FAQ

What's the title of the book?
UX Storytellers

What's the timeline again?
It would be great if we could publish the book by the end of 2009. In other words, we would need your story by the end of September. That's all theory, though; with so many authors from all over the world... who knows how it will work out. We will try to publish the book this year and as an author, you can support us by submitting your story on time.

Will the story that I contribute to the UX Storytellers project still belong to me, or will I be waving my story goodbye the moment I send it to you guys?
No, it's your story and it will always remain your story (assuming you really wrote it ;). You can do whatever you want with it. It would be great if you wouldn't publish it before we have published your story in the UX Storytellers book - just for the sake of the book.

Are there any contracts?
No. A gentlemen's agreement applies. That's all there is.

Where will the book be published?
We don't have a publisher yet; we plan to use one of the popular print-on-demand services. There will be quality control proofs and book prototypes (not available to the public) before the actual book comes out, to ensure the high quality of the product and to make sure we can deliver a great book experience.

Can my story contain pictures?
Feel free to send us (high resolution) images if you think your story needs them. But please note, the book design, typography, style, look and feel will be determined by us.

In what format should I send you my contribution?
Any text format which is copy & paste-enabled is ok. Please don't make your story too short. We are not looking for tweets or blog posts. If you try to actually tell an entertaining and interesting story, you will probably automatically end up with something around 3.000 to 4.000 words.

What would a good story be about, in your opinion?
We think people really love to hear project "war stories" (at least, we do :). What went well, what went wrong? What have you learned? Your short story doesn’t have to name any clients and it doesn’t have to be 100 % true. It’s a story after all, not the CIA World Factbook. It should be interesting to read (or to listen to) and there should be something for the reader to take away.

Why are there no real names on the map?
You will find all the author's initials on the map. The names will be updated later on in the project. Right now, we are very glad to have so many extraordinary authors promise to contribute a story to the UX Storytellers project, but we don't want to put too much pressure on anybody. If you were so kind as to promise to deliver a story, but suddenly realize that you don't have the time to actually write it, you can quit the project and we won't tell anybody. Hey, it's supposed to be fun - not stressful.

We write the stories and you get all the fame?
Fame? So, you think this project will be a success? :) Hey, so do we. You are the author. You are the UX Storyteller. Why shouldn't you get the fame?

We write the stories and you get all the money?
Money? So, you think this project will be a success? :) Hey, so do we. We will use the money (if there is any) to pay for the translations of the book. Translations are expensive. Really expensive.

Will I, as a UX Storytellers author, get a free copy of the book?
Well, this is a tricky one. Let's put it this way: you definitely deserve a free copy of the UX Storytellers book. Honestly, we will have to see how expensive it would be to buy and send out free copies to you all. You should definitely get one, but perhaps not within the first month of publishing the book, because there simply won't be that much money lying around.

So, let's assume you guys really get the book out. What next?
We do not plan to stop right there. There will be free PDF versions of each story coming out, by and by. Then there will be the free eBook/PDF, eventually. Then there will be podcasts and interviews with the authors. We will record at least two (free) audio versions of the book (English and German)... and of course, there will be the translations coming out. With all that happening, we will ensure that the UX Storytellers project will kept in mind throughout 2010.