'Start marketing your book way before it is publised,' says author Paromita Goswami
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| Author Paromita Goswami |
What are the challenges of a debutante author in marketing their first book? And how to overcome them?
Okay, so you wrote a book. Congratulations! The hours of sitting and plotting out your novel, the sleepless nights with your character’s conflict and the tons of times your family and friends might have looked at you with disapproval are finally going to vanish with the new book baby in your hands. There is no doubt that your family and friends will be the first one to shout on top of their voice that we have a new author in the rising. You will be more excited when your book's sales start rolling in and your book ranking is pacing fast towards the bestseller chart. Wow! You made it. Yahoo!
Is this what actually happens? I am afraid to say no. We all would love to see it happen that way but
it just won’t happen on its own. It will last as long as you have the support of your friends and family. And after the first month, the sales will come down drastically. And then you have to look out for the genuine readers for your book. And that’s when marketing your book comes in. Like all the other products, that you see in the market, your book needs advertising too. Now, what would be the probable challenges you could face as a debutante author in marketing your first book? This is what we are going to discuss today.
The first challenge is visibility. As they say, “Show to sell”. So make your book visible in all goddamn places one could reach. Of course, offline it won’t be possible, but yes through online promotions it can be possible. Luckily, there are many agencies that offer both offline and online promotions these days. That also calls for the good amount of investment. Moreover, you also have to check out the credential of the agency before investing, otherwise you may end up paying to bogus companies.
Second is getting reviews. Today majority of buyers check out the reviews before purchasing a product and that is applicable to books as well. If you are a debutant then getting a good reviewer is also a big challenge. Mind it when I say good reviewer it means someone who has a good fan following and whose reviews turn into sales. Definitely, you will come across many people who claim to be a reviewer, but know nothing about the art of writing a good review. A review should not be just the synopsis of your book and a rating on a scale of five, it should also be able to show how
different your book is why it should be picked up to read. You should try to get reviews before your book is out in the market so that you have good things to talk about your book in the market. Give out ARC copies to reputed reviewers way in advance.
The third is doing book events across major Indian cities. It is a trend now that an author usually does book tours. The major problem is getting a viewer for the book launch or book reading in a different city other than yours. Sum it up as how many people you know in that city and out of those how many would turn up for your book show and out of them how many will pick up your book. A debutante’s first book may not have that pull. So it is better to tie up with an established author or book club in that city and then do your book tour. This way you will surely connect with some genuine book lovers in that city and create a base for your upcoming books.
The fourth challenge while marketing your book can be shelf space in bookstores. If you have a good
publisher to back you then, of course, your book will definitely get a place in the renowned bookstores, but is it placed accordingly for the buyers? Sometimes the store keepers love to flaunt the new books of established authors and a buyer has to overcome that hurdle to reach yours. This challenge you can overcome my making goodies that you can ask the storekeeper to keep at the cash counter. Like a bookmark, book tag, poster or sticker, which can be distributed to the buyers free of cost. Maybe few of them come back to pick up your book too.
The fifth challenge is announcing contests and giveaways. These are a very good marketing technique to showcase your book but again without good reviews or other goodies the takers for your book may not be very high.
So in all the above marketing strategies that we have discussed the major challenge lies in getting reviews for your book. Actually, as an author, you should start marketing your book way before it is published. Let the world know what you are writing, create interest in your readership by sharing excerpts or blog posts. Let people know what and how you write, and probably then they will trust you with your first book. So there is lots of ground work to do before planning your baby. So get started now!
About the Author
Paromita Goswami is a writer and storyteller by passion and a rebel by choice. She says the world is full of stories and as a writer she loves to pen them down. Her work is not genre specific. From literary fiction to children's book to upcoming paranormal thriller and women fiction, Paromita Goswami's books offer the variety of life to her readers. Besides writing, she is also the founder of reading club that enhances book reading habit in children. She lives in central India with her family.
Book Blitz: Who Shall I Be Today by Sunita Saldhana
Blurb
Who Shall I Be Today?
A woman can never be “just” a woman. She is a million people in one person.
“Who shall I be today?” is a collection of poems that delves into what makes up a woman. It talks of a mother’s love and fears; a woman’s search for herself; the yearnings of the heart for that someone special. It tells of the hurt and pain that love brings, and the courage to pick up the pieces and start over again.
