The pleasure of interaction with the printed books makes one wonder if replacing them with e-readers filled with e-books a wise choice. I have friends who claim not to have read a printed book in past ten years or more. They prefer to read from their Kindles, iPads, Nooks, and the host of other e-readers that are available. They rave about the paper like feel, how light they are, how many books they can hold, and so on. I have tried almost all of the above mentioned e-readers. I didn’t find them as fascinating as the hype or as elegant and useful as the claims. Yes, they are portable and can hold a large number of books; two features that will help in saving a lot of space.

For me a book-lined study with a comfortable recliner is much more preferable and enjoyable. I prefer the printed books to the e-readers that offer ‘paper like feel’ and contain thousands of e-books stored in their bowels.

“One of the many things that I love about bound books is their sheer physicality. Electronic books live out of sight and out of mind. But printed books have body, presence. Sure, sometimes they’ll elude you by hiding in improbable places: in a box full of old picture frames, say, or in the laundry basket, wrapped in a sweatshirt. But other times they’ll confront you and you’ll literally stumble over some tomes you haven’t thought about in weeks or years. I often seek electronic books, but they never come after me. They may make me feel, but I can’t feel them. They are all soul with no flesh, no texture, and no weight. They can get in your head but can’t whack you upside it.” (Will Schwalbe in The End of Your Life Book Club)

One cannot replace the joy of holding the book, feeling the smell of paper and ink, the crisp sound the paper makes while turning the pages, etc. But the e-book market-share will grow, as e-books are ideal for scholarly publications and technical books. Also they are easier to download and in many cases slightly cheaper than the print versions. Another factor is that many publishers have started offering only e-books for certain genres of books. Yet another factor that will force e-books on to the readers is the non availability of paperbacks, as many publishers now bring out only expensive hardcover versions and e-books.

But e-books will never completely replace printed books. E-books can only imitate the feel of real books but never can reproduce it and therein lies the secret of immortality of the printed books.

1. Aptitude matters

   You should have the right aptitude to become a writer. Becoming a writer is not an easy job. Writing is a lonely and difficult profession. You have to sacrifice a lot of things to become a writer. Read “Are you a writer?” to see if you have what it takes to become a writer.

2. Kaizen matters

   Kaizen is a Japanese word which means continuous improvement. Kaizen is not a philosophy; it is a way of life. In kaizen, one seeks for improving one’s skills regularly by analyzing the flaws and inefficiencies and removing them. One also tries to improve one’s knowledge, efficiency, proficiency, productivity, quality, etc. The improvements need not be big; in fact small improvements on a regular basis can have dramatic impact in the quality and productivity over a period of time. You can practice kaizen to continuously improve your writing.

3. Writing every day matters

   To improve your writing, you have to constantly practice your craft. This means making writing a part of your daily routine. Make writing a habit—a part of life like eating or sleeping. If you can write at a specific time every day that would be nice; otherwise write whenever you can. The time and how long you write each day is a matter of personal preference. Choose what works for you.

4. Reading daily matters

   Every successful writer is definitely a voracious reader too. You should read a lot to write well. By reading other works, you can find out how others develop an idea, how they narrate a scene, how they handle different types of writing and so on. Read the books of authors whom you admire and like. You can learn a lot by working under a master craftsman. Similarly you can learn a lot by reading the works of great authors. So find time to read every day.

5. Grammar matters

   Good writing means following the rules and not making mistakes. Learn the grammar and practice what you have learned till you have mastered it. Read the grammar books as well as the style guides to learn the rules as well as the usage. Once you have mastered the rules, then you know when you can bend and break them. That knowledge—the ability to write without mistakes even when you are bending or breaking the rules—is very crucial for a successful writing career.

6. Spelling matters

   Spelling is a very important factor that decides the impression you create. A work with a lot of spelling mistakes implies that you were not careful and you did not review your work. The spelling checkers in the word processors are great tools in finding misspelled words, but they cannot find wrongly used words. For example, if your write ‘form’ instead of ‘from’ or ‘affect’ instead of ‘effect’ no spell checker will find it as they are valid words. Reviewing and editing your manuscript is the only way to find those errors. But there will be occasions when you have to write without the help of spell checkers and if you don’t know the spelling then it can create problems. So do not be too dependent on technology; use it when you have them at hand, but develop the skill and ability to survive without them.

