It’s Official
I haven’t officially announced it yet – so I guess now is as good a time as any! I know I’ve been a little book title neurotic over here, having announced my intention to write TypePad For Dummies just a few months ago – but as with everything else in this world of technology, things move rather fast! Wiley Publishing has made a commitment to put out a series of different WordPress related books over the next year, it’s exciting! My own book, WordPress For Dummies, was so well received with sales that exceeded all expectations – Wiley has heard the call the internet community has made for more WordPress – - and more, and more! Along with my plans to put out the 3rd Edition of WordPress For Dummies, due out the beginning of 2010 (or whenever WordPress 3.0 is nearing release), Aaron Brazell has also announced that he is writing the official WordPress Bible, for Wiley Publishing, due to publish towards the end of this year..maybe early 2010. I’m looking forward to buying that one!
The plan for me was to write the TypePad For Dummies book in between my editions of WordPress For Dummies…until I started talking to my editor about a WordPress enhancement called BuddyPress. Then, I attended WordCamp Chicago in June and had a very nice talk with Matt Mullenweg about BuddyPress, WordPress and WordPress MU and the plans for development in that arena in the very near future, and that basically sealed the deal and changed the plan. Wiley would find a new author for TypePad For Dummies and I would immediately start writing BuddyPress For Dummies. I’m really super excited about writing this book! I wrote a post last year about a web site that I built for a client of mine on the WordPress MU/ BuddyPress platform – and back then, I build it on a very very very beta version of BuddyPress. I’ve watched it grow over the past several months, and the platform is hawt!
As with all the Dummies series of books, BuddyPress For Dummies is meant to get users up and running with the basics of BuddyPress, as well as covering the WordPress/WordPress MU requirements for running it. For those of you who don’t know about BuddyPress – you can check them out on the official BuddyPress web site and read all about it – - join their community and friend me over there, if you want! Basically, it allows people with a WordPress powered site create a full blown social community on their web site. Think: Facebook – - only on a smaller level. Right now, BuddyPress only works if you are running WordPress MU — but look for that to change in the near future!
I will be posting a bit more over at the WordCamp Chicago site on some further details that everyone should know before they attend - - look for that over the weekend.
Also want to thank the sponsors of WordCamp Chicago - for without them, this event would have never been realized StudioPress, ServerBeach, Skype, WebDevStudios, Margaret Roach and of course my own companies E.Webscapes and Blogs About Hosting
I will be on the WordPress Weekly radio show this evening with Brian Gardner, discussing the upcoming WordCamp Chicago - it’s at 8pm EST, join us if you can!
Excited!