Re: debian book offer -- ideas? authors?
On Fri, 11 Dec 1998, Nils Lohner wrote:
> In message <oar9u6v0aa.fsf@burrito.fake>, Adam Di Carlo writes:
> >
> >IDG, a publishing house who have authored the famous "<foo> for
> >Dummies" line of books, among others, have approached me about writing
> >a Debian-related book for them.
Likewise -- about a month ago. In my case, concerning the translation I'm
doing from the Dutch of a Debian User's and Installation Guide. (Intended
to become part of the DDP once kicked into shape; also intended to be a
dynamic online document -- hence difficult to convert into printed form,
as the text is likely to be substantially changed every three months or so.)
So far only half-translated, and therefore not put out for comment,
criticism or amendment to memebers of this list yet. (The text is still
being batted between the Dutch author and myself.)
But it looks as if IDG really is serious on this one (after all, Debian is
the only distribution left that's not to be found in the back of a printed
book these days), and Adam and I probably aren't the only two who've been
approached.
I'm still talking to Laura Lewin (the research/acquisitions editor at IDG
interested in getting this project going) about this, but perhaps the time
is ripe for the whole Debian community to express its opinions on how
such a "product" should be presented, to properly represent the Debian
community, _before_ any kind of publication is decided on.
(Not usual, I know; but then neither is the Debian community.)
My own feeling is that any published work specifically concerning Debian
should maintain the high standards of technical excellence that the
distribution is noted for -- I suspect this is not as important for any
potential publisher as is getting in on the burgeoning Linux market (for
example, every UK computing magazine now has to have a Linux section) --
and the actual distribution represented by the publication is of minor
importance as far as the publisher is concerned.
This however is not generally true of Debian users, who are quite
justifiably proud of their preferred distribution, and who, presumably,
would like to make this clear in any published text.
And their reasons for preferring one distribution over another. (Without
getting into any religious war about it.)
Any comments from the list on this?
> > OTOH, writing large amounts of
> >technical documentation seems like more than I'm going to be able to
> >handle (in addition to my real work--around 50-60 hrs/wk--and my
> >Debian work).
Ditto. I started doing the Dutch translation and other bits and pieces
for the DDP a few weeks ago when I had nothing else much to do, was
feeling pretty bored with life, and seemed to have far too much time on
my hands. (I should have known better.) Within two days of volunteering
to help with the DDP, I was not only approached by IDG on the subject of
doing the book for them, but was also asked by the local college to do "a
few hours" to replace a lecturer suddenly taken ill. These hours were
promptly doubled; then doubled again; and now I've got a full-time
work-load from that source alone, due to increase again as from the
beginning of next term.
Obviously, in these circumstances, the time one can devote to
writing tech. doc. (or even writing to a publisher's acquisitions
editor!) takes a severe bashing.
Moreover, I think that all of us on this list are pretty much in the same
boat in this respect.
But I also get the feeling that IDG is in a bit of a hurry to get to
market with a book; and we shouldn't lose the opportunity to further the
Debian "cause".
So maybe a joint effort from all round is called for here.
(Or maybe other writers feel that another publisher -- O'Reilly? -- is
more appropriate than a possible "Debian for Dummies" -- I don't know --
I've never seen any discussion on this topic on this list.)
Who can do what; and how quickly?
I personally don't think that _Debian_ (as a distribution) needs shelf
presence as much as Linux (as a generic product) does; but I certainly
feel that that the Debian approach to quality control could do with more
emphasis in print than it currently gets, and that any book should make
this differentiating aspect of the product quite clear.
> >I voiced to her my feeling that Debian documentation needs to be free
> >and to be re-integrated back into Debian itself; my contact at IDG
> >seemed amenable to that, although, obviously, nothing has gone thru
> >the legal dept. yet.
Absolutely. And this _could_ be anathema to any conventional publishing
house -- or at least to their legal beagles, who are likely to get a
little apoplectic about it. So what is our stance going to be on this,
if there's a flat refusal to let anything go back into the distribution?
(Publishers get funny about copyright when push comes to shove.)
As for the amount of money to be made by writers -- long personal
experience has taught me that publishers are in business to make money
firstly for themselves, NOT their writers.
(The last book I did netted me less than 2000 quid, and was promptly
pulped when I suggest re-negotiation for world TV/radio/audio book
rights. I've never made a profit an any book I've published.)
So; although I think it would be wonderful if money were forthcoming to
sub. an editor, I think it's a bit of a pipe-dream to expect it.
And compensation for writers is likely to be pitifully small.
As for the topic, what the market wants at the moment is a "how the hell
do I get started?" book, with lots and lots of illustrated examples (yes,
folks -- "Debian for Dummies" -- much as I hate the title); "101 flashy
projects to do under Linux" can come once readers have got past the
installation hurdle.
Martin
--
Martin Wheeler - StarTEXT, Glastonbury, Somerset, England - BA6 9PH
mwheeler@startext.co.uk http://www.startext.co.uk/
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