Purple Cow, which is due out on May 8th, is all about being remarkable. About creating a product, a service or an organization that’s so amazing that people tell each other about it. Simultaneous with publication of the hardcover, I’m going to release an ebook called “99 Purple Cows”. The idea is simple: 99 people, products, services or organizations that are remarkable, each with a short profile.

The goal is that readers will find inspiration in the examples (and that those featured will get the recognition they deserve.) The ebook will cost $9.99 (no surprise) with all proceeds going to roomtoread.org. If you’re featured in the ebook, you can have digital copies for free to distribute to friends and colleagues.

Nominate yourself! Nominate someone else. Click here for the NOMINATION FORM. Please note that your nomination should include plenty of facts and figures and links… don’t worry about your writing style, I’ll handle that.

A friend told me about BzzAgent, a company that’ s putting a lot of Ideavirus thinking to work. They are trying to build a sustainable, leveraged way of igniting buzz networks. The goal is to help organizations launch great products (Purple Cows) by bringing them directly to the sneezers who can spread the word.

I just hired them to bzz the Purple Cow. Dave, who runs the place, tells me that they’re always looking for qualified agents (and qualified clients, natch).

I’ll update you as it goes, but in keeping with my plan to talk about the marketing before we do it, there you go.

Not that her opinion matters a whole lot, but as a loud critic of Napster, it’s interesting to see her (or her minions) now understanding that ideas that spread, win. Madonna grooves with MP3 release | CNET News.com

But this article from the New York Times comes close. The Sound of Things to Come. I don’t know about you, but I want one.

Have you ever read anything online that made you change your mind about something? An essay, a manifesto, an argument that was so cogent, well-delivered and persuasive that you not only switched positions but also took the time to tell someone else about it?

If you did, I’d like to hear about it. Send me a link. I’m looking for the best online manifestos–sort of a top ten list of persuasion.

Thanks.

A quick look at Amazon (Purple Cow, for example) shows an interesting gimmick. Answer a question about Amazon’s selection and you get a nickel paid to you.

What I like about this (other than the interesting use of Permission Marketing) is that they’re opening a fascinating door here. The goal, it seems to me, is not to teach you how many gameboy games they have (350) but to start an entire dialogue with you. Once they start giving you nickels, then they can have a dialogue about how to SPEND those nickels as well.

The other thing I like is how beautifully the UI works. It’s a click or two. That’s it. Beautiful.

And downstairs is for dancing. And we need more of both, don’t you think? Today, we welcome Elly Markson, dear friend, pundit and guru, to this humble blog. Did you dance at work today? Were you tempted?

One of the coolest things that can happen is when our work makes us want to dance. Thanks for pointing that out, El.

Readers of the Purple Cow will remember that I talked about an amazing elevator innovation that is dramatically more efficient because it has you enter your floor into a console in the lobby, not into the elevator itself.

Well, I learned two things today. First, the elevator is cooler than I thought. It doesn’t even HAVE buttons inside the cab (which is obvious, but I never thought it through.) It increases speed to destination by 30% (less time to watch commercials or stare at your feet) and it can be retrofitted into existing buildings.

The other thing I learned is that I got the name of the manufacturer wrong! (My trusted source had a mental glitch, apparently. The elevator in question is made by Schindler Elevator and you can read all about it here. If you’re in the market for an elevator, feel free to check it out. Sorry for the error.

They’re poorly publicized, but here’s the latest chance to buy yourself a large cow (not purple, but remarkable). CowParade Auction.

Yesterday’s mail brought a package from Bob Gonze at Glassworks WV. A small shop in West Virginia, he’s recreating the art of carving images into colored glass bowls and such. My lousy photography doesn’t do this jar justice. Bob’s idea is that you could use it as a Purple Cow suggestion box. Neat. If you’re interested, contact Bob directly via his site.