Slowing down to speed up
almost 7 years ago
– Thu, Jan 18, 2018 at 12:32:32 PM
Whoa, it's 2018. Last year seemed both very long and way too short. For the last few months I've felt a bit trapped by the book. The initial structure that I envisioned made less sense as more pieces of the puzzle became clear. A couple weeks ago, I blew everything up and scrapped the table of contents and manuscript structure. I deleted over 15% of the total word count.
Since then, the project has begun to breathe. After reviewing and reorganizing, the structure makes more sense and the flaws seem much more manageable. Writing has been more natural because the sprawl of book isn't getting in my way.
In exciting news, a number of developer relations experts have committed to adding their voices to the book. I am humbled by the chance to work with amazing people who have a willingness to share their insights and experiences.
At the risk of setting more deadlines to be missed, I am aiming to complete the manuscript by early March to be handed off for professional editing. Thank you for your patience.
Getting Back on Track
about 7 years ago
– Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 11:33:21 AM
The last month has a been a hard one. I fainted and took a fall that caused compression fractures in 3 vertebrae. 20 staples were required to fix a cut in my scalp. Writing has not been possible, mostly because I've been high on pain pills.
My recovery has turned the corner and each day is better than the last. I was able to write for several hours yesterday and hope to keep that going. The forced break will probably be a blessing in disguise. Looking at things with fresh eyes has already highlighted a few areas for improvement. I will try my best to get back on schedule but there is a good chance things will be delayed at this point. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
In other news, SendGrid is ready to IPO this week. Just about everything I've learned about developer relations has been the result of my time at SendGrid. I am extremely proud of my friends and family there and wish them the best of luck.
DevRelCon London is less than a month away, and the final schedule has been announced. I highly recommend attending if possible. Don't miss one of the top events in the field of developer relations.
As always, thanks for your continued support!
Brandon
Fall Update
about 7 years ago
– Thu, Oct 05, 2017 at 10:02:35 AM
Oh hey, it's autumn. That was quick. I can never decide whether to call it "fall" or "autumn." Autumn has a more beautiful sound, but I think fall is the more poetic of the two.
Since the last update way back in May, I've engaged with a few publishers with a little bit of interest but ultimately not enough. I'm now talking with a couple professional editors to help me organize the current draft during October and identify what needs to be worked on. I am committing to writing during every day of November which will bring the book very close to completion.
At the end of the July, I presented some content from the book at DevRelCon Tokyo. We covered the origins of Developer Relations at Apple and talked about the history of the field until the current day. It was well received, and once video is available, I will share it.
Thanks again for your support and your patience!
Brandon West
Book changes... And a request
over 7 years ago
– Mon, May 22, 2017 at 07:40:44 AM
Helloooo! Happy Monday. I hope your week is shaping up to be as good as mine. I’ve landed in San Francisco for DevXCon and Signal. I am glad to be back on the road and I can’t wait to see old friends and meet new ones. If you are nearby or attending either of these events, I’d love to meet in person and say hello. Please get in touch via twitter or email.
The last month has been productive and challenging. Several thousands more words are done and things are close to the halfway point with 32,000. That’s good, because the challenging part has been the organization of the book. As my vision of the figure in the rock becomes clearer, necessary changes to the structure of the text are becoming more obvious. I’ve also gotten some feedback from people that have read the draft manuscript, and that feedback (for which I am very grateful) has prompted some introspection and revision.
In more exciting developments, I’ve decided to submit a formal proposal for this book to publishers. I am confident that this is the best way to ensure a quality product that lives up to your expectations. If I am successful in finding a partner, I promise that I won’t forget about you as a Kickstarter backer and early supporter. You will receive your orders at the price you expect.
I have a quick question. Who do you know in your network that would love the chance to see my proposal? If someone comes to mind, can you take a moment when you finish reading this and make a quick introduction? It would make what’s shaping up to be a great week even better.
As always, thank you for your continued support!
Brandon
Oh hey there! I've been writing things.
over 7 years ago
– Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 12:54:03 PM
Hello friends. I hope you're having a wonderful week. Ready for a quick update on how the book is shaping up?
The word count is sitting at 28,000. I think this is about halfway to where things will end up. But I'm under no illusion that things are halfway done. Writing is only part of the battle, and there's still edits, organization, reviews, design and more to do.
I've set things up via BackerKit. If you know anyone that missed out on being a kickstarter backer, they'll never be as cool as you, but they can still preorder a copy.
I'm taking a short break from working directly on the book. That's partly because I've started a new Dev Rel role at Kickbox ([email protected] if you want to chat). And it's partly because I need to let things breathe a bit to get a fresh perspective. This break has also given me a chance to do some reading. Most recently, I finished Dan Shapiro's The Hot Seat and recommend it highly if you're in the startup world.
In other news, if you've got a job opening or you're looking for a dev rel gig, let me know and I'll help spread the word. And if you find yourself coming through Denver, please get in touch as well. You can find me on twitter. And of course I'm always willing to meet remotely too: bwe.st/coffee
xo,
Brandon