7. Vocabulary matters

   Having a good vocabulary is a must to become a good writer. Vocabulary building is a serious exercise. You should not only know the words and their different meanings but also know how to use them correctly. While reading, you will definitely come across new words—words that are not part of your vocabulary. Write them down, find their meanings, see how they are used, learn how to use them properly, and practice the usage until you are thorough. Over a period of time, you will have an excellent vocabulary and your writing will dramatically improve. Do not use flamboyant and esoteric words just because you know them. Use simple words whenever you can. You can craft beautiful sentences with simple words. Use the ‘big’ words only when they are apt for the situation. Never try to impress your reader with your vocabulary; instead try to impress with your writing—the content and the way it is presented.

8. Writing space matters

   Some writers can write from anywhere they want. But most writers have a place where they are comfortable. You should create a writing space for you. It can be a table in your bedroom or it can be your study with all your books, reference materials, computer, notebooks, etc. The writing space should be comfortable, and free from disturbances. If you have some specific activity or habit that will help to relax and be creative then your writing space should have the facility to do that. For example, some writers prefer music in the background while some other prefer a silent room; some writers would like to write their first draft with pen and paper while some others prefer to key in their thoughts and ideas directly into the computer. Create your writing space according to your needs, comforts, and preferences.

9. Content matters

   Content is said to be the king in any writing. Your knowledge of the subject will clearly show through your writing. Be careful about what you choose to write. If you choose a topic in which you have excellent knowledge and practical experience, then you can write with great authority. You can be convincing and persuasive and can help the readers understand the topic better by using real world examples. So gain knowledge and experience about the topic you are planning to write. You can borrow the wisdom, knowledge, and experience of other experts in the field by interviewing them.

10. Originality matters

    Try to be original in what you are writing. You can borrow from others. But make sure that you transform them and add value to what you are borrowing. If you have borrowed the ideas from others, then don’t forget to acknowledge your sources. You can make your work original by your writing style, the way in which you present the ideas, explain them, and how you organize and structure your work.

11. Clarity matters

    Be very clear in what you are writing. Don’t be ambiguous, as this will confuse the reader and that is not something you want. Ambiguous writing also is the lack of focus, logical thinking, and organization on your part. Your final work should explain what you are trying to convey clearly and logically. A step-by-step approach starting from the fundamentals is the best way to present any topic clearly and this is the approach that the readers will understand the best.

12. Precision and accuracy matter

    Be as precise and accurate as you can. In technical writing, the importance of precision and accuracy cannot be overemphasized. When you are mentioning measurements like length, volume, speed, acceleration, capacity, etc. very clearly specify the value and unit of measurement. If you are not mentioning the exact values, then you should clearly specify that what you are giving are only approximate values.

13. Simplicity matters

    Write simple sentences using simple words. Do not make sentences very long or verbose. The sentences should be clear and concise. Try to use active voice whenever possible. Once you have finished writing, run your work through a text analyzer and check the readability statistics to see if it is suitable for your target audience. If not, make the necessary corrections and modifications.

14. Tone matters

    Your tone should be suitable for the topic and audience. Do not use formal tone in an informal piece of writing and vice versa. Use humor with care. Use it only if you are sure that it will work. Use negative tones and emotions like sarcasm, bitterness, etc. only if absolutely necessary. In the case of highly technical and formal documents do not use humor or any other emotion. Condescending and preaching tones are best avoided as it makes the writing dull and judgmental. Also watch out for and remove any prejudices and biases that might creep into your writing.

15. Length matters

    The length of your work is a very important factor. Try to make your writing as short as possible without sacrificing on content. This can be achieved by many rounds of editing and revisions. If the document is too lengthy, people might hesitate to read it; if it is too short, its usefulness might suffer. It is you as the author who should decide how long the work should be. In some assignments, like magazine articles, you will be given the word count and you have to say within that limit.

16. Illustrations matter

    A picture is worth thousand words. You can vastly improve the ease of understanding by having an illustration. When explaining complex concepts or things, a picture or illustration is the best way to make the reader understand what you are saying. You can show the exploded view of a machine with its parts labeled and it becomes self explanatory. Similarly a complex computer algorithm could be explained easily by drawing its flowchart. Use of illustrations is very important in technical writing as you are always trying to explain complex concepts and objects and illustrations and pictures can definitely help a lot. The quality of the illustrations and pictures is another important factor. A poorly drawn illustration might complicate and confuse the reader. So create and use your illustrations and pictures with care.

