Inspired by Derek Sivers Book Store
In 2011, Derek Sivers got a phone call from a number he didn't recognize.
"Hello?"
"Derek. It's Seth Godin."
"Wow! Hi Seth!"
"I'm starting a new publishing company, so I want you to write a book. Short, like a manifesto. Will you do it?"
"Uh, sure!"
"Great. I look forward to it."
"Thanks!"
Over the next eleven days, Derek wrote the lessons he'd learned from starting, growing, and selling his company CD Baby. Seth liked it, named it Anything You Want, and a few weeks later it was for sale. Derek’s first book. Simple as that.
To Derek, it was no big deal - just telling his tale. But a lot of small business owners said his book helped them remember their purpose, and get re-excited about their business.
Penguin bought Seth's publishing company and re-released his book on Penguin Portfolio. But Derek wanted to self-publish.
Derek wants to own the rights to his books so he can do whatever he wants with them: give them away, let people translate them, or sell them how he likes. He’s thinking long-term. He’s got many books to come, and he wants them to be a matching set. So he bought back the rights from Penguin.
Derek improved many chapters in Anything You Want, and added eight new chapters that were missing - points that people kept asking about over his last ten years of talking about this book - better explanations - better stories.
On 25 Sep 2011, I bought Anything You Want from Amazon, and it was my first time buying both text and audio versions of the same book. I had no idea why; maybe it’s because the author is not only able to write simple and direct directives for youngsters to follow but also can sing the book passages like a song.
It sounds like music; it does not sound like an audiobook.
I have been a minimalist for 10+ years already. This is something I’d learned from Derek. I didn’t really like ownership of anything. I always have a hard time acquiring anything new in life. On 25 Aug 2022, over a decade later, I bought this book again though. I just wanted to own the book for its 3rd edition.
While I’m waiting for the linen hardcover book to be delivered to the doorstep of my home, I spin up the browser, open the html, and read the ebook. The next day before I hit the road for the morning jogging session, I inserted the audiobook into PocketCast and start listening to the audiobook as well.
I had paid for the content of the book, once. Plus, the hardcover book delivery fee. All digital formats are free with the content. The user experience is fast and seamless, even better than Amazon’s book delivery. Derek does anything he wants with his readers, and I like it.
That tells you something about Derek Sivers.
Read the next chapter: We are Imperfect Mirrors
Or table of contents: Anything You Want (My Version)