Matt Gemmell’s new book is out today. It’s called Writing in Markdown, and it’s the first in a new series of short books by publisher Five Simple Steps. The series is called Fast Reads, and the idea is to create short, informative and densely packed books that are easy to read in one sitting and provide a comprehensive overview on any given topic. In Matt’s own words:

I write every article on this site (and my articles for publication elsewhere, in magazines and online) in Markdown. All my notes are in Markdown files. My weekly members-only newsletters begin life as Markdown files. I even think in that format.

It was fitting, then, that I was offered the opportunity to write a Fast Read – the first in the series, no less – about using Markdown. I gladly accepted, and I’m pleased to announce that the book is now available.

It’s called Writing in Markdown, it’s about 5,000 words long, and you can read it cover-to-cover in around twenty minutes. It costs £2.50 (or $3.80, or €3.50), and it’s available now.

Like Matt, I do most of my writing in Markdown, including all of my writing here on Analog Senses, plus my regular collaborations in other sites like Tools & Toys.

I really enjoy the simplicity of the Markdown format, but I especially appreciate its power. Being able to write in a readable format that can be converted to HTML in a straightforward, no-nonsense way is a huge benefit in my work. If your work — or play — involves writing for the Web at all, you could probably benefit a great deal from using Markdown.