Indian Readers discussion

Writers in the group, please share your experiences here...till date we have Pradeep, Moushumi and Ankita who authored a variety of books...looking forward to your posts!

tks aditya, i have an ongoing blog about my experiences in the big bad world of publishing. pl read, follow, comment -
http://moushumi-chakrabarty.blogspot....

Moushumi wrote: "tks aditya, i have an ongoing blog about my experiences in the big bad world of publishing. pl read, follow, comment -
http://moushumi-chakrabarty.blogspot...."

Hey moushumi, read the blog article of yours...was really nicely written for the writer folk who usually get stuck up in the cogs of publishing industry...

I had read it somewhere that, ‘if you want to write a book, and it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.’ Hence came into existence 'Anything else but love!'
It was truly a thrilling experience. It took me eight months to complete the book. My sole inspiration for writing this book has been an image that I carry - the image of a beautiful eternal couple. It may sound lame and fantasy-like to some, but eight months back I had a dream where a couple was standing close to each other, dressed in radiating white. And since white is the color of purity, so the characters intrigued me and I was compelled to write a story revolving around them.
Because you don't see such innocent and simple love stories anymore. Today, it’s all about the guy being good looking, the girl being modern, and everything else being lame.
As far as publishing is concerned, I should be thankful since I did not have to struggle much to find a proper publisher (although I faced few rejections). The scenario of Indian publishing industry has changed a lot, and a lot of young writers are being given a genuine chance.
My publishers are Pustak Mahal (Cedar imprint). The whole publishing process was quite transparent and easy.
But at the end of it, your content is what matters!
You can read the synopsis of the book here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anythin...
And questions are most welcome! :-)

Thanks Moushumi n Ankita!! What exactly are the publishers looking for in ur script? Do u actually need to have some inside contacts to get the job done??

You can't exactly tell what the publishers are looking i your manuscript - you yourself know it better. If you are able to convey your feelings, your message, your theme and plot accurately, then they do consider it.
And to be very honest, publishers want something worth for the market. If they see that there's a market out there for your book, then they'll publish it happily.

And no, no inside contacts are needed, unless you want to use them. Like i said, our industry has become more transparent and it's the content that's given privilege. So, my experience tells me that no contacts are needed to get published! It's all about your talent.

did u have to modify ur content as per the publisher's wishes or the publisher's assessment of the market interests?

Some publishers do ask the writers if they can modify the contents of their book and make it more 'readable' and 'spicy' for that matter. It depends on what type of publishers you approach.
Though my publishers did not ask me to modify the contents, they were concerned with the length of it, since it's a 304 pages book. They asked me shorten it, but after some negotiation it worked out and it was published as it is! :-)

I hope this doesn't sound rude but I have always wanted to ask an actual writer this- how do you shed the inevitable apprehensions about whether or not you're good enough? I have no plans of writing myself, lest you wonder. I'm just curious.

Hi Cincinnatusc. No, you don't sound rude at all! :-)
In fact, this is the question many writers face once they finish their work, that whether or not I am good enough?
But you know, it doesn't matter if you are good or not, what matters is your content part, and how much belief you have in the characters of your book.
I don't know how to describe this, but if you are in love with the characters, if you adore them, and your gut feeling shouts that they are unique, adorable, and like-worthy, then you have got the answer - you are good enough!

@ aditya - knowing people in the industry is a loaded topic. when i came to this country, i didn't know anyone in this business. i had years of experience as a journalist and a writer, but couldn't find a suitable job in my field. i tried my hand at writing for literary magazines, but soon faced a barrage of rejections. very demoralizing for me!
then i sent off an initial query to an editor. lady luck smiled on me that day i guess. that kind lady asked for a detailed proposal and things took off for my book then.
but again, here i am trying to sell my third one, with no sucess in sight yet! it's a waiting game. patience is required.
but the point is - you need to have faith in yourself as a writer and just keep writing. you may get the initial foot in the door if you know faces in the publishing industry, but in the end, its your work ethic and product that will carry you over the threshold.

