30+ years ago, Doubleday published my book. It would not have happened if it weren't handled by a literary agent (John Brockman). The original title of my book was "Fundamentals of Computer Security in a Networked Environment."
ch 1) Hardware (registers, memory, disks, etc)
2) Software/OS (Unix, etc)
3) Application S/W
4) Networks - TCP, IP, Arpanet
5) Security - encryption, trapdoor functions, etc
and so on. 20 or 30 chapters.<p>When I sent the book proposal to Brockman, he told me bluntly: "I can't sell this. You can't write". Three months later, the story found its way to the front page of the NY Times. First person who called (at 3AM Pacific time): John Brockman. "Lemme sell your book!"<p>So he went ahead and sold the book proposal. Didn't just sell it. He auctioned it amongst publishers. End of the day, there was a $40,000 advance (wow - more than I was making on my job!)<p>I started writing: got through the first 5 chapters. Then my friend, Guy Consolmagno visited (he was joining the Jesuits). I showed him the manuscript, and as he read it, his face dropped. After 30 or 40 pages, he looked up and said, "Cliff, this is terrible. It's all about computers."<p>"Of course, I replied,"I'm writing a book about computer security,"<p>Guy answered: "Every computer jock in the world will want a copy. Doubleday will probably sell 600 copies."<p>"Yep, that's the book proposal that they bought!"<p>"You idiot! They don't want to sell 600 copies," Guy said. "They want to sell 6 thousand. Maybe 60,000. You gotta do better than this..."<p>"Look, Cliff. Don't write about computers," Guy continued. "Write about people!"<p>"It's not about people," I replied. "The book's about the Arpanet, about crypto systems, about os holes, about how to manage a Unix system."<p>"No it ain't," he said. "It's about those hackers in Germany. The bureaucrats in the FBI who have never touched a computer. The NSA people who listen but won't lift a finger. The CIA agents who pester you in Berkeley. It's about the long-hair computer jocks you work with. It's about the nutty living situation you're in. Most of all, it's about you."<p>Well, I listened to my friend. Tossed those chapters and rewrote 'em. Told my story in first person.<p>Today, many of you now know me because of that book.<p>Editing? Mainly my sister Jeannie (who's a professional editor) and David Gernert of Doubleday.<p>Brockman? He's still running a literary agency in New York. Brother Guy? He's now the director of the Vatican Observatory. Me? I'm still in the Bay Area, wondering how I ever wrote a book.