Authoring Team

We're so close to being done with the next Mastering Revit book. It's been a long and winding road, so I thought I'd take a moment and recall some of the finer authoring achievements over the past few months.

Initial planning for the content took place in Vegas at Autodesk University 2010. James (left) wore his favorite shirt. We didn't mind the colors, but Eddy (right) begged him not to roll up the sleeves. I was just dumbfounded that Eddy could grow a goatee. I didn't think he was capable of facial hair.



As New Year rolled around, deadline pressures mounted. James lost the beard but insisted on the "I'llkickyourassallthewaytothefarendofLongIsland" sideburns when I dared to suggest authoring was "fun". I like James, but I'm afraid of him when he's pissed off.



By January, let's just say we had to wear uniforms. Our publisher was getting a bit anxious about meeting deadlines for two books about the same time and after some trumped up charges were pressed we found ourselves "sequestered". Note to self: always read the contractual fine print.

James picked up a nicotine habit to calm domestic related nerves. Eddy took one for the team. Me? I'm smiling. Let's just say our cell mate will never again giggle when we say "Family Editor" or "Reload Latest". It turns out that last year's Mastering Revit book tucked in the end of a pillowcase is a weapon not to be reckoned with.



As February rolled around, Eddy was back on the rum and Coke. Not that we missed our uniforms and former "room mates" but it beats yard work around the house. James begged us to help with his gardening and we all chipped in. Eddy's pissed that all the hydroponics are putting his electric bill through the roof.

Speaking of roofs, the very next day Eddy installed a 1kW photovoltaic system on the roof of the trailer and got the whole thing LEED certified (and then wouldn't shut up about it). It seems silly to me - turning sunlight into electricity just to turn it back into artificial sunlight. But James recons it's better in the long run cause otherwise my cats keep getting into his "gardening".

Everything was fine till the editor showed us "finished and approved" cover art for the Revit Essentials book; cover art that we didn't approve and what we all agreed looked like what comes out of a cat that's eaten way too much from James' indoor garden.

At this point, Eddy freaked said something about what he was going to do with the business end of the rake he was holding, which kind of freaked me out. Eddy is supposed to be the calm one - and now I found myself trying to talk down both James and Eddy. In the end, some really great cover art was selected by the three of us and Eddy settled down. But I wouldn't be surprised if packs his rake for Vegas this year.



Wow - was this the best day ever. After spending months writing the book we find out - after the fact and at the last possible moment - that we have to go back and make sure that there's all this extra stuff added to the book for certification purposes. Did I mention that a lot of the content the publisher wanted added had been previously edited out in order to make some bean counter with a spread sheet happy by keeping the book below a target page count? I said something about fire-ready-aim and James said something about being surrounded by f*&tards and needing to work in his garden and Eddy stopped adding Coke to his rum.



But in the end, it all came together. We've finished all the writing and now it's just editing, choosing cover and center art. And my new eye wear prescription finally arrived.

We're all really amazed how much James polished up after selling his first "harvest" (which pays way more than writing books anyway). You can't see all the nicotine patches covering his back, but we're glad he's going to try to quit smoking (again). Eddy's went back to adding Coke to his rum, but as you can see - he's kind of melancholy. Since I help James cover his back with the nicotine patches, Eddy has to take them off.



Did I mention that I'd love to write a Family Editor book? Come on James...it'll be fun!