17. Lists matter

    Lists—both bulleted and numbered—help in simplifying ideas and improves the readability. You should know when you can use a list. Lists are ideal for situations where you can enumerate the ideas. For example, advantages of Database Management Systems, limitations of data mining, parts of a computer, classification of digital computer systems, different types of software, etc. are ideal candidates for lists. Lists can also be used to break the monotony and tedium of continuous text.

18. Tables matter

    Tables can be very effective in comparing similar objects or ideas. When more than one object or idea that you are discussing has similar properties then they are best highlighted by using a table. For example, features of different computer models, properties of different data models, sales volume for the past 10 years, etc. are best expressed using tables. Table can also be used for effectively presenting the properties and characteristics of an object or concept. For example, you can give the specifications of a computer, features of a car, names and prices of your organization’s products, etc. in a table. Like lists tables can also break the monotony of the continuous text.

19. Examples matter

    Providing examples is one of the best ways to make the reader understand what you are discussing. Suppose you are explaining data mining. If you can explain the concepts and advantages using a real world example, say how the marketing department of a car manufacturer uses its sales data over the years to predict market trends and identify potential problems, that would help the reader to better understand what data mining is, how it can be used to run his organization more effectively, etc. So, use real world examples, case studies, and anecdotes wherever appropriate as it makes the writing interesting and will help the user to identify with the topic that is being discussed. It also will improve your credibility as an expert.

20. Questions matter

    Asking questions, giving problems to solve, situations to debate and discuss, etc. will help the reader in checking what they have learned. If you use case studies, problems or situations and ask the reader to discuss what they would have done, if they were faced with the same problems, it will force the reader think and use the information that he has read. This thinking and reviewing will help in reinforcing the ideas and concepts that you are discussing. So make the reader a partner in the learning process by making the writing interactive—a dialogue instead of a monotonous monologue.

“If you do not want to be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin

It was Michael J. Fox, the Canadian-American actor, author, celebrity, producer, activist, and voice-over artist, who said “I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.”

Perfection should be our goal. We should always strive to achieve perfection in what we do. It can be anything—an essay or a book that we are writing, a musical instrument that one is learning, a painting or statue that we are creating, a product that you are making, a garden that you are tending, a customer service request that one is attending to, etc. We can try to become perfect in whatever we do; in fact we should try to become perfect in whatever we do.

“Aim at perfection in anything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it that those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable.” – Lord Chesterfield (British statesman and writer).

Aiming and striving for perfection is good as you will work hard, concentrate more, produce quality work, and have a sense of satisfaction. But perfection should not become an obsession. Giving excessive importance to perfection can be dangerous. An obsession with perfection can be a productivity killer and have catastrophic consequences like frustration, depression, and dejection. Everyone who wants to be successful should know when to stop trying.

You should know when to stop working on a task and move on to the next project. Doing one task and devoting all your time, effort, and energy to make that perfect, while ignoring the other tasks that you have to complete, can create many problems as you will never be able to accomplish anything.

Laurell K. Hamilton, the American fantasy and romance writer, believes that too much struggle for perfection can hinder productivity: “Perfection is an unattainable goal. It isn’t going to be perfect. Just get words on paper, and when you stumble to what you think is the end of the book, you will have hundreds of pages of words that came out of your head. It may not be perfect, but it looks like a book.”

The above arguments do not any way imply that one should sacrifice quality for quantity. Quality is important, very important; so is productivity. So, one should aim at improving productivity while maintaining quality. There are many things that one can do to achieve these twin goals.

Become a master of your craft. Learn your trade from the best masters. Observe successful people in your profession and find out what makes them successful. Learn the ropes first and then move on to the tips, tricks, and shortcuts that will enable you to be more productive without compromising on quality. Three most important things for success are continuous learning, continuous improvement, and constant practice.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” – Henry Ford

One should never stop learning. There will be new things and advancements in your profession. Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, trends and tastes of people are changing by the day, new developments are happening every minute, new tools that makes work easier are being developed every day, new features are being added to existing tools making them more powerful. You cannot ignore these and hope to be successful in your profession. You have to learn continuously; you should always be a student. As Steve Jobs said in his 2005 Stanford commencement address, you should always “stay hungry and stay foolish,” so that you would always be willing to learn.

