[OT] Packtpub?

[Richmond]

Packtpub, apparently an India-based published operation concerned 
largely with computer stuff
have asked me to be involved in editing a publication.

What is unclear to me, and they don't seem to want to answer . . .

  . . . is what their academic standing is as well as the extent of 
their market reach.

What is also unclear is how they select their editors as they have made 
no enquiry as to an academic qualifications I may have, years of 
experience in the field and so on. This strikes me as very odd indeed.

"I came across your discussion, and felt that you would be an ideal 
person to review this book for us."

Is opaque in the extreme: what discussion? where? and what on earth 
would that actually tell you
about either my ability to review a publication or my academic bona 
fides vis-a-vis computer programming.

Now all they are offering me for my work seems to be a hard copy of the 
book plus another from their
"stable" of publications. That is all very jolly, but it is not what 
motivates me; what does is the fact that my
c.v. has got a bit thin on the ground recently, and the odd editorship 
and/or publication would spice things
up a bit when/if I decide to apply for a new job.

What I am really wondering is whether this will have any sort of clout 
in a c.v at all, or is just a bit of
fun to get a couple of books.

Richmond.