IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

I canceled my book deal

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Publishers' Demands (AI, Beginner Focus) Frustrate Authors; Self-Publishing Preferred

Publishers push AI integration and broader appeal, leading to creative clashes; many advocate self-publishing for control and royalties.
"All of our future books will involve AI." - websiteapi
"The publisher pushed for targeting beginners." - milancurcic
"70% royalties mean you can get 10-50k easily... with full creative freedom." - antirez

2. LLMs Don't Replace Structured Books

LLMs lack vetted, progressive narratives; books offer reliable learning paths.
"LLMs do not understand anything... Give me a book every time." - bigstrat2003
"ChatGPT... divide it up into easily digestible chunks... with runnable intermediate stages." - crote
"Why buy this book when ChatGPT can generate...? Because the ChatGPT output wouldn't be reviewed!" - crote

3. Author's Motivation/Life Issues Primary Cause of Failure

Author missed deadlines, lost interest; publisher not at fault.
"The author didn’t make time to write the book and then lost interest." - jdlshore
"Life got in the way... he lost his motivation only partially because the publisher wanted AI." - WoodenChair
"What killed this deal is that the author did not set aside enough time." - dpark

🚀 Project Ideas

Tech Author Accountability Platform

Summary

  • A SaaS tool for technical authors to set milestones, receive automated nudges, and get paired with human "accountability coaches" (fellow authors/editors) for bi-weekly check-ins via video/text.
  • Core value: Solves motivation loss, ADHD struggles, and deadline misses (e.g., "I need someone to 'nag' me 2-3 times a month" – k__); enables finishing self-pub books without publisher pressure.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Aspiring technical book authors (e.g., HN users with blog audiences)
Core Feature Milestone tracker with AI reminders + human coach matching; integrates with Leanpub/KDP for progress uploads
Tech Stack React/Next.js frontend, Node.js backend, Twilio for nudges, Stripe for subs, Zoom API for check-ins
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: $29/mo subscription + $99/coach session

Notes

  • HN users like JoeAltmaier lament unfinished projects due to lacking "continuity editing" or "nagging"; this provides lightweight structure they'd love without full editors.
  • High discussion potential on HN (motivation hacks); practical for self-pub surge post-publisher horror stories.

Freelance Tech Book Editor Marketplace

Summary

  • Online marketplace connecting self-publishing tech authors with vetted freelance developmental/technical editors, using fixed-price proposals and creative control contracts.
  • Core value: Delivers pro editing (praised by redsymbol, bostik) without publisher interference like AI mandates or audience dumbing-down (e.g., "push to target beginners" – milancurcic).

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Self-publishing technical authors avoiding traditional publishers
Core Feature Profile matching by expertise (e.g., Python/ML), AI-pre-scan for issues, escrow payments, revision tracking
Tech Stack Ruby on Rails/Django backend, PostgreSQL, Tailwind UI, OpenAI API for initial feedback
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: 15% commission on gigs ($500–$5k/book)

Notes

  • Addresses "professional editing" gap in self-pub (antirez, nospice); quotes like "publishers skimp on editing" and WoodenChair's success show demand.
  • Utility for niche tech books; sparks HN threads on editor quality vs. AI slop.

Book-Specific Interactive Tutor Generator

Summary

  • Web app where authors upload their book (PDF/MD) to generate a fine-tuned, book-confined LLM tutor with quizzes, explanations, and adaptive paths—staying true to content without hallucinations.
  • Core value: Bridges books vs. LLMs (layer8's "book-LLM"); customizes learning (alain94040) while preserving curated narrative over generic prompts (crote, bigstrat2003).

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Readers/authors of technical books (e.g., raytracing, CS projects)
Core Feature RAG-based LLM (e.g., Llama fine-tuned on book), quizzes at chapter ends, "explain like I'm X level" queries
Tech Stack Streamlit/Gradio UI, LangChain RAG, Hugging Face for fine-tuning, Vercel hosting
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium ($9/book unlock)

Notes

  • Directly from "book-LLM" idea (layer8) and debates like "LLM tutor vs. book" (crote); HN loves interactive edtech (e.g., NotebookLM mentions).
  • Viral potential: Authors embed in self-pub books for differentiation; practical for evergreen tech content.

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