For the writer in you

The phenomenal script of Harry Potter was rejected twelve times before it made its way to the Bloomsbury office. Today J.K Rowling is a legend. famous writers like J.D Salinger, Margaret Mitchell and Kenneth Grahame, all faced acrid rejection letters before meeting the publishers who could tell a diamond from the rough around. Thanks to technology, today’s writers may not have to go knocking door to door. There are far lesser roadblocks on the way to publication but only if one knew which way to head.

Today, social media, blogs and websites can help writers know and gauge their audience. So even for beginners, writing is no longer a shot in the dark. They can know what to write, how to write and who to write for. Also promotion of work has also become easier than before. But one must know a few facts about the publishing world before taking on the excruciating but immensely satisfying work of writing with the intent to get published.

Firstly, there are two kinds of publishers: traditional and self. While the former involves an editor choosing a story, approving it and later publishing, designing and promoting the book, the latter is technology’s boon. A writer can publish his or her own book by creating an account on Amazon or Smashwords. One can even upload his manuscript and cover design online for readers to access it.

It is just that simple!

Both these kinds come with their own advantages and drawbacks. For instance, a traditional publication decides the price of the book and pays the writer in the form of what is called a royalty. It can be anywhere between five per cent and 20 per cent. A self published author on the other hand gets to decide his own price and scoop up all the profits made in the process. But one must beware. Writers must be careful about the site they choose to upload their manuscript on. Even publication houses place certain traps in their agreements.

“One should completely read the contract before signing it”, warns Rasana Atreya, a self-publisher and writer of Tell A Thousand Lies Manne Krishank, national spokesperson for Osmania University Students' Joint Action Committee, who is also the author of books like Do But Don’t Die and Facebooked Revolution opines that publications are open to encouraging new writers but many people do not practice the art of writing, which has taken a backseat in the era of technology. “Writing is important and people should continue writing. They should share their knowledge and experiences”, he stresses.

Ravi Teja, a novelist, says, “Writing is a daily habit for me. There are many writers who do not take years to write a book but finish one in a short span of time. But for that to be possible, one should have command over the language and the subject of the book”. Rasana stresses that the title of a book is as important as the book itself. “That is what will make readers and publishers sit up and take notice”.

The machinery required to print a book or put a manuscript out there for lakhs of readers to access has arrived, thanks to better technology and the internet. A blog is now no longer just a scrapbook where people pen random thoughts. It has donned a serious persona. It is a writer’s new face. As on today, a book can be easily published. But writing one is as challenging as it was before.

By Heena Mishra