Non-Email Manuscript Submission

Dear M,

I wonder why the publishers of English books in India still expect authors to send their works by post. Yes, you heard it right. Most (if not all the good ones) publishers have written very clearly that emails are not entertained. (There has been a slight change in the recent times, though, and one publisher has given an email ID in their website, however no one seems to be on the other end of it, except a bot that sends auto-thank-you-responses.) Another well-known publisher had enabled email submission guidelines, but before long they reverted back to post submissions.

What could be the reason?

The only reason I can think of is that, since these publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts, once the email channel is opened, there is bound to be a flood of submissions daily. There is no effort in shooting an email to anyone at any time of the day. But think of taking print outs of about 50-60 pages of your work (after formatting them according to specifications), making sure the pages are in order, copying down the name and address (making sure the query letter is addressed properly) and taking them to the courier/post office - and doing this fifteen times? (And at least once mixing up the names, and addressing the Penguin editor in the courier that went to Harper Collins?) No, unless you are serious about publishing even one tiny bit, you would not go through all that trouble.

I am not surprised that the publisher who had temporarily opened email submissions had quickly closed it down.

Maybe there is a simpler reason behind it. If there is, I would like to be enlightened.

Love.

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Writing and Rewriting the Synopsis

Dear M,

If my tail were actually on fire, I would not have run as hard as I was running the last few days.

I have absolutely no idea how I survived hopping between the different things and still managed to keep track of what was happening where (of course with enough slips along the way) and to continue where each was left off.

In between that fire-and-smoke existence, I managed to take a look at my synopsis. Now the synopsis, like the query letter, is another frightening thing. That is the first glimpse the agent/publisher has of our work. Either they like it, or they don't. Either they think it has potential, or they don't. Whether it lands up in the trash or the "Exciting New Author" box depends on how well we craft the synopsis.

I had written one for this novel a few months ago, possibly when my first draft was ready. Strictly speaking, there is nothing wrong with the synopsis. It is factually correct, it has a brief summary of the what and the who, and everything. As per the rulebook.
But.
Reading it again after months, it did not excite me.

Now the easiest person in the world to be excited over anything related to a novel is its author. No one else in the world thinks it is a masterpiece but the author. He/She pretends to be all modest and humble about it of course, but secretly, in their eyes, the novel beats the best of the best.

So if the author isn't excited by the synopsis, then there is really something wrong with it - no, a better way to put it is that the synopsis is dead. It was never even born.

The synopsis said exactly what was needed to be said about the novel, but that's not how a synopsis ought to be written. I need to write it again.

Let's hold the match stick to the tail again...

Love.

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With time, comes confidence

Dear M,

Today I updated my bio again, to go with an article I was sending. And today, I found that it was so much easier to write one, perhaps because I have been doing it for so many years.

Writing a bio is not easy at the start. And writing a bio is essential, be it at the start or the end. (I don't know about the end, though.)

When we attempt it for the first time, it is easy to overdo it. Every little bit of information need not go into the bio. It is like a compressed resumé, but containing only the things that the reader needs to - or would be interested to - know. Your previous publications, your prior writing experience, your association with famous writing clubs, your writing awards, your hugely popular blog.

Sounds simple, but somehow the first time we write our bio, it appears so difficult. It never does come out well in the first attempt. Keep improvising and keep modifying, and most importantly, keep reading others' bios to see how they have done it in a simple yet striking manner.

Love.

P.S. And that's my 200th letter on this blog.

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List of Literary Agents in India

Dear M,

A couple of days ago, I posted a list of Publishers of English Books in India.

Now, here is a list of Literary Agents in India.


Aitken Alexander

Jacaranda Press

Purple Folio

Red Ink Literary Agency

Sherna Khambatta Literary Agency

Siyahi

Writer's Side


Please feel free to add to this list.

Also view: my list of Publishers.

Love.

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List of Publishers of English Books in India

Dear M,

I have lost count of the number of aspiring authors who have asked me about publishers. I thought it would be easier to compile a list so that it would be helpful to others.

