Asking Better Questions: From Publishing to Typewriter

A good question can change the proposal—not just improve the pitch. Here is how a small critical-thinking book shaped my publishing judgment and now informs the Typewriter system I now have on GitHub. I recall working as an acquisitions editor when Asking the Right Questions, by M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley, appeared in 1981. Around the same time, an author team's proposed word-processing textbook led to questions about classroom practice, available equipment, likely adoption, and the company's investment. Outside review helped reshape the teaching approach, and the rise of IBM PCs changed the market. I connect what I took from the book and that experience into Typewriter: listen first, make thinking concrete, and let people choose whether to explore their assumptions more deeply. 0:00 The book that shaped my editorial judgment 0:30 A practical word-processing textbook proposal 1:01 Understanding the students and teaching methods 1:38 Outside review reshapes the book 2:15 Testing demand and building an investment case 2:45 Costs, author development, and a changing market 3:21 IBM PC software changes the opportunity 3:54 Bringing the lessons into Typewriter 4:28 Listen first and invite deeper thinking Typewriter on GitHub: https://github.com/duhring/typewriter Asking the Right Questions — publisher information: https://www.pearson.com/en-ca/subject... My writing: https://johnduhring.substack.com/