It’s often said that it’s not what you know, but it’s what you don’t know that’s most important. As Plato said, “The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.” Thus, the more we learn about a subject the more we will able to appreciate it. Also we will know more about what we don’t know. So only by continuously learning that one can master a craft.

Kaizen is a Japanese word which means ‘continuous improvement.’ In kaizen, one seeks for improving one’s skills regularly by analyzing the flaws and inefficiencies and removing them. One also tries to improve one’s knowledge, efficiency, proficiency, productivity, quality, etc. The improvements need not be big; in fact small improvements on a regular basis can have dramatic impact in the quality and productivity over a period of time. Kaizen, which originated in the manufacturing industry to improve productivity and reduce waste, can be applied to any discipline and in any situation as there is always scope for improvement.

The Zen concept also emphasizes continuous learning and improvement. According to Zen philosophy, by continuous learning and continuous improvement one learns to do better what one already does well.

We cannot learn something and then forget it until we need it again. It is said that you never forget to ride a bike. So, when you try to ride a bike after many years of not doing it, relearning how to cycle does indeed occur surprisingly quickly. Here the key word is ‘relearning.’ If you are not using a skill, however proficient you were in it, you will have to relearn it and it will still take some time to reach your original proficiency and competence. Yes, you definitely have an advantage over those who are learning the skill for the first time.

Once you have mastered a skill, the best way to maintain and improve that mastery is practicing it. Hard work always pays off. If you want to excel in your job, you have to practice, practice, and practice more. Regular practice will make your mind and body ready to deliver excellence while performing the task. As Martha Graham rightly said, “Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.”

We all have seen sportsmen, musicians, singers, etc. performing complex and difficult tasks with ease and grace. This ease and grace is the product of thousands of hours of practice. We are astounded by the elegance, effortlessness, grace, poise, flamboyance, and flourish of Yehudi Menuhin playing the violin, A. R. Rahman composing a song, Sachin Tendulkar playing his favorite shots against the best bowlers in the world, Lionel Messi dribbling the ball past the toughest defenses and scoring, Stephen Devassy playing the keyboard, K. J. Yesudas, Mohammed Rafi, or Lata Mangeshkar singing complex notes and ragas. These magnificent men and women who are at the top of their respective professions do what they do with amazing ease and grace and make it seem effortless, because of thousands of hours they have spent practicing and perfecting each and every aspect of their craft.

All of us cannot perform like the top professionals as they are gifted and have polished their God given gift by hard work. Even though, we might not be able to perform as they can, we can become our best by working hard. When we are following the three requirements of achieving perfection and productivity—continuous learning, continuous improvement, and constant practice—we have a better chance of becoming highly productive and excellent in our jobs.

Vince Lombardi once said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” So irrespective of what you do, chase perfection, but accept excellence.

Consider the example of a writer. A writer can master his craft by continuous learning, continuous improvement, and constant practice. She can improve her vocabulary, perfect her grammar, and learn how to use the different tools that will improve her productivity. She can read the books of famous writers and learn from them. She can attend writing workshops and learn from experts. She can continuously improve her skills by learning more words, learning the language better, learning the rules and then learning how to break the rules, becoming proficient in the use of tools like word processors, text analyzers, grammar checkers, etc. She can learn and memorize quotes, phrases and their correct usage, synonyms and antonyms, and so on. Then she can practice by writing daily without fail. Soon her writing will improve, her analytical and logical reasoning skills will develop, creativity and imagination will take wings, and productivity will increase. All these things will keep on improving as time goes by.

Can such a person who is continuously learning, improving, and practicing daily produce a perfect piece of fiction, poem, or prose? The answer is a definite no most of the times. In rare occasions even unaware to the writer, he will produce a perfect work. As William Hazlitt, the famous English writer, grammarian and philosopher, said, “Those who aim at faultless regularity will only produce mediocrity, and no one ever approaches perfection except by stealth, and unknown to themselves.”

So what is the advantage of all these hard work—learning, improvement and practice? The advantage is that you will become more productive. As you possess a good vocabulary, you need not waste time searching the dictionary and thesaurus for the right word. Since you know the grammar thoroughly, you will make fewer mistakes. Since you know the rules and how and when you can bend or break them your writing will improve. Your proficiency with modern technology and the tools will save you time and effort.

