Page 30 - Seniorstoday November 2022 Issue
P. 30

Spotlight
































         Publish-it-Yourself





         Self-publishing or vanity publishing is now an accepted norm in the world of
         authors. It is also an ideal solution for those who want to see their writings in
         book form, writes RV Rajan

         Publishers are generally not interested           me to self-finance my autobiography and
         in encouraging new writers unless they            wanted Rs 1,00,000 for printing 1000
         are celebrities or well known for their           copies. He promised to give me 500 books
         subject specialisation. Many of the famous        to sell myself and on the balance that he
         writers of today had to face rejection by         sold through his distribution network, he
         several publishers before their first book        promised me a royalty.
         got accepted. I had some experience with           The concept of digital printing and print
         this when I wanted to publish my first            on demand was yet to make its appearance
         book- my autobiography in 2009 which              then. Being an impatient man I agreed to the
         I wrote post retirement Two Chennai-              terms and within six months the book was
         based publishers were interested but              ready featuring my cartoon by legendary
         were not giving me a firm commitment.             cartoonist R.K.Lakshman on the cover. I
         In the meanwhile, my good friend                  had a dream launch of the book at a meeting
         Srinivasamurthy of Productivity & Quality         of the Rural Marketing Association of
         Publishing, specialising in management            India (of which I was a Founder President)
         books offered to help me provided I               where I was being given the Life Time
         promised him a book on Rural Marketing            Achievement Award by the association.
         (my area of specialisation then) which            The two-in-one function held in Chennai
         he would publish. He however wanted               with a packed audience consisting of


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