The book Docker and Kubernetes Security is finally here, after two years, 170 git commits, and countless hours of writing, editing, and reviewing. It's available on DockerSecurity.io. You can get the eBook, paperback, or a signed copy (that I'll sign and send to you). 🐳🔐
So, why did I write this book?
An Unexpected Journey
I became a Docker Captain in March 2023. That probably put me on this publisher's radar. Shortly after that, a major UK publisher reached out to me, asking if I would be interested in writing a book on Docker Security. At first, I was hesitant. Writing a book is a huge commitment, and I wasn't sure if I had enough expertise in Docker Security. The publisher was very persuasive, though, and I eventually agreed to write a proposal.
Here is my monthly tweet about writing a proposal in July 2023:
July 2023 goals:
- 👾 Practice C with Exercism
- 🐳 Submit a Docker talk
- 📝 Write a piece on Telepresence
- 🚘 Pass the driving theory exam
- 📚 Finish the book proposal
Well, I never made it to that DockerCon, because my visa is still pending. But I did finish the proposal!
I finished the book, it went through multiple rounds of editing and reviewing, and the technical reviewers gave me a green light by the end of 2024. I was waiting for the final copy-editing and typesetting to be done when I got an email from the publisher in February 2025, named "Intro Call". There was some reorganization happening at the publisher, and they assigned a new team to my book. The intro call was super nice and happy. Then I got an email in March 2025, saying that they are canceling the book project "after a thorough review". I said, "Sure, just verify that the rights are reverted to me". They wrote:
Yes, the manuscripts belong to you, and you can find an alternative publisher.
I thought, "I have found a new publisher, and that's me!"
Self-Publishing
I set a deadline for myself: October 1st, 2025. I personally love October. It's the month of Oktoberfest, Hacktoberfest, and Halloween. And people are back from Summer mood.
When I posted on LinkedIn that's publishing in October, I received overwhelming support and encouragement from my network. The post received 5,000 views, 75 reactions, and 20 comments of encouragement.
So, I started reaching out to my network for help with self-publishing. Docker Captain Vladimir Mikhalev accepted to be my technical editor. Other Docker Captains accepted to read beta copies and give feedback. I typeset the book using Markdown and LaTeX, and my friend Sima Maherani designed a beautiful cover for it.
I started using Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to publish the eBook and paperback versions. I also set up a website, DockerSecurity.io, to sell signed copies and provide additional resources.
I took two copies of the book to my talk at WeAreDevelopers in Berlin, where I ran a workshop on Docker Security. There, I ran into Docker Captain Francesco Ciulla, who said he would promote the book when it comes out. I also met Liran Tal, Director of Developer Advocacy at Snyk, who later wrote a foreword for the book.
The Launch
Finally, the big day arrived: October 1st, 2025. The book was launched on Amazon and DockerSecurity.io. Amazon's KDP network mostly supported English-speaking countries, plus some European countries. Many other countries were not supported, for example, India, although Amazon has a big presence there. So, I set up a signed copy option on buy.DockerSecurity.io to ship books worldwide.
Again, after the launch, I received overwhelming support from my network. People started purchasing the book and leaving reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Docker reshared my launch post on their official LinkedIn page, as well as on Twitter.
An Indian Docker Captain reached out and said he wants to give away copies of the book to the winners of a Hackathon he was organizing. It was a challenge to get him the book in time, but we managed to do it. More Captains reached out to congratulate me and offer help with promotion.
So far, 3 weeks after the launch, we have had a slow start, but the momentum is building up. The book had sales in Japan, although I did not promote it there. Sales are mostly in Germany, where I'm based. I have received requests from readers in Iran and India who wanted to buy the book but could not find a way to do it. The signed copy is an option, but still expensive, as it's printed in Europe and shipped internationally.
I'm currently working with an Indian printer to make the book available in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. I'm also registering my own ISBN to make the book available in bookstores. They would usually refuse to stock books with Amazon's ISBN.
If you are interested in ordering the book, you can find it here: buy.DockerSecurity.io. You can use the following code for a 10 Euros discount: DEVTO 🏷️
If you want to order on Amazon, you can find the links here: DockerSecurity.io. The website will redirect you to the appropriate Amazon store based on your location.
Conclusion
Writing and self-publishing a technical book is a challenging but rewarding experience. It requires a lot of dedication, perseverance, and support from your network. I'm grateful for everyone who helped me along the way, and I'm excited to see where this journey takes me next.
If you want to write a book, you can reach out to me, and I can share the code base I built with Pandoc and LaTeX to help you get started.
Meet the heroes who made Docker and Kubernetes Security possible:
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