The
answer may seem obvious, but here’s a question that I pose: Do authors need to be trained on how they
should approach writing books?
Anyone
can write a book. There are no licenses
required. There are no degrees that one
must have. No one’s permission is
needed. If you want to publish a book,
you can. But just because one has the
opportunity to write a book, should he or she write one without having an
informed framework of how to research, write, and edit a book?
I’m
talking specifically about books that involve important topics. How can anyone put out a book, say, about
medical subjects, without following a certain protocol or standard, otherwise
risking the dissemination of incomplete, incorrect, or unsubstantiated
information?
Even
if we think someone is qualified to write a book, based on their education
levels, work experience or personal insights, how do we know such a person is
putting out a book that’s based on facts, fairness, proper analysis, and a lot of good
research? How can we even compare one
book with another based on how an author approached his or her subject?
Look
at the books out there that cover major topics:
·
Health,
diet and fitness
·
The
environment
·
Parenting
·
Safety
issues
·
Rights
or legal issues
·
Politics
Who
or what is out there to safeguard the quality of the books being
published? It’s not just about
self-publish vs. traditional publish.
It’s about whether a book is accurate, fair, comprehensive, probing, and
up-to-date in what it chooses to share, analyze, or promote. It’s about whether
we can trust any author not only to not lie but to accidentally leave relevant
data out or to simply misunderstand and thus misrepresent the facts. Authors can be ignorant, make errors, be
prejudiced or have an agenda – all of which can impact what they write, how
they present things, and what they omit.
Books
can change the world, solve major issues, and play a vital role in all levels
of life. They can also be damaging and
detrimental to the process. Bad books, are just as significant as the good
ones, especially when readers don’t know the difference.
It
is unlikely that we can create laws that force writers to follow certain
standards, but there should be a movement to encourage writers to follow
standards that include accuracy, ethics, and fairness.
Writers
need to feel morally obligated to produce books that benefit society and that
are crafted in a format that follows a standard that’s followed by all
writers. Perhaps writers need to ask
themselves these questions:
·
Did
I present theory as fact?
·
Did
I present facts accurately?
·
Have
I acknowledged the other side and presented viewpoints?
·
Did
I quote many sources, especially respected ones?
·
Did
I have another, disinterested party, edit or give feedback on the book prior to
publication?
·
Am
I letting my personal views, politics, or religion get in the way of how I write
about something?
·
Am
I trained or smart enough to know what I’m writing about?
·
Do
I add anything new to the subject I write about?
·
If
I differ from other books, why? Did I
double-check all of my claims?
Common
sense, personal responsibility, professionalism and writing skills should
always prevail, but given there are dumb, bad, or inaccurate books out there, I
call upon voluntary standards to be imposed so that society can be assured that
its books don’t do more harm than good.
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