Hello, Blissed community!
Last week, Delhi held the Annual World Book Fair 2024, which saw a massive footfall. It was thrilling to see thousands of people thronging the fair that had only books and nothing else, given the fact that statistics for readers are dwindling thanks to alternative modes of entertainment like reels & shorts to name a few. I also managed to make a decent Instagram reel to capture the snippets. (Yes, I am trying to improve my social media skills slowly, although I sincerely wish I could skip this step as I suck at marketing, but bad news — even writers can’t escape marketing).
This time, I went to the fair with two perspectives ie. a writer and a reader, so I decided to spend two separate days.
Day 1: I intended to meet Indie publishers as I wanted to understand the nuances of self-publishing. I managed to meet around 10-odd publishers and discuss their working models. As I have begun to understand the process, I thought of sharing some insights and tips (included in today’s issue of Blissed).
Day 2: I kept this day only for immersing in the sea of books. At book fair, one is spoilt for choices. Although I wasn’t specifically looking at any specific genre, I certainly found myself hopping back into the poetry section somehow. (More about this in the next post - Part 2)
Takeaways from the Book fair (Day-1)
The indie-publishers are usually looking for authors in a variety of genres rather than sticking to a niche. It gives their publishing house a larger platform to experiment and a more extensive catalogue to flaunt.
While looking for publishers it’s a good idea to check out their websites to see the lineup of books previously published and how they performed.
It was intriguing to know that most of them had similar marketing plans while being closely priced (I believe that was to ensure survival in the harsh competition)
What varied was the quality of the final product (ie. look and feel of the book), visibility of the publishing platform and the additional features they offer to the authors to ensure that the publishing process is a smooth sail.
It is very much possible to negotiate with them as there exists a fierce competition in the publishing business. Everyone wishes to get hang of as many indie authors as possible. So in case one is looking for self-publishing their book, good negotiation should be one the list of your skillset.
Getting a book is no more than only writing but a different ball game altogether. Other than writing the book well, the author needs to advertise it to ensure it reaches the right set of audience in the sea of books. It means reaching the correct people through social media platforms, word-of-mouth, collaborations etc. Basically, any possible way which allows one to interact with their audience to gain more visibility. The idea is to scream - ‘I exist’.
Will try and share whatever tips and learnings I gain from the self-publishing process. So stay tuned for more!
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Till next time — Stay Blissed !
(Blissed is a reader-supported publication, for the ones who are looking for discussions on personal growth, cities & culture and modern parenting through the lens of sensitivity and rationality. I write some soulful poetry too! To support my publication consider upgrading to paid, as all my work is a result of sheer passion and thus some teeny-tiny funding will only encourage me to write more soulful content)
Very useful information and such insightful tips . Thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing all your learnings. Best wishes ✨ Only love 💞