“Books aren’t toothpaste. They don’t sell by advertising” said Manu Joseph after I showed him my book. “Books sell by word of mouth. The most you can expect from book
Previously, we took a deep dive into what B2B content writing is. I shared a ton of stats on why it’s such a great – and lucrative – career option
Are you an author at heart? Do you read stories – tiny, short, long – and wonder how you would have written the story differently? Are there characters and settings
‘Reading is a good habit’ is a cliché we have heard since childhood. It is a cliché because it is true. A scroll through the lives of achievers confirms that
Established in 1969, the Booker Prize is one of the closely watched events for the global literary community every year. The prize is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation
#1 What is business (B2B) content? Business or B2B content is informative or educational content created by a business for its business customers. A key element of the larger brand
India cannot be captured in a book. Or even a collection of books. But anyone wanting to understand India has to start somewhere, so we have compiled a list of
Publishing Poetry is hard. That is a universal truth is most parts of the world, not just India. However, we are offering some hope and light to clear this general
Put on your thinking caps, let your creativity out of the bag, and make time to write in your schedule. The only thing that will be biting the dust this
Introduction The term ‘South Asian Literature’, at first glance, seems deceptively simple. However, when you start to unpack it, it becomes apparent exactly how vague and vast that term really
Introduction to Translations The world of literature is extremely vast. Every country, language, and culture has its own literature. Each of these comes with its own genres, its own brilliant
Introduction to publishers of translations India has more linguistic diversity than anywhere else in the world. In a country like ours, translated Literature is extremely important. It brings us closer
What is Creative Writing? Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the
Introduction Most awards are for traditionally published books, but now there is the hope of awards for self-published books too. Some self-published books are excellent, and deserve a platform for
Introduction The Tomb of Sand, originally written in Hindi by Geetanjali Shree and translated into English by Daisy Rockwell won the Booker International Prize this year. This has turned the
Once upon a time, when my Santa Claus came from a Delhi Bookstore. Hi, I am Hetvi. I have grown up reading books. Thanks to my family, who thought it
Getting published is like a game of snakes and ladders. One wrong step and you could be back to square one. It is important to know what an editor is
Eureka /ˌjʊ(ə)ˈriːkə/ exclamation A cry of joy or satisfaction when one finds or discovers something. Reading is just one part of ‘the book experience’. By default, a book lover is
For years, we authors have been hearing how important Amazon Reviews in India are for our books. In fact, getting reviews for a book has become a business. Reviews are
Introduction to a Book Proposal As every person trying to make a living by writing knows, writing is only half the battle. When it comes to getting a book published,
Introduction India is home to a wide range of languages and cultures. It is therefore also a land rich in the variety, volume, and quality of literature. In order to
Introduction to Children’s Book Illustrators in India Children’s books are extremely important. They are the first window for young readers into literature. They engage and encourage young minds with potent
India is a complex and ancient civilization with a rich and varied literary heritage. The diversity of languages within India has led to extremely diverse literary traditions. In discussions about
Introduction to Literary Awards in India Indian writing is a complicated and massive category. It reflects the diversity of the country in terms of languages, cultures, religions, and geographies. It also
Introduction to Indian Writing Indian writing in English is a tradition that goes back to colonial times. Since then, a fascinating category of literature has emerged. Indian writers have pushed
That atrocious headline is intentional. It should read Common English Mistakes made by People in India OR Common English Mistakes Indians make. Wondering, why? We often make mistakes in our
About Rochelle Potkar Rochelle Potkar is an alumna of Iowa’s International Writing Program (2015) and a Charles Wallace Writer’s fellow, at the University of Stirling (2017). She is the author
Over the past few years we are seeing a steep rise in self-published authors – thanks to free book publishing in India. This shift can be attributed to the multitude
Introduction Non-fiction is a vast category of writing, with endless types of writers and writing. It is an often overlooked, yet extremely important category of literature. Everything from travel writing
Introduction to Self-publishing houses in India When you Google – Self-Publishing Houses in India the following are amongst the results that pop up. As we tried to understand the top
Ghostwriters are the secret keepers of their clients. Sworn to secrecy and leading a life of anonymity, they allow their words to do the talking. In all possibilities, we might
Poetry is a tricky thing to define- not quite like any other type of creative writing. That’s why it is often dismissed by people as something that ‘cannot be taught’. One
“Writing is the hardest way of earning a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators.” Or so claimed Olin Miller. He had a point- writing can be a difficult
Did you know 50%-90% of the non-fiction books in the bestsellers list have been ghostwritten? (Source: How Common are Ghostwriters? | Professional Ghost) Ghostwriting is one of the literary world’s
For an increasing number of visitors to Bengaluru and those who love to read, no trip is complete without a visit to the bookstores on Church Street and adjacent roads
A book review is an evaluation of a book. It includes its strengths and weaknesses, context, and your own opinion. It can be a great way to recommend a book
Introduction Literary magazines are an important part of any literary landscape and are a great medium of exposure. This is especially true for writers of poetry, short stories, and other
Whether it was the job-seeking immigrants who flocked to Delhi beginning in the 1950s or the forced influx in the aftermath of the Partition, Delhi has been a city that
It is a generally accepted fact that reading is one of the best ways to spend your time. Who doesn’t love curling up around a favourite book after a hard
Before we talk about who a writing buddy is and how they can help you write more and better, let’s talk a bit about writing. Writing is a lonely journey
So you’re on your way to becoming an author. Congratulations! The next step is to figure out how to get people to find you and your book. Enter author’s website.
