Have you ever written a technical book for O'Reilly?

Here’s how it works:

1. Somehow, an acquisition editor from O'Reilly decided that progressive mankind needs a specific book about enterprise development with Flex, and you got an email...

2. You immediately forget your own promise not to write no stinking technical books no more.  Why do you forget? Because it’s O’Reilly, you stupid! After a quick discussion with my co-authors, we said, “Sure!”

3a. The authors write a book proposal that must be approved by several members of Adobe Flex team, just to have a right to have a tiny Adobe icon on the cover and three words: “Adobe Developer Library”.  Only a small number of O'Reilly Flex books go through this stage. Just being able to pass this stage is flattering in itself.

3.b. The book is approved by the publisher’s board, the contract is signed, and the schedule is written in stone.

4. You (and your co-authors) write a chapter and format it using the template provided by the publisher.

5. You submit the chapter to a development editor when ready.

6. Development editor fixes your English, makes it more readable and organized and sends it to a technical editor.

7. The tech. editor ensures that you didn't say something obviously stupid from a technical perspective.

8. You get the chapter back and need to respond to tons of comments. This is the most boring part. As a matter of fact, this is the main reason why I decided to write this blog.  Just take a look at the snapshot of my screen… The comments are on the right, the comments are inline, and you won’t be able to get away with skipping one.  


 
9. You submit the reviewed chapter back to the development editor. Schedule? What schedule? Nothing is written in stone...

10. The development editor takes another look at your masterpiece and give it to online production team (this part is a bit fuzzy for me).

11. Two weeks later, you receive an email informing you that the Rough Cuts of the chapter X is published on safaribooksonline .

12. People start enjoying reading your wisdom about enterprise development. Even before the book is ready to go to the printer.

Leather, rinse, repeat…

I have great co-authors,  I really want you to like this book, but let me tell you, this is my last technical book. Period.

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