Andrea Magni is the author of Delphi GUI Programming with FireMonkey, we got the chance to sit down with him and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey.
Andrea: I’ve been contacted by the editor a couple of years ago. I have been active in the Delphi community and I am an Embarcadero MVP so I guess they were looking for some expert on the FMX framework.
Q: How long did it take you to write the book?
Andrea: A lot. My fault basically. I really wanted to write a “classical” book and not a “recipe-book”. This means every topic needs to be put in its own context, with proper explanation and maintaining a flux. Also, it has been my first book and I probably underestimated the effort.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Andrea: I am a long time Delphi developer and I am an Embarcadero MVP since 2014. I’ve spent two decades working with Delphi and most of my skills as a software developer is in the Delphi area.
Q: Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?
Andrea: Even if I am a professional trainer and consultant, I experienced that is very hard to properly discuss a topic grounding from zero. Many details and concepts simply can’t be made on assumptions. Writing a technical book can become a never-ending journey.
Q: What advice would you give to readers learning tech? Do you have any top tips?
Andrea: Be curious. I really think curiosity is the seed of intelligence. And never give up: ask questions, look for resources, find a mentor. If you learn something every day, you are on the right path. Even if what you learn today is not immediately useful, it surely will, someday or another.
Q. How do you keep up-to-date on your tech?
Andrea: I am a professional consultant so I face myself with many other developers, every day. I’ve understood since the beginning of my working career, everybody has something to teach. Everybody in the industry has become a master in something. So I always try to get the most of my interaction with other developers and experts.
Q. Do you have a blog that readers can follow?
Andrea: Yes, you can read it at https://blog.andreamagni.eu I also have a personal website (https://www.andreamagni.eu)
Q. Can you share any blogs, websites, and forums to help readers gain a holistic view of the tech they are learning?
Andrea: The Delphi Developers Facebook community is very active. Also, be sure to check Delphi Praxis forums (https://en.delphipraxis.net/). And the official blog ecosystem by Embarcadero, or course: https://blogs.embarcadero.com/. Another resource is https://learndelphi.org/
Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?
Andrea: I have to thank a lot Packt for the patience and the resources they put into this project. I’ve been happy to work with my editors (Rosal Colaco, Tanvi Bhatt, Naved Mehdi, and Gaurav Gala, just to name some).
You can find Andrea’s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here
