Proposal: Astar DeFi Book in English

General
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A few weeks ago, I introduced the Astar DeFi book in Spanish on this forum. You can find the original post here: Books About DeFi in Astar. I mentioned my plans to visit schools and universities to teach about Astar and DeFi.

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The community members on this forum have expressed their support for this initiative. Some even expressed interest in translating the book into their languages, which is an honor for me as the content is intended for the community’s benefit.

Today, the Astar DeFi book is available in both physical and digital formats on Amazon, as well as in NFT format on the Bluez Marketplace. The book is priced affordably in both markets to ensure accessibility for everyone.

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The book has been distributed as a gift to students enrolled in the “DeFi on Polkadot” course, offered in two sessions, one in January and another in July of this year. More than 120 people from nine Latin American countries, including Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, and the USA, have enrolled.

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Additionally, copies of the book—both printed and digital—have been given out as gifts at various events in Chile, including Polkadot, Ethereum, and general cryptocurrency events. Copies have also been sent to schools and universities.

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The book has been used in lectures at the University of Santiago de Chile, an institution with over 35,000 students, and in online classes at the University of La Serena in northern Chile, which has nearly 7,000 students.

All these activities, including printing costs, travel expenses, and more, have been self-funded. I have never requested funds from this forum.

I believe it is time to take the next step.

Proposal:

My proposal is to update the book, creating a new version that includes an additional chapter focused on AstarZK protocols. This new version would be translated into English and published on Amazon and Bluez in all three formats.

This initiative could significantly broaden the reach to a new audience unfamiliar with blockchain use cases, opening another gateway for learning. The material will also be useful to educators in schools and universities worldwide.

Estimated Costs:

  • Writer’s fee: $3,000 USD
  • Translator’s fee: $1,000 USD
  • Editor’s fee: $500 USD
  • Cost of printed copies, digital copies, and NFTs: $1,000 USD

Total Proposal Cost: $5,500 USD, 91.666 ASTR.

I am open to any questions or suggestions. Have a great day!

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Hi MacZam. First of all I congratulate you for your excellent work, I saw that you are bringing the knowledge of Web 3 around the world with your books and this is an honorable and very important thing to train people and help them understand this sector . I believe that a book that explains well and clearly the basics and all the mechanisms of DEFI on Astar Network is a great plus both in terms of knowledge for users but also in terms of image and marketing. Seeing books on Astar Network defi on Amazon, at events and online helps bring even more value to the ecosystem and makes you understand how active community and defi is behind it. I think an update of your book with the whole zkEvm part is a good move. I am in favor of help from Astar in dealing with the expenses for all the reasons I wrote above and I believe that having a guide to Astar Network’s Defi is a nice plus that many other blockchains, even much bigger ones, do not have today. The more material we have available to make the community understand our ecosystem, better the culture and activity of our Defi community will be

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MacZam, this is a wonderful effort from you guys! It’s really commendable how devoted you are towards enlightening people about Astar and DeFi. To translate the book into English would definitely contribute towards reaching an expansive base and propagating blockchain technology even more. We wish you all the best with your proposal; thank you for what you’ve done for us!

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Hey ser! I am really impressed with your work to push forward the DeFi protocol on Astar - maybe this could be a great way to reach new users but I want to understand a bit more about the book

-how many pages?
-what protocols are included in the book?
-The protocol you talk about are paying any reward to you?
-The protocol you talk about are still working and engaged in the Astar Ecosystem?

I am a bit afraid bc I fell the DeFi landscape on Astar is almost dead… we haven’t seen any protocol making progress and engaging > Starlay is the biggest one but the liquidity is too low and they have experienced a lot of problems in their journey on Astar.

Maybe the costs with writer could be shared between protocol. I not conviced Astar should pay to promote dApps (dApp staking is a revenue dApp can use to sponsor your book)

What is the price per word? Once we have chatGPT today, translating is not hard as used to be in the past… Myself used to work as translator on Wag Media for a long time, the average payment was 10 cents per word.

