As given at SxSW Interactive 2009, this presentation gives some tips about becoming a writer of tech books. However, some of it needs the accompanying narration to really make sense. There's some more info at http://www.backupbrain.com/2008_06_15_archive.html

1. So You Wanna Write
a Tech Book?
Dori Smith
(and guests)

2. Why?

3. Why?

4. Why?
• You want to get a full-time job

5. Why?
• You want to get a full-time job
• You want to get a better full-time job

6. Why?
• You want to get a full-time job
• You want to get a better full-time job
• You want to get a promotion

7. Why?
• You want to get a full-time job
• You want to get a better full-time job
• You want to get a promotion
• You want to get more/better consulting gigs

8. Why?
• You want to get a full-time job
• You want to get a better full-time job
• You want to get a promotion
• You want to get more/better consulting gigs
• You want to be a writer

9. Can You Make a Living
as a Writer?

10. Can You Make a Living
as a Writer?
• Well, I can

11. Can You Make a Living
as a Writer?
• Well, I can
• Sort of

12. Can You Make a Living
as a Writer?
• Well, I can
• Sort of
• That doesn’t mean you can

13. Can You Make a Living
as a Writer?
• Well, I can
• Sort of
• That doesn’t mean you can
• Most people can’t

14. Consulting vs Writing

15. Consulting vs Writing
• Pick your niche

16. Consulting vs Writing
• Pick your niche
• It’s an either/or

17. Do I Have to Use Word?

18. Do I Have to Use Word?
• Yes

19. Do I Have to Use Word?
• Yes
• No—so long as you are 100% compatible

20. Do I Have to Use Word?
• Yes
• No—so long as you are 100% compatible
• Yes

21. The Care & Feeding
of Editors

22. The Care & Feeding
of Editors
• Chocolate is good

23. The Care & Feeding
of Editors
• Chocolate is good
• Turning in your chapters on time is better

24. The Care & Feeding
of Editors
• Chocolate is good
• Turning in your chapters on time is better
• Turning in clean copy on time is best of all

25. Lies Acquisitions Editors Tell

26. Lies Acquisitions Editors Tell
• It’s our “standard” contract

27. Lies Acquisitions Editors Tell
• It’s our “standard” contract
• “Standard” royalty rate

28. Lies Acquisitions Editors Tell
• It’s our “standard” contract
• “Standard” royalty rate
• “Standard” advance

29. Lies Acquisitions Editors Tell
• It’s our “standard” contract
• “Standard” royalty rate
• “Standard” advance
• “Standard” time frames

30. Lies Acquisitions Editors Tell
• It’s our “standard” contract
• “Standard” royalty rate
• “Standard” advance
• “Standard” time frames
• “Standard” page count

31. Lies Acquisitions Editors Tell
• It’s our “standard” contract
• “Standard” royalty rate
• “Standard” advance
• “Standard” time frames
• “Standard” page count
• “Standard” formats

32. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell

33. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Cross-accounting

34. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Cross-accounting
• Cross-collateralization

35. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Cross-accounting
• Cross-collateralization
• Reserves for returns

36. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Cross-accounting
• Cross-collateralization
• Reserves for returns
• Returns

37. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Cross-accounting
• Cross-collateralization
• Reserves for returns
• Returns
• Advances

38. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Cross-accounting
• Cross-collateralization
• Reserves for returns
• Returns
• Advances
• Who pays for indexing?

39. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell

40. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Tech book royalties are on the wholesale
price, not the retail price

41. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Tech book royalties are on the wholesale
price, not the retail price
• Deep discounts

42. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Tech book royalties are on the wholesale
price, not the retail price
• Deep discounts
• Non-compete clauses

43. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Tech book royalties are on the wholesale
price, not the retail price
• Deep discounts
• Non-compete clauses
• Right to work on the next edition

44. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Tech book royalties are on the wholesale
price, not the retail price
• Deep discounts
• Non-compete clauses
• Right to work on the next edition
• Reversion of Rights

45. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell

46. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• “Earning out”

47. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• “Earning out”
• Royalties aren’t paid to you until long
after they’ve been paid to the publisher

48. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• “Earning out”
• Royalties aren’t paid to you until long
after they’ve been paid to the publisher
• Returns

49. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• “Earning out”
• Royalties aren’t paid to you until long
after they’ve been paid to the publisher
• Returns
• Lousy accounting systems

50. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• “Earning out”
• Royalties aren’t paid to you until long
after they’ve been paid to the publisher
• Returns
• Lousy accounting systems
• Most books never earn out

51. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• “Earning out”
• Royalties aren’t paid to you until long
after they’ve been paid to the publisher
• Returns
• Lousy accounting systems
• Most books never earn out
• Many authors, of multiple books, never
earn out on any of them

52. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell

53. Truths Acq Eds Don’t Tell
• Everything is negotiable

54. Lies Writers Tell

55. Lies Writers Tell
• If my editor had faith in me, they wouldn’t
charge this book against the last one

56. Lies Writers Tell
• If my editor had faith in me, they wouldn’t
charge this book against the last one
• My editor will help me get into the beta/
get access to the hardware