@ Moushumi: I am glad you didn't lose hope yet. True, it is very necessary for a writer to have faith in his own work. There are times when one feels like giving up and leaving everything at once, but belief in yourself is needed.
And yes, having contacts doesn't hurt, but you'll be noticed only when people notice the talent in you. No amount of contacts can take over the content and talent in you! :-)

I often think that a writer who becomes a sensational hit due to his work in one genre or a kind of story is often forced to work in that same line of thought by the publishers.....Obviously motivated by profits and promise of new readers.....In this case i am reminded of the the case of MAD POET Martin Silenus in the space-fiction opera Hyperion......I don't know if anyone has read it, because if one has then i would like their views on his case and the publishing world....

pl check my latest blogpost on the subject, tks:

http://moushumi-chakrabarty.blogspot.com...

I think any writer out there needs one thing in great proportions and that is patience.

@Moushmi I tried to click on your blog but got an error message.

@Kavita
Remove the three dots at the end of the URL.

@Cincinnatusc
Thank you:)) Why didn't I think of that?

Moushumi wrote: "pl check my latest blogpost on the subject, tks:

http://moushumi-chakrabarty.blogspot.com..."

Hi Moushumi...Just went thorugh your blog...liked it. Especially R & R !!

@ Moushmi read your blog, very true.

Tks Kavita!

Did anyone ever tried writing a novel/book on a blog? What sort of copyright issues one may face? I mean how susceptible it is to theft?

I have heard of people who used to write on their blogs and later on continued it in the form of a full length novel.
Although I never heard them complaining about the copyright issue since mature readers do understand the consequences of plagiarism. But yes, content theft is a major issue a writer faces especially when he wants to convert the blog into a novel.

Some fo the tamil bloggers I know had written short stories/novels in blogs which later published as books. They use to remove it from their blogs once it is published.

I've seen something like 'This blog is copyright protected by so-and-so' in some of the blogs. May be the blogs can also be protected.

There are websites like copyscape which help in blog content protection..

Hi, nice to discover this place. As far as my experience goes, 'writing' is the easiest part of an author's life these days :-)

Really looking forward to interacting more with writers here.

Do take a look at my little space on web:
http://www.jyotiarora.com/

I've written about my experience here:
australianbookshelf.wordpress.com/...... -vasudevan
morgenbailey.wordpress.com/.../author...- vasudevan
Please check them out....

Priya wrote: "I've written about my experience here:
australianbookshelf.wordpress.com/...... -vasudevan
morgenbailey.wordpress.com/.../author...- vasude..."

Excellent post, Priya! A striking introduction to the book. Some 'great lines' there. Loved it. Looking forward to reading the book.

Ajay wrote: "Priya wrote: "I've written about my experience here:
australianbookshelf.wordpress.com/...... -vasudevan
morgenbailey.wordpress.com/.../author......"

Thank you.

Getting published was a real tiring experiece...a face with reality...there were publishers who liked my manuscript but they asked money in different ways, be it in the name of promotion, self-finance, launch, etc. Even some of the reknowned publishing houses of India had bluntly asked for money.

I felt I would have to go the self publishing route and then a friend told me about a new publishing house named Alethia Publishing. I was skeptical in approaching them but was happy that they accepted my manuscript and offered a decent royalty as well.

Atlast my book "Tackling Roadblocks During IT Implementation" has seen the light...its been published. I give all credit to them to make me a published author.

Being a start up, I have faced some issues with them with respect to their market reach...but I knew that in before..they had been transparent enough. Seeing my book listed at different online store is building my confidence in them.

This is my Amazon Authors Page listed with all my books that are currently available at Amazon Book Store!
http://www.amazon.com/i-/e/B005TQWPGC/

Just as an introduction, I am an author based in Pune. My first novel entitled, FOCUS, SAM was published a few months back by Rupa Publications (http://www.flipkart.com/books/8129117452). My second novel entitled, A DARKER DAWN was published recently (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/li...). I have been quite inactive on the web off late and hope to catch up.

My publishing experiences:

It helps a lot if you have a publishing agent. A good agent has a lot of criedibility and contacts with the publisher and can really make the difference while placing your book. He/she can help you when the contract is getting signed and get you a good deal. I queried roughly 700 publishing agents in the US and UK. Quite a lot of them got back with requests for partials (part of novel) and fulls (full novel). Some very big names actually...and I was very surprised (for example someone like Michael Carlisle, Kiran Desai's agent wanted to read my novel). Most of them rejected my novel ultimately but gave some valuable feedback (Jill Marsal of Marsal and Lyon actually sent me a document detailing what she liked about and what she didn't). It helped me a lot as I could refine my novel further.