Aleph Book Company

Grey Oak Publishers

Harper Collins

Leadstart Publishers

Om Books International

Pan Macmillan

Penguin Books

Random House

Rupa & Co

Westland Publishers

Zubaan Books


I am sure there are more good publishers out there. Feel free to add to this list. (There are also several small, independent publishers, but I do not know anything about their credibility so I am not adding those names here.)

In a couple of days I will publish a list of Literary Agents based in India.

Love.

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The World is Our Boss

Dear M,

Anyone who has worked with a Boss (typically a person who has been an employer for a long time) knows that appreciation comes very few and far between, from (most of) these people. If your work is satisfactory, you don't hear anything. If there are flaws, either there are words of discontent or discussions on how to improve.

It is very difficult for us to let slip a few good words to any person. The quality and quantity of appreciation we offer depends not only on us, it also depends on the way we perceive the recipient. Complex? If the subordinate is a personal favourite, the appreciation pours out quickly, with a brightening of the eyes. If not, it comes out in a constipated way. If he is a person we hate, there could be no appreciation, no acknowledgement, nothing. Or there could be a show of approval which everyone knows is fake.


Imagine something similar, on our work. The whole world is our boss when we publish it. Each person has an opinion about the book. They can be kind, condescending, indifferent, ignorant, ruthless, insulting, anything. Well, why not - they had paid for it. They are entitled to their opinion. If we cannot handle it, why did we set out to publish our stories in the first place?

A good exercise in developing courage to face these would be to go to websites where people discuss books by known authors. Not all comments are favourable or nice. Some are downright abusive. I wonder how the author lived through those. But he/she should.

After all, if you aren't happy with the way the Boss treats you, you have the option to quit. If you want to stay, you have to learn to survive, to battle and face it in the best possible way.

Love.

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The Waiting Game

Dear M,

One of the most difficult things in life is waiting for a response - waiting for someone to turn up, waiting for a letter or an email, waiting for a call, waiting for pretty much anything.

In the world of writing and publishing, this waiting is in plenty. At every stage, and in between stages, when work is in progress, every day, we are waiting for something.

If we aren't waiting for an idea to strike, we are waiting for us to come up with the best way to represent the idea. If we aren't waiting to finish writing, we are waiting to finish editing. We are waiting for the day we can throw the damn manuscript out somewhere and forget about it forever. (Yes, repeated cycles of writing and editing make us hate our manuscript so much that we can't see how a publisher is ever going to like it.)

Then, assuming that we finish our rounds of crippy-crapping the MS, we send it off to the editor. Then we wait. And wait and wait. Then we begin to wonder if she had checked her emails in the last millennium? Had she received it? Had she forgotten about it? Should I remind her? Should I ping her? Should I call her up and scream at her?

Luckily before you do any of those (or, after you tone down and tone down until you are a small voice politely asking Hi, how's it going?) she gets back with the MS. After the editing stage (of several rounds of waiting) is over, and you hit the publisher or an agent, then the wait begins again. Again the same set of fears. This time, even more so - the publisher or agent is under no obligation (yet) to even take a second look at the MS. If they were blown out of their minds, they would have dashed back. They didn't. It could be anything.

My email had landed in the spam folder and they had emptied it by mistake.
They are sifting through the million emails, they haven't gotten to mine yet.
It's two months, they must surely have at least seen the query. Why haven't they sent a rejection note?
Maybe they have put it aside to read it again.
Or maybe they have sent it directly to trash in a burst of disgust.
At least send me a rejection mail to treasure.
Even better, send me an "accepted-and-hungry-for-more" notice.
Anything, my good publisher, anything, my good agent. Send me anything at all, dammit.

There is no getting past the waiting game. Unless we open a publishing house ourselves, and publish our own books.

Love.

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Self publishing - 3

Dear M,

There is something else about self publishing that makes experienced people want to think twice before going for it. That, like everything else, is changing as well. However, it is still an important aspect, and we would need to measure and gauge it before deciding if self publishing is our option.

Even the most popular traditional publishing houses are opening self publishing wings these days. It makes it easier for us to say a certain giant publisher is publishing us, and respect falls at our feet in that instant. But the fact remains that we have not told the absolute truth.

