

Ask HN: Have you written a book? If so, why? - markhall

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.
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leashless
<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> which was a massively collaborative book some
friends and I put together: really a fun project, quite mind expanding.

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ecspike
Definitely 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.

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auctiontheory
I 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!

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latch
All 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.

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m2mapps
A PhD can be viewed as a peer-reviewed, published book, so yes.