You still need to research your topics; you still need to think about the different viewpoints and arguments, you still need to write your first draft, you still need to edit and rewrite it again and again. But all these processes—researching, thinking, writing, editing, revising, and rewriting—will become easier as you master the craft. So every time you start a new project, you are becoming better at it as you are learning, improving, and practicing your craft. So chase perfection, but stop at excellence. You should decide when to stop as you are the one who should decide how excellent you should be.

The technical review is usually done by three technical reviewers. Sometimes the publisher will decide to get the book reviewed by a single reviewer. The technical reviewers would be experts in the author’s field and would be familiar with the publishing process and the market. Most technical reviewers would also be successful authors or people who command respect in their field of specialization and who can verify the technical accuracy of the author’s claims and make sound predictions and estimates regarding the book’s sales.

The main objectives of the technical review are to determine whether:

1. the author is qualified to write the proposed book.
2. the book will have a market as indicated by the author.
3. the book covers all the relevant topics that the target audience need.
4. the author’s claims regarding books salient features, USPs, competing titles, etc. are true.
5. the author’s writing is clear, error free, and is suitable for the intended audience.

The technical reviewers would also give suggestions for improving the marketability of the book—addition of new topics or more coverage of existing topics, omission of certain topics, inclusion of illustrations, etc. They will also comment on the organization and may suggest reorganization for better clarity and continuity. They will be sometimes asked by the publisher to guesstimate the minimum and maximum number of copies the book would sell, the ideal price for the book, etc. Usually the publisher will give a questionnaire which the technical reviewers have to complete after reviewing the book proposal.

The publisher will also do an editorial or internal review. The internal review will be done by the commissioning editor with inputs from the production and marketing departments. Here the editor will consider the factors like number of page, number of illustrations, type of binding, paper quality, cover details, cost of production, competition, marketability, etc.

After completing the editorial review and after getting the feedback from the technical reviewers, the commissioning editor will collate the information and present it during the editorial meeting—a meeting attended by the publisher, editors, production personnel, designers, marketing personnel, etc. One purpose of the editorial meeting is to discuss the various book proposal reviews and reach a decision about publishing them.

The fate of a book will mainly depend on the inputs given by the technical reviewers regarding the quality, price, and sales volume. Once the editorial board is sure that the book will make money or at least break-even, the decision in most cases would be to go ahead with the publication. But many times the predictions have been proven wrong! Published books with huge expectations have fared poorly in the market while books that were rejected by many publishers before getting published become bestsellers. So, the ultimate purpose of the reviews and editorial meetings is to mitigate the risk as one cannot, like in any other situation, predict future with absolute certainty. Thus in the publishing industry also, all one can do is do the homework well, estimate as best as one can, and hope for the best.

If the decision is to publish the book, the publisher signs a contract with the author(s) and if the decision is to reject the proposal, then the author (in most cases) will get a rejection letter. Sometimes, if the reviewers have commented on the potential of a book in a new format with major revisions/additions/omissions, the publisher will convey the details to the author and ask him to submit a revised proposal.

[Note: This is the first draft of the book. I would require your comments, suggestions and feedback to make the book more useful, interesting, and as error free as possible. Please send your comments, suggestions and feedback to me.]

In this section we get an overview of what all goes into a book proposal. Even though, different publishers would have different requirements, all them will need to know certain basic facts. These form more than 90% of the book proposal and we will concentrate on those. To get an idea about what the different publishers need in their book proposals you can go to the publishers’ websites and download their book proposal forms (BPF).

The book proposal will contain the details on how the author would like to go about writing the book. It will contain a synopsis, detailed table of contents, expected time for completion, approximate number of chapters, pages, and artwork. In many cases the proposal will also contain sample chapters of the proposed book. The book proposal will also contain the authors resume and will explain why she is the best person to write the book. It will also contain the unique selling points (USPs) of the book, the targeted audience, and other marketing information.

We will see how to collect information, collate and organize them, and how to convert the information into a winning book proposal later. We will also see the structure and contents, the dos and don’ts, tips and tricks and more. We will also see a few sample book proposals.