You must have got the hint. There is a certain amount of respect that comes from people who hear you've been published by this-or-that publishers. They may not have read your book, they may not even know what the book is about, they have no idea if you are any good, but the moment they ask "Who is your publisher?" you are doomed - they have decided if you are any good at all. There will be a definite dip in temperature in the vicinity if you say that you have chosen to self-publish.

Not only normal people around you. In case you are approached by a traditional publisher later, it would not be a good idea to suggest that your first book was self published, unless it was a roaring success. "My self published novel sold a million copies" as opposed to "I sold two hundred copies of my self published debut novel."

There is a certain concept, belief if you may, associated with self publishing: it is that anyone can publish anything, and just because they can does not mean what they publish is worth reading.

It might sound like a minor thing, but, trust me, you want to think about this too when you consider self publishing.

Love.

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Self Publishing - 2

Dear M,

When I say self-publishing is affordable these days, I mean it in a relative sense. It depends on who we are talking about. It depends on which of the self-publishing options and houses we're talking about. If we are determined that we could get back our investment or if the purpose behind it is to see our name in print, then it could be a worthwhile shot. Finding the appropriate self-publisher is the first, most difficult task. We could go for an expensive print-on-demand shop or a printer who will print out your book in thousands at a comparatively lower price per book.

But, be it self-published or traditionally published, the most important thing that helps sell the book is its quality. The plot, the presentation, the editing. If it is not perfect enough, it might not catch fire. A traditional publisher has the mechanism to make sure the book runs through several perfecting cycles. In self-publishing, the number of cycles depends on us.

With more control comes more responsibility. There is so much we can do. There is so much to be done. Will your energy, your motivation, your determination or your faith in the book ever fail? Until the book begins to roll on its own, until the word-of-mouth publicity wheels begin motion, you cannot tire or stop.

The price of a book is a crucial factor in deciding who will randomly pick up the book from a bookshop. Readers are always on the lookout for unheard-of authors and untold stories. An anonymous author's book with an interesting title and intriguing cover image, and a curiosity-invoking blurb - if the price is reasonable, any reader would happily buy that book. But if it isn't, however interesting it all seems, people are going to hesitate. So the question here is, do we want people to pick up the books, even if it brings us a loss, or do we want to make a profit out of our books (or at least make enough money to cover the expenses). Big question-mark. Many a wo/man has made the wrong choice.

There is no end to the ways you can get the word out. Go to bookshops, get the contact details of their distributors/vendors. Call them up incessantly until they place an order. Put the book for sale in online websites. Keep talking about your book in social media until friends begin to unfollow/unfriend/untalk. I have heard of a person who went from door to door in his neighbourhood and told people about his new book. The people had no option but to buy the book, though many had no intention of reading it. And one of those buyers who read the book told me it is an interesting book. I have read somewhere that Paulo Coelho sold his first books on the busy street, walking to and fro and talking to strangers. If we assume that our brilliant book is so brilliant that it will sell itself, you know who we're kidding.

Today there are places like Amazon KDP, which is an easy (and free) platform to put up books for sale online. Many readers have upgraded themselves to ebook readers. And many more are joining the pack. It is time to put up our books in ebook format.

The book promotion might take up so much of your time that you may not be able to work on your next book. Yes, that could lead to frustration and wanting to give up on this promotion. Self-publishing could work, or could fail - and the decision requires a lot of courage.

There's a whole lot of lessons and exercises out there. It's good to know what we're getting into, before we start.

Love.

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Self Publishing - 1

Dear M,

There are mainly two reasons why people look towards self-publishing. The first and possibly the more common one is that they have tried getting their work published through traditional publishers but could not catch any publisher's or agent's eye. The wish to see their book in print, with their name on it, and the desire to line it up against the books of famous authors, is too strong to ignore. Self publishing beckons.

The second reason is the awareness that self-publishing offers more control over the books. For those who like to do things (or get things done) on their own - from formatting to cover design, from promoting to selling, from visiting bookshops to calling up distributors and vendors, and even going from door to door to tell people about the book - this could be the best option.

