Questions for Seth Godin on May 16

Tomorrow morning I have to find my way to the nearest NYC subway station. Then I have to make it  uptown by 9 AM for Seth Godin's all-day event.

My goals for this event:
1. Tie together everything I've learned from studying Godin's work over the last three years
2. Connect with people who are successfully using Godin's ideas in publishing
3. Connect with people who are successfully using Godin's ideas in nonprofit organizations

The organizer suggested that each of us bring questions. As usual, my problem is that I have too many ideas. A few candidates:

- What is Seth Godin's description of an author's platform?
- What is the best way to build a platform?
- What is a personal story? (Starbucks has a story, and they stick to it.  Apple has a story, and they stick to it. Seth Godin has a story, and he sticks to it.)
- What is the best way to make a book a success
- How to make book success repeatable (As Godin did with 11 straight best-sellers)
- What should I do with the ebook I am finishing?  It is all about helping people get unstuck. (Give it away as a manifesto, probably.)

And maybe my meta-question:
- What is the best way to spread an idea in a post-paper world?

Spreading an idea is how non-profits do good, how social movements happen, and how authors sell books. Seth Godin was able to raise over $300,000 for End Malaria Now because of his ability to spread ideas. (Now THAT is what I call success!) I began following Godin because I wanted to learn how to sell my books. But what Godin is doing is about much, much more than selling books.