You will find tears and smiles, pain and pride. You will find fear and courage, nostalgia and anticipation. You will find woman in all her avatars.
“Who shall I be today” by Sunita Saldhana is something written from the heart. It is a celebration of womanhood. It is guaranteed to touch the soul of every woman who reads it.
Grab your copy @
About the author
"I am a writer and a trainer. I have been writing for more than 35 years now. Besides writing for my own blog, sunitasaldhana.com, and thequillofthephoenix.wordpress.com.
At "The Know & Grow Learning Centre", I conduct creative writing workshops and courses as well as work with kids and adults on their life skills.
I enjoy working with special kids and empowering them with skills to overcome their hurdles and to reach their full potential.
Right now I am a retired mom, with both my kids flown from the nest and I am working on publishing a book of my poems."
You can stalk her @
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Book Blitz: Ponni's Beloved: Volume One: New Floods by Sumeetha Manikandan
Blurb
Grab your copy @
Excerpt
“I have brought important information for all of you. That’s why I asked the noble Sambuverayar to invite us all here. Maharaja Sundara Chola’s health has been steadily deteriorating. I secretly asked our royal physician, and he says that there is absolutely no chance of his health improving. His days are numbered. And it is up to us, to think about the future of the royal throne.”
“What do the astrologers say?” asked one of the noble men.
“Why ask the astrologers? Haven’t you seen the comet that has been appearing in the sky, for the past few weeks? They say whenever a comet appears, there will be death in the royal family,” said another.
“I have asked the astrologers as well, and they say that the king might live for some more time. Anyway, we will have to decide who should ascend the throne next,” said Pazhuvetarayar.
“What is the use of discussing that now? Aditya Karikalan was made the Crown Prince two years ago,” said one of the noblemen.
“True. But before he took that decision, did Sundara Chola consult any of us? We all have stood by the Chola Kingdom with loyalty and have sacrificed our sons and grandsons in the battlefield. Even now warriors from each of our clans have gone to Elangai to fight for the Chola Kingdom. Don’t you think we deserve the right to be consulted about who should be the next heir to the throne? Even King Dasaratha asked his council of ministers, before deciding to crown Rama. But our Sundara Chola didn’t think it necessary to consult anyone…”
About the author
"Sumeetha Manikandan is a top bestselling romance author whose novellas ‘Perfect Groom’ and ‘These Lines of Mehendi’ (which was published as a paperback novel called ‘Love Again’) have been on the top of Amazon India charts ever since its publication. A bookaholic, thinker, feminist and a daydreamer, she reads across genres and is a crazy fan of history, romance and science fiction novels.
An avid reader of historical novels, she has been translating Kalki Krishnamurthy’s classic Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan for the past ten years and hopes to translate more of his novels to English.
Sumeetha is married to filmmaker K.S. Manikandan and lives with her nine-year-old daughter in Chennai."
You can stalk her @
Climbing The Charts
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Mayank Sharma, author of 'The Princess of a Whorehouse: The Story of a Swamp Lotus', speaks to Sanchita Sen
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| Author Mayank Sharma |
Know the author's mind and delve deep into the crevices of his heart as he bares it all about his in-depth research for his book treading on a subject that many fear to discuss. Read on to know more:
My heart began sinking to my stomach as I inched closure to their terrifying encounters. Phew! It was a jungle fiercer than Crooked Forest, a terrain severer than Grand Canyon, and a dystopia scarcer than Dead Sea. There were abuses hurled sourer than howl. How could I seize what I saw, felt, and heard, as my glossary ran out of words? I heaved a sigh of relief when I interacted with college students, who worked closely with non-governmental organizations to impart education to underprivileged children. This effort was a major part of my research work.
Sanchita: You couldn’t have chosen a better title for your book, it’s very apt and does justice to the story. Throw some light on the ‘real life events’ that shook you to write this tale.
