Adventures of a Writer

Welcome to Week U of Authors' Tips - A to Z of Writing.  If this is the first time you're visiting this series, here's a quick recap: Authors share their tips on writing fiction and each week we talk about various aspects of writing. This week, I focus on Understanding the Business of Writing. Read on... and don't forget to share your thoughts in the comment box. Get this straight all you aspiring writers. Writing is a business. For those who think it's your passion that fuels your writing and will do so for the next 5,10 or 15 years... here's a little reality check. Two years after you have poured your blood, sweat and tears into your debut fiction novel and found no publisher wanting to publish it, the passion will shrivel up and die very soon. Sure, you might be the one-in-a-million breakthrough writer to find a publisher who is willing to sign you up for a three-series book deal and a six figure advance. A second scenario, and a more li...

Have you ever met an author who doesn't want her book read? Neither have I. When readers leave a review for the book that they have read -- be it on Amazon , Goodreads , or their own blogs -- they spread the word about it. As Tim O'Reilly famously says, "Obscurity is a greater threat to authors than piracy." Sites like NetGalley offer a great opportunity for authors to find readers and conversely, for readers to discover new authors and books. While publishers/authors have to pay a subscription fee to NetGalley, readers and bloggers can read books for free in exchange for putting up a review. It also takes away the problematic issue of vetting every review request. I seriously wish there was such a site for Indian books. Here are some ways to engage with readers and reviewers.  Goodreads - Putting up a book on Goodreads and getting marked as "want to read" spreads the word about the book. Those who have physical copies of their books to offer al...