I’m on the final stretch of the manuscript for my next book, titled Tackling Tumblr. That’s right, after two books (and a second edition), I’m taking a brief step away from WordPress and tackling something new. Tumblr (yes, I’ve got one) is an exciting hosted publishing platform for blogs and simpler sites, and it grows rapidly.

I’ve been wanting to write a book on Tumblr for quite some time, so I was happy with the go ahead from my publisher this winter. As with the first edition of Smashing WordPress: Beyond the Blog (2nd Edition due April 18), I took to the French Alps to get some peace and quiet while writing Tackling Tumblr. Well, that and snowboarding obviously.

The result is shaping up nicely. The book isn’t part of the Smashing series, it’s completely stand-alone which feels right for something like this. I’m starting with the basics, explaining the platform and giving tips and hints on how different things can be achieved. It gets a bit more advanced with commenting, adding third party content, as well as tweaking and even building your own Tumblr themes.

Tackling Tumblr is for anyone who wants to start using Tumblr for projects or please, for those who like to know and understand more, and for those who are curious about the platform. If you already are building your own Tumblr themes, then there’s probably not too much in it for you, unless you want to know what I think the platform is good for.

The manuscript is nearing completion, but I’m afraid you won’t read the book anytime soon. It is scheduled for a September release.