You, too, can be an Author! (was Re: [rescue] Cheap 4/6xx RAM)

[Sheldon T. Hall]

in Message: 17 on Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 10:38:41 -0600, Derrick Daugherty
<derrick at blinky-lights.org> did intone ...

[snip Bill's anti-spammer text]

> Appreciated.  But sometimes it's a good thing, like book authoring
> offers.  I believe you and some other list members have mentioned
> something similar?  Previously I didn't have time..I'm toying with the
> idea now that I'll have some unexpected free-time with employer going
> out of business.  I've always wanted the situation to come up  "do you
> know anyting abot 'X'"  "do I?  I wrote the book on it!"  man that'd be
> fun :)

Two things to consider about being an "arthur," as Molly Ivins says:

(a) No one cares.

(b) It doesn't pay.

Basically, the technical book companies want you to work for nearly nothing.
They are perfectly happy to make you famous, but turning fame into money is
_your_ responsibility.  Even guys who write best-selling tech books make
diddly-squat when you compare their advances and royalties to those received
by even mid-list authors of popular books.

I'm not just talking about celebrity authors, either, just folks who write
main-line books that sell.  I personally know a woman who got a $900,000
advance on her first three romance books.  My advances on the tech books
I've written is barely 1% of that.

> I think Greg's the only one I've noticed on the list that has the chance
> to say that :D

Do parts count?  After all, "parts is parts."

I wrote parts of

    Windows 3.1 Connectivity Secrets  (IDG Books, 1994)
    The Financial Manager's Guide to Microsoftware (John Wiley & Sons,
1988).
    The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Data Processing  (Macmillan, 1990)

As well as working or writing for PC Advisor Magazine, Computer Language
Magazine, UNIX Review, PC World, On-line Today, and PC Letter.

Programming pays a _lot_ better, albeit the freebies and other perks aren't
as good, and the groupies are few and far between.  Of course, if I wanted
groupies, I'd go back to playing rock'n'roll, but I'd starve.

-Shel
--
Sheldon T. Hall
shel at cmhc.com
206-842-2858
206-780-7971