Johanna Rothman

Who are you?

Hi. I’m Johanna Rothman. I’m known for my pragmatic approaches to any form of management: project, people, program, and risk management. I’m a management consultant who also speaks and writes about the problems and potential solutions I see. I want people to gain the benefit of my experience and see how they can apply practical, common sense approaches to their unique situation.

Can you describe your Leanpub books? Are they in-progress or complete? What types of books are they?

I have several complete Leanpub books, “Hiring Geeks That Fit,” “Center Enter Turn Sustain: Essays on Change Artistry,” and the “Readings for Problem Solving Leadership.”

I have a book in beta, “Manage Your Job Search.”

I have a book almost ready for its first release, “Agile and Lean Program Management: Collaborating Across the Organization.”

I have a couple more books in progress.

All my books are non-fiction.

What do you think about Leanpub?

I love the fact that I can work on books a little bit at a time, and see them evolve. I love the fact that I can ask my readers for feedback. I can apply agile and lean principles to my books.

Why do you use Leanpub?

Leanpub fits my workflow. I use TextMate, so I already was accustomed to Markdown. Being able to see my work in progress? Outstanding. Being able to sell it and get feedback? Priceless.

How did you discover Leanpub?

Jason Little told me.

What’s your favorite Leanpub feature?

Previewing the book. Seeing the book as I create it really helps me see what I’m doing. Sometimes, what I do is not so hot. I don’t go too far down the wrong path before I catch myself with the preview!

How have you reached out to potential and existing readers of your books?

I have asked for feedback. I have asked for reviews of interim and final books. I have asked for cover reviews.

Some of my readers have used my early writing, and declared it “good enough.” I was quite surprised. I would never have thought it was good enough. But they did.

What are your thoughts on the Lean Publishing approach? What types of books, and what types of authors, do you think it is good for?

I only know about my books. It’s certainly good for me and my non-fiction books.

My readers have provided substantial feedback about the ideas in “Manage Your Job Search.”

How long was your first Leanpub book when you first clicked the publish button? Would you publish earlier or later next time?

I published “Hiring Geeks That Fit” when it was mostly done. I published “Manage Your Job Search” when it was much less complete. I am working on getting over my perfection rules so I can publish earlier. I find it difficult.

How can we improve Leanpub?

I find the InDesign export difficult. I’ve written to you about that. Going to print is still not easy, but I’m not sure it can be.