Writing a Book

A few weeks back a friend works in Indonesia Embassy (KBRI) New Delhi called me telling me that there’s a parcel from someone named Jennie S. Bev. Another friend of mine who happened to be there at that time brought it for me. It’s a Bahasa Indonesia book entitled Rahasia Sukses Terbesar to which I give my forward to. As I wrote here, Jennie S. Bev is arguably the most prolific contemporary Indonesian writers.

When I opened the book the first time, I feel surprised and at the same time so honored to know that it’s my forword that has been trusted to appear in its entirety in her book. Just for the record it’s not only me who’ve been requested by Jennie to make introductory remark. I think it’s her unique way to remind me that “here’s your foreword in my book, let me give my forword in your book” kind of thing. In other word, time is rife for me to write a book. Yet I still have an accuse to myself: I’ll start it when I were at home in a few months time. Hopefully, I won’t find another accuse once I get there.

In any case, thanks a lot to Jennie S. Bev for your trust in me. And for everyone who wants to buy the book, it’s available now in bookstand in your nearest place all over Indonesia. On the content of the book itself, if my friends response –all of them read it in a day– are to be used as barometer, I’d predict it’ll be a best-seller book as far as it’s got good support from the distribution front.

Writing a book is a standard “value” of being “expert.” Anyone should refuse to be called expert unless he/she writes a book on the matter. Unfortunately, it’s not the case in Indonesia. In some cases, some the so-called expert actually never have any book or published article in some respected international publication.

Update:
I forget to tell that so far I’ve received three offers from publishers to write a book, one in English and the other two in Bahasa Indonesia. I hope I can keep my promise to them sooner rather than later.

Update 2008

After I come back to Indonesia, I’ve published two books this year.

Update 2009

I published another book titled Wanita Modern, Wainta Salihah.