Comments on: “Using DesignBais” Book Coming Soon! http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html Welcome to the Nebula Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:54:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Tony Gravagno http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-104 Tony Gravagno Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:04:53 +0000 http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-104 <p>Thanks for asking, Steve. Back at the conference in April I fully expected to have the first edition done in May. My book was targeted to v4.1 users who were coming from v3.3. It introduced many items as being new or different from prior releases. What I found at the conference was that there were many people who were still unaware of some core features, so that prompted me to revise the material with less assumptions about what the reader already knows.</p> <p>Also, we were told that v4.2 was coming "soon" with a number of new features, and I didn't want to publish my first edition right before a new DB came out with a whole slew of new features, so I decided to hold off. None of us knew it would be 8 months before we'd see the new release.</p> <p>So the plan now is to get into v4.2 as soon as I can, and ensure that the book covers basics from all prior releases as well as advanced usage, and then of course add in all of the v4.2 enhancements.</p> <p>I don't want to speculate as to when I'm going to finish this. I'm on the verge of committing to tech editor work for another "C#" book for a major publisher, and that's going to take a lot of reading/writing time. However, I am committed to this project, and I've found writing about DesignBais is about as entertaining as actually using the software, so for me a book about DB is as much fun as it is work.</p> <p>Regards - T</p> Thanks for asking, Steve. Back at the conference in April I fully expected to have the first edition done in May. My book was targeted to v4.1 users who were coming from v3.3. It introduced many items as being new or different from prior releases. What I found at the conference was that there were many people who were still unaware of some core features, so that prompted me to revise the material with less assumptions about what the reader already knows.

Also, we were told that v4.2 was coming "soon" with a number of new features, and I didn’t want to publish my first edition right before a new DB came out with a whole slew of new features, so I decided to hold off. None of us knew it would be 8 months before we’d see the new release.

So the plan now is to get into v4.2 as soon as I can, and ensure that the book covers basics from all prior releases as well as advanced usage, and then of course add in all of the v4.2 enhancements.

I don’t want to speculate as to when I’m going to finish this. I’m on the verge of committing to tech editor work for another "C#" book for a major publisher, and that’s going to take a lot of reading/writing time. However, I am committed to this project, and I’ve found writing about DesignBais is about as entertaining as actually using the software, so for me a book about DB is as much fun as it is work.

Regards - T

]]> By: sjdorst http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-103 sjdorst Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:04:06 +0000 http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-103 Tony, I just re-read your original post and saw the "late May" estimate for the first volume. Any revised estimate? Tony, I just re-read your original post and saw the "late May" estimate for the first volume. Any revised estimate?

]]> By: devonosborne http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-95 devonosborne Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:01:42 +0000 http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-95 The advantage to spiral bound is that it makes it easier to lay out while working at the keyboard. I recall the old Editor books from TAB were that way and it made for much easier reference. Yes, regular binding is like the "real" books but, face it, many of them are placed on the shelf and rarely are opened after that. If this is real reference book, spiral would be helpful. Or, as you suggest, offer it both ways. I prefer, of course, spiral. Text size? I have a World of Warcraft book, for example, that has print so small, I have to use a magnifying glass to read it! Avoid that, please. 11 pitch is a good compromise. Cost? $200 is not unusual for a highly specialized reference book with such a limited audience. When Pick and DesignBais finally take over and rule the world, you can offer a special $19.95 version. In the meantime, you have costs to recoup and it may not sell many copies over its lifetime, realistically. I'll start saving for my copy now.   The advantage to spiral bound is that it makes it easier to lay out while working at the keyboard. I recall the old Editor books from TAB were that way and it made for much easier reference. Yes, regular binding is like the "real" books but, face it, many of them are placed on the shelf and rarely are opened after that. If this is real reference book, spiral would be helpful. Or, as you suggest, offer it both ways. I prefer, of course, spiral.
Text size? I have a World of Warcraft book, for example, that has print so small, I have to use a magnifying glass to read it! Avoid that, please. 11 pitch is a good compromise.
Cost? $200 is not unusual for a highly specialized reference book with such a limited audience. When Pick and DesignBais finally take over and rule the world, you can offer a special $19.95 version. In the meantime, you have costs to recoup and it may not sell many copies over its lifetime, realistically. I’ll start saving for my copy now.
 

]]> By: phil short http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-88 phil short Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:37:19 +0000 http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-88 For that money it had better be perfect bound and full colour!  ;) Seriously, it all sounds good. I think in MV we have long done ourselves a disservice by undervaluing our products, the environment, and ultimately ourselves. I want a DB book that will sit alongside my tomes from Sams, Wrox, O'Reilly, Microsoft Press et al and look just as professional. DB is as important to me as .net, Perl, HTML, CSS, SQL, SAP and all the rest, and my DesignBais reference material deserves to be of equal quality. The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned, I'm feeling left out after Vegas!   For that money it had better be perfect bound and full colour!  ;)
Seriously, it all sounds good. I think in MV we have long done ourselves a disservice by undervaluing our products, the environment, and ultimately ourselves.
I want a DB book that will sit alongside my tomes from Sams, Wrox, O’Reilly, Microsoft Press et al and look just as professional. DB is as important to me as .net, Perl, HTML, CSS, SQL, SAP and all the rest, and my DesignBais reference material deserves to be of equal quality.
The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned, I’m feeling left out after Vegas!
 

]]> By: sjdorst http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-86 sjdorst Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:03:14 +0000 http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/general/2007/04/usingdb-01.html#comment-86 Tony, My initial answer to #3 was going to be: Black and White, but post them in color and have a url in to book. However, on pondering #9 and #10, I can't fault you for the price point you are setting as it will have an extremely limited audience, but for the price, you should go ahead and do the book in color. AND do it perfect bound (#4). Regarding e-publication: Have you checked out Microsoft Reader? While I normally don't recommend MS products, since DB really only works well on MSIE, restricting your readers to a Microsoft only product shouldn't be a problem. I know from experience (inability to backup e-books I've purchased) that purchased copies of e-books in Microsoft Reader from can be restricted to use with ONLY the first copy of Reader that opens the file. (Of course, I'm sure this can be hacked, but then can't everything?) Steve Tony,
My initial answer to #3 was going to be: Black and White, but post them in color and have a url in to book. However, on pondering #9 and #10, I can’t fault you for the price point you are setting as it will have an extremely limited audience, but for the price, you should go ahead and do the book in color. AND do it perfect bound (#4).
Regarding e-publication: Have you checked out Microsoft Reader? While I normally don’t recommend MS products, since DB really only works well on MSIE, restricting your readers to a Microsoft only product shouldn’t be a problem. I know from experience (inability to backup e-books I’ve purchased) that purchased copies of e-books in Microsoft Reader from can be restricted to use with ONLY the first copy of Reader that opens the file. (Of course, I’m sure this can be hacked, but then can’t everything?)
Steve

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