OT: Playing with Fire book

[Brendon]

Hi Linda,
Any news if there will be an updated edition of this best seller?

Regards
Brendon in NZ

[Chester Harold]

OK Linda, time to get out the pen tool and deliver the goods!

Chet

[Linda Rathgeber]

Chester Harold wrote:

> OK Linda, time to get out the pen tool and deliver the goods!

It's very hard to get publishers interested in Fireworks books these
days. I'm not ruling out a book altogether, but I don't see it happening
unless we decide to do one in e-book form.

Linda R.
--------

[Fred Kunst]

Yes Linda,

Team up with PVII and "do" an eBook :-))

Fred K

+++++ fk


"Linda Rathgeber" <lightly@sc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:blg0fb$ljl$1@forums.macromedia.com...

>
>
> Chester Harold wrote:
>

> > OK Linda, time to get out the pen tool and deliver the goods!

>
> It's very hard to get publishers interested in Fireworks books these
> days. I'm not ruling out a book altogether, but I don't see it happening
> unless we decide to do one in e-book form.
>
> Linda R.
> --------
>
>
>

[Sam Poikail]

Reading that, I immediately thought of Apress.

"Apress is looking for authors with both technical expertise and the ability
to explain complicated concepts clearly. We want authors who are passionate,
innovative, and original.

Apress doesn't work quite the same as the more traditional computer book
publishers. (To learn more about the background of Apress and what makes us
different, read this.) For example, the first question many authors ask a
potential publisher is "What are you looking for?" At Apress, we ask authors
these questions instead: "What are you an expert on? What do you have
real-world experience in? What are you passionate about?"

In sum, we're more interested in your ideas, expertise, and passions than we
are in having you fill out some hole in our list. If you want to write about
XML, that's possible, but we don't want you to write about XML just because
we want you to, nor do we want you to write yet another XML book that's just
like the dozens of "Learn XML" books that exist in various forms already. "

Sorry... couldn't resist. As much of that sums up how the "Playing With
Fire" website and book strike me. You were after all the one who said they
thought that FW was the worlds best video game.

Even if it wasn't a follow-up to "Playing With Fire", I'm still pushing for
a "Fireworks MX 2004/5 Killer Tips" book. ;o)

Cheers,
Sam

"Linda Rathgeber" <lightly@sc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:blg0fb$ljl$1@forums.macromedia.com...

>
>
> Chester Harold wrote:
>

> > OK Linda, time to get out the pen tool and deliver the goods!

>
> It's very hard to get publishers interested in Fireworks books these
> days. I'm not ruling out a book altogether, but I don't see it happening
> unless we decide to do one in e-book form.
>
> Linda R.
> --------
>
>
>

[Linda Rathgeber]

Sam Poikail wrote:

> Reading that, I immediately thought of Apress.
>
> "Apress is looking for authors with both technical expertise and the ability
> to explain complicated concepts clearly. We want authors who are passionate,
> innovative, and original.

And who are willing to write for free. :-) Read their contract.


Best regards,
Linda Rathgeber
----------------
Victoriana | [url]http://www.projectseven.com/dpacks/vic/index.htm[/url]
Theme Pack 03 - Club | [url]www.projectseven.com[/url] |mm2| themes
Contributor *PVII Foundations* [url]www.projectseven.com[/url]
Co-author *Playing with Fire* [url]www.playingwithfire.com[/url]
Team MM Fireworks Volunteer | [url]www.macromedia.com/go/team[/url]
-----------------

[Chester Harold]

I understand that FW books aren't the big sellers as you would like (or as
the rest of us would like). Well, I guess we can't talk you into it if you
don't feel it would be successful.

Just wanted to add that, while I would probably buy any form of book you put
out, a print book is more versatile.

FYI, PWF has a higher sales rank than any FWMX book on Amazon (excluding
MM's book, which doesn't count) and has received more reader reviews than
FWMX books.

Chet

"Linda Rathgeber" <lightly@sc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:blg0fb$ljl$1@forums.macromedia.com...

>
>
> Chester Harold wrote:
>

> > OK Linda, time to get out the pen tool and deliver the goods!

>
> It's very hard to get publishers interested in Fireworks books these
> days. I'm not ruling out a book altogether, but I don't see it happening
> unless we decide to do one in e-book form.
>
> Linda R.
> --------
>
>
>

[Sam Poikail]

"Linda Rathgeber" <lightly@sc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:blg9ru$2ii$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> And who are willing to write for free. :-) Read their contract.