Self-publishing is not a new concept, it has been around for a while, but was perhaps not as popular or affordable as it is now. There are several instances across history of self-published books catching the eye of giant publishers, and authors getting whisked away into the land of stardom. I read somewhere that a famous poet (I forget who) had to self-publish his books first before his work got noticed.

The strength of self-publishing is also its weakness. Promoting a self-published book is not for everyone. An occasional, casual announcement about your new book is not going to bring in the crowd. A few loyal friends and relatives may chip in to buy the book, and some may even recommend it to a few of their friends. Their duty ends there. The author has to continue to scream his throat hoarse. Scream until the world gets tired of his screaming.

If the book is really good, it will begin to catch people's attention - even people who have no relation to you. They will notice your book in a bookshop - that's where the cover design and the title come in - and pick it up. A certain percentage of people will put up a review or recommend it to their friends. The fire begins to spread.

Love.

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After the first draft

Dear M,

We think our first draft is everything. We tell ourselves that if we get there, if we just get there, dammit.

What happens after the first draft? Everything. First Draft is a release of all pent-up feelings. All emotions we wanted to get rid of. All words we ever wanted to say. The romance, the rage, the fear, the agony, the ecstasy - getting it all out of the way. First Draft is delivered without thinking. It's all about letting the heart find its way, while the brain waits by the side for its turn.

After the first draft, the brain takes over (or has to). The heart has had its say. Now it is time to see if it is any good, if it can be salvaged, if it can be chipped and patched and broken into pieces and glued together. Time to snip the meaningless banter off the text. In other words, a major chunk of the work happens after the First Draft.

The author of the work has myopia (or something) - he/she cannot see the manuscript from the outside. He/she still thinks it is the best work, the best and only way the story can be told. But this, in most cases, is not true. There will be a lot of modifications that can be done, so that the story is presented in a beautiful way.

The best thing to do after the First Draft is to take a break. Typically three to four weeks (or upto six weeks). Just enough to forget all that you have written. The break would also help to brace yourself for what is coming. It is essential to approach the story afresh. Almost like a new reader, though the author can never be a new reader of his/her own work. Things - errors, issues, mismatches, discrepancies of all kinds - begin to pop out of the story. The same old story that you thought was an embodiment of perfection!

Thus begins some back-breaking work. And the end of this modification? No one knows. It could go on and on. There would always be one sentence to slice or shorten or rephrase, or a verb to change to something more appropriate. After we do about a million rounds ourselves, comes the editor's level of editing. Harsh, merciless snipping, rewriting. About ten percent of the text is assumed to be removed during editing. Because nothing short of perfect can dream of getting published.

Love.

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The road to publishing

Dear M,

I recently saw an update on one of those social networks. A person who has just completed a book (or will complete soon) is looking for publishers and wants to begin discussions with them.

Like the wrinkled old woman in the story who laughs at the naïve, arrogant, optimistic and pretty young woman, I guffawed quite a bit at this. But I hate to kill anyone's enthusiasm so I did not respond, and walked away whistling (as much whistling and walking away as the Internet permitted me to do).

Seriously, as aspiring newbies, we expect publishers to line up before us and we only need to choose the best from among them. No, that's an unkind way of putting it. Everyone knows that publishing is tough business. But we do half-expect that the publisher will see our book as the next big thing. And we do think that things are going to sail smooth and in the next two months, we will have a book to show. Even when we read everywhere that these publishers get a thousand manuscripts a day, we still believe ours will stand out (and possibly shoot a Cupid's arrow). Even when we read that brilliant authors have had only a hundred rejections, we still believe ours will not have to go through the torture.

It is the boundless optimism (as well as ignorance) of the new writer that actually serves as the initial push to take the plunge. Once he begins to read up on different publishers he would realise that we need to approach them, and they are not hiding behind our gate for a glimpse of the next best-selling author. Then once he lists out all the possible publishers and agents that he is going to blow over, he would realise that querying is as tough a job as completing a novel. And that, even for some kind of a response to come, it could take up to six months. Rejection letters sometimes come after a year.

As time passes the optimism wears thin, until it is a shadow of its former gigantic, towering self, and that's when the test really begins. That's when you know for sure if this is what you want to do for the rest of your life.

