Progress on my new book, Doing Business with IBM Connections: Opportunities for Improving Processes, Driving Results, and Achieving Great Outcomes with IBM Connections, continues. I took a month off writing from mid-December to mid-January, then got ready to attend IBM Connect 2013, and once back in New Zealand, have been juggling writing with various client projects.
A couple of specific updates:
1. I'm really pleased with the addition of the new chapter 6, on setting up your profile. It was an essential chapter to add at that point in the book, and although it's delayed publication a bit, it was necessary to do. It's a good standalone chapter in its own right, but fits very well in the overall structure of the book.
2. Attending IBM Connect was worthwhile. A forthcoming update to Connections - Version 4.5 - is coming in March 2013 (next month), and I got to hear about that at Connect, attend a few focused sessions, and think about the implication for my book. I was originally less than pleased about the timing of the update due to its implication for the contents of the contents, but have reconciled myself to the need to update it. And in truth, given the focus of my book, the updates are more cosmetic than substantive.
3. My original plan was a book at 304 pages. It has increased in scale and scope over the past months as I've wrestled with how to best communicate the use of IBM Connections within the 10 collaboration scenarios. The book now stands at 400 pages, and will beat Collaboration Roadmap (2011) by 80 pages in terms of length. I have just over 100 pages to write to get the book done.
4. The most interesting happening in the past month was being offered money to cease writing the book. The person offering that reasoned that by not having the book in the market, it would be advantageous to their company's market opportunities. That took me by surprise; a definite left-field moment. I did decline.
5. I'll be presenting the workshop aligned with the book at AusLUG 2013 in Brisbane on March 13.
6. Current timing for publication is ... pushing towards the end of April or early May.
Any questions - please let me know.