[Note: This is the first draft of the book. I would require your comments, suggestions and feedback to make the book more useful, interesting, and as error free as possible. Please send your comments, suggestions and feedback to me.]

Today, when we think of writing, the image of a man sitting in front of his desk with sheets of paper before him, a quill in his hand and an inkwell on the table, rarely comes to mind. But that was how writers practiced their craft in the olden days. In those days, the only tools a writer needed were an imaginative and creative mind, a powerful vocabulary, flair and passion for writing, a quill (probably many of them), an inkwell, ink, and sheets of paper.

Quill was the writing instrument that dominated the early years of writing — for more than 1400 years. Even now, some calligraphers use quill pens for their craft. Later, the quill was replaced by the fountain pen. Lewis Waterman invented the fountain pen and got a patent for it in 1884. With the invention of fountain pens writers could spend more time thinking and writing rather than preparing their writing instruments and inks. The ballpoint pen made its appearance in 1938; it was invented by Laszlo Biro, a journalist from Hungary. The writing instruments continued to evolve and got better thus making writing less cumbersome. But the power of the words still remains unchanged and the pen still plays a crucial role in shaping and changing the history of mankind and the lives of many.

Writers inspire, motivate, inform, engage, excite, empower, and take their readers through a range of emotions from absolute bliss to utter dismay with their words. Wars start and end, treaties and pacts get signed, people become famous or notorious, heroes are praised and villains punished, courtships start, love bloom and blossom, lovers get married, and some marriages end in divorces, authors are born and influence generations, people gossip, spy on each other, countries flourish and perish, all at the stroke of the pen. The Islamic prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying “The ink of the scholar is holier than the blood of the martyr.” It was in 1839, the English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton coined the adage “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Truer words were never spoken!

The power of words cannot be overemphasized. According to Lord Byron:
“Words are things; and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions think.”
Writers should master the words and should learn everything that will make their writing more accurate, effective, captivating, attractive, and influential.

The modern writers need all the skills their predecessors possessed. The skills remain the same — an imaginative and creative mind, powerful vocabulary, and flair and passion for writing. But the tools have changed. The quill got replaced by the pen long time back. Now even the pen is slowly being replaced by computers.

Stewart Brand, the famous American editor and writer, once said “once a new technology rolls over you, if you are not part of the steamroller, you are part of the road.” This is very true in the case of computers and information technology. In today’s information age, knowledge of computers is a must. We use computers, either directly or indirectly, in each and every aspect of our lives. We use computers on many different occasions in our day-to-day life. Computers, Internet, and Information Technology (IT) are changing the way writers write, copy-editors edit, reviewers review, and even readers read.

Today an author can publish what she has written in a matter of seconds. She can upload it to her blog, which will be read from people all over the world who can comment about the article, recommend it to friends, and so on. All this can happen in a matter of minutes. Writers can work from anywhere in the world and the audience is the entire world. For example, I wrote this article from my home in Cochin (India), which I uploaded to Blogcritics website in San Francisco (USA). It was edited by the Books Editor at Blogcritics from his home in Southern California. He then published it and you are reading it from wherever you are in the world.

The availability of new tools that can improve productivity and accuracy of writers, reduce the time-to-publish, improve accessibility, and provide access to a world-wide audience are changing the rules of the game and if you want to be among the successful, you have to learn the new tools and embrace the new technology.

Nothing can replace your writing skill, creativity, imagination, flair, and passion as there are no substitutes for those. But a mastery over the tools that improve the writing — search engines that will help you in finding facts faster, on-line dictionaries and thesauri that will help you find the right words and phrases, tools that will check the spelling and grammar mistakes, etc. – can give you an edge over the competition.

Anybody who wants to succeed in today’s world cannot afford to ignore computers and information technology. Computer literacy does not mean that you should take a degree in Computer Science. It does not mean that you should know programming and computer architecture. It only means that you should know how to use the computer for your day-to-day activities.

Today’s writers need to be proficient in the use of computers — they should know how to create and edit documents in a word processor, enter and manipulate data and produce graphs and charts in an electronic spread sheet, manipulate photographs and images digitally using image editing tools, create illustrations and flow charts using a diagramming software, use the editing and proofing tools, etc. They should also know how to access and use the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW). They should know how send and receive e-mails, search the WWW to find the required information, create a blog and post blog entries, upload text, files, and images to the Internet, use mobile devices like laptops, notebooks, and smartphones to do all the above mentioned tasks while on the move.

