The Tech Pubcast

The Tech Pubcast is a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to write and publish a technical book. Hosted by literary agent for former acquisitions editor, Jess Haberman, each episode features candid conversations with published authors about the process, the payoffs, and the parts no one talks about—from time and money to career impact and common misconceptions. If you’re thinking about writing a book, or wondering whether it’s actually worth it, this show is for you.

The Tech Pubcast is a business podcast hosted by Jess Haberman, with 8 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jess Haberman hosts The Tech Pubcast, a business show with 8 episodes published.

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  Episode #8

  What Makes a Technical Book Worth Publishing? | Jon Hassell

  Aug 6, 202630 minS1

  What does a technical publisher actually look for in a book proposal and in the author behind it? In this episode of the Tech Pubcast, Jess Haberman talks with Jon Hassell, who leads the content team at O’Reilly Media, about how technical books move from an early idea to a finished product. In this episode, we cover: Why authors do not need extensive writing experience to land a book deal What makes an idea distinctive enough to stand out The behaviors editors see as red flags Why receiving feedback and staying committed matter throughout the process Why strong editorial relationships and trusted publishing brands still matter Jon also shares what happens when an author hits the “cliff of despair" and what gives a traditional publishing contract value in an era when anyone can generate hundreds of pages with AI. Work with O'Reilly: Email workwithus at oreilly.com . Work with Jess: http://jesslhaberman.com/contact Connect with Jess on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jhaberman Thinking about writing your own technical book? This episode is your starting point. Subscribe for more conversations with authors, editors, and industry insiders on how great technical books get made. CHAPTERS 00:37 Introduction to Jess and John Hassell 00:59 John Hassell's background and role at O'Reilly 01:49 Building a list of data and AI books at O'Reilly 02:02 Top qualities publishers seek in authors 02:36 The importance of unique perspectives and voice 03:27 The process of developing a book idea 04:16 The role of writing experience and AI tools 05:20 The significance of market uniqueness 07:40 Red flags in author collaboration 15:18 Metrics for measuring a book's success 18:14 The challenge of maintaining author voice in the AI era 23:03 The magic of human editors and relationships 25:30 The importance of brand and visual identity in publishing 27:59 Getting started with publishing at O'Reilly 28:39 The future of books and learning in the AI age 29:29 Closing thoughts and contact information 29:54 What's Next for the Authors? 30:40 Closing Remarks and Thanks

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  Episode #7

  How LLMs Are Changing Tech Education | Blake Rayfield

  Jul 23, 202630 minS1

  What is it like for an academic to write a practical technical book for a broader audience? And how do you teach Python when students can use AI to build things that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago? In this episode of the Tech Pubcast, Jess Haberman talks with Blake Rayfield, assistant professor of finance and fintech at the University of North Florida and author of Applied Math with Python: Solving Real-World Problems with Python . They discuss: The differences between academic writing and writing a practical technical book How authors can find the right niche in a crowded technical publishing market Why a publisher’s existing book list matters when developing a proposal How LLMs have changed the way Blake teaches Python, math, and statistics How educators can design assignments around the reality of AI Plus, Blake shares what he learned from publishing his first book with Wiley and why he may already be ready to write another one. Get Applied Math with Python : https://a.co/d/03vkokBX Learn more about Blake: blakerayfield.com Work with Jess: jesslhaberman.com/contact Connect with Jess on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jhaberman CHAPTERS: 00:34 Introduction to Blake Rayfield and his background 01:32 Transition from academic publishing to writing a technical book 02:30 Differences in writing process and audience expectations 03:28 Formatting and presentation considerations in technical publishing 05:12 Technical review process and code connection challenges 07:12 Using Jupyter Notebooks and code snippets effectively 08:32 Misconceptions about working with publishers 10:04 The value of long-term technical review and feedback 10:31 Challenges faced during the writing process 11:27 The role of outlines and planning in book writing 13:04 Crafting proposals and understanding publisher lists 14:20 Working with publishers like Wiley and finding the right niche 16:32 Reflections on the publishing experience 17:24 Impact of LLMs and AI on education and teaching 19:42 Using AI tools ethically and effectively in education 22:00 Adapting teaching strategies for AI and LLMs 25:13 Teaching Python in the age of AI and LLMs 26:03 The influence of LLMs on teaching math and statistics 28:20 Future projects and next steps for Blake Rayfield 28:54 Where to find Blake Rayfield and his work 29:57 What's Next for the Authors? 30:39 Closing Remarks and Thanks

