I'm an author again....
May. 14th, 2003 02:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tcpipIt's been quite a few years since I published something book length, but today I've re-established myself in the print world.
OK, so it's a computer manual, hardly something that's going to set the literary world on fire. But still, 75,000 words of manual (about 160 pages of text, some 20-40 pages of inserts, graphics etc to be added) that will be used by government of an entire nation-state (and probably some non-government organizations) is quite a pleasing achievement. Especially considering that I wrote the entire thing in two and a half months.
Final editing and translation into two other languages (Portuguese and Bahasa) to be done as well, as well as getting an ISBN, so it will be a while before I see it as a final product, but that's just par for the course. Having it printed by the United Nations Development Programme sounds pretty good too.
I'm quite happy with the end result. Unlike other introductory computer manuals it doesn't treat the reader like an idiot and doesn't concentrate entirely the rather marginal and time-dependent area of applications. Rather there is a balance between hardware and software concepts, communications and networking, operating systems, applications, programming and systems administration. It will be useful for at least several years after publication.
So, the first major publication of the year. I have a couple more planned as well ;-)
OK, so it's a computer manual, hardly something that's going to set the literary world on fire. But still, 75,000 words of manual (about 160 pages of text, some 20-40 pages of inserts, graphics etc to be added) that will be used by government of an entire nation-state (and probably some non-government organizations) is quite a pleasing achievement. Especially considering that I wrote the entire thing in two and a half months.
Final editing and translation into two other languages (Portuguese and Bahasa) to be done as well, as well as getting an ISBN, so it will be a while before I see it as a final product, but that's just par for the course. Having it printed by the United Nations Development Programme sounds pretty good too.
I'm quite happy with the end result. Unlike other introductory computer manuals it doesn't treat the reader like an idiot and doesn't concentrate entirely the rather marginal and time-dependent area of applications. Rather there is a balance between hardware and software concepts, communications and networking, operating systems, applications, programming and systems administration. It will be useful for at least several years after publication.
So, the first major publication of the year. I have a couple more planned as well ;-)
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no subject
Date: 2003-05-13 11:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-14 03:36 am (UTC)Hey, and thank you for you all your help too!
I've celebrated by including a picture to my journal. Kirk Douglas from Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus". Some have kindly said I have a passing resemblence to Mr. Douglas. At least the character's role is right, n'est-ce pas?
no subject
Date: 2003-05-14 02:35 am (UTC)Well it's of absolutely no use to me then ; )
Congratulations on your first 2003 publication.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-14 03:38 am (UTC)LOL! I didn't want to teach people what (a) they already knew and (b) could work out for themselves. I like to make things that last.
(I know, so terribly modernist of me.. I should get with the times and use style over substance).
Thanks for the congrats... I reckon by the end of next month publication #2 will be ready ;-)
Hey, this is a writing year. I'm clocking up 2000 words/day.
Re:
Date: 2003-05-14 04:25 am (UTC)Lucky I've got a few spaces on my bookshelf now ; )
no subject
Date: 2003-05-14 06:44 am (UTC)I have something coming out under the UNDP logo later this year too (my report on Cambodia).
Generally I don't find that computer manuals treat the reader as idiotic enough. I can never understand them at all!
no subject
Date: 2003-05-14 04:21 pm (UTC)Heh. That's probably because you weren't even given the opportunity to learn the basics.
The Apple II (I go on about don't I?) users manual had on the first page "Lift off the lid". And then it pointed out all the bits and pieces and how they worked. With that background knowledge, everything else was mere elaboration.
Re:
Date: 2003-05-14 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-16 09:25 pm (UTC)i understand, it's probably quite light reading huh!!
congrats on your manual, that's awesome! :)
no subject
Date: 2003-05-17 06:50 pm (UTC)Oh, I wouldn't call it "light", more of an enjoyable tangent to something that is often far too heavy!
OK, It's got light bits. But hey, even my journal has fluffy polls...
no subject
Date: 2003-05-18 01:49 am (UTC)glad you enjoy it :)