Brett's Ramblings
Thinking of Writing a #DF/IR Book? Here’s a tip that may or may not work out for you.
I am very open on my opinions about writing books, specifically DF/IR books. I encourage anyone who is thinking about writing a DF/IR book to write away and start right away! The longer you wait, the more likely someone else will write the book you wanted to write.
Over the years, I have been asked questions about writing and I posted a fairly detailed blog post with my opinions. Take into account that I am no JK Rowling, nor do I have dozens of books in print, and like anyone, my opinions are my own.
So, what is the writing tip that may or may not work out for you?
The tip is to decide whether you want to tell the world about the book you started or keep the project to yourself. Here is my experience on this, with an example for both.
2010, Experience #1:
Some years ago, I wrote two ‘papers’ on virtual machines and forensics. I decided to write a book on virtualization forensics and mapped out a table of contents, and started the first chapter. Before I sent out a proposal to publishers, I came across a post on www.forensicfocus.com by Diane Barrett in which she posted that she was writing a book on the same topic that I was (Virtualization and Forensics). Totally coincidental and an obvious case of independent-invention (we both had the same idea, independently). So…what did I do?
I chose to not write “my” book. Why write what someone else already publicly announced? That's be like making a Wonder Woman movie after hearing that someone else is already making a Wonder Woman movie.
2017, Experience #2:
My fourth and current book is titled “Bitcoin Forensics: Investigating Cryptocurrency Crimes”. I did my due diligence in researching to see if any other book existed (it did not) and if anyone else was working on the same topic (no one that I could find online). To make sure I wasn’t writing something that someone else was writing, I blogged it, tweeted it, and posted to online forums. I even reached out to anyone who would be interested in contributing to the book and am fortunate to have some fantastic volunteer contributors, along with a super co-author. So, what happened?
Well…one of the volunteer contributors who agreed to help with the book quit, then without a peep, proposed the same book to a publisher, got a book contract, and the book immediately went to pre-sale on Amazon. Interesting enough, he wasn’t planning to write the book in the first place until after volunteering to help with this book.
Huh?
That’s right. It happened.….at least he changed the title from "Bitcoin Forensics: Investigating Cryptocurrency Crimes" to "Cryptocurrency Forensics"....
So, this is a tip for future writers that could be more like a warning if it doesn’t work. If you plan on writing a DF/IR book, you’ll have to decide to either keep it a secret or tell the world. Keep it a secret and maybe no one else is writing the same thing. That’s a big chance to take because I can tell you, everyone is thinking about the same book to write that you are. Not the best thing to have two closely identical books come out at the same time to the same (fairly small) audience.
Or, you can publicly announce your book and probably someone else won’t intentionally take your idea and write it. However, worst case, someone could offer to to help with your book, then run off and sneak in a book contract with another publisher...good grief.
I prefer telling everyone. Why hide what you are working on? Why hide the research you discovered? I believe in sharing to help push us all forward, even if just an inch forward. This is the way I have seen others do it and actually what I prefer. I would regret having written an entire book, or even half a book, only to find that someone else was writing the same thing, which could have been avoided by simply announcing my intentions. Then again, this happens....
And yes, I am still writing this book. The team of contributors, tech editor, and co-author is simply awesome.
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