Willem Larsen

Who are you?

For the past 20 years I’ve designed cutting-edge learning tools for all ages in both the environmental education and language acquisition fields. I’m currenlty the president of Language Hunters, a 501(c)(3) non-profit teaching communities to revitalize their endangered heritage languages.

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

I am the sole author of a couple books on applying principles of accelerated learning language to language acquisition, I’ve begun publishing selections from my person blog (“the College of Mythic Cartography”), and I’m co-author with Diana Larsen on a people’s guide to bringing accelerated learning into any skill domain.

What do you think about Leanpub?

It has completely changed how I think about writing and publishing - I’m very happy that I found it.

Why do you use Leanpub?

Leanpub allows me to start a book without drowning in all the countless formatting and logistical details that constantly bedeviled me. I can dive in and start writing, and feel the book forming around me. I have some pretty terrible memories of formatting tables of content, pagination, chapter orders…all those are now almost forgotten. Now I just write.

How did you discover Leanpub?

I’m not sure, honestly. I’ve been here almost since the beginning.

What’s your favorite Leanpub feature?

The publish button. I press it a lot.

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

Yes, I keep readers updated on the progress of the book and what new stuff they can expect in the current edition.

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?

It’s good for action-oriented writers who tend to drown in the details of the writing/publishing process. It’s perfect for the content-focused writer. Fussing over fonts is right out.

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

It was probably half done. I think I published at exactly the right time.