Baron recently wrote a technical book for O’Reilly on MySQL and later realized that even if the book sold well, he is not going to make nearly enough money from royalties to make the time worthwhile, financially. However, Baron isn’t complaining because the book will help him establish a brand. Excerpts:

“I think if you look at the time I spent, I am working for less than minimum wage. However, it’s not about getting rich or getting onto the New York Times best-seller list.

For me, this book was a chance to do something I love — writing — and share/teach what I know, which I think is a good thing to do..It builds my personal brand, and may help drive some business to my consulting practice. This is all theory, of course; the better the book sells, the more likely it is that these good things will come to pass.”

From xaprb.com - What is it like to write a technical book?