Lois Horowitz, the American librarian has said it well. According to Lois “Not having the information you need when you need it leaves you wanting. Not knowing where to look for that information leaves you powerless. In a society where information is king, none of us can afford that.” Thus, for the modern writer, knowledge of computers and Internet is not a luxury, but a necessity.

“You are writing more than you are reading… Surely the sign of an amateur!”

This is a line from the movie Quills, which is the story of Marquis de Sade. Quills is a wickedly funny and sexy movie, which is full of violence and gore. But the above words could not be truer.

If you want to be a professional writer, rise above the level of ‘amateurs,’ make money out of your writing, achieve fame and name, and be respected and admired as a master of your craft, then you should practice the craft and practice it rigorously with dedication, concentration, and determination. You must read more and you must write more. You must do this on a regular basis — as regularly as you eat and drink.

You must read a lot and while you are reading try to learn the new words and phrases that you encounter. Learn how the word or phrase is used in different situations to convey different meanings or different shades of the same meaning. Improving your vocabulary will enrich your writing. You will have more than one word for any given situation and that knowledge is power. Sometimes the apt word is not the one that comes first to your mind. But the knowledge that you have others in your repertoire will give you confidence and make your writing richer and attractive.

While reading, spend time to ponder about the writing style of the author. Think of the reasons why the author chose a particular style, word, or phrase to express his ideas. Try to find out what makes the writing tick. Learn the techniques that the author uses to capture your attention from the first sentence onwards and keep it till the end and keep you thinking even after that. Find out what makes the writing great.

Reading for writing is different from reading for pleasure or casual reading. There is nothing casual when you are reading to learn the craft of writing. Take notes while writing. Write down the words, phrases, and sentences that are interesting. Practice using the words and phrases in your writing. Three books that will help you in improving your reading and teach you how to read for writing better are:

• Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose
• How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
• How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom

A book that will give you daily material to read each day, a book that contains excerpts from books that are examples of great writing is The Daily Reader: 366 Selections of Great Prose and Poetry to Inspire a Productive and Meaningful Writing Life by Fred White.

As you start reading regularly you should also start writing regularly. Make writing a part of your daily routine. Find a fixed time and space where you can sit undisturbed and write. Write about anything you want. But it is better to have a list of topics that you want to write about. Keep the list on a notice board and keep adding topics to the list as and when you get new ones. This will ensure that you are never short of ideas.

Think about what you are going to write for any given day well in advance. If you want to refer books, visit places, or do something that will make the writing more interesting, this will give you enough time to do that. For example, if you are planning to write about the evening life at the beach, then a few evenings at the beach will help a lot in making your writing interesting as you will be able to infuse a lot of color, characters, situations, and energy into your writing.

When you go for such ‘experiences,’ take a notebook or recording device and a camera with you. Notebooks are ideal as you can write and sketch on them. Recording devices are useful, if you are interviewing someone, which is a very good idea as the inclusion of a small interview in an article will give it a real feel. Photographs serve two purposes. It will help you to recall all the details. It will also provide pictures that could be included in the article. Today a reasonably good digital camera is very affordable and you can take as many pictures as you want and download it to your computer. The camera has become an indispensable tool for the writer.

There are many books that give hundreds of topics from which you can choose. Some of them are:

• The Daily Writer: 366 Meditations to Cultivate a Productive and Meaningful Writing Life by Fred White
• The Writer’s Idea Book by Jack Heffron
• The Write-Brain Workbook: 366 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing by Bonnie Neubauer
• 4 A.M. Breakthrough: Unconventional Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction by Brian Kiteley

When you sit down to write, write without thinking too much about grammar, spelling and sentence quality. Write fast and write whatever comes to you mind. Only after completing the first draft you should think about spelling, grammar, quality, and correctness.

Once you have finished writing, set it aside. Take the previous day’s writing and start editing it. When you edit or revise your first draft, you should do it slowly looking for mistakes — spelling, grammar, and usage — and also for the appropriateness of the words used. A dictionary, thesaurus, and a style and usage guide should be kept within easy reach for reference. Read aloud what you have written. This will help you in identifying the words that don’t sound nice or that doesn’t go well with the other words of that sentence.

