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Home -> Community -> Mailing Lists -> Oracle-L -> RE: Serious Question (believe it or not)...
Kirti,
Thanks :) One of the things I didn't mention was that the turnaround time would get tight. Author sends the chapter to me, and I have a day or maybe 2 to get it back to the author so that changes can be reviewed and incorporated and sent on to the editor.
Lots of weird timestamps on some of the messages.
And I got into this because Kevin Loney, Eyal Aronoff and Noorali Sonawalla (I knew all of them) asked me to do the technical edit on their Tuning book. Kevin later asked me to help with the Annotated Archives book. Then Marlene and I went to Oracle Press with the idea for the 101 series and fought to make them let us write a book that was different than anything else they had published.
And let's not even discuss the "world's longest chain of emails" trying to name the book -- starting with and ending up at (eventually) Oracle DBA 101. We went all around the world just to come home :)
Rachel
>From: "Deshpande, Kirti" <kirti.deshpande_at_verizon.com>
>Reply-To: ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com
>To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>
>Subject: RE: Serious Question (believe it or not)...
>Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 08:07:32 -0800
>
>Rachel has addressed this very well. Let me please jump in with a few
>words.
>
>
>Joining Gaja to write the Oracle Performance Tuning 101 was purely a
>coincidence. First, I knew him (from this list and in person since IOUG-A
>2000). Second, I volunteered to review (for free and unofficially) a few
>chapters when I came to know about his book. He liked my feedback and asked
>me if I would be interested in contributing to the book as a co-author. And
>offered me just one chapter as a trial. That's how I got the chance to
>write
>something. I took over 2 days to ponder over it with my family before
>finally saying 'yes' to Gaja to write more.
>
>As Rachel implied, it is a commitment that can get very difficult to keep
>with very tight deadlines from the publishers. Almost all our book writing
>was done after the end of the day at regular jobs and submissions to
>various
>editors were made in the wee hours of the following day! Right, Rachel ?
>
>Gaja mentioned to me many times during the past several months, that this
>is
>the first and the last book he would ever write (we shall see, if that
>happens:) One thing is for sure, writing technical books will not be enough
>to pay your bills. Then, why did I do it? It was an opportunity to learn
>more and share what I learnt. And I enjoyed this first unexpected
>opportunity to do something different. It was not for making money or to
>put
>on my resume (I love my current job). Would I do it again? Probably, if
>the
>right opportunity knocks on the door, I am ready (now that I have some
>experience :) provided my family gives me a 'green light'. Just remember,
>they are the ones who suffer most in your adventure!
>
>Regards,
>
>- Kirti Deshpande
> Verizon Information Services
> http://www.superpages.com
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Rachel Carmichael [SMTP:carmichr_at_hotmail.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 4:40 AM
> > To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
> > Subject: RE: Serious Question (believe it or not)...
> >
> > Literary background is meaningless in writing a technical book... I
>don't
> > have one and I managed :)
> >
> > Developmental editor if you can't write? Not hardly likely. That's what
> > I've
> > done on both Marlene Theriault's Networking 101 and Gaja's Tuning 101
> > books.
> > You need to be able to write to make the books interesting and at the
> > same
> > time technical enough.
> >
> > Technical editor has to know Oracle very well, because you are
>responsible
> >
> > for ensuring that the scripts and statements in the book are absolutely
> > accurate.
> >
> > Neither is a trivial job. Nor are they ones that can be done in a spare
> > moment or two.
> >
> > How did I get started? I was asked by people I knew to do the technical
> > edit on a book. Do I recommend that you do this? NO!
> >
> > Understand that writing a book is NOT something you do in your spare
>time.
> >
> > It does not matter how well you think you can write, or if you know
>Oracle
> >
> > backwards and forwards. You have a full-time job while you are doing
>this,
> >
> > you have (one hopes) a life that you want to keep as well.
> >
> > You can't slack off on the job, that's what pays the bills. You have
> > deadlines to meet. You can't slack off on those, or the publisher takes
> > the
> > book away (yes, they can do that). So your life disappears.
> >
> > Jim, if you really truly think you can do this.... stop and think again.
>I
> >
> > spent 6 months of no life writing 101 and this was with co-authors! Yes
>it
> >
> > is worth the end product but understand that while you are going through
> > it,
> > it's hell.
> >
> > As for how to get started..... Oracle Press has a submission form on
>their
> >
> > website for people who are interested in writing a book. They really do
> > read
> > the submissions.
> >
> > Am I trying to scare you? You betcha. Because if you STILL want to do a
> > book
> > after this, then I know that you really will get it done.
> >
> > Rachel
> >
> >
>--
>Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
>--
>Author: Deshpande, Kirti
> INET: kirti.deshpande_at_verizon.com
>
>Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051
>San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists
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-- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: Rachel Carmichael INET: carmichr_at_hotmail.com Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).Received on Thu Jun 07 2001 - 14:42:16 CDT
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