Re: Lua Digest, Vol 132, Issue 5

[Don Dwoske <don@...>]

Not sure if this was meant to be hypothetical or not, but I'll throw some thoughts in anyway.

> Related questions:
>   
> * Have you ever seen PiL in a bookstore shelf?

No.

> * How much does that matter to real sales?

I'm not sure, but if I'm typical, I don't buy programming books on impulse.  I do most of my learning online, but when I find an excellent book, I usually get a printed version.

> * Are technical books sold mainly online?

That's how I get mine.  I don't remember the last time I bought a technical book, in person, at a brick and mortar store.

> * How much the publisher actions impact a book sales?

To me, not at all (so far).

> * How much the publisher's name impact a book sales?

To me, not very much.  I trust the Pragmatic Programmers, and Manning, but otherwise.. it doesn't matter.  The most important criteria for me when choosing technical books are postive peer reviews and a qualified author.   One major reason I decided to buy your book is that I read it online first, and I thought it was very useful.  Whatever you do, you should continue to have a freely available version online, I think that really helps prospective buyers make an informed decision.  I know it helped me.  I'd make a donation to support the free online version, and also buy a printed copy.

I think self-publishing is an excellent route.  It maintains the open spirit of Lua (no big companies) and allows you to control everything about the book.

-- 

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Donald Dwoske
Software Journeyman
http://www.loraxis.com/ddwoske

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