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  Episode #7

  How LLMs Are Changing Tech Education | Blake Rayfield

  Jul 23, 202630 minS1

  <p>What is it like for an academic to write a practical technical book for a broader audience? And how do you teach Python when students can use AI to build things that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago?<br /></p><p>In this episode of the Tech Pubcast, Jess Haberman talks with Blake Rayfield, assistant professor of finance and fintech at the University of North Florida and author of Applied Math with Python: Solving Real-World Problems with Python.<br /></p><p>They discuss:</p>The differences between academic writing and writing a practical technical bookHow authors...

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  Episode #6

  Writing, Teaching, and Building Multiple Startups | Thomas Nield

  Jul 9, 202628 minS1

  Thomas Nield has written books for O’Reilly, Packt, and Manning while teaching AI, building software, and launching a software AND hardware startup. In this episode of the Tech Pubcast , Thomas joins Jess Haberman to talk about what he has learned from working with different technical publishers and how he manages to keep writing while juggling several ambitious projects. They discuss: How O’Reilly, Packt, and Manning differ as publishing partners Why authors need humility and a thick skin when receiving technical feedback The writing habits that help Thomas meet his deadlines Why machine learning and programming fundamentals still matter in the generative AI era How developers can use AI as a reference without becoming dependent on it What led Thomas to learn Rust and build software for the browser The stories behind his flight-simulator controller and shadow-AI security startup Thomas also shares a preview of his forthcoming book, Grokking Statistics , and explains how writing technical books has opened doors throughout his career. 📌 Read more from Thomas: Grokking Statistics: https://www.manning.com/books/grokking-statistics Essential Math for Data Science: https://a.co/d/01zgxAud Work with Jess: jesslhaberman.com/contact Connect with Jess on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jhaberman #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #TechPubcast #TechnicalWriting #BookPublishing #Startup CHAPTERS 00:38 Introduction to Thomas Nield and his background 02:43 Experience working with different publishers 03:50 Lessons learned from publishing with O'Reilly, Pact, and Manning 06:36 The review process and handling critique in publishing 09:30 Balancing multiple projects and maintaining productivity 13:21 Teaching AI and machine learning in the era of Gen AI 15:19 Impact of Gen AI tools on coding and training 17:39 Fundamentals of programming in the age of AI 19:54 Thomas Nield's ventures in software and hardware 22:30 Innovations in flight simulation hardware 25:22 Shadow AI and AI security in organizations 26:41 How to connect with Thomas Nield and upcoming projects 27:52 What's Next for the Authors? 28:34 Closing Remarks and Thanks

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  Episode #6

  Writing, Teaching, and Building Multiple Startups | Thomas Nield

  Jul 9, 202628 minS1

  <p>Thomas Nield has written books for O’Reilly, Packt, and Manning while teaching AI, building software, and launching a software AND hardware startup. In this episode of the Tech Pubcast, Thomas joins Jess Haberman to talk about what he has learned from working with different technical publishers and how he manages to keep writing while juggling several ambitious projects.<br /></p><p>They discuss:</p>How O’Reilly, Packt, and Manning differ as publishing partnersWhy authors need humility and a thick skin when receiving technical feedbackThe writing habits that help Thomas meet his deadlinesWhy machine learning and programming fundamentals stil...

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