Oh my goodness 10% ?!? of NET?!?! and nothing for anything discounted more
than 80%. My apologies... I just always thought of Apress as the company
that saved a lot of Glasshaus books from Limbo, and never from the author's
perspective.

However, it does hearten me that you looked at the contract that was buried
in a paragraph on a single word hyperlink. Perhaps if we just keep bribing
you with Gummy Bears.... or offers to paint your house? your car? your
neighbor's yappy dog?

Torn now.... if you do an eBook, I will have to steal a dye-sub for all the
pretty pictures :o(.

Quandry of quandries...

As ever,
Sam

[Linda Rathgeber]

Chester Harold wrote:

> I understand that FW books aren't the big sellers as you would like (or as
> the rest of us would like). Well, I guess we can't talk you into it if you
> don't feel it would be successful.

It's not a question of whether or not I would like to do one. The
problem is that publishing companies are not accepting submissions for
Fireworks books.

Do I think it would be successful? If you measure success by having your
name on the cover of a book, yes. If you measure success by whether or
not you earn enough from the book to pay your rent and put food on the
table, then no. Want to know the truth about authoring tech books? Read
the following articles:

[url]http://www.ramblingrose.com/ComputerBooks.htm[/url]
[url]http://philip.greenspun.com/wtr/dead-trees/story.html[/url]

Best regards,
Linda Rathgeber
----------------
Victoriana | [url]http://www.projectseven.com/dpacks/vic/index.htm[/url]
Theme Pack 03 - Club | [url]www.projectseven.com[/url] |mm2| themes
Contributor *PVII Foundations* [url]www.projectseven.com[/url]
Co-author *Playing with Fire* [url]www.playingwithfire.com[/url]
Team MM Fireworks Volunteer | [url]www.macromedia.com/go/team[/url]
-----------------

[Peter R]

"Linda Rathgeber" wrote in message ...

: It's very hard to get publishers interested in Fireworks books these
: days. I'm not ruling out a book altogether, but I don't see it happening
: unless we decide to do one in e-book form.
:

Well I'm up for an e-book. Would you like my order now?

Peter R.

[Linda Rathgeber]

Peter R wrote:

> "Linda Rathgeber" wrote in message ...
>
> : It's very hard to get publishers interested in Fireworks books these
> : days. I'm not ruling out a book altogether, but I don't see it happening
> : unless we decide to do one in e-book form.
> :
>
> Well I'm up for an e-book. Would you like my order now?

I'll file it with the other requests. :-) Honestly, we are planing to do
something. We just don't know what yet.


Best regards,
Linda Rathgeber
----------------
Victoriana | [url]http://www.projectseven.com/dpacks/vic/index.htm[/url]
Theme Pack 03 - Club | [url]www.projectseven.com[/url] |mm2| themes
Contributor *PVII Foundations* [url]www.projectseven.com[/url]
Co-author *Playing with Fire* [url]www.playingwithfire.com[/url]
Team MM Fireworks Volunteer | [url]www.macromedia.com/go/team[/url]
-----------------

[Chester Harold]

"Linda Rathgeber" <lightly@sc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:blhf6h$5kd$1@forums.macromedia.com...

>
> It's not a question of whether or not I would like to do one. The
> problem is that publishing companies are not accepting submissions for
> Fireworks books.

Oh, I definitely knew that -- or at least assumed.

> Do I think it would be successful? If you measure success by having your
> name on the cover of a book, yes. If you measure success by whether or
> not you earn enough from the book to pay your rent and put food on the
> table, then no. Want to know the truth about authoring tech books? Read
> the following articles:
>
> [url]http://www.ramblingrose.com/ComputerBooks.htm[/url]
> [url]http://philip.greenspun.com/wtr/dead-trees/story.html[/url]

No, I know. The starving artist. I am not familiar with tech writing, but
I don't think it is much different financially that writing in any other
field (except the garbage books, I guess). I am a writer myself. My
mother-in-law also has authored a number of books, mostly historical works,
and published them herself. She has to work pretty hard just to break even
on the publishing costs. It's not a question of material quality, just the
audience is limited. Perhaps this is what is going on with FW? Not sure,
but I think I know exactly where you are at. We just had to let you know we
were interested, anyway. Hey, you could do worse than have people request
you to write another book. In the end, you gotta bypass those projects you
want to do and pick the ones that put meat on the table. Or at least some
PBJ.