I cannot say all this to a new author putting up enthusiastic updates on social media, and I will not. Even if I do, he is not going to believe me (Thank God). He will have to find out for himself and then decide how to put his knowledge to good use. And if he is really the genius he believes he is, then he would not have to know any of this either.

Love.

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Publishing Houses

Dear M,

Everywhere you look, there is a publishing house waiting to cater to your needs. As an author, you do not know where to go.

One of our earliest dreams revolve around the biggest publishers in the country. We imagine them snatching us away as the brilliant new author of the day. Then, once we start querying, we realise that it is not easy to get noticed by the biggies. Even worse, it is not easy to get noticed by the medium sized ones; it is not easy to get noticed even by the small (but credible) publishers.

Today there are several small publishing houses sprouting at every corner. The moment you type 'publishing' or 'writing' or 'author', advertisements battle among themselves to pop up, to lure you into the wonderful world of publishing success. You have no idea which one to turn to, and which ones to ignore. Everyone promises us what we are looking for.

Most of us still prefer (as far as our dreams take us) to go for traditional publishing by known publishers. That is a safe and bankable option. At least you have a fair idea of what you are getting into. And we have the feeling that we can leave the important things in their hands. After all, we are new too. We could do with some hand-holding.

The problem with small and new publishing houses is that you have no idea what marketing tactics they are going to employ to publicise your book. You want the whole world to be able to buy it. You have interested people from the USA and Germany asking for the link to purchase a copy. If your little publisher doesn't have the ability to put it up for sale online, you are going to have to say "Sorry" to these potential readers more often than you like.

On the other hand, (or if you have experienced traditional publishing once and wish to try have a little more control) self-publishing is a good option. You could get the book formatted and edited and presented the way you like. You could market the book in the places you like. If you are ready to go all out and sell your book online and offline, and leave no stone unturned, then self-publishing could be for you. (But if you are not the person who wants to go out on the road and yell out your book's title like a newspaper seller until your voice is hoarse, then don't even think about it.)

But whoever you choose (especially if they are new or unheard of), run a basic check on them to see what they have done with their first books, and how those books have fared.

Love.

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The last lap of the race

Dear M,

I am so very close to the end of one of my projects. There is about one week's effort remaining before it can fly solo (or crash headlong).

One would think I would ignore everything else and focus on this project, and send it to its destiny. But the truth is quite the opposite. I am trying to find excuses to not do that last bit of touch-up. I am still in the hang-over of the long weekend, I have a few priority tasks to catch upon, I should probably work on a few articles I have been postponing, I have to do this, I have to do that. Anything but this project, which is actually my topmost thought and priority. Sounds strange, doesn't it?

I don't know if that is the case with everyone. Do people plunge headlong into their books to ensure that they are finished as soon as possible? Or do they wait and waste time as I am doing, especially when the end is near??

I have been like this from the start. For each of the books I have been working on, when I am near the end of the first draft, I just want to stop working and give up. It takes all of my will power to tell myself that there are only a few thousand words to go before I reach the end of the first draft. Look at all the 50 or 60 thousand words I have written. If I give up now, all that effort will be wasted. I have come this far, this is the wrong place to stop. The end is near, I can see the chequered flag just at the corner, just keep going. Convincing myself to battle on is a struggle almost as much as writing the 50-60K words was.

I have put in a few years into this book. Writing, re-writing, editing, learning. It's been a great journey, and I am so very proud of the output. Whatever happens, as they say, there has been success in this journey. I hope it goes places. But even if it doesn't, it is a winner. I am a winner.

Love.

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The writing world is like a high-speed train

Dear M,

Entering the writing world (or any world of art for that matter, so I'm told) is like jumping into a high speed train.

You think that once you "get there", you are safe, and settled, and satisfied, and calm. That your life of struggle is behind you. No such thing.

First, when you write, your only dream is to get published. Once you blow the agent or the publisher over, you start worrying about your readers. Will they like what you have written? Once your debut novel has gone on to become a best-seller, the pressure mounts: people are going to expect a better-than-best-seller from you. When is your next book coming out? What is it going to be about? We're eagerly waiting. The entire set of frustration that you had packed up into your suitcase, thinking you will never have to see them again, will come tumbling out.

