4 ms·
Ask HN: Have you written a book? If so, why?
I would love to hear opinions from any HN members who published a book (either print or digital) and learn what was their motivation. Beyond monetary gain, what inspired them to write a book for others to read. Thanks in advance.
- ecspike 13y agoDefinitely wasn't the money. I wanted to explore a new topic that didn't have that much material out at the time (Google Wave -> HTML5 Gaming). And I like to speak at conferences, a book helps you get selected more. My book has done better than most and is still selling decently approaching 2 years since publication but that's the exception , not the rule.
- auctiontheory 13y agoI love books. It's a way to influence the world with my ideas and passion. It was a fantastic learning experience, and is still a good conversation starter. Having said that, my next book(s) will be much more closely tied to my professional career aspirations - the book can serve as a "calling card." If you do write a book, put in the work to do it well. Please don't use a vanity press!
- m2mapps 13y agoA PhD can be viewed as a peer-reviewed, published book, so yes.
- leashless 13y agohttp://hexayurt.com/novel http://hexayurt.com/novel "Mother of Hydrogen" Because I had some ideas I wanted to work out, and fiction was The Way. Also http://thefuturewedeserve.com http://thefuturewedeserve.com which was a massively collaborative book some friends and I put together: really a fun project, quite mind expanding.
- latch 13y agoAll my ebooks have been free. I did because I like writing, it's a great way to learn and a great way to teach. Most popular were Foundations of Programming, The Little MongoDB Book and The Litte Redis Book. Most recent is Scaling Viki.