Hope all goes well,
Chet

[Linda Rathgeber]

Chester Harold wrote:

> It's not a question of material quality, just the
> audience is limited. Perhaps this is what is going on with FW?

That's it exactly, coupled with the fact that for the last two years
every tech publishing house in existence put out 5 Fireworks titles each
in an already saturated market. You aren't only competing with the
author of a similar book from another publishing company, but with four
other authors working for the same publisher you are. It works out OK in
the end for the publishers because they earn about the same amount
whether they pay a 5% royalty on 50 thousand copies to one author, or
split it between 10 authors. It makes a big difference to the authors,
though.

> We just had to let you know we
> were interested, anyway.

I truly appreciate that from all of you.

Thanks,
Linda
-------------

[Lanny Chambers]

In article <blhkq3$gnk$1@forums.macromedia.com>,
"Chester Harold" <chet@no-spam.com> wrote:

> I am not familiar with tech writing, but
> I don't think it is much different financially that writing in any other
> field (except the garbage books, I guess). I am a writer myself.

Chet, you didn't read Linda's links. A computer book only has a chance
of selling until the next version of the software comes out, then it's
dogmeat. Even though Playing with Fire is full of artistic techniques
you can use with any version from FW3 onward, all that people--including
you--want today is a new version for MX2004.

Frankly, there weren't enough new features in MX (much less MX2004) to
justify a new book. Some things are in different places, mainly, and if
you can't cope with the differences yourself a book like PwF isn't
likely to help--it's for inspiration, not menu training.

I wrote a long, complex tutorial for PwF. It took me about 50 hours.
After I finished, I had to buy the FW4 upgrade and redo all the
screenshots. I have no evidence that a single person ever used it.. Know
what I got for it? One free copy of the book...which I couldn't use to
pay for rent or food, or even the upgrade. Never again--I already have
enough expensive hobbies.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
[url]http://www.hummingbirds.net/[/url]

[Conjurer]

Great links Linda.

Interestingly I am working with a friend/client that is trying to write
a book on career counseling.

She is dumping humungous amounts of time and expenses to hire folks like
me and others to help her tweak, format, illustrate,etc.

And, I keep wondering where she things she is going to make this back.


Going to share those links with her.

Thanks!

[Sam Poikail]

"Linda Rathgeber" <lightly@sc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:blhf6h$5kd$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> Do I think it would be successful? If you measure success by having your
> name on the cover of a book, yes. If you measure success by whether or
> not you earn enough from the book to pay your rent and put food on the
> table, then no. Want to know the truth about authoring tech books?

Apparently it is a syndrome that runs across many vocations:
[url]http://www.barscott.com/recording.shtml[/url]

Cheers,
Sam

[Linda Rathgeber]

Sam Poikail wrote:

> "Linda Rathgeber" <lightly@sc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:blhf6h$5kd$1@forums.macromedia.com...

>> Do I think it would be successful? If you measure success by having your
>> name on the cover of a book, yes. If you measure success by whether or
>> not you earn enough from the book to pay your rent and put food on the
>> table, then no. Want to know the truth about authoring tech books?

>
> Apparently it is a syndrome that runs across many vocations:
> [url]http://www.barscott.com/recording.shtml[/url]

Sad, isn't it.


Best regards,
Linda Rathgeber
----------------
Victoriana | [url]http://www.projectseven.com/dpacks/vic/index.htm[/url]
Theme Pack 03 - Club | [url]www.projectseven.com[/url] |mm2| themes
Contributor *PVII Foundations* [url]www.projectseven.com[/url]
Co-author *Playing with Fire* [url]www.playingwithfire.com[/url]
Team MM Fireworks Volunteer | [url]www.macromedia.com/go/team[/url]
-----------------

[Sam Poikail]

"Linda Rathgeber" <lightly@sc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:bligjb$26l$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> > Apparently it is a syndrome that runs across many vocations:
> > [url]http://www.barscott.com/recording.shtml[/url]

>
> Sad, isn't it.

Considering how much I like her music and your book.... very.

Cheers,
Sam