Itching to Be An Author But Don’t Know How to Go About It?

"I HOPE MY WRITING STARTS INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS."

Tulika Mehrotra, 27, has a new book out—Crashing B-Town (Penguin), based in Bollywood, and talking about all the glamour, struggles, and trappings of it. A solid training in finance and fashion design gives Tulika’s work a breezy panache.

 

 

At the #uffizi cafe in #florence

A post shared by Tulika Mehrotra (@tulika.mehrotra) on Dec 12, 2017 at 7:58am PST

“I had always been a very artistic kid—constantly drawing, painting, writing stories. I took up writing seriously when I felt like I was hitting a wall in my professional career. It was a form of venting my unhappiness. I am motivated to write stories that ask questions. I want people to read my books and perhaps recognise some of the issues raised in their own lives. While I don’t want to thrust my views, I do hope that my writing starts interesting conversations. In the entire period before I actually got a break, I received incredible support from my family. My mom and dad collectively are my rock! My brother is the ultimate support with his calm, cool stabilising energy to balance my creative chaos. I always sought out avenues to grow as an artist. In fact, my big break came via a writing conference—an event that brought together wonderful creative people who were committed to improving their craft. Apart from all the learning, I met my agent here. That was the nicest outcome, and that conference made it happen.

The writing process for me is a constantly evolving journey. I try to force myself to write every single day. Many times, I’ll be staring at a blank screen with no idea what to do. Other times, I move to pen and paper and just start scribbling notes and undecipherable graphs. I create character sketches, plot outlines, relationship graphs and interview experts on the subject matter I’m writing on. It’s all very unscientific, but I find that structure within chaos is my ideal method of madness.”

 

PUBLISHER'S TAKE

We got all our book-related questions answered by Vaishali Mathur, Senior Commissioning Editor, Penguin India. You writing this down?

Q: “I want to write, but am freaked out by the thought of competition. Is there an openness to fresh voices in the market?”

Vaishali Mathur: “It’s an exciting time in Indian publishing. The industry is evolving, and publishers are much more open to experimentation. With the rise of the aspirational class, there is a lot of mass market and self publishing happening too.”

Q: “What’s the best way to get a publisher to listen up? Do I have a better chance of winging it through an agent?”

VM: “It all depends on the proposal and the strength of the writing. That said, agents have direct connects with commissioning editors and know their lists well. They are also quick to assess potential. So that is very much a viable means. However, it might not always be possible to get the appropriate agent. In that case, directly approaching the publisher is an option too. It may just take more time.”

Q: “What can I do to make sure that my proposal stands out in that huge stock pile every top publishing house must have?”

VM: “Write a good story. Language can be brushed up by editing, but the story has to be really, really good. If you have been writing and getting published, it will add to your credibility. Another thing that helps is a solid online presence. It ensures that when your book gets out, you have a ready readership. Publishers do consider online profiles while reviewing proposals.”

Q: “What works better with a publisher––a complete first draft or a proposal package? What shoulD the package include?”
 

VM: “Either can work. The idea of a proposal is to give the publisher a complete visualisation of your book and yourself. Include a synopsis, giving as much detail as possible, and a couple of sample chapters. Send the whole draft in case you feel a proposal might not be able to do justice in reflecting your project. And don’t forget to attach an (interesting) bio note about yourself.”

Q: “How much money can a first timer like me expect to make?”

VM: “The money an author makes is based primarily on royalties and the number of copies of the book sold. New authors often get swayed by big advances without realising that the advance is a part of your royalties. So the more important thing is to get a competent editor and a reliable publisher. The rest will fall in place.”

 

 

"THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING SELECTED AND BEING TOSSED AWAY IS NOVELTY."

Nikita Singh, 22 eloped from the space of Pharmacy Studies in Ranchi to the world of storytelling in Delhi, with a book called Someone Like You (Penguin). She does a day job as an Editor, and lets her imagination soar by night.

 

 

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A post shared by Nikita Singh (@singh_nikita) on Apr 7, 2018 at 4:28am PDT

“There are so many things happening right around us, and I loved being a silent observer. But soon, I wanted to be a bigger part of the conversation. One day, reading was no longer enough! And that’s when I picked up the pen. My first piece of writing was a book. I did maintain a diary when I was 16, but I’ve learnt that it’s something that never turns out well. A diary is basically your most private, and sometimes very twisted, emotions and thoughts in pen and paper. And I say this by experience, somebody will get their hands on that stuff and it’s never pretty!

During the writing process, the one thing to guard against would be procrastination. It’s a constant battle for me. Once I am writing, I know I am making progress, but before writing, it’s a blank Word document, and I am supposed to put 75,000 new words on it, all from my head, and that really intimidates me!

If you’re looking to get published, bear in mind that the difference between being selected and being tossed away is novelty. Also, choose the right publisher. New writers should have an understanding of what kinds of books a certain publisher comes out with. Usually, they are overwhelmed with the first acceptance mail they get, and don’t take all factors into consideration before signing a contract. Some publishers take advantage of that, and by the time the writer catches on, it’s already too late. The important thing is to write. Promotion comes later, once everything is in place. Today, people have short attention spans, and if a writer keeps talking about her upcoming book for a year before it comes out, people lose interest. I am writing professionally, but along with that, I also hold a full time job. I feel a day job is helpful—it keeps the mind occupied and provides structure. The key is balance.”

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

This article was originally published in the November 2013 issue of Cosmopolitan India.