A while ago, I posted about some exciting things brewing around here. I’ve slowly crossed things off my to do list as we head into the holidays. My new year is about to become very exciting and very busy! I’ve been sitting on this little bit of news for the last month, until I was positive that it was offical…

I’m happy to announce that I have been asked to author the “WordPress for Dummies” book, due to be in stores in August of 2007. The contract details with Wiley Publishing were finalized over the past few days and I’m excited about being given the opportunity to write a reference book on a piece of software that I love, and am very passionate about.

It does feel rather good to be recognized, on such a level, for the work I have done with WordPress, and the knowledge and experience I have gained by providing technical support and design solutions to several hundreds of WordPress users over the past several years. It is also a very humbling sensation because I know so many folks out there today who are literal experts on Wordress, so to be asked to write this book is a pretty awesome feeling. Keeping in mind that a Dummies book is not meant to be overly technical - for instance, from a developers standpoint. A Dummies book is meant to be a reference guide for users new to the platform, or those users who want to learn more about it. I know quite a few developers who are PHP gurus and plugin developers - - many of whom have works that I will probably highlight in this book when I touch on “must have” plugins and themes that can vastly extend the possibilities of your WordPress blog.

There is also the very real feeling of: “What on earth have I gotten myself into???” Can I really do this? I’ve never written a book before. Me? An author?

Let me just say, if my high school English teacher ever comes across this blog post - she may suffer a stroke brought upon by non-stop laughter and giggles. Never, in a million years, would I, or anyone who has known me, ever thought it was in my stars to author a book of any kind. And yet, the contract with Wiley Publishing is a done deal.

People I have spoken to have cautioned: “A WordPress for Dummies book will be obsolete the moment it hits the shelves” - due to the strong and active development behind the WordPress machine. While I do, very much, understand that sentiment, I also disagree, because there are some very fundamental elements to blogging with the WordPress platform that do not change, or have changed somewhat - but the basic concepts remain the same. I know by the time this edition is published - we will have experienced WordPress 2.1 and quite possibly even version 2.5. I’m excited to see the evolution of WordPress and its growth from the great platform that it already is today.

Who really knows what the future brings for WordPress and its vast community of developers and users. What I do know is that almost all technical ‘Dummies’ books come under review at least every 12 - 18 months for potential revisions and future editions. As the original author, I do have the right of first refusal on those future editions - - so this could become a regular gig for me - one that I would happily welcome.

Over the next several months, I will be hard at work clicking away on this keyboard, writing WordPress for Dummies, due to be in stores by August 2007. I’m very excited .. and very nervous, all at the same time. I thank Wiley for putting their faith in me as their author of choice for this book - - and I thank Susie Gardner (author of Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies) for believing in me, and my passion, enough to recommend me for the job. And of course, I need to thank my family, in advance, for what is to be several months of writing, deadlines, editing and an exorbitant amount of coffee.

My daughter went to school yesterday and proudly announced, “My Mom is a Dummies author!“, to anyone willing to listen. That, alone, is worth the price of admission.

For clients who are currently on my waiting list for January - I still do plan on providing design services and processing those design requests in the order that they have been recieved. I have some really awesome designers who are ready and willing to work hard in 2007, providing design solutions to our clients, and I will be taking on some design projects, as well.

2007 is looking to be a busy, productive and very exciting year so far! Wish me luck, will ya?