Want to learn how to navigate the world of publishing? Attend this session in Mumbai

Rahul Saini at a previous readers’ meet

The pen might be mightier than the sword, but there's a stronger force that has fascinated, confused and baffled young writers for ages - publishing. "Writing an excellent manuscript is a job half done. Navigating the world of publishing - from choosing the publisher to marketing it to reach your audience - is the greater task," shares author and poet Ashwini Sannake. This weekend, Sannake will join others like her who have made it out the other end of the maze to share her learnings with beginners.

At the two-hour-long interaction, questions are bound to flood in from the curious audience members. Fortunately, Sannake knows what she's signing up for. "The question that I get most frequently is how I took the first step towards putting my book out there," she shares. The answer, the author believes, is in the question itself. "Self-doubt ends up killing more ideas than choosing the wrong publisher ever can. No one can help you take the leap unless you're ready for it."

A moment from a writing workshop

Rahul Saini, organiser and founder of Paperback Talks, the hosts for the evening, believes the doubt stems from the absence of a strong community to find encouragement in. "There exist readers' clubs and communities in every neighbourhood of Mumbai today. Each of these readers has a writer in them that eventually shines through. But when the time to seek guidance comes, there's no one stop solution in place," he sighs. To that end, Saini has curated authors from varying genres like fantasy, sci-fi, non-fiction and poetry for the event.

As much as a community might help you, Sannake believes we must address the elephant in the room - finances. "Whether you will make money, break even, or go home with a gaping hole in your pockets is naturally a big concern. At the session, we will reveal the figures behind the process without mincing our words, or rather numbers," she assures us. Participants will learn about new self-publishing platforms that can help them publish a book for as low as R15 thousand, for a compact paperback version.

Ashwini Sannake

Saini, who has spent three years networking with authors through community events, sees a new trend emerging that is pushing writers to moonlight as content creators to spread the word. "It's more concerning than exciting. Building your personal brand seems to have taken precedence over writing consistently. You'll find some popular names today who started off as authors but now make social media content and write as a hobby," he laughs, adding that the session will help beginners strike the right balance.

Sannake leaves with an afterword for aspiring authors. "As much as you try to tick off all the boxes, chances are your first book won't do as well as you expected. Months before my first release, this fear took over me as well. At the end of the day, you cannot control who reads your book. You might write a title for children and find admirers in their parents. However, as long as even a single reader is moved by your writing, you must consider the job done well," she signs off.

ON September 22; 4 pm
AT Iteeha Coffee, behind Famous Studios, Mahalaxmi.
LOG ON TO @paperbacktalks on Instagram (to register)
ENTRY Rs 300 onwards