It is a never-ending journey. A book or two is not going to give you retirement pension you can live on. They are not going to give you a life of contentment (except something that's temporary). If they did, we would never be able to produce our masterpiece. It's this feeling of pressure, frustration, that makes us stretch ourselves.

And the day we are thrown out of the train, is the day we die. And most of us will die with an incomplete manuscript (or two) in our file.

Love.

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The most challenging part of querying

Dear M,

Most writers would agree that the toughest part of getting published is the querying. And in querying, you know what is the trickiest job? Not just writing a query letter that could whip up the publisher's excitement and make them dash to our doorstep. Of course that is important, but the most challenging thing is to halt their world in mid-spin with our three sample chapters.

The opening of the novel pretty much determines if anyone wants to continue reading or throw it into the trash. So what if your novel becomes awesome from chapter four? No use at all. We get three chapters - but in most cases not more than three pages, for apparently they deal with a hundred manuscripts every day - to prove our worth, to take the editor's breath away. Everything we do after those three do not matter!

In the case of a novel, at least you have the luxury of saying that these are my first chapters, whatever happens. I can modify and edit them to my heart's content, but I cannot send chapter fourteen in the place of chapter one. But when you are submitting an anthology, the story is different.

Submission guidelines specify that the author should send three (or in some cases, five) of his best stories as a sample. Sounds simple and clear enough, but you will know only if you try it a few times. To an author, choosing three of the best stories is like choosing the most beloved of his children. All stories are amazing and original and exceptional and well-written, in his eyes. He can ask a few others, but the problem is that each person will have a different set of favourites. Which leaves you, wide-eyed and wondering, back to square one. There might be a few common stories, though, and most of the time, their selected stories don't match the author's!

A big problem, if I ever saw one. And I do not have the right answer to it. What I do now is, imagine that the folks sitting at the other side of my query are all alike, even though they belong to different publishing houses. So I send a different set of stories to each. Maybe a bad idea, but who knows? I don't. It hasn't worked so far, but neither has sending the same set to all. I stubbornly refuse to believe that my stories could be rejected because the trouble lies with my stories and not with the folks who read them!

Meanwhile if you can tell me how to select my top three stories to submit to the next publisher, I could certainly do with some hints.

Love.

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Why is writing important? - II

Dear M,

Today I received one more rejection letter. That ends the life of that manuscript, I do not have any more pending-queries-awaiting-response and there are no more publishers left for me to to query. I have no idea what I should do with that MS. If there is nothing more to be done, then let it go, I guess. Maybe its time will come, later. I hate to think it is dead. I love it so much. I still believe there is something in it, a spark, a flame. Something.

There are too many publishers these days, but that is not always a good thing. You have no idea which ones are genuine, and which are fake. Which ones would be able to really help you, and which ones are working for their own benefit. Perhaps it is unfair to think so, these publishers are new and need as much support as new writers do, but these days it is tough to trust anyone. Which isn't what I wanted to talk about.

I return to yesterday's topic - why is writing important? In the light of this new rejection, I am revisiting my take. Saying that my writing should make a difference to someone and that it should live for decades after I am gone sound pretty noble, no doubt, but is that really all? The more I think of it, the more I am convinced that that is not all. I want to write so as to prove something - to myself and to a few others. I have a few failures under my belt - incidents that shook the foundations of my self-confidence. These happened a few years ago and I rebounded as much as I can, but the feeling that perhaps I am not even average at what I do keeps constantly nagging me. If I have to get rid of it, I need to make my mark - on the one thing that matters to me now. I cannot afford to fail. It's that bad. It's that simple.

And with each rejection, this belief, this strength, this semblance of confidence drains a wee bit. So many editors cannot be mistaken, can they? And if I am going to fail in this one too, there is no alley left for me to turn to.

They say you should never give up. They say many writers have faced the same fate. They say everyone gets a break, if they persist in their efforts. But if there no longer seems a purpose to fighting, then what do you do? It doesn't make my struggle and pain any lesser to know that other authors have endured the same.

