Project Management methods are all about systematic planning, and a structured approach to execution of a project to completion, while writing a book is essentially a creative, unstructured and a meandering activity.
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Project management is all about having the project move inexorably towards the deadlines without running into a ‘writer’s block’. Project management has the imponderables from the world working against you, while in writing a book, you are your worst stumbling block ! Once could go on and say a lot about why the twin shall never meet. Thus both the aspects of Project Management Tools and Writing Books are two different things.
But then, let us not stress the differences too much, for instance bibliographic books, biographical books, text books, and technical books, are very creative in nature, being based essentially on library search etc. For that matter, aren’t there pulp fiction writers out there who churn out a series of books with regular periodicity to hit the stands who could surely do with some principles of project management ? In many such works could it be that perhaps the creativity element is more like 10-15 percent, while the rest of it is fairly structured work, needing to be worked backwards from the due date of completion ? Is writer’s block completely uncontrollable or does it pay some heed to deadlines ? Isn’t that more or less akin to project management ? Can’t the discipline of self-imposed controls help one manage one’s time better ? Yes it is more typical context, the consequences of using or not using formal project management tools in terms of project time and cost overruns, it quality, etc could be significant, while this is hardly so for writing, especially in India, nevertheless, authors- particularly busy ones may perhaps benefits from borrowing from some of the basic principles of project management.
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Project Management mainly focus on completing the work as per the previously mentioned guidelines within the specified time period but when it comes to Book writing the writer puts his own imagination, creativity and resources with an optimistic view without setting any time restriction for early completion of his work. The elements of Project Management mainly concentrate on the implementation of all the activities that are required to complete of the Project before its due date. During the process of Project Management the need of dreams, imagination, and creativity lies in the minimum level because everything is pre-determined and things are just required to be done as per the project rules of thumb. Without doubt there are many divergences between Project Management and Book Working but still here it must be noted that day by day the global market is becoming more commercial and competitive and hence, the need of the day, demand changes. As a consequence, the current scenario, demands the utilization of Project Management Tools for writing books in a more effective and efficient way.
Project Management is all about disciplines deadlines and thus the elements of the same can be intelligently used by writers for smarter writing. In India these types of advance tools are hardly used by any writers but nevertheless, the benefits of the Project Management Tools (PMT) can definitely help the busy writers to do more in less time because the PMT will organize the book writing project in a more systemic way. Can Project Management Tools are capable of brings about significant changes to book writing? This question is itself debatable in nature. Before landing over any conclusion it is very essential to understand the principles of Project Management and activities of Book writer. In the early stages of book writing, the author already has some ideas, information and resources by using which he constructs raw data into meaningful information. After witting few pages he gets in touch with a Publisher to make a Book Publishing contract.
Now he starts writing the early chapter of the book and simultaneously continues to editing his writings. While doing so, he introspect himself and his writings and then edits it again and again with an aim to polish his writings. After the completion of first few chapters the author need to revise his writing and thus his send his work to his near and dear friends and other scholars to get their views and comments. Then after getting his manuscript revised, he again starts editing and writing more contents to form more chapters. Delays make occur because of confusing by the author, regarding whom to send the books for proper revision and whom to not. Further, it may also happen that the early commentators or revisers of the book contents may delay the period of giving feedback to the author. Meanwhile, the valuable time of the writers is lost due to lack of proper planning and utilization of resources and ideas.
For completing the very first paragraph of the book to the last line of the last chapter, from getting the contract signed with the publisher to getting his book published the author has to overcome many changeling hindrances such as the hindrance of time, energy and creativity. Sometimes the world may stand against him and sometime he himself may become his own resistance. Here at this complicated juncture of Book writing, the author can take the full advantages of Project Management Tools to overcome all obstacles and can to hit his goals at an early time.
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Some of the significant tools of Project Management such as pre-determination, planning, deadlines setting and self imposed rules and regulations can bring about significant changes in the process of Book writing. Some of the essential principles of Project Management can kill all the hindrances and other obstacles from the path of the author. By putting these tools to use, the writer can predetermine all the components or in other words stages of book writing. The writer can prepare a Project and can write therein, all the elements of Book writing process and determine certain things in advance, such as which publisher to contact, who all will be the early revisers of the manuscript, when to start the Book writing and when to end it and so on. He can organize everything, in pen and paper and then can work according to the project plan.
To sum up, the need of the day demands the busy writers to use the blessing tools of Project Management in order to writer better books in a more smatter ways. By just implementing certain basic factors of Project Management Tools the writer can experience noteworthy difference and will be surprised to see how things can become so easy when done a an organized way.