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Computer Book Author FAQ
This pages includes common questions for the authors of computer books.
For a complete description, read Chris Lawson's experience writing his first computer book.
I'm a first-timer. How do I get noticed by a
publisher?
The first step is to get recognized as a content-expert for the technology. Conference proceedings, trade journals and conference presentations are a great way to establish a reputation. Next, you should find a hot-topic and prepare a justification that the book will be well-received by the publishing community.
Remember, computer book publishers are always seeking hot new content. Most of the large publishers have a web page to allow prospective authors to submit computer book proposals:
Is it OK to submit a proposal to several computer book publishers simultaneously?
Never! The computer book editor community is close-knit, and the acquisition editors for the major publishers have a informal network in-place to review book proposals, they they will know if you submit to multiple publishers at the same time.
If you try this, expect immediate rejection. The savvy prospective
author submits to their first-choice, waits for an acceptance or rejection,
and then works their way down their list.
What royalty rate should I expect?
First-time authors can expect anywhere between 8% to 12% of Net Sales. Smaller publishers may offer more, but beware of confounding and complex royalty calculations for foreign and bulk-sales rights.
Some publishers offer a "no-hassle" royalty rate (meaning that they don't want to be hassled!), and pay all authors equally. For example, here are the standard rates for O'Reilly & Associates (10%) and Rampant TechPress (15%).
I just got an offer from a publisher, but the royalty rate is too low. Should I take the offer to another publisher and show them that I have other offers to consider?
No! Once a publisher commits an accepts your offer, it is extremely unprofessional to take the offer to a competitor. After all, the competitor will wonder if you will do this with their offer, as well.
Should I get an agent?
This is an emotionally-charged question. The vast majority of computer book authors do not have an agent, and some publishers privately refuse to deal with agents (the agents always try to get their authors the best deal).
Some computer book authors swear that their agents have been able to find great opportunities for them. Your choice about retaining an agent is entirely up to the author.
I just received an offer! How much room for negotiation do I have?
This depends upon what you want to change and your salability as an author. If you are the best-selling author of dozens of book, they you might have some leverage, but rarely does the new author have any leeway. In some cases, the publish will state that the offer is not subject to negotiation.
By the way, Yes, it DOES hurt to ask for changes! Remember, as a new author, the publisher is accessing you as a team-player and being obstinate over trivial details in the contract is a bad sign. Remember, changes to a contract involve hiring an attorney, and many publishers will withdraw an offer if the prospective author is a "pain".
How many book can I expect to sell?
This depends upon the subject and the marketing for the book. Tight-topics that appeal to a smaller market (CORBA, Perl), may be considered best-sellers at 5,000 copies while mainstream computer topics could sell more than 20,000 copies.
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