Hi all,
Apparently Iām not the only one considering writing a book. Perhaps this could be the space to share and discuss the process and tools around it:
What did I miss?
/Jesper
I have a topic around aligning business strategy and testing strategy, as on my blog. The Leading Quality book, has some of the notes but not specifically for what Iām aiming for. Is there an audience - I expect so among the test managers and test architects out there.
Iāll probably go for LeanPub, mostly inspired by A Practical Guide to Testing in DevOps by @katrinaclokie.
I havenāt decided on writing platform yet.
Getting stuff done: Consider this the first bold move - and something to do when it rains.
How exciting!
@mwinteringham is going through this process. Perhaps once heās back from paternity leave heāll be in a position to share his learnings.
Sounds a great idea ! Keep it up 
@jesper leanpub is a good option !
Let me know if you need any help.
Other tips:
My mother wrote a book and she had some sponsors also I believe. Not sure if itās valid in your case but you could look into that, if it requires a bit of money to start out.
Hello @jesper !
I had a few topics in mind for books and recently started writing. While Iām presently writing sci-fi, I hope this information might be relevant.
I have not considered the publishing phase yet. Today, it seems a long way off. I understand that finding a publisher is like finding a new job: send out a lot of cover letters with a manuscript and wait for feedback. Iād be willing to self publish.
I have been using Google Docs from my writing. I briefly tried Scrivener but found it limiting.
With respect to the writing habit, I encourage you to read The Artistās Way (Cameron). For me, writing requires some warm up. The first five hundred words might be crap. But, they also might contain gems of ideas. As Cameron recommends, ignore the editor voice in your head and get words on a page. The next x-hundred words will be better. As with most stuff, daily practice will show improvement. Recently, I started writing haiku as a means getting in some writing practice while searching for words to fit in that format.
Since we are familiar with software development methodologies, I approach new writing as a series of iterations. One MVP might be something to build on, it might be something to discard.
I joined a local writerās group. We meet monthly and critique each otherās work. I have found it very valuable for sci-fi writing. It helps me get stuff done.
Joe
Iāve just accepted a commission to write my second professionally-published book. (Not on testing.) My first book was published nearly ten years ago, and Iāve been trying to sell my ideas for a second one ever since. The book Iām now working on isnāt the book I wanted to write, but in trying to drum up interest in that book, I talked to a lot of publishers and agents in my field.
As with so many things in this life, thereās an element of it being not what you know, but who you know. I responded to something in a magazine, and the editor/publisher came back and said āI hadnāt planned doing a book on X, but if you write it, Iāll publish it!ā
So when it comes to choosing a publisher, Iād say it was a matter of knowing your field, knowing the people in it, and networking.
The best tip I can give is write now, edit later.
I find itās very tempting to let my brain slide into āedit modeā and try and perfect everything while Iām writing, which causes cogitative overload. Itās much easier to just let the words flow and worry about editing later on.
Thankās @devtotest - I also looked into Scrivener, but found it hard to get a good grasp on too. It had to be better than that for the ā¬55 price point.
I like google docs for that portability across devices - thanks for confirming too @emna_ayadi . I had started using Word online but found it got confused by the language settings on the different devices. It had smarter book features (Bibliography) - but Google docs more simple approach will do.
Platform so far is LeanPub, but ping me if you hear anything for a āreal bookā.
Now to get stuff āon paperā -thank you @kylegawley @robertday @kristof
In my mis-spent youth, I hung out a lot with writers, both paid and wannabe. Back then, the only platform available was called āa typewriterāā¦ 
LeanPub caught my eye, also (I may even have a book started up there but not public - Iād have to check). Didnāt āThe Martianā start out as self published?
My dad had a facit in a suitcase, but I fear its gone. Will have to save for this instead
The topic for your book sounds very interesting, I had a similar topic in mind to consider trying to build out (if/when I find some extra time somewhere).
Iād be happy to review any content you have or support you in any way Jesperā¦
I wrote a kids book a few years ago and tried to get it published, but could never get someone to publish it.
I would try and self publish now, but would need to find an illustratorā¦ If anyone knows of anyone, iād still love to try and get it published
Hi @jesper,
Here are my thoughts on your bullet points:
If you plan to write around a specific topic youāre going to be around it for a very long time. Like a year or more. So I would pick something youāre passionate about writing. If not, your motivation will drop and thatās a killer for your book.
There is a load of pros and cons and discussions between each option and I recommend doing a good bit of googling for more detailed blog posts to make a decision. However, I can share my thinking. I opted for reaching out to Publishers because I felt if I was going to succeed with writing a book I needed the infrastructure and support of experienced people to help me get the book done. It was definitely the right call for me. I have a fantastic development editor who is really supportive and helps me with the thornier issues. I also have the support of a marketing team to get the book out as well, but the support of the editors and feedback systems theyāve set up are more important to me. In short, yes you earn less (likely make a loss in terms of real hours put in) but there is less noise and more support than self publishing. The question to ask yourself is how do you work, what support do you feel you will need and what are you hoping to achieve.
One thing to add after reviewing comments in this thread is that the submission process for fiction and non-fiction is different. For fiction you have to have a fully written draft to submit, thatās not the case for non-fiction / technical books. A lot of the publishers will take a clear description of your book and a Table of contents that clearly communicate your books intentions. I learnt a lot about this from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuRE55YH8yE
I use a tool called Ulysses for Mac. Itās $5 a month and itās worth its weight in gold. Its main feature is to make writing as seamless as possible, so no formatting drama, no popups, etc. Itās highly configurable and has great backup features (Iāve been bitten once and saved by this tool).
However, there are loads of tools out there beyond Word and Drive and I encourage you to trial them out and see what works for you and doesnāt. The goal initially is getting the words on the page, if you arenāt getting them out then the tool might not be right for you.
Write every day, simple as that. Just keep writing, donāt stop. When I first started I would do a page a day (300 words approx.) but when I joined Manning publishing I upped it to 3 pages a day to up my output and get the book done asap. Some days the page comes out quickly, some days itās a complete grind. But you stick to your pages per day and you will see progress.
Also I second @kylegawley:
Focus on getting it out of your head first before cleaning it up to make it clearer.
Being with a publisher also helps as you will have deadlines in your contract to work towards. These are usually flexible as long as youāre demonstrating that youāre making progress.
Hope that helps.