I wish I'd self-published sooner
30+ years ago, Doubleday published my book.  It would not have happened if it weren't handled by a literary agent (John Brockman). The original title of my book was "Fundamentals of Computer Security in a Networked Environment."
  ch 1) Hardware (registers, memory, disks, etc)
  2) Software/OS (Unix, etc)
  3) Application S/W 
  4) Networks - TCP, IP, Arpanet
  5) Security - encryption, trapdoor functions, etc
  and so on.  20 or 30 chapters.<p>When I sent the book proposal to Brockman, he told me bluntly: "I can't sell this.  You can't write".  Three months later, the story found its way to the front page of the NY Times.  First person who called (at 3AM Pacific time): John Brockman.  "Lemme sell your book!"<p>So he went ahead and sold the book proposal.  Didn't just sell it.  He auctioned it amongst publishers.  End of the day, there was a $40,000 advance (wow - more than I was making on my job!)<p>I started writing: got through the first 5 chapters.  Then my friend, Guy Consolmagno visited (he was joining the Jesuits).  I showed him the manuscript, and as he read it, his face dropped.  After 30 or 40 pages, he looked up and said, "Cliff, this is terrible.  It's all about computers."<p>"Of course, I replied,"I'm writing a book about computer security,"<p>Guy answered: "Every computer jock in the world will want a copy.  Doubleday will probably sell 600 copies."<p>"Yep, that's the book proposal that they bought!"<p>"You idiot! They don't want to sell 600 copies," Guy said. "They want to sell 6 thousand.  Maybe 60,000.  You gotta do better than this..."<p>"Look, Cliff. Don't write about computers," Guy continued. "Write about people!"<p>"It's not about people," I replied.  "The book's about the Arpanet, about crypto systems, about os holes, about how to manage a Unix system."<p>"No it ain't," he said.  "It's about those hackers in Germany.  The bureaucrats in the FBI who have never touched a computer.  The NSA people who listen but won't lift a finger.  The CIA agents who pester you in Berkeley.  It's about the long-hair computer jocks you work with.  It's about the nutty living situation you're in.  Most of all, it's about you."<p>Well, I listened to my friend. Tossed those chapters and rewrote 'em. Told my story in first person.<p>Today, many of you now know me because of that book.<p>Editing? Mainly my sister Jeannie (who's a professional editor) and David Gernert of Doubleday.<p>Brockman? He's still running a literary agency in New York.  Brother Guy?  He's now the director of the Vatican Observatory.  Me? I'm still in the Bay Area, wondering how I ever wrote a book.