Has anyone else here read The Long Tail? I was entranced by it when it first appeared as an article in Wired a few years back, and recently read the book on vacation. Once you read it, you think differently about so many things, I can't recommend it highly enough.

I suggest reading the article first, and, if interested

The Book

(I know it looks like a business book, and in some ways it is, but those meanings are secondary.)

The book's blog is absolutely fascinating, but it is pretty rough going if you haven't read the book, or aren't majorly wonkish. The Long Tail Blog

Would love to discuss this further if anyone has read it, or does.

Chris Anderson did his book launch at a Flavorpill party at Tribeca Cinemas back in October. There is some video of it on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Flavorpill+Long+Tail or on the Flavorpill site at http://flavorpill.net/video/ . What totally rocked the night was having his talk followed up by Spank Rock and the Brazilian Girls (Pussy Pussy Pussy marijuana!)

Good reading along the same lines - From 2002 - The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid - http://sramanamitra.com/files/fortune.pdf
which has also become a book. Sort of the same coin from 2 sides.

I haven't read it myself yet but just reading it vicariously through my wife has changed evertything.

What a visionary!

That article is pretty long and Daddy, you won't even have to read the book after reading it!

The Long Tail is why Lulu.com is such a must for
writers. Your little book can live forever...

No book, record or video ever has to disappear... under the influence of The Long Tail. We need no longer feel dominated by mass-media and the 'next best thing." I recollect being told once if a book didn't make it in THREE WEEKS in Barnes and Noble it was goodbye forever. No more!

The niche is the thing now.

Netflix is a perfect example... would I have been able to discover and enjoy "A Glass and A Cigarette", circa 1955... an Egyptian-Hollywood film starring the incredible DALIDA... without the influence of the niche...?

Love Brazilian Girls. The song Sexy Asshole is just fab.