Mayank: Thanks for the compliment. It is an intriguing title that reflects a poignant storyline. It contains a metaphor to encapsulate the gist of the story in a catch phrase. The title portrays a vivid picture of the protagonist with resilient life skills that provide her the strength to achieve nearly impossible ambitions in spite of being raised in a milieu that is looked upon as a swamp. Ironically, there may be a handful of such cases in real life when the children of sex workers are able to get access to quality education and involve in a dignified occupation. In one such case, I came across a heart-breaking struggle of the daughter of a former sex worker. When she was young, her mother was trafficked to Mumbai’s red light district. In a Facebook post, she shared her journey of becoming a theatre artist in Mumbai. She candidly talked about discriminations and hardships she encountered throughout her education. Her determination and courage inspired me to pen down this tale. Though, that girl in real life was not as blessed as my protagonist in the story.
Sanchita: While writing the book, which aspect of it needed the maximum amount of research and why?
Mayank: Encountering a writer's block at various stages was an inevitable thing for a naïve writer like me while I was writing the story with a female protagonist, especially based on a thin-skinned theme like forced prostitution. It was quite difficult for me to visualize in my mind the sentiments of a woman when a fiasco rips her dignity and turns her hope into disgrace. Eventually, my willingness to empathize struggles of a woman in the lurch enabled me to create unique identities of my characters. I had worn hats of similar individuals, who resembled closely to my characters and had gone through similar life experiences. Doing so was not possible for me without having interacted with those individuals, who suffered the same twinge in real life.
In due course, it turned out to be a mammoth challenge for me as I began probing the lives of sex workers and their children. I read about several inhumane incidents of human trafficking in which the greediness to make a couple of bucks eclipsed trust and humanity. While I was writing, I wanted to feel and empathize their encounters so that I could mirror their agonies in my story. My heart began sinking to my stomach as I inched closure to their terrifying encounters. Phew! It was a jungle fiercer than Crooked Forest, a terrain severer than Grand Canyon, and a dystopia scarcer than Dead Sea. There were abuses hurled sourer than howl. How could I seize what I saw, felt, and heard, as my glossary ran out of words? I heaved a sigh of relief when I interacted with college students, who worked closely with non-governmental organizations to impart education to underprivileged children. This effort was a major part of my research work. When I made it a goal to bring their distressed voices to a larger audience, it became a tricky bargain to delimit the breadth and depth of encounters that were suitable for a debut book. My idea was to write the content shedding light on the fact that a sunny morning always follows the thunderstorm. A plot in a simple narration took precedence over literary aspects as I believe that solemn messages are best delivered in a direct language with no digressions. Personally, I also believe in letting creativity and freedom of expressions flow naturally, without being shackled by the laws of literary realm. The selection of right dialogs to closely mimic the gibberish in Hindi, commonly used in that locale was another challenge that needed some study. Then, I looked at some novels based on urban fiction or street lit, a genre that focuses on socio-economic discriminations in urban settings and is quite popular among African Americans. The dialogs commonly used in urban fiction were not new to me having lived in Atlanta. I am not sure if I should call my book’s style as Indian urban fiction. Well, you cannot expect everything to be hunky-dory. Perhaps, this style is vulnerable to a pushback in the mainstream. Anyway, I feel victorious when my readers do not stumble upon the dilemma of putting the book down halfway.
Sanchita: How do you think writing can trigger the winds of change?
Mayank: The flapping of the wings of a tiny butterfly in Delhi can possibly trigger a tornado in Dhaka. Even a tiny cause can initiate a ripple effect that can lead to a large-scale transformation. I have used this analogy to describe the Butterfly Effect. In a nutshell, writing with a strong purpose in mind can transform a writer’s pen into the mightiest tool, capable of sparking a revolution. I consider writers as thought leaders, who have the ability to influence their readers to embrace a change. Having said that, not every story can become a catalyst of change, unless it has a distinct take away for readers when they put down the book at the end.
Over several decades, African American writers have been sharing their life experiences, the hardships of street life, and the breach of civil rights, in their novels based on urban lit. Iceberg Slim, whose autobiography, ‘Pimp: The Story of My Life’ was published in 1967. More than two million copies of this novel were sold worldwide. In the same year, his novel, ‘Trick Baby’ was released and it was adapted into a movie by Universal Pictures. His books had a huge influence on African-American community and hip-hop musicians. Some terms used in his books were included into the lexicon of Black English. Urban lit has its critics in the mainstream, and so it was kept on the backburner until a new wave gained momentum in late 90’s, when publishers recognized the real potential of African-American readership. The genre caught momentum only when the readership was able to connect to their own issues.
