Guess a name to win a copy of my book
Would you like to have some fun, and perhaps win a copy of my upcoming book too? Just guess the name of the girl on the cover! The first person to get it right will receive a free copy of the book, in a choice of paperback or ebook format.
The book is all about using a wiki for technical communication. It’s called Confluence, Tech Comm, Chocolate: A wiki as platform extraordinare for technical communication. It will be published in February by Richard Hamilton at XML Press.
The book cover
I love the illustrations in the book, and especially the picture on the cover. They are the work of a talented artist named Ryan Maddox.
Who is the girl on the cover?
She is the hero of the book. She is a technical communicator extraordinaire. Let’s dub her X for now. When you read the book, you will follow X as she sets up a Confluence wiki and adds a technical documentation space. Learn from her expertise with the wiki editor and macros. Share her adventures in agile development and search engine optimisation. Grow wings, as X does, and make your wiki documentation fly. Discover why X says we need a “kiss my wiki” attitude.
Guess her name – one guess per comment, guess as often as you like
What is X’s real name? Add your guesses as comments on this blog post. It’s just her first name, one word, that you’re looking for. You can add as many comments as you like, and write whatever you like in the comment, but please put only one suggested name per comment.
The first person to get it right wins a free copy of the book. You can choose whether you want a printed book (paperback), a Kindle version or an EPUB version.
If no-one has guessed the right name in the next few days, I’ll add a hint.
Let the fun begin. 🙂
Another chance to win
Here’s another opportunity to win a free copy of the book: Head on over to XML Press and sign up for email notification about the book. Your name will be automatically entered into a draw for a free copy.
Hint: Think chocolate
Here’s a clue: Our hero’s name has something to do with chocolate.
Keep guessing. 🙂 I’ll add another clue soon!
(Hint added on Sunday 15 January, early morning Sydney time.)
We have a winner!
The name of the girl on the cover is… Ganache. Congratulations to Jill Brockmann on guessing the name and winning a free copy of the book!
So, Ganache is the name of our our technical communicator extraordinaire. But this may be the first time ever that the word is used as a person’s or character’s name. Ganache is also a mixture of chocolate and cream, used to fill chocolates or cakes. People often add a flavour to the mixture, such as chopped raspberries to make a raspberry ganache.
Thank you to everyone for taking part. I hope you’ve had as much fun as I have!
(Winner announced on Sunday 15 January, 6pm Sydney time.)
Posted on 14 January 2012, in book, Confluence, confluence tech comm chocolate, technical writing, wiki and tagged book, Confluence, confluence tech comm chocolate, ryan maddox, technical communication, technical documentation, technical writing, wikitechcomm. Bookmark the permalink. 132 Comments.
ffeathers 
Her name is PATTY. If Chocolate is in the title, then her name HAS TO BE PATTY. I am told chocolate is the reason my eyes are brown… or er, something like that.
I’m sure that’s not right, but a girl can dream, no?
Hallo Patty
LOL 🙂
Her name isn’t Patty, but thanks for the great comment and congratulations on being the first to have a go!
Cheers, Sarah
Her name is “Reader,” as in the reader because the book is all about empowering the reader to do all of these awesome wiki things! Ok, I’m probably way off, but at least I have a theory. 🙂
Hallo Arwen
That’s a nice name and a good theory. But not right. I do love the phrase “these awesome wiki things”. It rhymes with “wings”, which are in the book… 😉
Cheers, Sarah
Her name is…Cocoa
Hallo Lisa
Sweet! But that’s not her name. Chocolate is a big part of the book… 😉
Cheers, Sarah
It’s Tina, the tech writer. LOL
Hallo Julio
LOL too! But no, that’s not it.
Cheers, Sarah
Her name is Charlotte. Because it sounds like “chocolate” and because her right foot is located about where the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, would be. (I know. I can’t help it. I’m a map geek.)
Hallo Larry
I love it! I wish I’d thought of that. There is a Charlie in the book, but he’s a guy not a girl. Have another guess.
Cheers, Sarah
Maddie?
Hallo Arroxane
Now, there’s a good name. But it’s not the right one. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Not Donna, is it? 🙂
Ha ha, Hamish, you and Donna have this thing going ever since that conference! Actually, there is a Donna in the book, but she’s a real person and is not the technical communicator extraordinaire on the cover. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Yes, Donna and I go way back… 🙂
Connie?
As in “Connie 4.1 has a better editor than Connie 4.0 and Connie 3.x”.
Hallo David 🙂
Nice, but not right. Connie does get a mention in the book, for some reason or other…
Cheers, Sarah
Coco
Nice name, and very apt. But that’s not her name.
Cheers, Sarah
Kimmie, as it rhymes so nicely with Kiss my Wiki. This could be short for Kimberly or Kimberley, of course. 😉
Hallo Pilar
That’s a cool name, and a great rhyme. But our hero has a different name… Guess again. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Joy, because she looks happy.
