Book Sprints method
1Conceptualising
Step 1 : Conceptualising
Our facilitators guide your team to discuss the book's themes, topics, concepts, and audiences in a creative, semi-structured process. Together we set expectations, create the group dynamic, establish trust, and even generate new hypotheses and concepts. Our facilitators ensure that everyone in your group is heard equally. They mediate different positions, strengthen consensus, and narrow down the scope of the book.
2Structuring
Step 2 : Structuring
The thematic elements generated in the beginning are now organised into broader themes. These are then mapped onto sections, chapters, and sub-sections to create a draft table of contents.
3Writing
Step 3 : Writing
Once the concept and structure are defined, your contributors start producing content, sharpen the arguments and develop a narrative flow. Our facilitators keep track of the progress and set assignments accordingly. Every participant contributes to many different chapters, ensuring that different perspectives are evenly represented throughout the book. A group of people can produce a large amount of text quickly: we help them to create a cohesive and logical flow through extensive revising and editing.
4Editing
Step 4 : Editing
Throughout the Book Sprints process, your contributors read, restructure, edit, and reorganise the text. Our facilitators empower each contributor to make decisions in this process, yet ensure that editing is done respectfully. They may pair an expert with a non-expert to work together to make technical language accessible. A designated "target reader" or a small group may be asked to revise the entire book from beginning to end.
5Production
Step 5 : Producing the Book
Our team of copy editors and designers work alongside the contributors using our collaborative writing platform. Your contributors choose a title, a cover design, and illustrations. Based on the final version our team produces print-ready PDF and EPUB versions of the book. The book is then made available immediately to be distributed through your preferred channels, online, as print copies, or through a publishing house.
Your topic
Your experts
Our facilitator 
Our specialist team
One space
3-5 days
What is the Book Sprints method effective for?
Book Sprints have so far successfully been used to produce:
- software documentation
- industry guides
- government policies
- white papers
- academic research papers
- college textbooks
- activist manuals
- fiction
….and we are always open to new challenges!
How do you benefit?
- Produce books fast and efficiently
- Respond to fast-moving topics
- Capture knowledge about new and existing processes and technologies
- Stimulate critical reflection and new ideas
- Build a shared understanding within teams or across fields
We facilitate Book Sprints in English, French, Spanish, and German.
Our toolkit developed by the Collaborative Knowledge Foundation is optimized for the rapid, concurrent, production of books, using state of the art technology.
Selected clients
Selected press and media
Documentary:
The Story of a Book
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Natural Innovation Lab Book Sprint
The World Bank Tokyo
Cisco ACI Operations Guide
Heinrich Böll Foundation Nigeria
Slideshow: You Built a Textbook in How Many Days?
Article: How Nigerian Bloggers, Writers, Activists Wrote a Book in Five Days
Blog: Attersee Booksprint
Presentation: #freebassel : The cost of loving free culture
Presentation: Adam Hyde on Changing the Culture of Learning
Blog: OpenStack Operations Guide: One Week, One Book
Thank you