Hi everyone, today we have a guest post by the talented and the famous mom blogger – Anupama Dalmia. I’m sure you have heard her name in the blogging world. She shares about her book “Aarohi” got done in one day, and also the benefits of self-publishing.
Get to know Anupama a little more
A lot of people around me say that they are proud of me because I relentlessly pursued my multiple interests and made my passion my profession. While this is largely true, I feel that in case of writing it was the other way round. I kept denying, but it kept following me. The more I pulled away from it, the more it kept alluring me towards it. All this, until I finally gave in and submitted myself wholly to this art form which utterly altered the course of my life.
How It All Happened
I cannot pinpoint the exact reason for my trying to escape from it but I think somewhere, I was probably not able to embrace my own expression. There were doubts aplenty. There was a lack of self-belief which is not the usual me. Also, I have always maintained that unlike many, the process of creative writing is not completely therapeutic for me. It is consuming, sometimes even arduous and overwhelming. But, gradually my pen has become a part of me I cannot do without. My words have become my identity. I have realized writing is what gives me a superpower – that of being able to touch lives in any corner of the world.
Becoming an author
Being a professional blogger bestowed a lot on me but as a writer, I harboured that one dream – to be a published author one day. You know how we imagine it to be – the smell of the first book, an exciting book launch and the entire hullabaloo associated with it. And then, one fine day I became an author by chance – well, technically though I still don’t feel like one. Amazon was running a wonderful contest in collaboration with Hindu as a part of which we were supposed to self-publish a novella using Amazon KDP. Somehow, I was not really able to take out time to participate due to other commitments but just a couple of days before the last date, I decided that I should not let go of such a wonderful opportunity to pen a tale, the basic premise of which had been hovering over my head since a while.
It’s All In The Mind
But, the odds weren’t in my favour. Time Crunch. A sick toddler. Creative Writing Classes. Would I be able to meet the deadline amidst all this, I wondered. But, I had to do what I had to do. And then started the marathon. I scribbled close to 5k words in a single day, which was a first for me. Even today, I cannot explain how I managed to achieve this feat. It seems surreal at times. But, as they say, it’s all in the mind and it was that determination which made this happen.
[Tweet “I scribbled close to 5k words in a single day, which was a first for me. Even today, I cannot explain how I managed to achieve this feat @Anupama_Dalmia”]
But, even till then “Aarohi” for me was just a contest entry which I submitted according to the Amazon guidelines. It is only when it went live and people started congratulating me for my “first” book did I realize that I had become an author along the way without even realizing it. Reviews began pouring in from all over very soon and I am grateful to everyone who took out time to read the novella. Till date, the overall response to the book has been fulfilling, encouraging and overwhelming. “Aarohi” has been featured in the Goodreads list of “Best Kindle Unlimited picks for Indian Readers – 2018” at the 3rd position. It has also been featured by Women’s Web among the “9 new, short Kindle reads by Indian Women Authors for that quick weekend pick”-Download Aarohi now
What Are The Advantages Of Self-publishing
Amazon KDP has changed the scenario for writers in multifarious ways and personally, I feel it has opened up more avenues for us. This route has its own pros and cons but overall, I’m quite positive about the future of self-publishing.
Based on my own experience, I see the following advantages with self-publishing:
Complete control and tracking
The best thing about self-publishing using Amazon KDP is that one has complete control and transparency. You don’t have to rely on what a “publisher” tells you because you can track the sales and all other key statistics related to your book in your profile. There is no scope of misinformation here and you see the situation exactly like it is.
Earnings are mine
I am glad that I only need to pay the royalty to Amazon and do not have to share a chunk of the remaining amount with a publication house. The earnings are all mine and there are no hassles of a contract.
E-book market does exist
Many people feel that the e-book market is minuscule and hence, self-publishing on Kindle would not get one a wide reach. While it is true that the e-book market is still evolving and there are people who prefer the traditional paperback, there is a large section of readers who prefer reading on the go. E-books are definitely a good bet and are here to stay! I personally can vouch for this based on the sales figure for “Aarohi”. Good content, of course, is key here.
Creative freedom and responsibility
A major benefit of self-publishing is that you are the boss and you can take creative decisions for your book. You have creative freedom and don’t need to worry about being bound by the agenda or obligations of a publication house. It is a liberating feeling when you know you are the one who is completely responsible for your book, whatever is the outcome.
Undoubtedly, the marketing and distribution of a book and the investment one might have to make is a challenge when it comes to self-publishing, but this is a worthy option to be considered depending on what a writer is expecting out of the book in question.
About Anupama
Anupama Dalmia holds a degree in MBA (Systems and Finance) and B.E. (Computer Science). After having a lucrative career in IT for 6.5 years, she resigned to pursue her passion in the creative field. She is a multiple award-winning blogger and author whose work has been published in various coveted magazines and platforms like Women’s Era, Women’s Web, Momspresso, eFiction India, Youth ki Awaaz, Readomania, SheThePeople TV, etc. To know more about her and her accomplishments, you can visit her author website – http://anupamadalmia.com
