I posted this over on Capt. Parrotdead's blog as a comment on his post this morning about how tough it is to get a job in this less than gleaming economy. I wrote it half in jest, but the idea refuses to leave me alone. We all know what a whiz I am at organizing collective efforts...cough cough dab dab...so someone with a tad more whipsnorting chops might wish to step in and pick up the cudgel...er, baton. If, that is, we can get a few enthusiasts who will jump up and down on Oprah's couch with me. Anyway, here's what I posted on Cappy's blog: What say we put together an OS book - either a collection of our very best posts or we write a novel, with each of us contributing a chapter? Maybe OS would even consider publishing and promoting it. We'd need to hash a We'd hafta be a tad ruthless in determining who the contributors would be - this might be the hardest part, as many of us here already have Spartacus whip scars on our egos from rejection. Maybe we accept 
lot of stuff out first, i.e. theme (or plot, if it's fiction), illustrations (hell, we have enuf artists here to do a book just on OS Art), humor, satire, romance, gothic, gay vampires, tender zombies, snarky cats, wise old sheepdogs...hey, you catcha my drift? If each of the contributors sticks to his or her voice, we'd hafta write one helluva prologue explaining what the hell we're doing and introducing the contributors, with mugshots and little bios (quasi-fake bios, maybe, which would play to our online personas). 
everybody who contributes, and then vote on which chapters or pieces to include in the final collection - with an eye toward using the others in a sequel if the first one makes it to the movies starring William Hurt, Johnny Depp, Cameron Diaz and Winona Ryder, and a supporting cast of too many to imagine.
Let's not pee our briefs and panties getting excited quite yet, as I only now just finished my morning coffee. When the caffeine kicks in and I see the chicken tracks I've laid down here, I might delete this and write the one I'd planned for today about Liberty the hen - and a fine, dedicated mom she is - who is trying to hatch her infertile eggs under our porch.
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Listen, I love the concept of Liberty trying to hatch infertile eggs, I mean, what a metaphor. Write that post, eh?
The very few people who can actually write sure don't post their good work here. And the rest of it? You're kidding, right?
Yeah, Nikki, maybe 4,000 writers, each contributing one paragraph.
We all know it's the marketing that gets a book read. People wanna feel like they hafta buy (not borrow) the book if they wanna keep up with or take the enormous risk of landing one step ahead of Florence Flash, their trend-setting acquaintance.
Besides, we're all too literate to lower our sights to that crowd. I mean, it is to gasp.
Lezlie
2) getting someone to pay for it.
Nice thoughts though...
I cannot imagine the ego problems and time it would take to do such a thing. And who would buy it? There are blogs all over the place -- for free.
Just sayin',
(Very interesting idea, actually.)
@ Kathy Riordan ... Salon has a plate?
You've got the energy and imagination. That's a given.
I wonder how heavy a 4000 chapter book would be??
I'm in on the creation of the EPIC SAGA OF OS, Matt!
Now what is Liberty up to now :)
You know I care just see so many stepped on toes, imagined or not.
Matt Paust: Matt, I thought it was a good idea when I wrote that post. I still think it is a good idea. Even as a regular visitor to Open Salon, I would welcome a compilation of wonderful articles from this space in book form. [ And, yes, I know that the notion of books is becoming antiquated. ] I wrote to the Open Salon people twice, after I posted that article that Kathy mentioned. I did not receive a reply from either inquiry. I have a several pilot selection paradigms that might work.
Anyway, let me know if this idea moves forward. If there is some interest, I would try to find time to help.
Matt: I think someone already took my first reaction "herding cats"
Do you really want to put me through that? But it is a sweet idea...:)
Woooo!!!
Gave you the title, now you guys do your best to fill the 3999 chapters(I already got a chapter -- DON'T PEE ON THE ELECTRIC FENCE UNLESS YOU LIKE BURNED PUBES) :D
Catherine, I think OS has given you our answer. We'd had to do this in spite of them. Wouldn't that cold revenge be soothing!
Cranky's idea clicks with me. We could exclude OS from mention. Simply call it something like Blogger War. Team up with Mike Reed. We can make the war up, using Mike's characters and illustrations. I'm sure some of us hate Mike for seeing thru our masks, but that makes it even better - sets up possible sequels. A graphic novel. All the rage these days. Godzilla, The Diplomat and Sensitive Sally take on the Cyber Sisters, Big Dog and Me-Too. We can use real OS characters to play themselves (and write their own lines). I'm getting excited again, but, again, I haven't finished my coffee. I don't wanna be Palooka again. I wanna be...lessee...Snarky Smith. That's a new character, but he might be fun. If Mike gives us the finger, maybe Skip Williamson would join us. Or two of the battling characters could be Skip and Mike - their illustrations would duke it out. Oh. Oh. Gasp.
And Tink, playing himself, would be The Administrator. Oh. Oh...