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From: jsoc@lasspvax.UUCP (John Socha)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: The software industry (a bit on book publishing)
Message-ID: <186@lasspvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Feb-85 14:44:33 EST
Article-I.D.: lasspvax.186
Posted: Mon Feb  4 14:44:33 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Feb-85 03:36:52 EST
References: <205@gcc-opus.ARPA> <222@looking.UUCP> <>
Reply-To: jsoc@lasspvax.UUCP (John Socha)
Organization: Theory Center (Cornell University)
Lines: 33
Summary: 


I agree with R. Fritz.  Most people who write computer books aren't writing
out of love for writing -- they want to make money.  I've written two
computer books so far (one for Robert J. Brady, Co. and one for Microsoft
Press) and I, for one, wouldn't be writing at all if I couldn't earn
money from my ventures.  I'm the first to admit that I'm trying to become
filthy rich.

That's not to say that I don't love writing.  I love to write, and I want
to teach people about all the wonderful and fun things computers can do.
This is a matter of love, for I'm terribly in love with computers.

Someone else, who's name escapes me, commented that writing books is quite
different from writing software because a software author has to pollish
and bullet-proof their program before they publish it, and that people
won't put in this effort unless their paid well.  That's no different
from writing a book.  I really enjoy writing the first draft.  But then
I have to work on all the details, like rewriting and rewriting sections
until they make sense, creating the index (double yuk!) and on it goes.
I spend more time finishing all the details than I do writing the book
in the first place, and I've known many other authors who also spend
a long time polishing their book.  Novelists, for example, might write
their novel in 3 months, then spend the next 1-1/2 years polishing the
book before they send it to their publisher.


John Socha
Columnist for Softalk while they still existed
{...}uw-beaver!microsoft!johnso

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