Michael W. Lucas's Blog, page 38
January 14, 2020
“SNMP Mastery” cover reveal
I’ve been working like a maniac to complete “SNMP Mastery” before AsiaBSDCon. This means I haven’t had time to do my usual year-end roundup, the book cover reveal, or any of my usual beginning-of-year crud. The book went to copyedit today. At 60,000 words, it’s the biggest Mastery title yet. It’s bigger than I wanted, …
January 6, 2020
2019 Income Sources
I occasionally see authors arguing about what channels to sell through and how to structure their business. I frequently say that I don’t consult. I don’t rely on affiliate or speaking fees. My whole career is built on writing books and getting them in front of readers. Accomplishing that means making the books available in …
December 12, 2019
“SNMP Mastery” tech reviewers wanted
I’ve just finished the first draft of SNMP Mastery, and I’m looking for folks interested in pointing out my mistakes and misunderstandings. If you’ve got the time to read the book and comment, please drop me an email at mwl at mwl dot io saying: your degree of SNMP expertise that you won’t share the …
October 30, 2019
Proof I Am a Monster
One of the high points of the annual BSDCan tech conference is the charity auction in the closing session. We habitually support the Ottawa Mission, right down the street from the venue. After walking past the mission every day to find breakfast, the attendees are highly motivated to donate. The auction is especially amusing because …
October 28, 2019
The Six Prequels to “FreeBSD Mastery: Jails”
I’ve said a few times that I needed to write six books before I could write FreeBSD Mastery: Jails. Some were for the reader, because I didn’t want to take a break from the jails content to explain a seemingly unrelated topic. Some were for me, because I didn’t know everything I needed about a …
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October 8, 2019
Full-Time Writing: Five Years In
On 8 October 2014, I announced my new career as a full-time writer. The actual decision coalesced in the preceding month, but as the public announcement was the Point of No Return, let’s go with 8 October. This makes 8 October 2019 my five-year anniversary. For one thousand eight hundred twenty seven days, my family …
October 5, 2019
Hear Me Read Without Leaving Your Chair
Last winter, I sold a story to a Pulphouse Magazine anthology called Snot-Nosed Aliens. Shortly thereafter, I read the entire story at Penguicon 2019. It was caught on video. Now that Snot-Nosed Aliens is out, I’ve uploaded the video. I’m told by a parent that this tale is PG-13; comic violence and a couple of …
September 10, 2019
“SNMP Mastery” sponsorships now live
My next tech book will be SNMP Mastery. Much like PAM Mastery, I’m writing this book as a public service. SNMP is an uncomfortable fact of life. It’s baroque, obtuse, and misunderstood. Now that I’ve shipped the Sudo Mastery sponsor gifts, I’m opening print and ebook sponsorships for SNMP Mastery. The voices in my head …
September 9, 2019
“Sudo Mastery” print sponsor and Patronizer shipments
I’m back from vBSDCon, stuffed to the gills and vaguely conscious, so I’ve done this. The stack on the right are the Sudo Mastery, 2nd Edition print sponsor gifts. I’ve upgraded the envelopes. While paperbacks travel fine in paper envelopes, hardbacks… not so much. I’m told by someone who does shipping that these critters are …
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September 3, 2019
“Sudo Mastery, 2nd Edition” now out!
Today’s the official release date for Sudo Mastery, 2nd Edition. You can get the paperback, ebook, and hardcover anywhere mediocre-or-better books are sold. And with this, I’m off to vBSDCon.
