Table of Contents

Marlon’s Press Kit

Author Bio

Best-selling author Marlon Buchanan is an IT Director by day and a home technology hacker (the good kind) by night. He has over 25 years of combined experience as an IT director, software developer, systems analyst, college instructor, and smart home consultant. He has a bachelor’s in computer science and engineering from MIT and master’s degrees in business administration and software engineering from Seattle University.

He has been automating things around his house since he was a kid. Now, his wife and kids get to enjoy the fruits of his smart home exploits. He is best known for his smart home, home networking, and cord-cutting articles on his blog HomeTechHacker.com, and his books, The Smart Home Manual, The Home Network Manual, and The Personal Cybersecurity Manual.

Contact Information

Full Name:	Marlon Buchanan
Email Contact:	Contact Me
Web Sites:	Academy.HomeTechHacker.com MarlonBuchanan.com HomeTechHacker.com
Twitter:	twitter.com/HomeTechHacker
Instagram:	Instagram.com/HomeTechHacker
Facebook:	Facebook.com/HomeTechHacker
Pinterest:	Pinterest.com/HomeTechHacker

Preferred contact method: email or Twitter DM.

Q & A

What started your interest in home technology and smart homes?

I’ve always been into technology, even as a young child. Although I didn’t own a computer growing up, I was fascinated by them. I was the type of kid that always read the manual to the VCR, the cable box, the watch, any piece of technology. I have always wanted to get the most out of technology.

Why did you write The Personal Cybersecurity Manual?

Life for many of us is lived increasingly online. Cybercriminals know this too and
are increasing their efforts to scam and defraud us. I want to make sure people of
all technical levels can develop best practices to prevent fraud, identity theft, and
other cybercrimes.

Why did you write The Home Network Manual?

Home networks have been an important part of the home for many years. During the pandemic, with so much remote schooling and working, home network importance skyrocketed. People realized how important their home networks are to their everyday livelihood. I wanted to give people the tools they need to make this key aspect of their home life work as well as possible.

Why did you write The Smart Home Manual?

I’m genuinely excited about smart homes. I have a passion for smart home projects around my house and for helping people with home technology. I wrote this book to help others build their own smart home. I wrote this book to share the information and tips I’ve learned over the years with those who want to start or improve their smart home

What’s HomeTechHacker Academy and why did you create it?

I created HomeTechHacker Academy so that I could help more people make the most of their home technology. Some people can learn all they need from scouring the Internet for hours. However, many others might need an organized how-to book. Some people prefer detailed visual instructions to accomplish their goals. That’s where HomeTechHacker Academy comes in.

HomeTechHacker Academy provides online self-paced training courses that consist of:

Bite-sized and easy-to-digest 5-10 minute videos
Written instructions that accompany the how-to videos
Checklists and resource lists to help you after you’ve completed a course
Self-assessments to help you ascertain how well you’ve mastered the material, and what sections you may want to revisit

We offer some free courses so you can see what we are all about.

How do you balance working with writing?

It’s not easy! I have to carve out time, mostly Saturday and Sunday mornings, to focus on writing. I also have to carve out time for the business of writing – promotion, social media posts, maintaining my website, etc. It’s hard, but the most important things are to be consistent, persevere, and have goals.

What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve always been interested in the written word. As a child, I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction books, and I wrote a lot of short stories and poetry. Over the years I’ve contributed to a lot of non-fiction manuals, white papers, and how-to guides, and I enjoy organizing information into words to help others. Mostly, I just like to help others and writing is a way I can do that.

Why do you self-publish your books?

I like control over my creations. My blog is basically self-publishing, so self-publishing books is just a natural course for me. I like learning and improving on all of the processes required to publish a book, and I’m willing to put the work in.

Where do you get your ideas for books?

My ideas come from suggestions from readers of my blog and from my own experiences. If I feel like I have some expertise that can help someone, especially in technology, then it will become a blog article or a book eventually.

When did you start considering yourself as a writer?

I’ve considered myself a writer my entire adult life. From manuals, to design documents, to co-authoring guides to help foster care youth, to my blog — I’ve always been writing.

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

I’m a big sports nut. I love to watch and play basketball. I follow a lot of other sports too. I also enjoy running, lifting weights, and cycling. I have two boys that keep me busy. And, of course, I love to play around with home automation and other home technology projects.