HYDERABAD: What if a book starts off with the words: “Sincere thanks to all the publishers who rejected my previous (including this one) manuscripts. Rejection is the reason behind the creation of this book.... I submitted my manuscript. Publishers rejected it. Each time, every time. Pages have been intentionally left blank. Utilise them at your convenience...” This is how author Gaurav Sharma’s new book titled “The Indian Story of An Author - The bitter reality of the publishing World” reads.
“I authored a semi-autobiographical fiction, Gone are the Days in 2016. The book was well received in Indian media. My next novels would be a series of two books, God of the Sullied and Long Live the Sullied respectively. This book that you are reading now was created out of exasperation I went through while pitching God of the Sullied to Indian publishers. Some might judge this book as a farce while others can see it as a literary symbol of bitter reality of publishing world and a strong message to upcoming authors. Whatsoever this book may be deemed as, it’s one of a kind to own,” he states.
The Canada-based author says the book is a symbolical message that authors don’t get to publish their books in india easily,” he says. This one faced “three rejections and the reason why I wrote it was another book God of the Sullied. This one is still not accepted. It has faced more than 50 rejections,” he adds. Before writing novels, this New Delhi-born author has written three textbooks. Gaurav believes that quirky experiments can often catch one’s attention. “I think my book would have got published had I tried romance,” he says. Gaurav says that he felt it was good to channelise his anger and frustration into writing, his first love since childhood. The 100-page book is published by Think Tank Books and available online for `100.
— Manju Latha Kalanidhi
kalanidhi@newindianexpress.com
@mkalanidhi