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One of our main concerns is to remove the horrible errors that permeate far too many books.

Interested Authors should apply to Francis Glassborow.

Other Useful Resources

From O'Reilly - So you want to write a book?

From Wiley - Manuscript Submission Guidelines

Authors - Getting Started

Are you looking for a specific book and frustrated because no one has written it? Do you have the germ of an idea for a book but do not know who to talk to about developing the idea for publication? Do you have a good idea for a book but doubt your ability to turn the idea into the kind of flowing prose that makes a technical book stand out and become successful?

Academics often see writing books as part of their career development but they have a very specific view which is often not appropriate to the working programmer. On the other hand those with a wealth of practical experience often lack the time to convert their working experience into sound flowing text.

One of the results of our review column in C Vu, is that several publishers recognise ACCU as a source of expertise and opinion that they would like to tap. They are actively seeking your ideas as well as looking for authors or partnerships that might enhance the range of books they have on offer. This gives you an opportunity to improve the service publishers provide by influencing their products before they are even produced. Whether you are a potential reader or writer you can now send ACCU a synopsis of a book which We will endeavour to place with an appropriate publisher.

The synopsis should generally be from two to five hundred words. It should identify the target readership (don't try to make this too broad in the first instance - it can be refined later on). It should clearly describe the subject matter and list any books that you are aware of that might be considered competitors.

If you are a potential reader your synopsis will be published in C Vu with an invitation for members to consider whether fhey have the appropriate knowledge to write a book round your request. The synopsis will also be available: to publishers (initially through these pages). If a suitable author surfaces, the synopsis writer will probably become involved in the development of a quality book as a representative of the target readership.

If you send in a synopsis of a book you would like to write we will bring your proposal to the attention of relevant publishers. There are various levels of support that you can receive. At the lowest level you write the book, respond to advice on revisions and sit back and collect kudos and some royalties if the book gets published. At the other extreme you turn out the draft form of the book with not too much regard to the quality of writing (but aiming for quality content) and let us find you a competent writer to share authorship and be responsible for producing readable text based on your material. There are a range of intermediate positions that include an in house editor, a ghost writer or an editor credited on the title page.