All of us dream of being ‘someone’ in the creative field one day. One may wish to be a singer, a dancer, an actor, a writer, an artist — the list can go on and on.
Early on in my life, I was mindful of the joy that the very process of writing brought me. As a college student, I dreamt of writing an academic book like the ones that I loved and referred to. Though I got only so far as publishing academic papers, I did actually start writing a book, a short fictional novel.
Challenging as it is, writing is only the first stop in the world of books. My story sat hidden in my computer for about four years. Any piece of work, whether written, visual, or audio, is considered a text only when people read or see, or listen to it in some format.
And so, even though I wrote for the love of writing, with encouragement from family and friends, I decided to publish my fiction story.
Patience, perseverance, and a belief in yourself are qualities you cannot do without when you approach publishers. Today, the process is rather convenient, since everything can be done online.
Most big names in the industry do not accept sample chapters directly; you have to go through agents. Literary agents can be identified online, too.
If you would rather approach the publisher directly, there are some good publishing houses that you can mail to. Do thorough research on individual publishing houses to zero in on those who are likely to publish books of your kind of work: mine was a short novel, fiction, and a slice of life/young adult story.
Identify books that are similar to yours in genre, since the publisher will want to know your understanding of the market that your book may be competing in for readership. The publisher will also ask for a synopsis of your story, some sample chapters, and a note about yourself.
Some new traditional publishers also offer the self-publishing option, where their acceptance of your story does not matter. I decided to skip the agent route and identified about eight to ten publishing houses; some new, some claiming to be new-author friendly, and some others that had published books similar to my genre.
All except one rejected my story. The lone publishing house that accepted my story kept it in cold storage for two years, “waiting for the right time.” It was then that I looked into self-publishing. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing is the most well-known by far for e-books. The other option for me was Notion Press, a successful self-publishing house in Chennai.
Notion Press helped proofread my story, designed the cover, and gave my book, Finding Herself, visibility on marketing platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and on their own app. Authors can also buy their books in bulk, availing of discounts that are offered from time to time.
A huge advantage of being a self-published author is that you have complete freedom with your story. However, there is only so much that such a publisher would do for you.
You pay the publishing charges, and they publish it for you and assist with pricing, copyright, and basic marketing. Your book is delivered after placing an order online, and not in a book form in book stores, for which you are charged an additional fee.
Beyond this, they help with aggressive marketing and promotion, for example, getting personalised reviews on Amazon, displaying your book at prominent book exhibitions, and so on, for additional payment.
Publishing your book is only the second stop in your journey as an author. The next milestone, promoting your book, is vital, especially if you are a first-time writer. Social media is the obvious choice as a promotional platform today. I did not have an Instagram account, and I had just closed my account with Facebook after being bombarded with advertisements and marketing.
However, as a retired teacher from a well-known city college, I had an impressive list of people on my WhatsApp account. 90 percent of my modest sales was through WhatsApp: I sent personalised messages to my friends, to students who kept in touch with me, and to family. Updating it in my status helped reach hundreds. I also prominently presented my book in my WhatsApp display photo.
Nina Justin, Head of Communications at Kissflow, a software company in Chennai, shares some helpful tips on promoting your book correctly. As someone who read my book and liked it, she urged me to go beyond just sharing cover images and so on. “You could start sharing excerpts from the book as well,” she advised.
Some essential strategies she suggests are:
Collaborate with a well-known bookstore for a book event, be it a book reading, or some such, that “might come at a cost, though.”
Hold book reading sessions where copies of your book are displayed, either for sale or just for reading.
Create an author profile on GoodReads/Fable apps, as “it offers a virtual presence and an opportunity to engage with readers worldwide.” You can also participate in eBook Giveaways.
Send a copy of your book to newspaper publications for a review or a small profile for you.
Start writing on Medium: Medium has a number of authors trying to promote their books.
The book publishing industry today is not just about print; it is a combination of print, digital, and audio versions, with e-books and audiobooks growing steadily in popularity.
Self-publishing is also a viable and popular option for most writers who want to publish; it offers an opportunity to be a published author of a print book, e-book, or audiobook.
To me, the fact that I had completed a project was satisfying, and the publishing, marketing, and promotional journey was a whole new learning experience.
- Sandhya Rajasekhar is a retired associate professor in Mass Communication. She has published a short novel, Finding Herself.
She can be contacted at sandhyarajasekhar@gmail.com
