WRITTEN ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?
The Wolfram Media Author Program

André Kuzniarek

Executive Director, Document and Media Systems
Wolfram Research

Join the Conversation #WolframTechConf

Summary

Open call for book projects/ideas

Data science/analytics

Business informatics/analytics/computation

System building/infrastructure coding

Recipes or API bestiary for web coders

Application development

Bioinformatics

etc...

Overview of contract terms

Wolfram Media program vs. WRI author program

Project example: Hands on Start to Mathematica and Programming with the Wolfram Language

Project example: An Elementary Introduction to the Wolfram Language

Tools & Support

Closing comments

Open call for book projects/ideas

Bring WL exposure into a diverse range of fields, beyond the usual Mathematica domains

We will be make efforts to solicit content (myself and others acting as acquisition editors)

Eager to make the content available online for SEO exposure

Technical books are not as much about making money as prestige and establishing credibility

We expect only a smallish dent into print sales, if books remain reasonably priced

Net after distribution ~40-50% of retail price

Production cost (mainly paper and printing)varies by page count, specs,a nd quantity

Full color between $5-10/unit

B&W below $5

Contract Terms

Author provides:

Project oultine and/or table of contents for initial conversations on conceptualization/editorial direction

Completed manuscript as production-ready notebook within contracted timeframe

Edition update maintenance within contracted timeframe

Good faith effort to make use of the most up-to-date functionality in the Wolfram Language

WM provides:

Conceptualization/editorial direction

Production services and authoring tools

Style guidelines and editorial services

Access to technical support/insight from various levels within WRI

Interior and cover design with approval of author

Translation services

Terms:

WM splits net revenues of print, ebook, PDF, portal and foreign rights sales 50/50 with author

Revenue split excludes WRI software that incorporates published content, but does apply in cases of bundles that delineate published content as separate line item

No author advance

Distribution is handled through vendors contracted to WM

List pricing is determined solely by WM with discretional consultation with author

WM may provide free copies for promotional purposes at its discretion

WM may (and is likely to) provide free HTML version of content on web within WRI website

WM may engage in competitive/similar works on own or with third parties without restrictions

Wolfram Media program vs. WRI author program

Wolfram Media author program:

Actual book publisher

Distribution through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Amazon

Author provide the content, WM provides all the rest (including editorial and production services)

Includes eBooks and cloud portals

info@wolfram-media.com

WRI author program:

Connects authors with Wolfram support resources for production-related issues

Provides time limited access to product licenses when needed and where appropriate

Interacts with Publishers for for both resource support and potential partnerships

Attempts to connect authors with publishers and vice-versa

Tracks and promotes publications:

blog posts

book site

Reach the team via any contact form

Project example:

Hands on Start to Mathematica and Programming with the Wolfram Language

At WRI books site

Amazon

eBooks in late November: Kindle, iBooks, Google Play

Promo codes might tie in with unique codes printed in book

Authors provided content-complete notebooks

Wolfram Media provided design, production, editorial services, printing, etc...

Project example:

An Elementary Introduction to the Wolfram Language

At WRI books site

Amazon

Website w/cloud link

eBooks in late November: Kindle, iBooks, Google Play

Author (SW) provided content and specified a template that others can follow
(see next topic)

Tools & Support

Can work from any existing stylesheets or plan for some amount of custom stylesheet work for any project

Template-oriented authoring tools for structuring things as you write

Filtering/document processing is part of every project

Global content and formatting adjustments

Conversion to deployment formats (print, web, cloud, CDF)

A look at tools used for Elementary Introduction project

Closing comments

Author Program Proposal forms available after talk or online at:
	http://wolfr.am/authagr/

More discussion about publishing ideas and issues at the:
	Publishing Meetup
	Tomorrow (Wed) 2:00
	Illinois room @ Homewood Suites

Hope to see some great project ideas soon!
	info@wolfram-media.com