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Author Interview : David Heffelfinger |
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Author Interview : David Heffelfinger
‘The chapter delivery is two weeks ahead of schedule!’ Well, it has to be David Heffelfinger. Author of JasperReports for Java Developers , David has been one of the few authors who have always been ahead of time, quite literally. Let’s read through some tricks and tips he has to offer.PP: Are you a full time author, or do you work full time? DH: I work full time as a contractor for a large government agency. In my day job I am a technical lead for a team of developers maintaining a large enterprise application. PP: Do you live with your family? DH: I live with my wife and my three year old daughter. PP: Do you plan ahead when you sign on for a book project? DH: As soon as I am contacted for a potential book I start researching the subject and try to come up with an outline for the book. I tend to follow a somewhat agile approach to writing. Instead of spending a lot of time planning, I simply start writing, then modify and adjust the chapters as necessary. PP: Does the Packt staff support you well with the planning? DH: The Packt staff is great in assisting with the planning and scheduling. PP: What book/s have you written for Packt? DH: I wrote "JasperReports for Java Developers"; and another title is in-the-works. PP: How much time do you work on a book per week? DH: I spend about two to three hours every evening working on a book; I also spend some time during the weekends. I would estimate I work about 15 to 20 hours a week. PP: Is it difficult meeting the deadlines? DH: So far I haven't missed a single one. What I do is as soon as I am in talks to write a book, I start working on it ahead of schedule. This gives me extra time in case I need it for one of the tough chapters. Usually by the time the schedule officially starts I already have the first draft of one or two chapters. PP: Do you have any planning tips for the other authors? DH: Everyone's working style is different, like I mentioned earlier what works for me is to simply start writing, then modify as necessary. What I usually do is I work on a code example first, then write about it when it still fresh on my mind. When I stumble upon a difficult problem, I make sure I explain the pitfall in the chapter text, this helps the readers avoid falling into the same pit. PP: How do the project coordinators and the Acquisition Editor helps you plan time? DH: They help me come up with a schedule that is both realistic and allows a short time to market. PP: What time do you usually work on the book projects? Weekends/Evenings? DH: I usually work on my books on the evenings after work. I also spend some time on the weekends. |
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