Also I think digital copies could be more effective and speding $ on marketing could reach more users.

Thanks again for the proposal

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Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement! I deeply appreciate your support and am thrilled to hear that my efforts resonate with you. Translating the book into English is indeed a significant step in my mission to spread knowledge about Astar and DeFi to a broader audience. Your good wishes mean a lot to me, and I am committed to continuing this journey with the same dedication.

I also want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the constant support from Bluez in all my publications. Their backing has been invaluable in making this project a success. Thank you again for your support, and I wish you all the best as well!

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Thank you so much for your thoughtful and encouraging words! I’m truly grateful for your recognition of the work I’m doing to spread knowledge about Web 3 and DeFi through my books. It’s an honor to contribute to the education and empowerment of people in this rapidly evolving sector.

I completely agree that a well-explained book on DeFi within the Astar Network can be a valuable asset, both in terms of knowledge and as a tool for enhancing the network’s image and marketing efforts. Seeing Astar Network’s DeFi literature on platforms like Amazon, at events, and online truly reinforces the strength and activity of our community.

I appreciate your support for the proposed update to include zkEVM and your belief in the value of this project. With the backing of the community, I’m confident that we can continue to build a robust resource that stands out, even among larger blockchains.

Thank you once again for your support, and I wish you all the best as we continue to grow together!

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Thank you for your insightful questions and for taking the time to share your thoughts. I appreciate your curiosity about the book and its purpose.

One of the main reasons I wrote this book is not only to educate but also to document and spread awareness about the protocols within the Astar ecosystem. It’s true that some protocols may thrive while others may face challenges, but what matters most is that their stories are recorded and shared. This documentation contributes to the history of DeFi on Astar, providing valuable insights for both current and future users.

To answer your questions in more detail:

  • How many pages? The book currently consists of 171 pages, offering comprehensive coverage of the Astar ecosystem and its DeFi protocols.
  • What protocols are included in the book? The protocols featured include Algem, ArthSwap, Sio2, AVault, AstridDAO, and dApp Staking. Each of these is explored in-depth, highlighting their unique contributions to the Astar network.
  • Are the protocols you talk about paying any reward to you? No, I do not receive any financial compensation from the protocols discussed in the book. My objective is purely educational—to provide clear and unbiased information to help users understand the potential of these protocols within the Astar ecosystem.
  • Are the protocols you talk about still working and engaged in the Astar ecosystem? Yes, the protocols included in the book are currently operational and engaged within the Astar ecosystem. While the DeFi landscape is dynamic and can present challenges, these protocols continue to contribute to the network’s growth.

A key aspect of the book is that it doesn’t just describe the protocols themselves but also uses them as practical examples to teach broader DeFi concepts. For instance, the book covers fundamental topics such as staking, liquid staking, decentralized exchanges with AMMs, swaps, stablecoins, lending, and more. These concepts are essential for understanding the DeFi space, and by tying them to real protocols like those mentioned, readers can gain a more practical and applied understanding.

I understand your concerns about the current state of DeFi on Astar. It’s a landscape that, like many others, has its ups and downs. However, I believe that this book plays a crucial role in educating users, potentially attracting new participants, and ultimately strengthening the ecosystem.

Regarding the writer’s fee, I recognize the importance of cost-effectiveness and am open to considering alternative funding methods, including contributions from the protocols themselves. Your suggestion to share the cost is valid, and I will explore this further.

As for the translator’s fee, while I understand that tools like ChatGPT can assist with translation, I believe that the nuances of a technical text require a professional touch to ensure accuracy. However, I value your input and will reassess the cost to find the most efficient approach.

Finally, I agree that digital copies combined with strategic marketing could be an effective way to reach a broader audience. I’m planning to implement a multi-faceted approach to maximize the book’s impact.

