[erlang-questions] on writing [was: ANN: Designing for Scalability with Erlang/OTP by O'Reilly]

[Miles Fidelman]

Should have added.... finding layout and graphics support is what I find 
hardest.

Miles Fidelman wrote:
> Joe Armstrong wrote:
>>
>> So how will you find a good editor?
>>
>> Your book one had "a Phenomenal Editor" and book two a "Horrible editor"
>>
>> I guess I would self-publish if I could find a phenomenal editor, and a
>> phenomenal proof reader and marketer but if I could do all these
>> things I guess I'd just start a publishing company.
>
> Well... I'm in a funny position, in that I write pretty good prose, 
> and get called on to edit a lot of stuff (I spend about half my work 
> life writing proposals for a living).
>
> But... having said that - my observation, from my limited sample of 
> two books, and two publishers, is that if one signs with a publisher, 
> you're stuck with whomever they assign - so it's a pretty good idea to 
> interview and sign off on an editor before signing the book deal.  Not 
> sure if that's practical or not unless you're a name author.  So... if 
> O'Reilly routinely assigns good editors, that's a pretty good reason 
> to sign with them.
>
> Beyond that, an awful lot of people I know rely on peers to review and 
> edit their writings - quid pro quo and all that.  Putting drafts 
> online, and soliciting review and comment, seems like another model 
> that has worked for some.
>
> The other choice is to hire an editor - but that starts to get expensive.
>
> As to marketing - my observation is that most publishers look to their 
> authors to promote their works - maybe they'll arrange a book tour for 
> you, and maybe they'll pick up some expenses, but probably not for 
> small market items.  The value add of traditional publishers seems to 
> go down day-by-day.
>>
>> Just "writing the damn text" is only a part of the story ...
>>
> Well yeah, but ain't that always the case. :-)
>
> Miles
>


-- 
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.   .... Yogi Berra