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So You Want to Write
       about
        Perl!
  brian d foy, brian.d.foy@gmail.com
      Publisher, The Perl Review
         YAPC Chicago 2006
About me
Wrote my first Perl article for TPJ #9

Then my next for TPJ #11 (Got into The Best
of The Perl Journal)

Later a columnist for TPJ

O’Reilly Weblogger, MacDevCenter, &c.

Publisher of The Perl Review

Lead author of Learning Perl, 4th Edition

Lead author of Intermediate Perl

Working on Mastering Perl
Reasons Not to Write

  Get rich
  Have more free time
  Quality time with your computer
  Free international travel
Reasons To Write
Your story is Perl’s best advocacy
Learn more about Perl
Become a better writer and communicator
Let people know what you’re doing
Let people (Google) know who you are
Write now
You can start right away
 Blogs
 use.perl.org
 Perlmonks Meditations
Fancier Places

Perl.com
IBM Developer Works
The Perl Review
Dr. Dobbs, Linux Magazine, Unix Review
Getting the Gig
It’s who you know, mostly
Or you have to have something really
good
Most places won’t be encouraging
Find the right people
Have some samples
Publishers want
Interesting content
Good writing
The least hassle
Writers with whom they can work
Something that sells
Wanting the Gig
People need to see your work
Your publisher should promote you
Your writing should take center stage
Be careful about writing for free
Talk to other authors about contracts
and publishers
Published other things you like
Introducing
        yourself
Most places have some sort of author or
style guide with instructions

When you propose something, be concise and
to the point

Realize that lots of other people are doing
the same thing
Authors at YAPC

brian d foy, Randal Schwartz, Allison
Randal, chromatic, Andy Lester, Larry
  Wall, Damian Conway, Tim Maher
Publishers at YAPC
      brian d foy

     Allison Randal

       chromatic
Perl.com



chromatic (chromatic@wgz.org)

Online, magazine-style articles about Perl
Books


Allison Randal (allison@oreilly.com) O’Reilly
Media, Onyx Neon Press

Apress

Pragmatic Bookshelf
Magazines

brian d foy (brian.d.foy@gmail.com), The Perl
Review

Kevin Carlson (kcarlson@ddj.com)
“Lightweight Languages” in DDJ.com

  Formerly published The Perl Journal
Actually Writing
Come up with a good story
Talk about more than just Perl
Learn more than you already know
Show how much you learned
Describe code in prose
Show your work to trusted friends
Your writing
    sux
Technical reviewers
Develop a core set of people you trust

  Not a single person

Let them see your story

Find a publisher who will care enough to
check

Realize they won’t to care as much as you

It’s still your job to make it right
If a publisher makes a
    lot of changes...

They like your story enough to spend time on it

They are making you look better to the world

They’ll hardly ever take credit

It’s a normal part of technical publishing
Tips for getting along

Technical writing isn’t literature

You aren’t an artist

If you want more work, accept changes

Don’t get emotionally attached to sentences

Don’t read it after it’s published
Summary
Personal stories are good advocacy
Getting the gig is about personal
relationships
You get better the more you do it
You develop a reputation and a resumé
You don’t do it to make money directly
References


“So you want to write a book” - http://
www.oreilly.com/oreilly/author/

TPR Author Guidelines - http://
www.theperlreview.com/Authors/
Q&A

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So You Want To Write About Perl

  • 1. So You Want to Write about Perl! brian d foy, brian.d.foy@gmail.com Publisher, The Perl Review YAPC Chicago 2006
  • 2. About me Wrote my first Perl article for TPJ #9 Then my next for TPJ #11 (Got into The Best of The Perl Journal) Later a columnist for TPJ O’Reilly Weblogger, MacDevCenter, &c. Publisher of The Perl Review Lead author of Learning Perl, 4th Edition Lead author of Intermediate Perl Working on Mastering Perl
  • 3. Reasons Not to Write Get rich Have more free time Quality time with your computer Free international travel
  • 4. Reasons To Write Your story is Perl’s best advocacy Learn more about Perl Become a better writer and communicator Let people know what you’re doing Let people (Google) know who you are
  • 5. Write now You can start right away Blogs use.perl.org Perlmonks Meditations
  • 6. Fancier Places Perl.com IBM Developer Works The Perl Review Dr. Dobbs, Linux Magazine, Unix Review
  • 7. Getting the Gig It’s who you know, mostly Or you have to have something really good Most places won’t be encouraging Find the right people Have some samples
  • 8. Publishers want Interesting content Good writing The least hassle Writers with whom they can work Something that sells
  • 9. Wanting the Gig People need to see your work Your publisher should promote you Your writing should take center stage Be careful about writing for free Talk to other authors about contracts and publishers Published other things you like
  • 10. Introducing yourself Most places have some sort of author or style guide with instructions When you propose something, be concise and to the point Realize that lots of other people are doing the same thing
  • 11. Authors at YAPC brian d foy, Randal Schwartz, Allison Randal, chromatic, Andy Lester, Larry Wall, Damian Conway, Tim Maher
  • 12. Publishers at YAPC brian d foy Allison Randal chromatic
  • 14. Books Allison Randal (allison@oreilly.com) O’Reilly Media, Onyx Neon Press Apress Pragmatic Bookshelf
  • 15. Magazines brian d foy (brian.d.foy@gmail.com), The Perl Review Kevin Carlson (kcarlson@ddj.com) “Lightweight Languages” in DDJ.com Formerly published The Perl Journal
  • 16. Actually Writing Come up with a good story Talk about more than just Perl Learn more than you already know Show how much you learned Describe code in prose Show your work to trusted friends
  • 18. Technical reviewers Develop a core set of people you trust Not a single person Let them see your story Find a publisher who will care enough to check Realize they won’t to care as much as you It’s still your job to make it right
  • 19. If a publisher makes a lot of changes... They like your story enough to spend time on it They are making you look better to the world They’ll hardly ever take credit It’s a normal part of technical publishing
  • 20. Tips for getting along Technical writing isn’t literature You aren’t an artist If you want more work, accept changes Don’t get emotionally attached to sentences Don’t read it after it’s published
  • 21. Summary Personal stories are good advocacy Getting the gig is about personal relationships You get better the more you do it You develop a reputation and a resumé You don’t do it to make money directly
  • 22. References “So you want to write a book” - http:// www.oreilly.com/oreilly/author/ TPR Author Guidelines - http:// www.theperlreview.com/Authors/
  • 23. Q&A