Wanted: Instant textbook

Sometime last month, I was approached by our former director to write a textbook for a new course to be offered in distance mode. She handed me a contract for me to review and sign if I agreed to the terms being set down. Else, she said that I could simply suggest any changes and write those down on a piece of paper and have it sent back with the contract to have it modified.

Going through the contract, I began to realize that this writing project would be quite a challenge since I had never taught such a course before. But given how much I would be paid, I was very much tempted to accept the commission. I was shocked however to later read that I was expected to have a draft of the book ready within three months (for evaluation and editing of an instructional designer)! Worse, I later discovered that it was not just a textbook that I was supposed to prepare but an entire set of teaching materials: exams, assignments, a teaching guide, a list of references, etc.! Plus there was the usual deductions on my fee if I didn't meet the deadline, etc. Of course, I knew couldn't possibly turn in something in a mere three months. Even if I could, I'd most likely be turning in something of unacceptably poor quality because having to rush it all. And being the perfectionist that I am, I'm never contented with submitting any kind of work that is half-baked. Anyway, I indicated in a small stick-on note that I needed a year to turn in the first draft.

When I finally got a response about two weeks later, it was worse than I thought. They were insisting on the three-month deadline because they needed the teaching materials by June 2008! Now I found that completely ridiculous. Why didn't they approach me much earlier if they knew they needed it next year after all? Why wait until last month to ask me to begin? Did they think I had all the time in the world to write an entire textbook and the rest of the teaching materials? Didn't they ever consider the fact that I'm teaching full time and with an overload of teaching units?

In the end, I completely refused to agree to the terms and had to drop the project altogether. I mean, is there anybody who can write a entire textbook in three months? Apparently they think so. So I'm wishing them lots of luck finding somebody who can conjure a textbook in time for the very first offering of the course.