Ralph Benko, a Washington-based populist Republican human rights advocate, is using an atypical approach to create book sales for his new book, The Websters' Dictionary: How to Use the Web to Transform the World. (The Websters' Press, 2008.) Benko is promoting sales by giving the eBook edition of his book away at no charge.Available at thewebstersdictionary.com, readers can download the free eBook or purchase it in paperback or hard copy on the Websters' Press website or at online book vendors including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Benko admits his marketing approach is unconventional and sometimes seen as borderline confounding. He explains that his approach makes tremendous sense in today's web-enabled world. "The marketing behind The Websters' Dictionary is about building a transparent and open relationship with the public. It's the type of strategy that helped elect President Obama, but is equally powerful for Republicans. Website visitors from 138 countries are loving the message."
Benko's book takes the reader well beyond strategies for building social media networks, showing how Barack Obama was--in Benko's words--transformed from a novelty to a nominee. Benko reveals the powerful implications of Web 2.0 on politics, advocacy, and policy.