Second guess (perhaps I’m bending the rules…if so, ignore): Sophia, for wisdom.
Hallo Matthew 🙂
Those are two good names, but neither is our hero’s name. BTW, you can guess as often as you like, by adding as many comments as you like. I’ve updated the post to make that clearer.
Cheers, Sarah
Well duh. It has to be Sue!
🙂
Ha ha, hallo Sue. It totally should be Sue, technical communicator extraordinaire. But that’s not her name. 😉
It’s Sarah, isn’t it?
Hallo Bill! Heh heh, nope, it’s not Sarah.
Connie
I think we should all get chocolate just for playing. Who’s with me?!?
I’m with Patty! I want some (dark) chocolate! 😉
Hallo Patty and Arroxane
I’d love some chocolate too. Milk, with nuts. Perhaps we should have a chocolate Twitter party!
Cheers, Sarah
I like how you think!
Oh connie was already guessed. How about Wendy?
Hallo Matt
Not Wendy. That’s a pretty name. It makes me think of fairies and wings — must be the Peter Pan connection. But it’s not the name of the girl on the cover. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Flo, or Florence, in honor of the TV character who used to say “kiss my grits.” (I have no idea whether that piece of American pop culture would make sense in Australia.)
By the way, you’re right: The cover art is wonderful. Kudos to Ryan!
Thanks Larry, I’ll pass the message on to Ryan. And no, it’s not Flo or Florence. One of the paths of reasoning that you mentioned in your earlier comment may get you closer… ♥
I hope it’s not Travis. Travis is a horrible girl’s name.
LOL Bill! Rest assured, it’s not Travis.
Nice cover.
The girl’s name is…… (oops I’m not allowed to enter am I ?)
Looking forward to seeing the completed book.
Ha ha, thanks Alan. And thanks again for your awesome input during the technical review of the book!
Cheers, Sarah
America?
Hallo again Arroxane 🙂
Not America. Here’s a bit of information for everyone: There’s no geographical connection to the name. ♥
Cheers, Sarah
Alice, as in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_and_Bob
~Matt
Hallo Matt
Nice, but no, it’s not Alice. Nor Bob. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Eve?
Hallo Arroxane
No, not Eve. That’s a lovely, short name. Our hero’s name is longer. It does share one letter with the name “Eve”.
♥
Cheers, Sarah
Annie? As in Annie Writer, or Annie Good-Writer 🙂
Hallo Li-At
Ha ha, nice, but it’s not Annie. Not even “Annie Get Your Pen”. 😉
Cheers, Sarah
Sarah, you’ve mentioned wings twice now. It’s not Angel, is it? Or Angela?
Hallo Bill
It’s not Angel or Angela. Yes, wings have come up a couple of times. So have other themes. The name does belong to one of the themes… ♥
Cheers, Sarah
Maybe her name is “Charlie” – you know, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory? Meh -perhaps not, since that could be short for Charlotte.
Hallo Patty
Good try, but not right. There is a Charlie in the book, though. He’s a product manager who interacts with customers on the wiki. Have another go!
Cheers, Sarah
Oh my gosh! I know I already guessed. But is her name Sarah?
Hallo Li-At
Not Sarah. In fact, one of the reasons I invented the character is so that I didn’t have to keep seeing my name on all the screenshots. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
What about Miki, because she likes to use wikis?
Hallo Nicole
I love it! But it’s not her name. BTW, a speaker at a recent meeting told us that her colleagues call her “wiki chicky” because she looks after the organization’s wiki. (That’s not a clue. It’s just that your comment reminded me of it.) 😀
Cheers, Sarah
While I’m here, I’ll add another guess – is her name Nicole?
Heh heh, no it’s not.
Mint Crisp, or some variant thereof?
Mmm yum! Keep thinking… ♥
If she grows wings, perhaps her name is a feminine form of “Icarus”. Icara maybe?
Icara sounds a bit like “loved one”. That would be a nice name! But it’s not our hero’s.
Is it Renee? Damn it, I feel like I should know this.
Shhh! 😀
How about Kathy as in Chatty Kathy because she is a communicator.
Hallo Lauren
I like it! But it’s not her name. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Jennifer
Hallo webwesen! “webwesen” is a very cool handle, BTW. Jennifer is cool too, but that’s not her name.
Cheers, Sarah
My guess is Mariposa.
Hallo Rob
What a lovely name! I looked it up: Spanish for butterfly. But it’s not her name. Have another go.
Cheers, Sarah
KITTY!!!
Hallo Laura
No, not Kitty. Guess again. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
her name is Katy Perry and I claim my free chocolate
Hallo lech
It’s not Katy. Chocolate is a good idea! ♥
Cheers, Sarah
Valerie?
No, not Valerie. 🙂
Her name is Heidi
Hallo Justin!
Heidi is a beaut name. But it’s not our hero’s name.
Cheers, Sarah
Tiki?
