It’s been a long time in writing and editorializing and proofing and printing (I first announced it in fall 2014), but the book is finally here! I can read Science Blogging: The Essential Guide! And you can’t yet, nyah nyah nyah!
Honestly, I’m excited not only as one of the chapter authors (first publication of 2016, I get to have some Canadian chocolate today!), but as a reader. I certainly didn’t know the complete list of chapter authors when I started writing. Looking at the other contributors to this volume is, frankly, terrifying. They are such great writers. I feel like:
I started working on my chapter on the plane to Science Online 2013. It’s almost exactly three years ago. I got 422 words written (less than many of my blog posts), which are still on my iPad. Here’s a snippet of the very start of the very first draft:
Ronin blogging
I have three science related blogs. I started what became NeuroDojo in 2002, followed by Marmorkrebs in 2007 and Better Posters in 2008,
There are advantages to belonging to a network, but they may not be as great as you think. Being on a network in and of itself does not guarantee readership.
While you are an independent blogger, you still need to develop a community.
And it goes on from there. Looking back at that first draft, it’s interesting to see how many of those first sketchy ideas survived into the final chapter.
“You call me a masterless man. You are wrong. I am my own master.”
Alas, that lead-in quote did not survive the edit, but I was able to get some L5R references in the main body of the text.
And the references to me being at The University of Texas-Pan American are also obviously out of date.
But I am so happy that this book is now out! I’m very happy with some of the turns of phrase in m contribution, and I cannot wait to work through everyone else’s chapters.
And, for the first time, something about this book has moved faster than expected! Previously, I announced it would be out 22 March, but Amazon is now showing it for sale on 1 March!
* Normally, the reveal of a fresh new something is called “unboxing,” but since this didn’t come in a box...
Bird picture from here.
External links
Science Blogging on Yale University Press
Science Blogging page of Facebook
Science Blogging on Amazon
Related posts
Incoming: The Complete Guide to Science Blogging
Incoming: Science Blogging
Science blogging book: now with blurbs!
Science Blogging: The Essential Guide book cover reveal
Why on earth would that obviously very relevant quote have been cut by an editor? With your consent? Due to some idiot copyright-related impediment?
ReplyDeleteThe book itself looks terrifyingly like a Sinclair ZX-Spectrum :-)