Ultimately I was signed up by an India based agent and he sold it to Rupa within 3 days.

I guess patience is the key. You can approach almost all the publishers in India directly - they have a 'submit to us' or similar sections on their websites. Visit the websites of Penguin India, Rupa, Hachette, Harper Collins, Westland, Picador India, Roli books etc. However both agents and the publishers take a long time.

The process:
All agents and publishers ask a combination of the following:
a) Query letter - you have to write a good query letter. It shouldn't be more than a three fourth of an A4 page long. Please visit the website agentquery.com and you will find an excellent methodology of writing a good query letter. I cannot overstate the importance of a query letter as it has the ability to make or break your novel. A big agent/publisher doesn't have a lot of time to spend. The 5-6 lines you write about your novel have to get him/her excited enough to ask for more. I would suggest spend a lot of time on writing your query letter. Show it to your writing buddies and submit it online for reviews, critics. If a majority of people like it, you can use it, otherwise keep revising.
b) Synopsis - Some agents in US and almost all agents in UK ask for a synopsis. Make sure you have a small one (one page) and a bigger one (3-4 pages)
c) First three chapters - If they like your query letter they might ask for the first three chapters. Make sure that these are fully edited and proofread. AND most importantly WELL WRITTEN

A note of caution: DO NOT SEND THE MATERIAL (EVEN A QUERY LETTER) UNLESS YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR NOVEL. By finished I mean you have edited it several times over, written multiple drafts, reviewed it with your beta readers and most importantly proofread it. Remember, you have only ONE CHANCE with big agents and publisher. Don't lose it by being impatient.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: A blog by an anonymous literary agent. Please google 'Miss Snark' and you should find it. Everything you need to know is here. Read it from the first post. http://misssnark.blogspot.com/


A few suggestions:

- Join some good online writing forums. Writers Circle and Absolute Write Water Cooler are perhaps the best places where you can submit your stories and get feedback
- Have a couple of writer buddies. That helps immensely, believe me.
- Finish your novel/ stories and edit it several times, get it reviewed by your beta readers (people who would give you frank feedback). More the number of beta readers, the better.
- Query each and every agent/ publisher out there. I queried 700 before I signed up with an agent. Don't get swayed by the 'speciality' of the agents. Many agents asked for my novel. If an unknown writer in India can get a request for full novel from the likes of Gail Hochman and Eric Simonoff, I don't see why everyone can't.

Thanks Rohit...really appreciate the time to write down all these tips..Im sure it will help many of us!

Thank you so much for the detail account of your experience and the suggestions for the aspiring authors Rohit..

Im sure this will help many aspiring authors in the group.. :)

You are welcome.
I am happy to help fellow writers. I have gone through the entire grind of publishing and I guess whatever I have learned can be useful for others as well.

I have a good database of agents. If anyone wants it, please shoot me an email and I would be happy to share.

Check out an Interview of mine with Amareway .org website talking abt music,writing,creativity etc
Interview Link >> http://www.amareway.org/holisticlivin...


_____________________________________
My Official Blog >> http://NandiniSpeaks.blogspot.com

Hey everyone,

My first book recently got published - it's called the Quest of the Sparrows (Rupa Publishers)(http://www.flipkart.com/books/8129118653)

My entire experience from submitting the first few chapters to publishers to the unparallelled feeling of holding my first book in my hands has been documented here - http://nnivedita.com/portfolio/person...

Hope you find it useful :)

Hi All,

Does anybody heard of writerside editing company based in delhi. Can anybody plz let me know their review.

Hi RV,

I'd say, avoid paid editorial services. Rather, go for writers' workshops, where you can swap critiques on your works in progress with fellow writers. I've learnt a lot that way, and made some great friends. Try the facebook groups Caferati, Shakespeare & Co and Writing in India

Hi everyone,

I have a fantasy adventure novel for children, Riddle of the Seventh Stone (Young Zubaan)http://www.flipkart.com/riddle-sevent...

My blog (http://www.monideepa.blogspot.com) has a section about my publishing experiences.

You can follow the posts and look for writing partners in the Indian groups I've already mentioned, viz Caferati, Writing in India and Shakespeare & Co. They are on Facebook, and you can look up other Indian groups there as well.