Thank you again for your thoughtful input, and I wish you all the best as we continue to support and grow the Astar ecosystem together.

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@MacZam
Hello, dear MacZam, glad to see you again in our Astar forum with an interesting proposal for our protocol.

In principle the proposal seems to me extremely wise, I say this because you have already done a great job for free, you have shown us what you are capable of doing and you have made a huge impact to our region by using Astar as an example protocol, I love that and I applaud you for it.

I don’t have a problem with the cost of your proposal, what I have a problem with is that I don’t see tangible metrics, I don’t see a way to evaluate your work and the impact of your proposal, do I make myself understood?

It would be really interesting if you create KPIs that allow us to evaluate your work with certainty, here is an example:

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These numbers and topics are just examples. It’s a recommendation for you.

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Thank you very much for your kind words and for taking the time to review my proposal. I deeply appreciate your feedback and completely understand the importance of having tangible metrics to measure the impact of the work.

Taking your recommendations into account, I would like to propose the following KPIs to ensure that the success of this project is measurable and has a significant impact:

  1. University Visits in Chile: I will visit at least two universities in Chile to present the concept of NFTBooks and the DeFi space in Astar, aiming to reach directly a minimum of 120 students.
  2. NFTBooks Production: I plan to generate and distribute 1,000 NFTBooks at a price of 1 ASTR each. These will include educational content and interactive learning tools, making DeFi more accessible to the Spanish-speaking community.
  3. Incorporation into DeFi Courses: The NFTBooks will be integrated as a complementary resource in three main DeFi courses that will be offered throughout 2025. These courses are expected to reach over 160 participants.

These KPIs should provide clear metrics to evaluate the success of the project and its impact on the community. I am fully committed to achieving these goals and look forward to making a significant contribution to the Astar ecosystem.

Please let me know if these metrics align with your expectations, or if there is any other area you would like to discuss.

Thanks again for your valuable feedback!

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@MacZam
That’s right! With this you can better qualify and measure the impact of your proposal by the whole community.

They seem to me to be achievable metrics because of your partnerships with such universities and your experience creating such collections.

I have just two final questions:

  1. You had raised in your proposal the printing of copies of your book, how many? In how much time?

  2. For the session to the universities, can there be recordings of this when you do it? Could you share a satisfaction form with the attendees as well? This will allow us to help expand your impact with recordings and measure attendee satisfaction.

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First of all, thank you very much for the contribution. It’s really cool. Regarding the proposal, I’d like to ask a few more questions:

  1. I don’t have any knowledge about book writing, especially concerning expenses. Is there any reference or additional details you can provide to help me better understand the picture?

  2. In terms of the target, what does the team think? Regarding numbers, I understand that the current trend of people reading books may not be as flourishing as before. If it becomes dead stock, how does the team plan to manage this?

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Thank you for your insightful feedback! I’m planning to print around 40 to 50 copies of the book, ensuring their availability for distribution. The timeline for printing and distribution would be approximately 5 to 6 months after the approval of the proposal.

Regarding the university sessions, I’m not entirely sure if recordings will be allowed, but we will definitely take photos to document the events. Additionally, I will prepare a satisfaction form for attendees to gather feedback, which will help us gauge the effectiveness of the sessions and continuously improve. Your support in expanding the impact of this initiative is greatly appreciated!

Looking forward to your thoughts.

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Thank you very much for your thoughtful questions and interest in the proposal. I’m glad to provide more details to give you a clearer picture.

Costs Breakdown:

  1. Writer:
  • The average cost for hiring a professional writer can range from $0.10 to $0.50 per word, depending on the writer’s experience and expertise. For a 50,000-word book, this could translate to $5,000 to $25,000.
  • Source: Reedsy, a marketplace for authors and publishing professionals.
  1. Translator:
  • Translation costs vary depending on the language and complexity of the text. On average, professional translation can cost around $0.10 to $0.20 per word. For a 50,000-word book, the translation could cost between $5,000 and $10,000.
  • Source: Translation agencies like Gengo or One Hour Translation.
  1. Editor:
  • Editing costs also vary widely, but generally, a professional editor charges between $0.01 to $0.03 per word. For a 50,000-word book, editing might cost between $500 and $1,500.
  • Source: Editorial Freelancers Association.

