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Sometime after I quit my job
with the Oxford Bookstore, I
was approached by Mr. Abbas Kazerooni, an American of
Iranian descent and author of `Little Man', who was looking for an Indian
publisher for his second novel. I was taken aback, and my immediate
response was, "Are you sure about an Indian publisher?" He replied, "Yes,
I am positive." Surprised as I was, I started researching publishers on
the web and consulted a few other friends in the book publishing
industry. Having worked at a bookstore, I was already quite familiar with
the retailing aspect. My interest was in understanding the supply chain of
the book publishing industry, and my journey towards this goal
began here.
Mr. Kazerooni sent me a copy of his manuscript to be forwarded to
the publishers. I had previously read his first book and it was a very
moving and inspiring.
The journey of finding the right publisher is a strenuous one.
The odds of getting published with a reputable publishing house in
India are very low. This led me to wonder why Indian publishers are
reluctant with some authors and bold with some others. Don't they think that
every book deserves a fair chance? The publishers
are anyway gambling with every book. They are staking
their money, effort and reputation, hoping that it pays off.
Mr. Kazerooni published his first book and made
acquaintances with a few American publishers. He now wanted to
approach Indian publishers directly, and using an agent was his last resort. So,
there hung a post-it on my refrigerator, "Find a publisher." |