Sanchita: Who is your favourite author and why?
Mayank: Paulo Coelho is my favorite author since you asked for only one author. I like his novels’ philosophy. Additionally, I am an admirer of Arundhati Roy and Amartya Sen.
Sanchita: Sneak peek into your next project?
Mayank: My next project is a story of an eternal love of two soulmates, who are miles apart by nationalities, poles apart by faith, yet their shared journey of self-discovery interweaves at the crossroads of archeology, technology, and philosophy.
Here is an excerpt - “I thought the depths of ocean and the outer reaches of space were only two uncharted territories until I began to discover the furthest depths of my soul.”
Stay tuned…
About the Author
Mayank Sharma is a computer engineering graduate with post-graduation in business management. He works with a leading technology multinational in Delhi. He has authored a number of articles and white papers on software technology and processes. For the first time in April 2014, his article was featured in Better Software magazine published in Florida, USA. Writing has become Mayank's greatest passion when he observed how it can trigger the winds of change. He is gradually transforming from a “left-brained” writer to a “right-brained” writer. Besides writing, he is passionate about sketching, painting, and making sculptures since childhood.
India is the fifth-largest economy in the world with the Gross Domestic Product growth at 7.1 percent. Contrary, India ranks 118 out of 157 countries in the happiness index. The fact seized Mayank’s attention towards social problems affecting social support, freedom of choices, and generosity, to name a few. Having travelled across continents and associated with people with diverse beliefs and values, he became more curious about the social riddles curtailing liberties across societies. He penned his debut novel, The Princess of a Whorehouse, when he came across some real life incidents that quivered his soul.
His book 'The Princess of a Whorehouse: The Story of a Swamp Lotus' is available at:
Blog Tour: The Indus Challenge by R. Durgadoss
THE INDUS CHALLENGE
by
R. Durgadoss
Blurb
Bharat is in chaos. While the kingdoms fight each other, Alexander’s forces gather for the assault, their leader lured by tales of supernatural weapons and the elixir of immortality. Only one man can save the subcontinent from domination by the Greeks: the young Chandragupta Maurya, trained under the aegis of the ‘dark brahmin’, Chanakya.
When an ancient seal is found, sharing the secrets of the brahmastra, the redoubtable weapon of the Mahabharat, it is up to Rudra, young commander of the Mauryan Nava Yuva Sena and lifelong friend and confidante of Chandragupta, to decode it. Along with his fellow commandos, and with the able guidance of his guru, Rudra embarks on a quest that takes him from the snowy peaks of the Himalayas to the seas of Rameshwaram, hunting the clues that will lead him to the brahmastra. On the way, he meets the Chiranjivis, ancient beings tasked with divine duties, and learns the secrets behind his own birth and his mysterious powers.
But Rudra must be careful, for not all enemies were dispersed with the death of the mighty Alexander. Treachery lurks in the home, and when Rudra is framed for the attempted murder of his sovereign, he must pull every trick at his disposal to reveal the enemy, and save his kingdom from plunging, once more, into bloodshed and chaos.
A historical, mythological adventure story, The Indus Challenge is sure to appeal to readers interested in the storied past of India and the legends woven into its soil.
Read an excerpt of The Indus Challenge here:
Prologue
330 bcThe Macedonians and Greeks came with Alexander the Great to the Hindu Kush range. They were mesmerized by the land of the gods, snow-covered, forested mountains higher than Olympus. The sun rising and setting among the glistening peaks painted a breathtaking picture. They were entranced by the stories of the magical kingdoms of the air; of the heavens; of Vishnu and Shiva; of cities in the sky inhabited by sky demons. They were fascinated by the story of Surya, the sun god, who galloped across the sky each day in his golden chariot, pulled by the five horses, while down below in the dark bowels of the earth were giant serpents, red-eyed, flesh-eating demons and other creatures of the underworld.
It was at this time that the people of Bharat were looking inwards, while the Macedonians aggressively explored outwards and wanted to conquer the world. The kingdoms of Bharat were threatened by the aggressive Macedonians. No king or kingdom was free from the aggressor’s attack. Fragmented kingdoms, disunity and distrust among the rulers made these kingdoms an easy target for the Macedonians.
