If printed matter were people, we could draw the following comparisons:
A book = an expert
In-depth knowledge.
Strongly focused on specific and clearly delineated subjects.
Slow to access. Requires dedicated study.
A magazine = a generalist
Short, light, “that’s interesting”, bites of information.
General, diverse knowledge. Like flipping through TV channels.
Quick to access. Does not require a significant investment of study time.
Neither offers the ideal combination of: Just deep enough, expert, and easy to access knowledge.
A chapbook seem to fit nicely here. It is not as time-investment-heavy as a book, but more focused than a magazine.
Businesses are super busy these days. Change is constant, and crosses different disciplines. When faced with a challenge, businesses want just enough expert information right then.
Is a chapbook the new format for this century? An expert quick reference guide. A small, succinct collection of expert knowledge, in a hyper-distilled, and easy to access format. This can be a small printed booklet, a fully searchable e-book/PDF book, or even a mobile/iphone application.
