New: Movable Type 3 Bible Desktop Edition
Hot off the presses: Movable Type 3 Bible Desktop Edition, my new 410-page book on the current edition of the weblog publishing software. I wrote the book to encourage Movable Type webloggers to get into the advanced publishing capabilities of the software, such as template design, plug-in programming, and XML syndication with Atom and RSS.
For the book, I spent six months combing over the Movable Type documentation, support forums, source code, and database. I stalked several coders who use the software avidly -- Richard Eriksson, Brad Choate, and Jay Allen could have gotten restraining orders -- to see how people were taking the software beyond the basic publishing capabilities that users master quickly on their own.
This is my first book for Wiley, which crams 102,000 words into an edition small enough to carry around. I have never singlehandedly written a longer book that sells for less: at a price of $16.49 on Amazon, you're getting 60 words per penny.
To mark the occasion, I'm giving away five of my author's copies this week. If you'd like to be eligible to win, post a comment on this entry or write about it on your weblog, linking to its permalink so I don't overlook it. I'll also pay the postage to anywhere that I can send it for under $10.
Amazon top-1,000 reviewer Jack Harrington covered the book last week:
Anyone who uses Movable Type on a regular basis needed the book. It covers all of the basics around installation, setting up blogs and writing entries. But then it goes into more advanced topics like alternating the template and adding plugins. And even more advanced topics like RSS, Atom, and writing your own plugins. This is thorough book that is well written and will cover everything you need to know to blog with Movable Type.
You can read the first chapter on Wiley's Web site.
Comments
If anythings free, I'm there.
Does the book discuss writing PHP front-end elements, Rogers?
Anyway, I've just posted a link to this entry over at Radio Free Blogistan and if I can get a copy of the book I'd be more than happy to review it there as well.
Congratulations Rogers! As I use MT now, I'm very interested to read it. I'd like to register in the compeition to win one of your copies (and I will pay for postage, because I'm way over here in New Zealand. If I win a copy, I'll send you an email to find out how I can pay you (via Paypal or something like that?).
ps I'll also do a review of the book once I've read it.
cheers, Richard
Always hoping to learn something, it sounds like a book I need. Congrats, Rogers! BTW, I need to send you my Radio UserLand KickStart for you to sign....
Oh, I didn't realize that was you.
FWIW, I bought it on Amazon, for my company, two weeks ago.
I like that it's much more reasonably-sized than the other "Blahblah Bible" series. It easily fits in a backpack or laptop bag and is compact enough to read on the Metro. Thanks for not padding it with b.s. and gratuitous code samples.
for an old friend. ;)
congrats, rogers!
Hi Rogers - Congratulations on finishing your book. Not sure if it's the first out on MT3 or not, but it's certainly the first once I've noticed (and the first once I've seen talked about regularly). That's great!
If you happen to have any of those author copies around, I'd love to throw my name in the hat for one as well. Whether I win it or not, thanks for the offer!
Congrats. I will look forward to purchasing this.
I purchased this book last week and am making my way through it and so far I am impressed. As a Typepad user who is looking to eventually move to Movable Type it is proving very helpful and yes the size is just right. I am not looking forward to installing Movable Type on my server though!
I announced this book on my site as soon as I knew it was shipping and have sold 18 copies so far through Amazon. I've also ordered my own and am still waiting for it to get here.
Just wanted to throw my hat into the ring as well for a copy.....thanks! :-)
Will make a post at my weblog about it shortly.... :-)
I just posted about it (and warned folks about the MT-Blacklist delete bug while I was at it ). I'm interested in this book...I am very comfortable with the basic MT interface with some customization, but I wish I was more comfortable really digging in and getting my hands dirty. Maybe this book will help. :-)
I think that book may have to go on my Christmas list. :-) I'd like to learn more about MT, but for now I'm just sort of fiddling around, scared to get deep into things.
at last, a book about mt. we don't need to dive into support forums and so, because someone did it.
What a great find. I would love to have one of the five. If not it is an add on my wish. Thank-you for getting the book out there for us. :-)
I'd go into a long story about why I really need this book (but upon seeing my blog one sees all there is to know about my lack of ability to make Movable Type jump through hoops, or even walk over to the hoops and look at them with a nasty look on its face) but I'm not sure if that's appropriate.
I could mention that I'm ridiculously poor, being disabled and a ward of the state. But that would be demeaning, wouldn't it? I'm not sure if it is, because it's not my fault I'm disabled and even before I became disabled I firmly believed that we should provide sufficient care, housing and adequate food to those who do not have the same opportunities as everyone else. Disabled or not. I suppose one might call me a Socialist and I don't mind as long as they don't spit after they say it and then proceed to beat me as seems to be the current feelings towards those of socialist bent.
But really, whether I get the book or not, I'll continue to muddle on, so it doesn't really matter. If there are those who, having the book, will proceed to go and do amazing things with Movable Type where I would try but probably not do all that well, then they should be given free copies of the book.
Whether you give me a copy of the book or not (as advertised on ProNet which I joined for the free stuff and stayed because they sometimes mention other free stuff) I hope your sales are off the charts... I guess I should say *on* the charts, because if they were off the charts, they would be below the cutoff and not doing so well. So, I hope they are on the charts and at the very top. And I don't see why they wouldn't because it looks like and *impressive* book and there is a need for such a thing. Though there are many websites which provide much help, it's hard to take them to bed with me or set them in my lap while I copy and paste someone else's miraculous code (with their permission and appropriate credit) into the blog.
And now that it's word of the year, well, I see many exotic vacations in your future and a Lexis convertible in every color.
Blessed be.
Love,
Hanna
Well, if I turn out to be one of the winners of the free book, please give my copy to Hanna; I'll go out and buy my own :-)
Ok, ok - so my site isn't up fully yet. I need just a book like this to get my rear in motion on it. I have a very specific style and layout in mind and simply don't have the knowledge to implement it within MT. This would be incredibly useful to me. So, since my site isn't up yet, my email is bubbledragon at gmail dot com in case I win. w00t. *mwa*
Does it contain any information on how to install ImageMagick? I'm more than happy to buy a copy if it does.
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