During this period, several events are shrouded in mystery—what brought Alexander to India? How did he die at such a young age? What were the origins of Chandragupta Maurya? How did a young lad of humble origins take on a mighty king? How did a poor Brahmin pundit help a poor young man rise to power from nowhere? What extraordinary powers did Chandragupta possess that made him so successful? Who were his key generals? Who won wars for him? The questions are endless.
There are several seemingly unconnected dots, as the history of this time is shrouded in deep mystery. Rudra effortlessly unlocks the ancient secrets and aligns the unconnected dots. Mystery unravelled; secrets decoded…
In the second avatar (Janam Two) as Rudra during the tumultuous times of Alexander and Chanakya, he offers stunning clues and revelations. His decrypting skills leave a trail that answers several mysteries in our rich history.
At last, Rudra, heading the Nine Unknown Men Army (NUM), has arrived to decode the secrets to save humanity from cataclysm and extinction.
1
Parthiva year, 306 bc, Kartika (November) month, Friday evening.The Massaga fort in the Hindu Kush had surrendered to Rudra, the commander-in-chief of the Mauryan army. He was taking stock of the situation. At this hour, a cry hit his ears. ‘Meri raksha karo! (Please save me from the barbarians!’) A woman’s shrieking voice reverberated against the mountains.
‘Why does this lady cry so?’ asked Rudra, looking curiously at his companion. He turned in the direction from where the voice was coming. To his surprise, he saw two cages in which two persons stood, chained. There was a young woman around twenty-two years old, and in the other cage was a bright young lad.
Rudra looked at the cage closely. The woman was gorgeous, seductive, shapely. Her hair was kohl-black, and cascaded over her shoulders. She had thin eyebrows, velvety eyelashes, sea-nymph ears, a sharp nose, shiny white teeth, almond-shaped eyes and glossy skin.
She was wasp-waisted, and her pouting, luscious lips conveyed her displeasure. Her hips and bust were almost of equal size. Her perfect shape reminded him of many icons of beauty he had seen. Her fleshy rounded back attracted his attention.
Rudra realized that he was going overboard ogling at the young women. But in spite of her beautiful features, she seemed to be a fading flower, possibly due to her weakness and exhaustion.
He turned his head towards the surrendered commander of the opposing army, Dharma Sena.
‘Dharma Sena, who are these caged persons?’ asked Rudra.
‘Forget these idiots, Commander. Let me take you round the fort.’ Dharma Sena said, ‘This is Massaga, the great fort city of the Asvakas, the tribe of horsemen. To the south and west are gigantic rocks which defy climbing. To the east is the swift-flowing mountain torrent, the Masakavati river. This famous fort is situated on a hill 6,000 feet high and has a circumference of twelve miles. At the top of the fort, there is arable land requiring a thousand men to cultivate it. This land is capable of feeding more than 30,000 men indefinitely. There are also perennial springs and reservoirs. Every hill here is a natural fort, Commander. Every man here is a horse soldier, Commander. A mighty rampart of stone, brick and timber surrounds the fort, which also has a moat on three sides and the river on the fourth.
‘Commander, “Masika” means “serpent’s hole”, a name indicating the supposed impregnability of the fort and the valour of its defender.’
‘I realize how impregnable your fort is, Dharma Sena. I had to use my best skills to tame you and your fort. By the way, I am impressed by the seven gates leading to the citadel. Can you give me an overview of your fort, Dharma Sena?’
‘You have sharp eyes, Commander. You noticed our seven gates? I am impressed. Let me show you around.’
