i read every little bit of it. Cheers

  28. 28

    The picture you said "The Korean version of the book on store shelves in Seoul." is actually shelve in Acorn Publishing Company.

    (Well, I will send you the real Korean version of the book on store shelves soon or later)

    And the words in ballon in youzin's picture is "Please buy one". This is essential to understand the picture

    From. a reader in Korea

  29. 29
    Charlotte says

    A fantastic site, and brilliant effort. A great piece of work.,

  30. 30

    Felicitaciones mi amigo, You are doing a great job!!!

Trackbacks

  1. […] I have to admit that I am blown away that Avinash Kaushik, the author of Web Analytics An Hour A Day, made $31000 with his book in a year and entirely donated the money to two charities. It’s just a beautiful story of what a blogger/author can accomplish and it just shows how Avinash is different from many others. He is one of the few A bloggers, who understood that it is not about riding the A blogger wave of fame and making as much money as they can; it’s about having the guts to pull off something like this! […]

  2. […]
    This evening I read a post on the analytics blog Occam’s Razor by Avinash Kaushik. It was an update on a “little book” he wrote called Web Analytics: An Hour a Day. Like many of his posts, this one delivered its message in occasionally unidiomatic English peppered with enthusiastic asides, emoticons, and exclamation points. Among the images was a flower and the cover from the Little Engine That Could. Quirky, indeed. This genuine style contrasts nicely with the intimidating subject of web analytics. Today, for me, it contrasted with the spurious investments on Wall Street. An even greater counterpoint was the post’s message. It seems Kaushik is donating 100% of his book royalties to two charities, Doctors without Borders and The Smile Train. So far he has donated $28,000. Yes, he still enjoys indirect benefits of being a successful author and analytics expert. But giving up the cash is literally putting your money where your mouth is. Nothing fake about it. Tonight, I feel a little more hopeful.
    […]

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  4. […] Only book he recommends starting with: Web Analytics – An Hour a Day […]

  5. […] Today I opened my RSS reader (Vienna for osX) and clicked on a post in Occam’s Razor (Avinash Kaushik’s blog). He was updating readers on the success of his book after being on the shelves for 8 months. He also included pictures received from fans holding the book and the various language translations. […]

  6. […] Kaushik Avinash er i højest grad kendt for bogen "Web Analytics – An hour a Day", som mange betegner som grundstenen inden for webanalyse. I bogen omtaler han i mindre grad specifikke systemer, men næsten alt andet. Google Analytics bliver fremhævet til tider, da det er gratis. Bogen er uden tvivl en af de mest solgte webanalyse bøger på verdensplan. Og pengene for bogen? De går alle sammen til gode formål – delt til "Læger uden grænser" og "The smile train". Læs hans blogindlæg om status på bogen. […]

  7. […]
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