Interview with Author Marlon Buchanan

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

My name is Marlon Buchanan and I’m an IT Director in Seattle. Over my career, I’ve been a software engineer, a business analyst, a project manager, and a college instructor. I have worked in many industries and I have found that I like jobs and industries where I am directly helping people achieve their goals.

I’ve always been into writing. In my jobs, I’ve co-written books and written many technical documents. I started blogging (HomeTechHacker.com) a few years ago because I wanted to write more and help people by sharing my experiences with home technology.

2) What inspired you to write your book?

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to publish a book. I’ve always had a love of books and a love of helping people and writing is one way for me to put these things together. I’ve researched writing a book many times over the years. But a couple of years ago I decided to truly commit to it and write The Smart Home Manual: How to Automate Your Home to Keep Your Family Entertained, Comfortable, and Safe. I learned a lot through that process and enjoyed it so I decided I’d keep writing books, which led to my current book, The Home Network Manual.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

I hope after readers finish reading The Home Network Manual they have the confidence to build a home computer network that meets or even exceeds their needs. I hope they have gained a full understanding of all the key components, how they work together, and which components are right for their situation.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

I’ve worked in the IT industry for over 25 years. I’ve also always tinkered and improved my home network myself, and I’ve helped many other people do the same. Through my experiences as an instructor, giving many trainings, and previous writing I decided that my best genre would be making technical topics accessible to anyone, starting with something very important in today’s world: your home technology.

I am primarily on Twitter (@HomeTechHacker). I get the most responses and interaction on this platform and I’ve been able to find and engage with many people who are interested in the same topics I am. Also, it doesn’t take much time to write a tweet!

6) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

I can speak best to non-fiction authors. I would encourage them to commit the time and write in areas that they are experts or can easily learn based on their past experiences. I also encourage reading other similar books and writing a very good and detailed outline before writing. Everyone’s author mind works in different ways, but this is what works for me.

Also, they should be prepared to deal with a lot of things that aren’t writing. Finding and working with an editor, a cover designer, a book formatter, coming up with and executing a marketing plan — these take as much time as writing. But it is all worth it for the accomplishment! And, you can do it!

7) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

I plan to keep blogging at HomeTechHacker.com. I have lots of reviews and how-to articles coming. I have started researching and outlining my next book topic, cybersecurity. I touch on home network security in The Home Network Manual, but I’m going to go cover cybersecurity more broadly in my next book. I think protecting your digital assets, your identity, and your online reputation are critical and everyone needs to take steps to do so. In my next book, I hope to lay out in plain language how to protect yourself from hackers and other bad actors.

About the Author

Marlon Buchanan’s genuine interest in home networks shines through in his writing. Taking what’s often considered a boring topic and making it palatable and even exciting is no small feat, yet Marlon manages to do this and more. His invaluable experience and expertise can help anyone from beginner to pro tackle and manage their home network concerns. He holds a bachelor’s in computer science and engineering from MIT and master’s degrees in business administration and software engineering from Seattle University. He works as an IT Director but was previously a software engineer, business analyst, and college instructor.

Marlon currently resides in Seattle with his wife and kids and hopes to make home technology topics common knowledge.

HomeTechHacker.com Blog: https://HomeTechHacker.com

Author Site: https://MarlonBuchanan.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HomeTechHacker

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/HomeTechHacker

Instagram: https://instagram.com/HomeTechHacker

Facebook: https://facebook.com/HomeTechHacker