I have recently joined a promising looking new website for promoting the interests of Independently published authors and their readers. It is: http://theindietribe.wordpress.com/

I have joined. Why don't you?

Hi Everyone,

I'm a published author of three books(Right Fit Wrong Shoe, Xcess Baggage, Wrong Means Right End). My struggles were not with getting published but what took a toll on me was writing a manuscript worthy of being published.

Another thing with being a good author is not just about writing a riveting story but being able to market your work :)

Cheers,

Varsha

Hi everyone! My name is Rafael de Cameron, and I am the recently published author of The Fifth Interval. This novel travels about the world (yes, and spends a big part in India) during the 16th century. It has been long in the making and now that it is published, it seems like another long trail in marketing. But I must say that I've been fortunate to get a Mumbai radio station (AIR Rainbow 107.1) to interview me. Always write, and never lose hope!

Hi everyone,

I am the author of
Meditation on Space-Time
and I find promoting the book much more challenging than writing it. I work with a small publisher so I have to do most of the promotion myself. I guess, like most writers, I enjoy writing much more than promoting.

Leonard, I too prefer writing. I think that writers in today's publishing world has to become more active in marketing.

My first book 'The Winner's Price' made it to the market earlier this year. It has been an amazing thriller of a voyage, from the germ of the idea, to its first sale, and the completion of its first print run. So amazing that my second book- releasing later this month - is all about the struggle of a debutant writer. Written from the heart, with blood on the keys, if you may! It is a tribute to all unsung writers and their countless books. This discussion forum can get a lot from it, which I am happy to share once the book is out. God bless books and authors.

Suneeta Misra says

Happy New Year to all you readers. I too am looking for an Indian publisher to publish a physical copy of my book. It is already available on Amazon.com. Thanks Rohit, for listing all those resources. It seems Rupa, Westland, Picador India, Roli are some of the reputable companies. Even these companies demand money in one form or another, from a first time author.

Friends, This is Krishna Kranthi, author of the recently published fiction 'MBA is not about Money,Blazer,Arrogance'.

It took me 2 long years to publish the book. From my experience of it, it was a pretty hard struggle and extremely tiring. I felt it took away 2 years of my life but it was worth it. I faced lot of hurdles, but for somereason the dream of becoming an author kept me moving.

My book is about the journey of a grad in a B-school trying to realize the true purpose of his MBA. In these modern 'rat race' times where students are pursuing their MBA just to earn more money, crave for higher roles and in effect indulge in unneeded arrogance, I wanted to present a different view point that the value of a MBA degree is not just confined to money,blazer,arrogance but it is much more than that. Overall, the book sends a strong message to the society on the true purpose of education degree and not just a management degree.

We are getting good reviews on Amazon http://amzn.com/B00APD8YYQ

The book is on Homeshop18 http://www.homeshop18.com/mba-money-b...

Overall, I am happy considering the success of the book post publishing.

Happy Writing

cheers,
krishna
www.krishnakranthi.com

Hey all,

Good to find an Indian Readers forum here. I've just self-published my short story/novelette to Amazon Kindle and have been scouring the web for writer communities I can get some feedback on.

Was some hard work for many months, but it's good going at this point and seeing steady downloads. Ranking #36 in Fiction/Family Life on Amazon already, in about 8 hours since the promo went live.

It's been quite a journey to publishing this story and even the fact that it's published is actually quite a stroke of luck for me. Even if I had to do it myself. :)

Feedback from already published writers in this group will be very useful since you guys have worked with industry pros. Whether it's on presentation, editing quality, cover design...

Anyone who can read it and review it will also go straight to the top of my personal list of Most Amazing Human Beings On Planet Earth :)

I see that some of you are on Absolute Write. Connect with me there. I'm adharma.

Also, If any writers here ever need tips on self publishing, I'm more than happy to help.

My story MUKTI is free today and then again on 7th & 8th March.
You can download it here
http://amzn.com/B00AVM3OUU

P.S. since quite a few people I speak to bring this up, you don't need a kindle device to read these ebooks. Amazon Cloud Reader (https://read.amazon.com/) let's you read them on just about any device.

Adharma, I downloaded your story and will read it soon. I'd be curious to see if your free promotion drives sales. I haven't done any free days for my book, but I'm considering adding a separate short story and then using the free days promotion on KDP Select.