It's time to update my 2005 book "Producing Open Source Software: How to Run a Successful Free Software Project". Help me do it right.
In 2005 I wrote a book called Producing Open Source Software, about the human side of running free software / open source projects. It was published by O'Reilly Media, and simultaneously released online under a free license. It's been pretty successful, at least in the ways I'd hoped: it's cited frequently by people I respect, it even sells decently, and I get plenty of constructive bug reports (my favorite measure of success). It's also been translated into many languages, often by volunteer translators or translation teams.
But 2005 is a long time ago. The world of free and open source software is changing -- technically, culturally, even legally -- and the book really needs to be updated after seven and a half years. To give you an idea: GitHub didn't even exist when the first edition came out!
I've been doing a lot of open source consulting since the first edition was published -- consulting about open source processes, how to launch and run projects, etc -- with a wide variety of clients: governments, for-profit companies, non-profits, and individual developers. I've also been talking to people in many different open source projects. Along the way, I kept thinking that I'd love to incorporate the things I'd learned into a second edition. Eventually, I realized that the way to find time to do it was to treat the book like a client -- hence this Kickstarter campaign.
The second edition, like the first, will be published by O'Reilly Media, and will be under the same free license.
Yes, overfunding is fine:
The amount I've set as the threshold is enough to make all the important updates I'm aware of right now, but things don't need to stop there. If this project gets overfunded, that's even better: that would allow me to spend even more time improving the book, including doing more research (e.g., talking to people in more open source projects, companies, etc), having more colleagues review the work-in-progress & incorporating their feedback, improving site infrastructure to better automate the ebook builds, improving the translation infrastructure, etc. More money == better book and better access, basically. I'll be doing my work in a publicly visible repository, so anyone can stop by and see what's going on at any time. Patches welcome, of course.
Special shout-outs:
(That should really be "shouts-out", shouldn't it? Oh, well.)
Many friends and colleagues have been supportive of the book and of this campaign, but I'd like to mention three in particular. Lœfty Walkowiak patiently ran the video camera for take after take after take, to make the video above. Bradley Kuhn, on hearing my plans for a Kickstarter campaign, pulled a $20 out of his pocket and handed it to me, to be the first pledger, saying how much he liked the book; encouragement like that, from someone like Bradley, means a lot. Finally, O'Reilly Media, my publisher, has been super-supportive from the start, asking what they can do to help, offering to handle the shipping for the reward levels that involve sending copies of the book, etc. If you're ever thinking of writing a book, talk to them first.
Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
Not to be flip about this, but there just aren't that many risks. It's a book: you do the research, you write, you keep writing, and at some point you declare it ready for release. I've written two books and very many articles, so am reasonably confident that writer's block is not a risk (haven't experienced it before, at least). I suppose I could come down with some disease or something, but let's not get macabre here. I'm confident I can finish the second edition in 2013, if this project is funded.
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Pledge $1 or more
28 backers
Your name cited fawningly and obsequiously on the credits page at the book's web site, http://producingoss.com/ . (Your name can include the name of an open source project you work on too, if you want.)
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Pledge $10 or more
11 backers
The above, plus I will dedicate one of the book's version control commits to you, or to the project, person, or organization you designate. Note that all the book's vc checkins go into a publicly visible repository. (This reward is new -- I added it after the campaign had been running for 20 days. Many thanks to Michael Bernstein for thinking of the idea!)
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The above, plus your name in the acknowledgements in the print edition of the book published by O'Reilly Media.
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99 backers
All of the above, plus a print copy of the book shipped to you anywhere in the U.S. (no shipping charge) or outside the U.S. (you pay shipping).
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34 backers
All of the above, including the print copy -- but now the print copy will be signed. By me, that is :-).
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Pledge $500 or more
6 backers
All of the above, plus an hour of phone or IRC-based discussion, to be scheduled at mutual convenience in 2013, about an open source project you are involved in, or interested in, or thinking of launching, etc. (I'm also happy to get your thoughts on what should go into the second edition of the book, if we have the conversation while I'm still writing.) Alternatively, our conversation can be about what the reward for this pledge level should have been.
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