Software Book Publishers Remain a Bit Terrible

One good experience does not integrity make

I've written (most of) another Python book. It's long enough to be an entire (shortish) book, but it's probably about 80% done if I round it out with two more chapters I have outlined. I feel like I’ve been here before.

I did this writing on spec for Manning Publications. They had done a really good job with my Regular Expression Puzzles and AI Coding Assistants in January of this year. That book progressed very quickly, is very good, and has good quality of typography, layout, editing, etc. In retrospect, I realize that the majority of that positive experience was because they really wanted something they could put ChatGPT in the subtitle of; my book is the first one published (certainly by an established publisher) that is “about ChatGPT.” But that whole thing went from contract to publication in less than 3 months (it's pretty short, and largely re-uses material I wrote previously and control copyrights on).

With that positive experience in mind, I agreed enthusiastically to write 100 Python Mistakes and How to Avoid Them as part of an existing series they have. Of very prominent note here, the contract specified a 3 month writing period, and specified release of 50% of the $6000 advance upon acceptance of 1/3 of the book. That was signed on February 2, 2023 (I started writing a week or so before getting the signature).

I completed my work ahead of the schedule which I proposed and which they signed. Then at about 50% done, they sat on it for a month and a half for technical reviews. No release of advance. I wrote very much to the model of their previous series, but the editors presented it to reviewers as much more beginner-focused than was stated in the contract or than was characteristic of the other books in the series. The technical reviews were good, but not 100% positive; many said it was the “best explanation of topic they had ever read,” but some said it was too advanced. The publisher wasn't pleased that I “used big words” in the book.

We had a conversation about the status. By then I was up to about 2/3 written. They have released no advance. In that conversation, we (sort of) arrived at re-branding it within a slightly different incipient series of theirs, under the title Python Mistakes and Tradeoffs. I wrote a bit more, and also trimmed down some of the sections, so they'll number 70-some rather than that iconic 100. A bit of change in tone, but the same topics. No release of advance.

The development editor and the technical editor strongly agree that the writing is excellent and the technical content clear and accurate. Many of the big words have been replaced with plainer ones. It's now out for another month of waiting on technical reviews. No release of advance.

However, what I have gotten—absent Manning putting any skin in the game—is a general description that their books usually take “a year or two” to edit/produce, and mine would require numerous rewrites and revisions to try to catch up with their ever changing marketing and topic-positioning goals. Those goals are both transient and opaque. And they signed the contract specifying 3 months for the writing and editing schedule (they tacked on about a month for editing/production, now past).

Clearly, this situation does not make me happy. I am not persuaded that Manning will become more honest in their dealings. Legally, yes, the contract says advances are “upon acceptance” and they can wait indefinitely under the conceit of saying such hasn't happened. It's nothing remotely close to good faith.

I really am unsure what to do with my quite good manuscript. Of greatest importance to me is getting it in front of eyeballs. I think a great many readers could benefit from the words. Of less importance, but still significant, is making at least a bit of money from the considerable work.

I've run it by a couple other publishers, but they are reticent to do much without a copyright in the clear (and it's not obvious they'd do so if I got all rights explicitly returned; I wrote all the words, but some indeed do reflect suggestions made by editors/reviewers paid by Manning).

My prior attempt at self-publishing was a complete flop. I produced an absolutely beautiful small volume called The Puzzling Quirks of Regular Expressions (my website). But I also did basically nothing to promote it, and I think I'm congenitally incapable of relevant promotion. So hardly anyone has read that or bought that (I've given away more than I've sold, I'm pretty sure).

Publishers continue to be an ongoing cause of great stress in my life. While readers are my greatest joy.