Don’t Write a Tech Book for the Money (E. 49)

Writing a technical book sounds great until you learn what it actually takes. In this episode, Ben breaks down his experience writing Machine Learning Engineering in Action, from pitching and rewriting chapters to technical reviews, royalties, and spending up to 60 hours a week on the process. We also get into whether publishing a tech book actually helps your career, why writing forces you to understand a subject deeply, and the communication lessons that make technical ideas stick. 00:00 — How a technical book goes from idea to manuscript 11:00 — Why chapters can require dozens of rewrites 16:00 — What writing a book teaches you about communication 27:00 — The editing and publishing process 32:00 — Royalties, career value, and whether it’s worth it A tech book can build credibility and force you to master your subject. Just don’t expect it to be an easy way to make money.