Parul Agrawal

What do you think are the best features of self-publishing and how is it different from traditional publishing in terms of marketing a book?

Self-Publishing has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years. I would say the biggest advantage of self-publishing is the author’s ability to publish the book as and when needed. I work with authors who are entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, speakers. etc. and have a very timely message to share with the world. If they wait for the traditional publishing route then by the time their book releases, the message becomes obsolete. On the other hand, a self-published book might miss on the distribution network that a traditional publishing house offers. Also, authors published by a traditional publishing house are perceived as more serious authors. At the end of the day, both routes are great and the direction an author must go is based on their goals and what they wish to achieve with the book.

With years of experience in the book industry, we are curious to know what are the changes you have noticed in recent 4-5 years due to rapid growth in technology?

The biggest change is “no limits and no boundaries.” Today an author might be residing in a small village in Africa but has the same capability of reaching a reader based all across the globe that an established author has. Gone are the days when an author had to travel from store to store and knock on every door to promote his/her book. With the right marketing strategy and correct use of social media, the sky is the limit for today’s authors.

Sharing stories is a platform for budding writers and authors and we would like to receive some key points and tips for publishing, marketing, and sales for a beginner from you.

My biggest advice to all new authors is – change your mindset – write the book for the love of writing, write the book because you want to share your message with the world, write your book because it’s healing and therapeutic to you. Don’t get into the rat race of overnight success. Work on writing a good book that you are proud of, hire a good editor, have an attractive cover, and build your author platform. Always strive to strike a chord with your ideal readers and offer them value be it in terms of advice or entertainment. Once your reader knows that you really care for them, there will be no stopping you from gaining success as an author.

What do you think Indian writers and publishers need to change in order to compete with the international publishing houses at a global level? Does having a professional literary agent help in increasing the visibility of a book?

Teamwork makes dream works. The more people we have to support us in our author journey, the better it is for us, be it literary agents, editors, social media managers, or beta readers. Every piece of the puzzle is important when we are trying to serve our readers. I firmly believe publishers whether from India or any other part of the world should truly work in the best interest of the author and serve them to the best of their abilities.

Should an author stick to his/her style and genre or follow the market trend while conceptualizing a book?

Be authentically YOU! Trends come and go, but your originality will stay with you forever. There is no harm in experimenting. If you want to go out of your genre for a book then go for it. Believe in MAGIC and do what brings you JOY!

At Sharing Stories, we have an ongoing campaign ‘Empowering Our Kids’ where we are trying to encourage and inculcate reading habits from a young age. We are trying to pick up 20 to 30 must-read books for children and try to make them available at our library in Jaipur, also take this initiative across the globe. Please suggest some books which you think every child should read before the age of 15 (mostly the character-defining age).

Every child is different and we as parents/caregivers should help them inculcate the love for reading rather than forcing them to read something that we think is good for them. My ten-year-old loves reading about geography and ancient history while my 3-year old loves to read Peppa Pig and princess books. If I had to pick my all-time favorite then I would go with Dr. Seuss and Ruskin Bond always.