Writing a book starts with a purpose
MANY people dream of writing a book. Teachers want to share what they have learned in the classroom. Professionals hope to pass on their experience. Others believe they have something valuable to say.
Yet the dream often remains an idea. They have the knowledge, perhaps even an outline, but never get around to writing the first chapter.
The reasons are familiar: not enough time, doubts about their writing skills, or the thought that someone else has already covered the subject.
But becoming an author does not necessarily require exceptional writing skills. It takes a clear purpose, the courage to begin, and the discipline to continue.
As a certified public accountant, educator and accounting textbook author, I have learned that writing is about making knowledge useful to others.
The classroom offers many clues about what needs to be written. When students repeatedly struggle with a concept, I consider how to explain it more clearly.
A student’s question may inspire a fuller discussion. A difficult examination problem may prompt a better example. A lesson that needs repeated explanation can reveal what a textbook lacks.
My first piece of advice to aspiring authors is: Start with what you know, but consider what your readers need.
You do not have to cover everything. Choose a subject you understand and are willing to explore further. Teachers can begin with lecture notes, accountants with professional experience, and entrepreneurs with lessons from running a business.
The next challenge is finding time.
For people balancing work, family and other responsibilities, writing is easily put off until another day. That day may never come.
Instead of waiting for a long vacation or a free weekend, write whenever you can. A few paragraphs today, an example tomorrow, and another section next week can gradually become a manuscript.
Some days, ideas will flow. On other days, finishing a single page will be difficult. What matters is returning to the work.
Expecting a perfect first draft can also stall progress. Some aspiring authors spend so much time revising the opening chapter that they never reach the next.
Keep moving. Complete the draft, then improve the language, examples and organization.
Writing a book requires patience, research and a willingness to question your own work. This is especially true for technical authors.
In accounting, explanations must be both clear and accurate. A wrong computation or an outdated interpretation can confuse students who depend on the material.
Authors must be willing to clarify, correct and revise. Feedback from students and fellow educators can expose gaps that the writer has overlooked. What seems simple to an author may still be difficult for a reader.
An educational book succeeds when it helps people understand. Complicated language serves little purpose if it gets in the way.
Publication brings another challenge: sustaining the work. Finishing a manuscript is an achievement, but an author’s responsibility continues after the book is published. Readers’ needs change and knowledge develops.
Accounting textbook authors must keep pace with changes in standards and professional requirements. Chapters need updating, problems may require revision and emerging topics may warrant inclusion.
An author must remain a student of the subject.
There will also be periods when writing becomes tiring or other responsibilities take priority. At such times, it helps to remember why the book was written.
Recognition can be rewarding, but it cannot be the only reason to continue. For an educator, knowing that a student finally understood a difficult concept because of something we wrote is a meaningful achievement. That makes the effort worthwhile.
To anyone thinking about writing a book, my advice is simple: Do not wait for unlimited time, complete confidence, or all the answers.
Begin with one useful idea. Turn it into a page, then a chapter. Listen to feedback and keep improving.
You become an author by doing the work. You sustain that work by continuing to learn, write and share.
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Floyd C. Paguio, CPA, MBA, is chairman of Paguio, Dumayas & Associates, CPAs (PDAC), the Philippine member firm of PrimeGlobal International, and president of KCD College of Accountancy in Alaminos, Laguna. He is also media affairs chair of the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice (ACPAPP).
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