Frederick Noronha
If you have something to say, or rather, something to write, you often end up wondering how to get your work published. It can seem like a daunting task. This is true whether it is a brief letter-to-the-editor, an article, a longer comment piece, a feature, or a book. Yet, actually, getting into print might not be as difficult as it seems.
At the same time, you can hit quite a few road-blocks too.
For no fault of your own, the work might seem to face resistance in getting published. Apart from poor writing (one of the factors, but not the only one), there are other reasons why this happens. It could be that your work doesn’t fit into one of the newspaper slots (sections) where space is available. Your views may not be deemed fit by a particular publication. It may not make economic sense to be published as a book. What you’re writing about isn’t what the publication is interested in. And so on.
But, in the case of bringing out a book, the challenges seem more stiff. With a reason. Books involve a bigger job, it means more hard work, and investing too. Even if you know the technical sides of the task, selling a book after it has been printed can be a real challenge as well.
To continue with last week’s discussion, this time let’s look at some other dynamics involved with getting into print.
Technology, and economics too, have made it easier now (compared to earlier) to craft and publish a book. But what this doesn’t help you with is getting your book into the market, and making sure that it gets read (and sold).
Goa has very limited book distribution channels. Here, there’s next to nobody like a ‘book distributor’, who will take on the job of ensuring that your work reaches many outlets. Actually, if you print your own book, you would need to distribute it to different bookshops within the state. Or even sell it, maybe using the
postal system.
Incidentally, the India Post network recently scrapped its special ‘printed matter–printed book only’ subsidised postal rates which were available for books. This was quite a useful, helpful, and inexpensive service. It’s sad that it was done away with.
In theory, there are many routes through which you can get a book published. You could self-publish, by approaching a printer. There are also online and other services, which will charge you for the services they offer. They can create your book, but they won’t guarantee that it will sell. As one writer said recently, he realised he was paying for a lot, but getting few returns.
Another route is to go in search of an agent. Literary agents will promote your work, if they accept it. There’s a big ‘if’ here too, because they are choosy in what they accept. They will take a decision based on what they believe will sell.
But, since they are well connected with the publishing world, sometimes with big publishing labels, they will work hard to ‘place’ your work, once they agree to. They charge a certain percentage of what you earn (usually around 15%). So, they make sure you get a fairly good deal, because their earnings depend on yours. But, as noted above, they will be highly selective in what they choose to promote.
For a small society like Goa, the self-publishing route also makes sense. Quite a few authors here publish their own books. If you have some skills, getting a book published is not complex. It allows you, as the author, to manage the production process, and deadlines. But you also would need to invest in the process, and be willing to sell the books.
Some writers, like the architect Gerard da Cunha, did a fine job of themselves creating space for the books they wanted to get into the market. What started as a book or two, grew into a series of fine books. Elsewhere, in a recording online, architect Gerard has shared his journey in making these books ‘happen’, struggling to raise the funds, and making these come true.
Today, Goa has a few more opportunities in getting published than earlier; but still not enough. The print-on-demand process means you could print a limited number (say even just 20, or 50) copies of your mother’s favourite recipes to gift her on an 80th birthday, and even make that into a book.
Writers in a group that this columnist is part of, were recently busy with a detailed discussion. They were looking in the pros and cons of publishing with major publishers (today mostly based in cities like Delhi), or smaller local options. One way or the other, does it matter as long as books emerge, and meet the
reader’s needs?
To be fair, both have their pros and cons. That is another debate, and a lengthy one. But the point being made here is that all small societies need to find solutions to create their own books. Whatever mix of options is tried out, it’s all fine as long as locally-relevant books are available.
Some years back, India used to point proudly to its growing book production sector, and note with satisfaction how it was growing. Since then, there have been some glitches — demonetisation, troubles in getting ISBN numbers, a hefty 18% GST on printing, a lack of government support, poor growth of libraries in Goa, and the like.
It’s the smaller parts of India which struggle to create the books they need. This is often because books from such areas do not attract a large number of buyers. Yet, these places need their books too.
Crowd-funding, crowd-sourcing and crowd-doing options here could come in useful. If readers want a book, or like an author, they will support such work.
PrintWeekIndia, a magazine focussing on this sector, argued in 2021: “It’s time books are defined as an essential commodity.”
It’s also true that books are essential for any society because they serve as a primary tool for knowledge transfer, making literacy worthwhile, promoting critical thinking, furthering cultural understanding, boosting individual growth, and ensuring historical preservation. These grey patterns on the printed page, magazine or newsprint also promote democracy and citizenship, and even economic development. It could be argued that books thus contribute to the overall development and progress of a community.
