So, you have written a book? Here's how you can get it published

"We tell ourselves stories in order to live," Joan Didion said famously. Stories have been an integral part of human experience for millennia. We’re wired to tell and listen to them, to read and write them.

Some of us write to effect small but crucial changes and make the world a better place. Others do so to undertake a process of self-discovery, perhaps even self-recovery. Some write hoping for fame and fortune. Others simply to entertain and make life a little more bearable. A few write for the sheer love of writing. But many of these motivations often overlap and influence each other.

Almost all of us have harboured the desire to write -- be it fiction or nonfiction. It is the experience of many writers that the writing period, despite being difficult in many ways, is ironically the happiest. Trouble begins immediately after. The hunt for a publisher, if at all successful, results in an experience that is not particularly pleasant or even comprehensible.

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Writer-journalist Manjit Thakur says, it’s difficult to get published, no matter how good you are. “And it’s no secret. A close friend had a manuscript with his publishers for three years. They said neither yes nor no,” Thakur tells IndiaToday.In.

Also, many publishers expect writers to come with a substantial social media following. “The other downside of this practice is that many not-so-good writers, though popular on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube, win over big publishers,” says Thakur.

SELF-PUBLISHING

Most people are not familiar with the publishing process. When they can’t find a publisher, they think of self-publishing.

Delhi-based journalist-author Tushar Srivastava says, it’s often said that writing a book is the easy part, getting it published is where you get your grey hair from.

“When I wrote my maiden book at the height of the pandemic, I was aware of this uphill task and, at the same time, it wasn’t really a challenge for me — considering that I am a very reticent person and don’t like talking to people face to face. I had already made up my mind that I would go for self-publishing,” he says.

Srivastava says that maximising his work’s reach was never his top priority, letting off steam was. “Nevertheless, when I did self-publish it, and made half-hearted attempts to popularise it through social media, I did regret, to some extent, that I didn’t approach any publisher. That said, my upcoming book, whenever it’s finalised, will again be a self-published one.”

But everyone isn’t like Tushar Srivastava. For many writers, the dream is to be published by a big publisher. In this context, self-publishing becomes synonymous with vanity, not quality, and thus an issue for debut writers eager to establish their names.

HYBRID MODEL

The second option is a hybrid model where both authors and publishers share the costs and the revenue. Does that help? Delhi-based poet T Banerjee’s second book, 'Cityscape', was a hybrid publication.

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“My experience with self-publishing for my first book was tough, also because I wrote it while I was jobless in a foreign land. 'Cityscape' received some critical reviews but didn’t sell much. I realised how important it was to market a book; publishing a book is just the start. One has to double the effort after the book hits the market to grab the readers’ attention, including on social media platforms,” says Banerjee.

'Love Knots' was Banerjee’s third title. “I paid around Rs 5,000 to procure 20 copies of my book. I did the same for my fourth title, 'Ripples'.”

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

In traditional publishing, a writer submits a book proposal directly to a publishing house or can choose to be represented by a literary agent. An offer is then made once a book proposal is given the go ahead. Then a contract is signed. There's money and glory! But things don’t always unfold that way. Most writers, desperate to be published, accept less-than-fair treatment.

Author Mohit Rao’s book 'Turning On', about sex addiction, was approved in March this year for traditional publishing after 26 rejections. “However, it has been with the publishers in Hyderabad for over three months. The latest communication from them is that I shouldn’t be in a hurry as some books have been lying with them for over five years. They have also suggested I go for hybrid or self-publication. This is so frustrating,” says Rao.

Similarly, Banerjee’s second book was also published after 13 rejections.

But can everyone be as patient? Stephen King has advised budding writers to get a bigger nail to put the rejection slips on. Others say that, once a writer has sent her work out, she should start working on the next manuscript.

“But do you propose to someone, and while she’s yet to respond and taking her time, start preparing to propose to another? You need to know what happened to your first proposal and then deal with the heartbreak if the answer is no. And, for good or bad, that could inform what you write next,” says Rao.

PUBLISHING STARTUPS

It’s in this context that some publishing startups are bringing about a change, and letting many book writing dreams come true in ways which are not only pleasant and fulfilling but also financially viable in many cases.

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Set up by Roopam Mallick Dutta, The Free Pen is one such publishing startup in Delhi.

“We all love books, fiction or nonfiction, prose or poetry. We could see some of our friends were struggling to get their work published. We wanted to do something about it. That’s when the startup idea struck us. We got the brand name registered early this year,” she tells IndiaToday.In.

Dutta created a website and social media handles. “Luckily, we have a network of friends who give valuable suggestions about cover design and text editing, among other things. They also happily go through the manuscripts and the printed books. These friends also informally promote the work we produce,” says Dutta.

Dutta’s first author was Prabhakar Mishra, who has already been published earlier by a publishing giant. Her latest book is by a debutant author.

“Right now, we’re not looking at making profit because we're working with friends. This might change as we learn about, and decide on, a business model when we take up fewer personal assignments,” says Dutta.

The emergence of publishing startups has brought about a welcome change. “Books are coming out faster. The latest book by The Free Pen was published within 45 days of the manuscript's submission. What also stands out about these startups — be it Esamaad, led by Kumud Singh, or Umesh Kumar’s Shubhda — is that their process is transparent, and the quality of books is good,” Thakur said.

For his latest book, his first work of fiction, Thakur went to a publishing startup. He didn’t want those royalty bickering all over again.

“Copies from these startups may not be flying off the shelf but they’re doing quite well,” Thakur adds.

MANY CHALLENGES POST-PUBLICATION

Even after a work has been published, the biggest challenge, both for writers and publishers, is the simple "discoverability" of a title. This is a big issue given that the market is flooded with new books on a daily basis.

Word-of-mouth publicity is the best for a new book, but it works only to a degree (till one runs out of friends and relatives).

“Discoverability is a problem given the number of books published in any year in India. If you are not a writer in English, but write in one of our many languages, the problem is compounded,” says Banerjee. In either case, the best writers could still go unrecognised.

"Also, for startup publishers, resources/limited budgets are an issue in a market dominated by global giants. Plus, if you have ideals, you will not allow writers to fund their own books. That turns you into a vanity publisher. You want to offer royalties. Hence, you can commission only a few books," said Manjula Khandekar who is planning to launch her publishing startup in Mumbai soon.

Distribution is also an issue for small publishers. Getting books online is doable. In some ways, it is the least complex method of getting books everywhere. It is also considerably more profitable than finding distributors, who expect large discounts and long payment periods. Resources for marketing and promotion are also limited for small publishers.

Those like Dutta are aware of these challenges. “But I don’t want to unnecessarily glorify our journey by using words like struggle. It’s of course hard work but not really a struggle, especially in the way this word is often used to describe a painful process. What you don’t know naturally takes effort, but things get easier with time,” she said.

For example, she didn’t know where and how to get the International Standard Book Number (ISBN).

“We approached someone who charged us a fee, but the ISBN never came. We did some research and went to the website of the Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN, under the Ministry of Education. You apply and provide the required details, and it’s not that difficult at all. Working with online retailers and booksellers is another case in point,” she said.

Writer-journalist Manjit Thakur suggests that publishing startups form a confederation to share their reader base, apart from other types of collaboration. “Because it’s difficult and costly to find market networks for new books,” he said.

There are struggles and hurdles galore, but one thing is for sure, the startups have begun scripting a new chapter in the age-old book publishing sector. And they are helping people chase the dream of becoming a published author.