Announcing Rails Prescriptions

Noel Rappin, Monday, December 8, 2008 @ 2:16 pm

Check out Rails Prescriptions

I’d like to read a brief statement, and then I’ll take a few questions.

Today I’m happy to announce the grand opening of
Rails Prescriptions, a purveyor of fine Ruby on Rails books and book-like products.

The first book from Rails Prescriptions will be titled Rails Test Prescriptions: Keeping your application healthy, and will be available for order in January, 2009.

Rails Test Prescriptions is a comprehensive guide to automated testing for your Rails application, containing more than 30 individual prescriptions on various Rails testing features and techniques. I’ll be continually updating the book after its initial release to allow for changes in Rails, new testing tools, correction of the occasional error, and reader feedback. I want this book to stay in date as long is it has readers.

And now, your questions. I’m guessing:

What format will the book be released in?

The book will be a DRM-free PDF file. Additional formats (like a print-on-demand version) may be offered if there’s an outcry.

How long will the book be?

Not sure how meaningful this is because the page formatting is optimized for screen, but the PDF will probably wind up being around 200 pages give or take a couple dozen.

What’s the schedule and pricing?

The final book will probably be $9, and will be available sometime towards the end of January, 2009. Free samples will most likely pop up by the end of 2008 or so, and there will be a chance to buy a beta/incomplete version earlier in January, probably at some discount. But I haven’t decided on that for sure.

Once you’ve bought the book, you’ll be able to get free updates regularly for some extended period of time. I really want this book to stay up to date and useful.

January is like, weeks in the future. Why announce it now?

Because I want to hear from potential readers now. I have an outline with about 30 potential sections. But I want to know what’s important to the people that might actually buy this book. What tools would you like to see documented. What part of Rails do you find hard to test? Generally, what would make a book on Rails testing something you would actually use to make your work easier?

How can I make suggestions?

The two best ways are to email to railsprescriptions at gmail.com or head over to our Get Satisfaction link at http://getsatisfaction.com/railsprescriptions. You can also direct message me on twitter.

How can I follow the Rails Prescriptions news?

Subscribe to the Rails Prescriptions 24 Hour Window
blog. Also, I’ll be updating via twitter, follow me there.

How far along is it?

Something like 30% of the first draft complete at this point.

Why this book, this way, this time?

Well here’s a funny story. I started pitching a (different) Rails book to publishers, a process that started in June ‘08, and resulted in a tentative offer toward the end of October. That required me to turn in the book in April ‘09 for publication in August ‘09. That’s a long time, especially since there’s no easy way to keep a major-publisher book up to date.

So, I thought, I can do this myself and get it out in front of people a whole lot faster than 14 months. And I could keep the book up-to-date. And choose my own tools and layout. Suddenly this started to sound like a lot of fun.

Having decided to distribute my own book, it seemed like a book on testing would be a bit more fun to start with than my original plan. (If things go well, some form of the original book will be the second Rails Prescriptions title).

Sounds great. Now what?

Thanks for reading this far. Check out the Rails Presciptions blog and the twitter feed, and watch this space for more info.

Related posts:

1. Rails Test Prescriptions to be Published by Pragmatic
2. More Kudos for Rails Prescriptions
3. Rails Test Prescriptions is now on sale
4. Getting Started With Rails Testing Guide Now Available
5. A Rails Story, Or An Engine That Really Could

Comments (2)

Software Development

Comments: 2 so far

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1. 

   Thanks! I am looking forward to the books!

   Willem

   Comment by Willem, Tuesday, December 9, 2008 @ 2:01 am

2. 

   w00t! This is looking really great – can’t wait to get my hands on it.

   Comment by Peter Szinek, Tuesday, December 9, 2008 @ 3:01 pm

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