I am always pretty amazed when people email me and say that they have bought and enjoyed the books I have written. I am also always surprised when they ask me to write more.
Writing books takes quite a while, somewhere between three and six months each. It’s a long process and has to be juggled between regular employment, my own studies and family life. But it is a rewarding process.
One very common request is for a book on QoS and Multicast, and this was planned and started many moons ago, but it stalled as I concentrated on getting my own CCIE.
But the voices should not be ignored.
So far I have had requests via email (Ionut and Marino), LinkedIn (Noore) and Twitter (Mark) all asking if I intend to write a book on QoS, and it was part of my original plan, in fact, here is the intended releases, which actually includes Services, and the IGPs:
BGP, MPLS, and VPNs and NAT have already been released, and the CCNA book (now called CCNA and Beyond) will be released at the end of the month. The personal folder is just a few tax documents, it’s not my memoirs of anything like that. The UNetLab Cookbook stalled as the guys keep changing it, and the new version is so much different to how it was when I started writing that book.
So the next volume in the series would have been/will be Multicast and QoS. The biggest issue, and perhaps the reason why I stopped writing it was that I could not make a proper Multicast server.
I think I have fixed this issue, as I found, whilst doing my CCIE Security studies, that SUSE Studio is a great way to create custom VMs and get them in Qemu, which is ideal for UNetLab. So, that is a manageable hurdle.
The next issue is time management. Can I write another book at the same time as studying for my CCIE Security, and maintain a happy work/home life balance? Not sure the wife wants me to write another book at the moment, I think we could do with some “us” time.
So, what to do??
Well, I guess that’s where you lot come in.
There is a poll on the menu to the right. I reckon 100 “yes’s” should cover it. Leave a comment below. I’ll probably ditch Kindle, or keep the Kindle price the same as the printed price. Kindle sales are not as good as printed, and I am actually quite happy about this. I much prefer printed textbooks.
The price would be about the same as the other books, but the platform would move to UNetLab. I haven’t touched GNS3 since finishing VPNs and NAT.
The other question is would you support a Kickstarter project for this? If so, for how much and what would you want in return? I have seen other people doing Kickstarters for books, and I’d quite like to turn this into a full-time thing, but at present this is not feasible. Maybe a Kickstart project would be the way forward. I could do things like your name in the book, and so on.
If there is enough people who would like me to write it, then I will do it.
I won’t give any timelines for it, but I would keep people updated via the website.
Let me know your thoughts via the poll and feedback below.
Definitely need a Vol. 4!
Quite frankly, I've very much enjoyed reading (and studying) from your current books. I'm a student about to take the CCNA and I've loved the books on MPLS, BGP and DMVPN.
The books so far have quenched my thirst for knowledge and lowered the barrier of entry. I went from knowing nothing about BGP or DMVPN to being able to configure it and troubleshoot it effectively in only a few weeks.
Plus cost is very reasonable, I was more than happy paying £8-9 per book considering the amount of content. Especially when considering looking at the ciscopress books.
The writing style and format is perfect for me and I only hope you continue writing books. I anxiously wait the next volume in the series.
Hi Luke, thanks for the feedback, really glad you have enjoyed the other books. Best of luck with your CCNA. You might be interested in CCNA and Beyond (http://www.ccnaandbeyond.com), I wrote this one for CCNA students.
Have not purchased as yet, but plan to get the BGP book as part of my CCNP R&S studies. A vote to keep the kindle edition, with one leg of my daily commute being 70 mins, portable study matter is handy to have. Much prefer printed texts when I can, but shipping costs to Australia sometimes get overly steep. As for the UNL cookbook, perhaps add it as a WIKI attached to the support forum as UNL is constantly evolving.
would definitely enjoy a volume 4; too late to vote yes in the polls
OK guys (and gals), once i pass my CCIE:Sec lab (hopefully in September), I'll do Multicast and QoS. It will be based on UNetLab, and I already have an idea on a couple of people I will tap up to proof it for me. I plan to make it less "dry" than other books, and actually show something being streamed. Ideas are formulating…
I figure it should be done (if I pass the Security lab in September) by around January/February.. but this is a ball park, so don't hold me to that!
@David, I'll keep Kindle version as you request. Financially speaking they don't do as well as paperback, but I never set out to make this about the $$$. When I wrote the BGP book I said to my wife that if a few people enjoyed it then it would be worthwhile. Clearly this is the case, so I'll make it available on Kindle as well. You make a good point about the accessibility factor!
@Luke, thanks man! It's great that as someone studying for the CCNA you are reading above and beyond whats required thats a credit to you and will serve you well going forward.
I know it may be a little late to say this, but I must thank you for writing the CCNA and Beyond book. I read it in the last week before my CCNA 200-120 exam and passed!
I was so proud to achieve my CCNA after years of on and off study. I am now a candidate for the UK Team for IT Network Administration in WorldSkills 2017.
Studying Cisco has really helped me in my career and continues to introduce me to new and interesting people. If I ever meet you in person I shall buy you a beer (or scotch) for all the content you've exposed to me.
I aim to be a CCIE one day, but for now I've got my CCNA Sec and CCNP R&S to cover.
Many thanks again!
Thats fantastic news, Luke! Well done and congratulations! Best of luck with the WorkSkills thing, let me know how you get on!