Most published authors remember their days of struggle but very few do something to ensure that other first-timers don’t have to suffer equally. Bestselling author Ravinder Singh belongs to the latter category.
Why did you think of publishing a crowd-sourced anthology?
With my publishing venture, Black Ink, I want to help debutant authors and save them from the struggle I went through for my first book. A lot of people I met during my book promotions expressed a desire to turn their stories into books but said they did not know how to go about it. This triggered off the idea of inviting people to share their love stories. We received over 4,500 entries for the first anthology, and chose 25 from them. The first two anthologies—Love stories That Touched My Heart and Tell Me A Story—have been huge hits, selling over a lakh copies each.
How does one market a book and find readers?
If readers are able to relate to characters, the book is sure to sell. It just needs to pique one’s interest. A book should be able to make readers curious about its end. Today, marketing may have become an integral part of a book’s journey but it is word of mouth that makes a book a hit. At the end of the day, the story is what matters.
How has book promotion changed over the years?
Marketing has reinvented itself. There are video releases of a book, social media promotions and literary fests like the Odisha Literary Festival. I feel the author community is missing out on television unlike films that are promoted heavily on TV.
Tell us about a crazy fan moment.
I don’t know about a crazy fan moment but there is a sweet memory I can share with you. I met a couple once who told me they’d have named their baby Ravin after the character from my first book, I Too Had A Love Story because the wife had a huge crush on me.