As the days go by you will find that your writing is improving and your reading is helping you in becoming a better writer. As you read more, you will write better and as your writing improves you will get more time to read!

The idea or spark for the book usually comes to the author. It can be the desire to share your knowledge or to teach others the things you have learned the hard way. You might have seen many books on your area of expertise and have the confidence that you can do a better job. You must have collected information for your own use which you think might be useful to others like you. We will see some typical scenarios.

You are an expert on a subject. You have spent years learning the ropes, becoming proficient and mastering the subject. You have years of real- world experience. You are considered as a guru in that subject by your colleagues and peers. You are consulted whenever there is a problem. In the years you have learned and practiced the subject you have encountered almost all situations and challenges that possibly could occur. You know that you can contribute to the field by sharing the knowledge. You know that you can write an interesting book as you have more than enough funny and interesting anecdotes that will hook the readers. You know that you can explain things in a jargon free manner which people understand, as you have been doing that all along. You have enough credentials and professional standing to make people want to read your book when they hear you are the author. So you decide to write a book on your subject of expertise. A book idea is born.

You have completed several projects that involve developing high-technology products. You know how to successfully manage such projects where new advances happen every day. You know how to hire brilliant people and how to manage them, and how to make them work as an efficient team. You have experienced the challenges, fallen into the traps and pitfalls, faced the obstacles—human and technological, and you have learned how to look for them, steer clear of them and bring the projects to successful conclusion. Your experience—both successes and failures—could help young project managers to avoid the traps, pitfalls, and obstacles. You think you can write a book that will shorten the learning curve for beginners. Another book idea is born.

You are a teacher and you are not satisfied by the textbooks that are available in the market. In your opinion they don’t do justice to the subject and don’t explain the concepts clearly. You know that your combination of practical and teaching experience makes you an ideal candidate for writing a book that will explain the concepts with the help of real-world projects. It will be a textbook that will help the students to learn both the theory and its practical applications. So you decide to write a book mainly to teach your students, but could be used by other teachers and those who want to learn the subject. Yet another book idea is born.

You might have collected a lot of information during the course of your career. The information is hard to find and is from many different sources which are not readily accessible. You have collected, collated, and organized the information so that it is easy for people like you to get all the information needed to complete your job from your compilation. You know that no such book exists in the market. You are sure that it will be well received by people in your profession. You decide to turn your work into a book. Another book idea has come to life.

You have written a book on a general subject. But each chapter of that book is broad and deep enough to be a separate book. For example, you have written a book on Database Systems. But the different chapters of the book like Relational Database Management Systems, Data Normalization, Relational Algebra, Data Mining, Data Warehousing, etc. are topics can be written as separate books. In the general book, you have given a condensed view of the important topics. But in a separate book you can be more comprehensive and include all the advanced and complex topics that you have left out. The audience of the general book and the advanced book will be different. But writing one general book can ignite the spark for several books. Similarly, writing an advanced book can kindle the idea for a general book or a book on the same topic for a different audience.

Once the author has an idea and has the confidence of turning the idea into a book, then he/she will have to find a publisher who is willing to publish the book. With the popularity of Internet and WWW and the availability of new publishing media and technologies, one can write, publish, market, and sell the book. We will see about this later.

Sometimes the idea for a book will come from the publisher or one of the commissioning editors or the editorial board at the publishing house. While browsing the catalogue the publisher or editor finds that he/she does not have a book on a particular subject or for a particular market segment. For example, a publishing company who specializes on Computer Science books might want to publish a book on Software Project Management or Software Configuration Management, if it doesn’t have a book on that subject. Sometimes the company might have a book on a particular topic but it is targeted at advanced readers. So the company might want to publish books for the beginner and intermediate markets. If the book idea has idea occurred to the publisher, then the publisher will have to find a suitable author.

[Note: This is the first draft of the book. I would require your comments, suggestions and feedback to make the book more useful, interesting, and as error free as possible. Please send your comments, suggestions and feedback to me.]

Click on the image to see the enlarged view.

Most writers, artists, and inventors,
Often use their Moleskines to
Live, love, dream, draw, and write.
Energize their lives and motivate them to
Strive harder to achieve their goals,
Kindle the mind and ignite the creative spirit.
Inspire and get inspired to create and develop,
New ideas, inventions, and innovations that,
Emerge from their Moleskines!!!