Education
JLF brings youth’s favourite authors under one roof
The session of the authors known to have a huge fan following amongst the youth was a huge hit and saw a large number of footfalls, mostly the youth.
Zee Jaipur Literature Festival, a soul refreshing experience for avid readers, today had in presence Ravi Subramanian, Anuja Chauhan, Ravinder Singh in conversation with Arjun Singh. The session of the authors, each of whom have a huge fan-following among the youth, was a major hit and saw a large number of footfalls, mostly the youth.
The authors got together to discuss The Craft of the Bestseller, inspiring the youth, showing them a path towards bestsellers.
The session was hosted by Jai Arjun Singh, who threw various questions at the others. If you missed hearing your favorite author … no worries, we have a snippet for you.
Jai Arjun: What According to you, is a bestseller?
Ravinder: Best seller is a vague term for me. If a benchmark is being set for a bestseller then the book might touch that mark in many years. And for a book to be a bestseller there are other deciding factors also, like debut author, cost and ofcorse the time factor.
For me … bestseller is a book that is sold on traffic signals and even the pirated copies are in demand.
Ravi : I was told by a publisher that if 2000 books are sold and goes for reprint then consider yourself successful author.
Cracking a joke, Anuja Chauhan replied saying, that if someone at a social gathering or wedding asks you what you do and you reply them that I am an author and asks your book name but still doesn’t recognize you than that means you are not the author of bestseller.
Hearing Anuja Chauhan’s answer everybody broke into laughter, the youth thoroughly loved the way their favorites took a jib.
Jai Arjun: Is there any formulae for bestseller?
Ravi: No.
But once a book of yours is hit … readers will follow them. Those authors who are successful are successful because they have their own style, own thoughts and they didn’t copy anybody. And if your earlier book wasn’t a bestseller don’t copy anybody else … write what your heart feels like.
Jai Arjun: Anuja do you agree that once a book is hit, success follows? Don’t you think each book is a new struggle?
Anuja: Yes … for me each book is a new struggle. And if the first one is a hit, then you are rather more burdened as you now have expectations laden on your shoulders. First novel is always the purest one.
‘Purest’ … this word reminded us of Ravinder Singh’s first novel, which was purely a dedication to his deceased girlfriend… and here was Ravin, as his Girlfriend called him speaking his heart out.
Ravinder: I became an author by chance, before my first book I hadn’t read any of the book, today I am an author by choice. I have immortalized a love story … one day when I am gone people will still be picking up by book and reading it.
Everybody’s favorite author was received by much applauds from every hook and corner of the Charbagh.
Jai Arjun: Since you were not into reading, what was the logic behind that people will read you?
Ravinder: I grew up in a small town of Burla where we didn’t have access to books, so I wasn’t into the habit of reading, though I read newspapers on a daily basis.
Other than that when I started to write I just wanted to share my grief with people outside my family. In my mind, I just had 100-150 people to read my book.
The session also talked about how the authors even have to market their books to be brought them into light so when the session ended one of the aspiring author among the audience asked that should the new authors also focus on marketing?
Ravi: If you are writing a good book then why not market it to make it reach out to others.
Photo courtsey: Penguin India