Hallo Leen
Ha ha, that’s cute, and a bit naughty. I’m guessing I may have run into some trouble with intellectual property laws if I’d chosen that name. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Hi Sarah! Cool competition. 🙂
Is it Lotta, sounds like chocolate?
Ed
Hallo Ed!
I like the way you’re thinking. But that’s not her name. 🙂
Cheers. Sarah
Of course, it is Lena or Magdalena!
Hallo Axel
Not even close. Although… the name Magdalena contains all the letters in our hero’s name, except for two. Our hero’s name has two letters that are not in “Magdalena”. ♥
Cheers, Sarah
Kiwi?
Hallo Caerlynn 🙂
Ooh, that’s clever! I love it, but it’s not her name. Try again!
Cheers, Sarah
LAURA
Hallo Nenette
No, it’s not Laura. Have another go, now that I’ve added a clue to the page: Think chocolate! 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
I’m gonna go with Vicky because it shares one letter with “Eve” and it rhymes with wiki
Hallo Andrew
It’s not Vicky. Keep guessing. 🙂
Why the woman on the cover must be Sarah Maddox herself!
Hallo Noel
Ha ha, no, that’s not her name!
Cheers, Sarah
Georgia?
Or perhaps Carolina?
Or Virgina?
Make that Virginia
Hallo Mark
No, it’s not Georgia, Carolina or Virginia. It’s interesting to see how many US states make good girl’s names. I’ve added a clue: Think chocolate. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Is it Rachel?
Or Lakshmi?
Hallo Alan
Not Rachel or Lakshmi. Those are nice names, and so different! Keep thinking… I’ve added a clue: The name has something to do with chocolate.
Cheers. Sarah
I very much hope it’s Sarah
Hallo mumpy
LOL, it should be, shouldn’t it. But that’s not her name.
Cheers, Sarah
Flo (from Florence Jean Castleberry who said Kiss my grits )
I can see that I should get to know more about kissing grits! 😉 But that’s not her name.
Cheers, Sarah
Hallo everyone!
Thanks so much for all the great guesses so far! No-one has it right yet, though a couple of people are not far off. I’ve added a clue to the post: Think chocolate!
Our hero’s name has something to do with chocolate. That’s something close to all our hearts, and many of us are experts in the field. 😉 Keep trying! I’ll add another clue soon. ♥
Cheers, Sarah
Toblerone! (LOL!)
Tootsie! (OK, I’m just being silly now!)
Ha ha, I love the names you’ve suggested, Caerlynn! None of them is our hero’s name, but thanks so much for joining in and giving us all some fun. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Hershey, as in the kisses? 🙂
Hallo Irene,
Clever! That would be a good name, and it fits right in with “kiss my wiki”. But it’s not the name of the girl on the cover. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
hmmmm… Diva? (short for Godiva but safer around the lawyers)
*sliding Sarah her chocolate*
Hallo Amy
Nice, but it’s not her name. Actually, there is a “Diva” mentioned in the book: “Donna, the Support Diva”. But she’s a real person, and not our hero.
Cheers, Sarah
Georgina?
Veruca?
Violet?
Charlene?
Charlina?
OK, I’ve used up all my CatCF guesses…
Cherry (ripe)?
Hallo Nicole
Thanks for all the great suggestions! Though I’m not so fond of “Veruca”. 😉 Our hero’s name isn’t from CatCF, but the book does have both a Charlie and a Roald…
Cheers, Sarah
valentine??? *hoping*
Hallo Amy
No, not valentine. But that’s a lovely thought!
Cheers, Sarah
It has to be, “Truffle.”
Oh, here is another one…..
“Ganache”
Hallo Jill
CONGRATULATIONS! That’s right, Ganache is her name. You’ve won a free copy of the book. 🙂 Richard Hamilton, from XML Press, and I will contact you via email to arrange the details.
Cheers,
Sarah
Congratulations, Jill. I’ll send you email shortly.
Richard
Oh, goodness! I am SO excited! I am teaching a course at Austin Community College about Social Media Tools for Technical Communicators and this will be TERRIFIC to incorporate in to my course! Thank you very much! I can’t wait to receive your book and spread the word!
If you are in Austin, Texas on March 31, you can join Anne Gentle and speak at our Social Media Forum for Technical Communicators! We would love to have you be a part of the huge event!
Bless you for writing such a special book!
Cheers,
Jill
Hallo Jill
Thanks so much for your nice words. I’m pretty excited too. Wow, it’s great that you’ll be able to use the book in teaching your course! I wish I could be in Austin in March, but alas I can’t make it. Will you be at STC Summit in Chicago in May? If so, I’ll see you there. 🙂
Cheers, Sarah
Woohooo, Jill! Great guess, you deserve a free book!
Thanks, Amy!
Are you ready for a really fun and interesting semester? Get ready for a fun adventure!
I’ll share the book with you and the class when I get it!
Good luck this semester!
Jill
what the heck is ganache! well done Jill!!
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