57. Lies Writers Tell
• If my editor had faith in me, they wouldn’t
charge this book against the last one
• My editor will help me get into the beta/
get access to the hardware
• My royalty rate is less than 10% of the
cover price, so I must be getting ripped off

58. Time Frames

59. Time Frames
• Or, “Why does production get 3 months to
print it when I only got 6 weeks to write it?”

60. Time Frames
• Or, “Why does production get 3 months to
print it when I only got 6 weeks to write it?”
• It’s mostly about the publisher’s relationship
with the printer

61. Time Frames
• Or, “Why does production get 3 months to
print it when I only got 6 weeks to write it?”
• It’s mostly about the publisher’s relationship
with the printer
• It’s also about how much they trust you to finish
writing the book

62. Time Frames
• Or, “Why does production get 3 months to
print it when I only got 6 weeks to write it?”
• It’s mostly about the publisher’s relationship
with the printer
• It’s also about how much they trust you to finish
writing the book
• Do I really have to finish writing the book
before <insert product here> ships?

63. Time Frames
• Or, “Why does production get 3 months to
print it when I only got 6 weeks to write it?”
• It’s mostly about the publisher’s relationship
with the printer
• It’s also about how much they trust you to finish
writing the book
• Do I really have to finish writing the book
before <insert product here> ships?
• Before it goes gold?

64. Time Frames
• Or, “Why does production get 3 months to
print it when I only got 6 weeks to write it?”
• It’s mostly about the publisher’s relationship
with the printer
• It’s also about how much they trust you to finish
writing the book
• Do I really have to finish writing the book
before <insert product here> ships?
• Before it goes gold?
• Before the UI is frozen?

65. The 3 Fs of Tech Books

66. The 3 Fs of Tech Books
• First

67. The 3 Fs of Tech Books
• First
• Fabulous

68. The 3 Fs of Tech Books
• First
• Fabulous
• Screwed

69. What's the First Step?

70. What's the First Step?
• Pitch!

71. Do You Need An
Agent?

72. Do You Need An
Agent?
• Yes

73. Do You Need An
Agent?
• Yes
• No

74. Do You Need An
Agent?
• Yes
• No
• Maybe

75. Now Your Book Is Out

76. Now Your Book Is Out
• People you haven’t talked to in years will
want free copies

77. Answering Reader
Questions

78. Answering Reader
Questions
• Surprisingly time consuming

79. Answering Reader
Questions
• Surprisingly time consuming
• Keep it separate from your regular email

80. Answering Reader
Questions
• Surprisingly time consuming
• Keep it separate from your regular email
• Don’t do free consulting

81. Answering Reader
Questions
• Surprisingly time consuming
• Keep it separate from your regular email
• Don’t do free consulting
• Don’t ever let people send you files

82. Answering Reader
Questions
• Surprisingly time consuming
• Keep it separate from your regular email
• Don’t do free consulting
• Don’t ever let people send you files
• Give every book a unique email address
that’s only listed inside the book

83. How Much Does
Amazon Matter?

84. How Much Does
Amazon Matter?
• Depends on your topic

85. How Much Does
Amazon Matter?
• Depends on your topic
• Depends on your publisher

86. Defining “Best-Seller”

87. Defining “Best-Seller”
• Earning out +

88. Defining “Best-Seller”
• Earning out +
• It depends

89. E-books:
Big Hits / Big Flops

90. E-books:
Big Hits / Big Flops
• It’s not for all topics

91. E-books:
Big Hits / Big Flops
• It’s not for all topics
• It’s not for all markets

92. E-books:
Big Hits / Big Flops
• It’s not for all topics
• It’s not for all markets
• It’s not for all readers

93. E-books:
Big Hits / Big Flops

94. E-books:
Big Hits / Big Flops
• Safari Online

95. E-books:
Big Hits / Big Flops
• Safari Online
• Take Control Books

96. E-books:
Big Hits / Big Flops
• Safari Online
• Take Control Books
• Ten Quick Steps

97. How Much Do the
Cover & Title Matter?

98. How Much Do the
Cover & Title Matter?

99. How Much Do the
Cover & Title Matter?

100. How Much Do the
Cover & Title Matter?

101. How Much Do the
Cover & Title Matter?

102. How Much Do the
Cover & Title Matter?
• Take it from me...

103. How Much Do the
Cover & Title Matter?

104. Pros & Cons of
Writing for a Series

105. Pros & Cons of
Writing for a Series
• Pro

106. Pros & Cons of
Writing for a Series
• Pro
• Built-in audience

107. Pros & Cons of
Writing for a Series
• Pro
• Built-in audience
• Cons

108. Pros & Cons of
Writing for a Series
• Pro
• Built-in audience
• Cons
• Audience expects you to be just like the
other authors in the series

109. Pros & Cons of
Writing for a Series
• Pro
• Built-in audience
• Cons
• Audience expects you to be just like the
other authors in the series
• Less creativity

110. Pros & Cons of
Writing for a Series
• Pro
• Built-in audience
• Cons
• Audience expects you to be just like the
other authors in the series
• Less creativity
• or maybe not...

111. Got Questions?

112. Got Questions?
dori @ dori.com