According to Ashwin
HYDERABAD: After multiple rejections, with publishers citing “a convoluted storyline”, the self-published The Rozabal Line by Shawn Haigins (anagram of Ashwin Sanghi) finally hit bookstores in 2006. The book, along with Amish Tripathi’s series, was soon to lead the wave of historical fiction in the country after being picked up by Tata-Westland. Three bestselling novels later, Sanghi’s much-awaited collaboration with acclaimed author James Patterson, Private India, follows the adage of less is more.
“There are some chapters in this book that are just about a paragraph long. It stems from the Patterson style of saying absolutely nothing that does not advance the plot,” he says. Collaborations between artistes can have their exhausting moments and creative differences, but Sanghi assures it was a seamless process. “James provided a guideline as well as an existing set of international characters that need to be woven into the story. Using his guideline, I developed the plot outline and we divided the drafts between us,” he explains. Even as Sanghi considers self-publishing a boon, he cautions, “Not all books sell, and not all sell the same volume. If you get published, advances and royalties vary wildly. Plus, book prices are very low and the vast majority of books sell fewer than 5,000 copies. Do the math. It’s rather depressing. Don’t quit your day job,” he advises.