On Writing a Technology Book

No matter how well you know your technology, writing a book is a whole new ballgame.

When Peach Pit Press asked me if I was interested in writing a book about Adobe Experience Manager (formerly called CQ5), I was flattered and excited. It’s not the kind of request someone receives often, if ever, during their career. In fact, it wasn’t even a tangible goal for me…more like, a whimsical idea of something I’d like to accomplish someday. It was something my future, seasoned self would hopefully get to do. Yet, here it was, right in front of me, ripe for the picking, and I obliged.

All said and done, the project took around 6 months from pen-on-paper (figuratively speaking) to the printers. It was not like I expected, nor was it anything like the business and software development processes that make up my day-to-day. If you’re used to the technology space, like me, the world of publishing can be an unfamiliar, even intimidating place. If you’re writing a technology book, or think you may want to someday, you could probably use some advice.

Here’s what I learned…

The process of writing is inefficient, and that’s a good thing.

I winced when the managing editor (effectively the project manager) went over the authoring process with me. It was a long, laborious thread of reviews, FTP folders, and Microsoft Word markup. My strategy consultant gears immediately started turning. How can we make this more efficient? Why so many handoffs? Won’t this take forever!

I was only a few chapters into writing when I started to realize why the process works the way it does. The time you have away from your writing is critical. I would submit a chapter, it would pass through a round of different editors, and I’d come back to that chapter days (even weeks) later. The second time around, you see your content from a new perspective. You can see what you wrote well and what you explained poorly. You create your own new and external perspective.

Without the delay, you’d never give your brain enough time to reset. Your writing always looks good, immediately after you write it. The result of this seemingly inefficient process is a better version of your own writing.

Everyone is called “editor”.

I never really figured out why, but everyone who works for a publishing company seems to have some manifestation of the title “editor”. This can be a little confusing, because their job title doesn’t always describe their function. You know what a project manager does. You know what a quality assurance professional does. You know what an account manager does. During publishing, “editors” can perform any or all of those functions.

Lesson learned: make sure you clarify the roles and responsibilities of everyone on the team. It’ll help you keep everyone straight and it’ll make the aforementioned process a little more smooth. At the very least, you’ll always know who to call when you have an issue. I was fortunate to have a managing editor, Nancy, who held my hand through this confusion. You may not be so fortunate.

Knowing your technology and explaining it are two very different things.

If you’re writing a book on some technology, you’re probably a so-called expert. But, technology expertise and ability to express that expertise are two very different skills. You’ll need to put yourself into the shoes of someone who understands none of it. Then, architect a structured way to explain the concepts required. Start with foundational content, then build upon it. Most importantly, make sure you include why concepts are important, why features are used, and why the reader should care.

Shortly before writing my book, I read Start With Why by Simon Sinek. He explains how the human brain registers knowledge better when concepts are presented in the following order:

• Why does this matter? Why should I care? Why is this important?
• What is it? What does it do?
• How does it work? How do you do it?

This is opposite of how many people naturally present information, starting with what they do, what it does, etc. or how they do it. This book inspired me to keep perspective on why the concepts in my book were important and my writing was the better for it. During my content reviews, I would notice when I strayed from this perspective, because the writing became less clear and more technical.

Writing from the reader’s perspective and focusing on why are kind of one in the same. You must learn how to write with empathy, and if you struggle to do so, start with Sinek’s TED talk.

Get your ducks in a row.

As with anything in life, you’re probably going to have a tight timeline. Even if you don’t, you should aspire to one, for the sake of getting the project done. That means you need to be ready to write. You need your computer and whatever software the writing process requires. You need the technology about which you are writing to be installed and setup, so you can take screenshots and walk through examples. Have some colleagues you can go to when you have questions or need a second opinion. Don’t put these things off until you need it. It’ll create downtime in the process.

The best part of writing a book isn’t the payout.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the extra money as much as anyone would. But, the best part is the respect and compliments you receive and confidence you build after the book is out. When I see a positive review on Amazon or when someone Tweets me that they liked the book, it makes my day. I’ve literally had a brand new business contact say, “You’re the one who wrote the book? Okay, then I trust you know what you’re talking about.” This is credibility that no amount of money can buy.

I’m under no impression that my book will be a New York Times bestseller. But, it’s fulfilling to know that what I wrote was helpful to people in the world for which it was written. If there’s anything in the writing process you should look forward to, it’s this.

I realize there are many blog posts out there on this exact same topic. This was my reflection of what I learned while working through my first (not my last) book. If you’ve set a goal to write a book or are already in the process, I wish you all the best. I’m here to help, if you’d like some advice.