Introduction to writing as a career in India You love words. Writing is one of your favourite pastimes. But, as you grow older, you start to realise that there is
One of the dreams of anyone aspiring to write is that they don’t have to worry about keeping a job to pay the bills. Writing grants allows one to do
Introduction to young authors of India Young authors of India are slowly gaining more recognition, as their voices present a new perspective on conventional everyday topics, and their originality makes
We all have heard the proverb: Don’t judge a book by its cover! However, the reality is a bit different. Ultimately, it’s the book cover that pushes a reader to
Writing was a lonely profession. Every writer has to sit at her desk and write/type in isolation to ensure her dream idea turns into a book. An author lives in
As an author, the importance of book reviews is often not understood. Marketing your book needs as much thought from an author as writing your book. I know most writers
Kids are born storytellers. Writing courses for kids help them master this art. They have the unique ability to create stories out of nothing. Be it while playing blocks.
Before we share a list of places to submit children’s writing in India, let’s talk a bit about Children’s writing in India. Introduction In the last few years, books by
Introduction to Audiobooks in India Audiobooks in India were once a poor cousin of the physical copy. Never easily available the whole thing was rather messy to use. Not anymore.
Literary Podcasts in India were a discovery for me. I’ve always been interested in books and writing stuff like that. But reading has certain limitations. I can’t do it when
With so many publishing options available at your fingertips, now you can be a published author in the blink of an eye. However, writing a book is no mean feat.
After having published a dozen books with leading publishing houses in the country, why did I self-publish? The answer is simple. Three things happened with the book I self-published. One,
Pictures can transform a piece of writing – or really bring home a point. This recent article I wrote for Outlook Magazine is a good case in point. The article
Writing is hard. Getting published is harder. Well, it was. Till we got self publishing companies in India. India has an enormous number of writers and only a handful of
So, you have finished your book, and you want to send it out into the world. Publishing your manuscript as an eBook on Amazon is a great way to do
Does ‘Write a book’ feature in your list for Things-to-do in 2021? Are you dreaming of getting published in India soon? I don’t blame you for answering yes to that
Give 1 book. Get 36. Really? #BookExchange Around charitable times like Christmas, some well-meaning friend on Facebook or Instagram will share something like this: [su_quote]I’m looking for people to take
Given its popularity, we all want to explore writing for Medium in India, today. Before that, let’s understand the what, why, and how of it. What is Medium? Medium is
For a first-time author, the publishing process can seem very intimidating. If you are still undecided about what type of publishing you wish to opt for, we recommend you to
One cannot talk about great books on mental health without first talking about mental health. Globally mental health is a topic we often shy away from. Words like ‘depression’ and
In this post, we have curated a list of contests and awards for poetry in India. With the world in lockdown for a major part of 2020, a lot of
If you have been thinking about How to sell your book in India? , chances are you have already realized the role of social media in promoting your book. In
Introduction So, you have finished your manuscript and are now ready to take it to the world. What next? Getting Published. To begin with, you will have to choose between
The process of content writing is often misunderstood. Sometimes, there is an urgent request by clients to write something for them in a few hours. And most of the time,
Does ‘how to sell your book in India’ feature in your author checklist? Chances are it doesn’t. In all probability your author check-list looks something like this: We often forget
Let us begin this discussion by talking about one of the questions we come across very often: ‘What is the difference between writer and author?’ If you search for Indian
The value of a good editor for your book cannot be overstated. An editor doesn’t just provide constructive feedback at the language level – a good editor can transform a
The quest for best books on writing started when Pallavi Prakash Kumar ( a member of our Facebook group – Let’s Talk Writing ) asked in the group- What are
Kritika Pandey’s story “The Great Indian Tea and Snakes” was the Overall winner of the Commonwealth prize 2020. One of the Judges called it a “gut-punch”. This interview helps us understand the writer better.