You do realise how desperate I am, don't you? I need to write because I need to prove that I don't have to give up. As long as my optimism and my energy prevail, I will be out here. And when they run out? I have absolutely no idea.

Love.

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Anyone can write

Dear M,

You remember the animation movie Ratatouille? The late Chef Auguste Gusteau believed that "Anyone can cook" and his book, which has the same title, inspires Remy, the rat, to cook. Beautiful movie.

You frown - I am back to the cooking topic! But have no fear. I don't have enough knowledge about cooking to fill even one blog post.

I believe Anyone can write, too. It's no big deal. Just write what comes to mind, about what inspires us, on topics that we feel firmly about. Feeling firmly about - that is the pre-requisite, there is pretty much nothing else. And the more we write, the more we polish ourselves. Our vocabulary gets rounded off, our confidence gets sharpened, and our writing begins to gleam.

Anyone can write. But not everyone can be a writer. One does not become a writer just because he writes. Just as one does not become a photographer merely by carrying a camera around. The most important thing required is dedication. You don't find time, you make time. And to make time, you need to be dedicated. And to be dedicated, you need to be motivated. To be motivated, you need to be interested. To be interested, you need to believe in it.

I have lost count of the people who have asked me for help with publishing. For them, everything begins with publishing. The enthusiast that I am, I have given them all sorts of advice, readily. Then, after half an hour of conversation on how to bowl publishers over with our brilliant work, I ask them if they are done with the final editing. That's when the truth begins to unravel. Forget the editing, the writing isn't complete yet. Oh, what percentage is pending? Well, I think just about nearing completion... but a long way to go... in other words, I must have written about 10% of the book.

I can't say I am disappointed. It was foolish of me not to ask this question sooner.

Everyone wants to be a writer. There are enough success stories around to make people believe that writing is a lot of easy money. This belief and the truth are strangers - they haven't set their eyes on each other, they do not even know about each other's existence. The real (success) stories are not best sellers most of the time. Not every writer discovers an easy path to fame. Yes - clearly fame is the attraction here. Fame is money, and money is attractive.

For the most part, writing is a long, unpleasant, winding path that pretty much leads to... another long, winding, unpleasant path. Only a few dedicated ones can keep up.

You know, I first planned on calling this blog something on the lines of "Don't ever be a writer" because I don't think I have a lot of positive or encouraging pointers to give. But that isn't completely true. Finding succes with writing  is hard and most of the time I would never change anything. I am glad I made it this far, and I have enough fire left in me to go a long, long way forward.

Except that sometimes I ask myself: I can write. I am a writer. So what?

Love.

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A Contract and a Promise

Dear M,

With this line, I break my promise to myself.

What are promises if they keep us from doing what we want, doing what we should, doing what we love, to do? What are promises if they bind us to something we have no reason for being bound to?

For, I had promised myself that I will start these letters when (and if) I get myself a publishing contract with a very good publisher. After a while, I leniently lowered my expectations to a fairly good publisher. Later, it became any publisher. The day I sign the contract, I said, these letters would go live.

I waited for a year. A year is not even a blip in the publishing timeline. I do know it, but for me, today, a year is just as long as a year. The thought that I may have to wait another year... is not quite enticing. By then I may have grown out of today's preferences. And the thoughts I have been accumulating would be lost to me. And to you.

Promises made with a certain optimism and energy that fade after a while, promises that hold us back rather than encourage or inspire us, such promises are intended to be broken. Such is their existence!

Breaking this today was very well thought-out. I would not regret it, even if it were an impulsive action. It is always better to let ourselves out rather than be caged in meaninglessness. I have so much to say. So much to share. What use is my learning if it is confined to my thoughts?

I still believe, the contract is coming. It is on its way, except that the people who should despatch it do not know it yet. They have probably not even seen my Manuscript yet. But the machinery has started creaking and groaning and coughing to a start. Why is this contract so important, you ask. Frankly, I have no idea. I write because I am compelled to. When I started writing, I did not dream of my own book. I just wrote. The idea was planted by someone. Then it became a dream, a wish, a frenzy, a fever. Then came the frustration. The dream never left.

And after the contract, what next? Who can tell.

Love.

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