Chris Timberlake is the author of Automating DevOps with GitLab CI/CD Pipelines, we got the chance to sit down with him and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt.
Q: What is/are your specialist tech area(s)?
Chris: Software Development & DevOps.
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?
Chris: I was asked to collaborate on a book with a friend. I saw it as a great opportunity to give back to the community and help folks learning about the book’s topic.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Chris: Most of the research occurred throughout my career gaining experience. Then as I wrote the book I referred to public documentation, notes, and work product I’ve built over the years.
Q: Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?
Chris: The hardest issue was finding time to write, sitting down, and doing it. Once I could move everything out of my schedule and just focus, it became much easier. The second challenge was formatting.
Q: What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?
Chris: I see GitLab as an evolving and growing SDLC Platform. I think in coming years, looking back, it will be unidentifiable. I believe DevSecOps will continue to grow and evolve to match the market and consumers needs, and we’ll see the entire field shift and evolve.
Q. Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?
Chris: Our book is entirely around GitLab CI/CD. It’s tailor focused on that topic alone, and builds upon years of experience between the authors.
Q. What are the key takeaways you want readers to come away from the book with?
Chris: That the learning never stops, and that they should always be thinking deeply about the things they do.
Q. What advice would you give to readers learning tech? Do you have any top tips?
Chris: Start off with a small project that excites you, and learn the new technology through that. Don’t try to learn it by itself, pair it with something exciting and fun.
Q. Do you have a blog that readers can follow?
Chris: Yes! you can visit my blog at www.christophertimberlake.com
Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?
Chris: I kind of fell into it, with a good opportunity. Looking back on it now, I would tell aspiring authors to write down their idea, plan it out, map it out, write an introduction. Then involve Packt so they can help guide the new author.
Q. Do you belong to any tech community groups?
Chris: Yes, I belong to Devanooga, a community for the Chattanooga Area.
Q. What are your favorite tech journals? How do you keep yourself up to date on tech?
Chris: HackerNews, Reddit, and UsePanda.
Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?
Chris:It’s a Government Secret.
Q. What is the one writing tip that you found most crucial and would like to share with aspiring authors?
Chris: Sit down, write what’s on your mind, review it, revise it, until you’re mostly happy with it. Then ship it.
You can find Chris’s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here