Grab your copy @
About the author
A consistent Top Rank holder and a Gold Medallist throughout his academics, Mr. Durgadoss has had a career spanning 30 years comprising of depth from industry and width from management consultancy as highlights. He has held various senior management positions in top notch companies. Having travelled extensively on consulting assignments, he has interacted with prominent International Bodies like the UNIDO, Investment Bankers and companies held by Professors of Harvard Business School. He has a rare exposure to multiple cultures namely, MNCs, Home grown large groups, family concerns and public sector undertakings during his career. He is blessed with 360 degree analytical skills, which in turn emanates from his all round experience as a Functional head, General manager, Entrepreneur and a Board director. He is an advisor on the board of Directors of several companies benefiting the organizations with his remarkable cross functional skills and his up to date knowledge. Currently he is the Group Director – Finance and Strategy, House of S.T.Bhatia, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition he is the chief mentor, coach and Co – Promoter of Icon Management Services (IMS), UAE. Unceasing ‘Value Addition’ and not just ‘Validation’ is the mantra of success for IMS, a multi – disciplinary management consultancy organisation. He has multi-sectoral / cultural/ territorial/ functional exposure with proven track record of success. He is a PhD on Corporate Governance which involves CSR dimensions. He has delivered several lectures in various forums on Character, Competence and Consciousness (3Cs) towards the society and also has several articles to his credit.
Track travelled...
Raising the altitude from a functional entrant to a functional champion, extending his width as a management consultant of a Big 4 firm, he took up the profit centre head position, with a challenging revival assignment in the mid nineties.
Then he moved up to the entrepreneurial mode by taking up the role of a Managing Director of a new venture. Due to several macro economic factors, the venture went into deep trouble. He faced the worst disaster of his life on this venture, losing money, peace and friends, who invested along with him. From the brink of bankruptcy, he fought back to reach the basin of wisdom & wealth in the current assignment as the Director of a large group based in Dubai. The turbulence he went through during this phase tested his character & confidence. Now, along with Dr. Yerram Raju, his co-author, he has penned down this book on Character driven Competence, which elucidates practical ways of ‘Winning without Sinning’. He always says ‘Momentum leaders don’t wait for the waves; instead they build their waves and ride on them’.
After having fought the greatest wars in the deep chambers of his soul, he came triumphant, obtained his PHD in Corporate Governance and now presents the book with the worldly wisdom, gained by him during his career.
‘Experience is the greatest from of Education’ says Dr. Durgadoss.
You can stalk him @
This Tour is Hosted by
Schedule: The Indus Challenge by R. Durgadoss
| Name | Type of Post | Date |
| Jasleen Kaur | Spotlight | 5/2/2017 |
| Rubina | Spotlight | 5/3/2017 |
| Rakhi Jayashankar | Spotlight | 5/4/2017 |
| Reshma Ranjan | Spotlight | 5/4/2017 |
| Bhavya | Spotlight | 5/5/2017 |
| Devika Fernando | Spotlight | 5/5/2017 |
| Inderpreet Kaur Uppal | Spotlight | 5/6/2017 |
| Nilima Mohite | Spotlight | 5/6/2017 |
| Chittajit Mitra | Spotlight | 5/7/2017 |
| Jasleen Kaur | Review | 5/7/2017 |
| vasrao rao | Spotlight | 5/8/2017 |
| Sundari Venkatraman | Review | 5/8/2017 |
| Reshma Ranjan | Spotlight | 5/9/2017 |
| Rubina | Review | 5/9/2017 |
| Sundari Venkatraman | Spotlight | 5/10/2017 |
| Rakhi Jayashankar | Review | 5/10/2017 |
| Geeta Nair | Review | 5/11/2017 |
| Devansh Desai | Review | 5/11/2017 |
| Kruti Shah | Review | 5/12/2017 |
| Deep Downer | Review | 5/12/2017 |
| Bhavya | Review | 5/12/2017 |
| Shelly Bajwa | Review | 5/13/2017 |
| Mahati ramya adivishnu | Review | 5/13/2017 |
| Jasleen Kaur | Interview | 5/13/2017 |
| Aparna nayak | Review | 5/14/2017 |
| Anugya Sinha | Review | 5/14/2017 |
| Khushboo Shah | Interview | 5/14/2017 |
| Geeta Nair | Review | 5/15/2017 |
| Yogita Joshi | Review | 5/15/2017 |
| Inderpreet Kaur Uppal | Interview | 5/15/2017 |
| Vishnu Chevli | Review | 5/16/2017 |
| Khushboo Shah | Guest Post | 5/16/2017 |
| Arnab Chaudhuri | Review | 5/17/2017 |
| Amar Naik | Review | 5/17/2017 |
| Jasleen Kaur | Guest Post | 5/17/2017 |
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