There are several things to consider before you sit down to write a book. But here are 10 I wanted to share because I think they are either very important or not spoken of enough.I've gone down this road many times, but I took a long break between books and instead focused on other areas. Of course I am talking about writing about technology, not Harry Potter #8.

I am currently in the early stages of writing my new book tentatively titled "Data Access with Silverlight 2". The publishing has not changed much other than that the number of books sold has decreased significantly over the years. In the late 1990's and in to 2000 many decent technical books were selling 15,000 to $25,000 copies. Today most never reach 10,000 copies sold. It was not a money maker back then and certainly is not now. Which leads me to rule #1

NOTE: Yes, these are completely arbitrary rules, but hey, its my blog so I make the rules today :)

Rule #1)  Don't write the book with the goal being to make money. You may hit the jackpot, but very few books do.

Rule #2) Spend a good amount of brain cycles on writing the book proposal. Not only will your publisher appreciate it, but it will help you clarify the purpose of your book, the flow, and what should be included and excluded.

Rule #3)  Keep the content focused. So many books seem to have everything under the sun between its covers. Let's face it, who wants a 1000 page brick on their desk (unless its a reference only)?

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