Why Books Are Still Important in Education:

Books remain a crucial educational tool for several reasons:

  1. Depth of Knowledge: Books allow for deep dives into subjects, offering comprehensive insights that often can’t be matched by short-form content.
  2. Accessibility: Books can be accessed anywhere and at any time, without the need for digital devices or internet connections.
  3. Learning Reinforcement: Physical books, in particular, can aid in learning retention, as the tactile experience of reading often reinforces memory.
  4. Diverse Learning Styles: Some people learn best through reading, and books cater to those who prefer textual learning over other forms like videos or lectures.

Regarding the Target and Potential Dead Stock:

I understand the concern about the trend of book reading. The team plans to manage this by producing a limited initial print run of 40 to 50 copies, which can be adjusted based on demand. Additionally, the majority of the books will be in the form of NFTBooks. The costs associated with NFTBooks are negligible, and while this format is still relatively unknown, it has the potential to be disruptive in the publishing industry. We believe that by targeting universities and educational institutions directly, we can ensure that the books are put to good use in educational settings.

Looking forward to your thoughts and any further questions.

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Hi @MacZam I’m curious about the distribution of this book. What would be your strategy to make sure the right people will get to have this book? And will there be a potential need for Astar team to check the content, or you’ll do it 100% by yourself?

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Great @MacZam! Now we have concise metrics that will allow us to evaluate whether the proposal was successful or not, and will also help you to know the impact of your work. So off we go with these goals on your behalf:

Printing of 40 or 50 physical copies.
Visit at least two universities in Chile.
Direct impact to 120 university students.
Generation and distribution of 1000 NFTBooks.
Incorporation of this book into the DeFi program you run.

Perfect Mac, from my side you have my full support, I love what you can do with your talent and I know your work, it is of good quality.

I wish you luck and you have my support

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Thank you for providing a detailed breakdown of the costs and the value of books in education. Your strategy to manage potential dead stock with a limited print run and focus on NFTBooks is a smart approach, especially with the evolving trends in the publishing industry. I appreciate your thorough explanation and look forward to discussing this further.

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  • Book distribution: I plan to send the book as a gift to universities, schools, ambassadors, and also create groups to share it. Additionally, all ambassadors will have access to the books in NFT format so they can share them with their communities, as many as needed. This will ensure that the content reaches the right people and has the greatest possible impact.
  • Content review: I usually review the content with two or three people to ensure quality. However, I would love to invite anyone from the Astar community interested in participating in the review process. There would be no problem with them being part of it!
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Thank you very much for the details. It helps me visualize better and I’ve learned a lot more.

Regarding costs, I now have complete information. As for the distribution plan, what plans does the team have? I understand that in the case of physical distribution, there may be various related aspects such as shops that sell the product or logistic costs, for example.

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hank you very much for your comments! :blush:

At this stage, there are no plans to sell the book in stores. The few copies that will be printed will be given away at events, universities, schools, and similar places. The main distribution of the book will be as an NFT, but we will still make it available on Amazon so that anyone who wants to purchase a copy can do so.

The physical version is intended for users who do not read digitally or for those who want to have a printed copy as a keepsake. On the other hand, the NFT version is intended for all users, ambassadors, and users from other chains. The idea is to make the minting process very simple and affordable, allowing ambassadors to use these copies in their events as a special gift.

Additionally, if any ambassador or community member wishes to translate the book into their native language, they can do so with my full support.

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Awesome feedback - I support your proposal and I would like to see if you consider making some improvements in the proposal above. Great job ser