Should I write a book on Python Metaprogramming ?

[David Mertz, Ph.D.]

|Where do I send my check?

My address was listed in the proposal.  Any amounts accepted. :-)

Actually, in the last few days (after seeing some responses,
especially), I've started to think really seriously about writing it for
self-publication.  I looked into this before, and getting a printer is
not hard, and only costs a few dollars per book (it depends a bit on
print runs, paper type, colors on cover, etc.; but it's a quite small
percentage of the cover price in any case).

Publishers are not really all that great.  Getting payments that are due
has been a PITA... including the one currently (and for quite a while)
due for the compositing of the book.  And given that I did the layout
myself for _TPiP_, that leaves only proofreading, copyediting, and
indexing--significant tasks certainly, but perhaps not ones worth >85% of
the profit from the book.

To get a book into ordinary bookstores throughout the world, however,
really means a big publisher.  But for this specialized metaprogramming
topic, I have more of a feeling that I can effectively reach most of the
audience through mail-order, without being in each corner bookstore.
And I could afford to sell a lot fewer copies if I get $20/copy profit,
rather than $1/copy with a publisher.  But then, self-published books
don't come with any advances against royalties at all--just a bunch of
work, and eventually some returns (perhaps more than with the publisher,
but it comes much later).

Yours, David...

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