Comparing Vanity and Self Publishing in India? An author who has published on both shares her experience.
Congratulations! Now that you have finally made up your mind on going ahead with a literary agent to represent you and your work, let’s talk about how to pick the
In part one we explained what a literary agent does. In this part, we talk about who are the best literary agents in India. In part three we will cover
Many people ask us “What does a Literary agent do? Is it any different in India?” We wanted to give real, solid advice. So in addition to a lot of
2020 has been, without a doubt, the most unexpected and chaotic year that any of us have experienced- and we’re only halfway through. With the world descending into chaos, countries
I moved out of India almost two years ago. When I find someone who I can bond with, be it over movies, books, or songs, it’s an amazing experience. For
I never read a lot of Indian literature growing up- that is, books by Indian authors. There was a huge lack of diversity when it came to my reading list,
Introduction Writers write for many reasons. Writers – both seasoned and green – come to the Himalayan Writing Retreat Workshops with many aspirations and dreams. Everyone wants to be a
When I first read about Jamil Ahmad in the year 2012, I had no idea who he was. All I cared for was that at the end of Fountain Ink,
Before we share the curated list of contests and awards for short stories in India, we want to share a bit about what prompted us to create this list. Why
Curious about literary magazines to submit short stories, non-fiction, and poetry in India? Then this post is for you. Well done! By completing the piece you have been working on,
Since last few weeks, Covid-19 has taken the world by storm. While countries are going into complete lockdown mode, a lot of us are confined to our homes. Social distancing
How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time said someone wise. He could very well have been talking of writing a novel – a huge project of
Dear YA Author, Firstly, thank you for enriching my world and filling it with such wonder. I’ll start with a short introduction. I am 15 years old, and I study
We offer writing courses but people often ask us what else is out there? Are there courses in other places? Or in their hometowns? Not everyone can travel. And some
Learn how to quickly, efficiently outline your non-fiction book in six simple steps.
(Note: In this blogpost Publishers are male and Authors are female. This is purely for simplicity, not sexism.) Introduction [toc] If you want to publish your book in India, you
A 15 year old girl talks about her relationship with reading, especially fiction. Her passion shines through this very articulate piece.
Book Review of “13 Steps to Evil – How to Craft a Superbad Villain” (The complete set – Textbook, and Workbook) Author – Sacha Black (This post uses the male
“Writing Life Stories – how to make memories into memoirs, ideas into essays and life into literature” by Bill Roorbach & Kristen Keckler, Ph.D. F+W Publications, 2008 A book review
EDUCATED by Tara Westover Random House, Feb 2018 A review by Kamalini Natesan How does one review a book of this nature- a memoir? Memoirs have the undue advantage of
The biggest challenge in such a book is that the reader knows the end. It’s on the blurb, and in every single book review. With that critical piece gone, how do you still engage the reader? Paul does so by taking us along on his difficult journey. We live his life, share his love, joy & pain. We experience utter despair in his book – I wept more than once. His skill as a storyteller makes us his fellow traveler.
Contributor: Praveen Malik Would you attend a blogging workshop if you are already a blogger making a decent living? Would you go 350 KM away from Delhi to the Himalayas
Contributor : Ruchi Chauhan It wouldn’t make sense to go for a blogging retreat when you’ve never written before, right? When you can barely even operate your laptop or smartphone
Contributor : Chetan Mahajan Only Cohen could write a tribute worthy of Cohen. Nobody else has his gift. His poetry made me weep, and laugh. He took the irony and
“The difference between self publishing and traditional publishing, “ a well-known author once told me “is the difference between masturbating and making love to someone.” That’s a bad metaphor being
Contributor : Anuj Arora I have a confession to make – I am a sucker for three things: nature, photography and a good scotch. And when I first read about
