OVERALL BRIEF PROFILE OF THE WRITER:  Has been active as freelance writer, reviewer, trainer, examiner, assessor, blogger, interviewer and translator, though an engineer cum management professional, from Jaipur, India. Has interests in Management, Quality, Organizational & Institutional activities, Education management, Meditation and Yoga. Has jointly written six technical books, Further about 185 articles, book-reviews, case-studies, interviews and translations etc., published in foreign and Indian publications and 24 radio talks broad cast on All India Radio. A  book-reviewer, an abstract writer and one of the recipients of “Writers of the month bonus” for Jan 2007 on www.Shvoong.com. Also writing blogs on three web sites. Has won President of  India award in 1968, Fellowship award in 1992 and H K Firodia award in 1996, besides other appreciation letters. Has been abroad six  times to USA, Europe, Bulgaria and Egypt.

Q 1 Are you a writer by profession? What is your specific field of writing?

I have been writing from a very  early age, as a hobby, although I started devoting more time for writing for the last fifteen years. My field can be divided in two parts (a) for articles, book-reviews, abstracts, blogs & interview blogs and, radio talks, both in English and Hindi languages in the fields of General Management, business, quality management,  production management, technology transfer, self-help, stress management, meditation, environment, financial investment, small scale industries, fiction, memoirs, autobiographies, health, alternative medicine etc. (b) for books—in which mainly the field is management, quality and Industrial Engineering. But I do not know, if I can claim to be a writer by profession, since major part of my life has been in engineering/management field. Besides this, I have also pursued academic interests  like conducting training courses, visiting faculty, setting question papers & evaluating answer books, assessing vocational training centres & courses, guidance for projects, evaluation of project reports, organizational efforts etc., for several years.

Q 2 How many of your scripts and books have been published so far?

My 185 articles, case studies, book-reviews, interviews & translations etc., have been published in Indian publications & also some abroad & 24 radio-talks broadcast, besides 1230 book-reviews & abstracts posted on a web site & about 54  blogs (including 7 interview blogs) on 3 web sites. This work is continuing in certain directions. The relevant links are: www.shvoong.com/writers/vijaiksharma/,

www.vijaiksharmaspeaks.blogspot.in www.vijaiksharmawrites.wordpress.com www.vijaiksharma.webs.com

Further six books of mine jointly written, have been published In India during 2001-03 and their topics are management oriented.  (a) Voluntary Organizations & social welfare (b) Man power planning and development (c) Mathematical Statistics & Econometric models  (d) Advanced Mathematical Statistics  (e) Statistical concepts for economic development & planning  (f) Advanced techniques for economic development & planning.

Q 3 Are there any specific reasons, for choosing these particular fields?

Most of these fields are based on my past training, experience and knowledge, so that my writings could be of some use to  the readers. Some writings have also emerged creatively & spontaneously.

Q 4 What has been the general assessment of the reviewers and readers for your writings and books?

(a)  On Shvoong.com web site, average rating of my writings is 4.15 on a scale of 0 to 5. During 2007, I was given “Writer of the month bonus” by Shvoong. The sites for book-reviews, abstracts and blogs are getting lot of visitors and several surfers have given their comments as well.

(b)  According to my knowledge, general assessment for the books is very good.

Q 5 What is your own general assessment of your books?

I always feel that things could be still better, since I believe both in Innovation and Kaizen (continuous improvement) in this field also.

Q 6 When & how do you get the ideas & do you immediately note the ideas down in a diary or elsewhere?

The ideas may come at anytime & anywhere. Accordingly, normally I keep a pen and a pocket diary handy in my pocket & even near my bed pillow, for making a note of the ideas, then and there, whether day or night.

Q 7 Could you share an interesting event/incident/experience with the other writers, publishers or readers in your writing career?

I would like to share the experience of my difficulties in dealing with proof corrections, at different stages of publication of the books. Even after being clearly indicated, the corrections were not being properly incorporated. Then I had to call the concerned person to my residence, to discuss & explain the matters. It appeared that he had subcontracted this work to somebody else and there was a gap of communication. But in spite of the discussion  this work continued to pose a big problem for me, with lot of repetitive corrections and stress, till completion of the work.

Q 8 Besides the quality of writing, what are the other factors for the success of a book?

In my opinion, these factors are name and reputation of the publisher, his marketing capability, facility, strategy and timing, pricing policy, quality of paper and the photographs, font sizes, quality and eye catching cover design and above all the reviews by readers/reviewers.

Q 9 Which aspects motivate you to write books? Earning money/publicity/helping readers/self-satisfaction/others?

In my opinion, above all is self-satisfaction, though some persons may say, a mix of all the above options.

Q 10 Has Facebook helped you in any way, in your writing career or even otherwise? If yes, please elucidate.

Yes, certainly, Facebook has been helpful to me in establishing contacts & friendships with many known authors, worldwide, arranging interview blogs with some of them, making them aware of my writings and learning from their writings and promotional efforts.

Q 11 In your opinion, is there adequate scope for name/fame/wealth in the field of writing?

Yes, I feel so, but besides a good creative script by the author, lot of creative promotional effort is also required by the publisher, for the publicity and marketing of the book.

Q 12 What are the reasons for the general success of the concept of “Agents of Writers” in some countries?

In my opinion, the Agent can assess the script himself independently, from the point of view of its worth in the market and explain clearly and negotiate well with the publisher about the terms and conditions, based on his experience and negotiating capability. It may take some more time for this concept to be popular in India

Q 13 Have your family members and friends contributed in any way, in your writing career?

Yes, I express my respects to my father for motivating, guiding and giving direction to me for  writing from my early young age. I also acknowledge the contribution of my family for their patience and understanding, during the time I have been busy in writing the various scripts.

Q 14 Due to the concept of e-books, what is your opinion about the survival of printed books in future?

In my opinion, ebooks will not fully replace the printed versions, which will continue to keep the hold in the field.

Q 15 What are your future plans for writing books?

At present, I am planning for writing of two books based on my experience.