Dorling Kindersley turns 40, Indian wing focuses on India!

For forty years, readers all over the world have relied on DK to inform, entertain, and enrich their lives. This year DK India will mark this historic birthday by launching a series of titles especially for the Indian reader. To begin with, they are targeting children and will later move on to titles for adult as well, tells Aparna Sharma, MD, DK India in conversation with Varsha Verma.DK books are already well established in the market, recognised for their high quality content and design, and it seems like the right time to build on this success of DK’s international titles to produce books with India as focus, says Aparna Sharma, MD, DK India.

About DK… 

Founded in 1974 by Christopher Dorling and Peter Kindersley as a packaging company for other publishers, DK launched its first titles in 1982 when it secured a deal to edit, design and produce a first-aid manual for voluntary aid societies in the UK. It has since grown into an internationally respected publisher of high quality, illustrated products and online resources across all areas of adult and children’s non-fiction – from natural history to travel, food and drink to family reference and even licensing books for Marvel, Lucas Film and Disney.

DK in India…then and now

In 1998, DK began operations in Delhi with a team of just 10 people. Led by Aparna Sharma, it now employs close to 300 people in its Noida office. “In the year 2000, it was taken over by Penguin but it works as an independent business while the sales and marketing is being handled by the Penguin Group. But now, since we are focusing on the Indian market, we have employed our own sales and marketing team as well,” shares Aparna.

“We are now growing and understanding India and are coming up with specific titles for India, which are either made specifically for India or are adapted for it,” she adds. After publishing their first local title last year Young Chefs with Vikas Khanna, in 2014, DK India has released a range of titles like Children’s Eyewitness Guide to Gandhi, 100 Indians Who Made History and

Find-It Delhi, a mini travel guide/activity book for children. “All these books are written in a light manner, with lot of trivia to engage children. Our book on Gandhi is very different in the sense that we have sourced some new information and pictures, which have either never been published or are not so common,” tells Aparna.

India-focused business plans…

DK India plans to publish six to eight titles for the local market each year, with special focus on the children’s segment to start with, expanding into new and emerging areas like lifestyle. “We are focused on children in a measured way. When we say children, we mean the age group of eight plus as this is a big area and children in this age group need to learn a lot. We will also come up with workbooks, reads, etc, as it will be an ages and stages programme, for which we are also partnering with licensors in UK and US. And we will always keep the curriculum in mind and use the right choice of words and number of words as per the age group,” explains Aparna.

“From time to time, we will take feedback from our distributors and customers and then build on the programme,” she shares. “We will later diversify into adult titles like lifestyle, general interest, cookery, gardening, sports, health, travel, natural history, birds of India, etc,” reveals Aparna.

DK India will also continue to play a key role in the company’s expanded global range of digital products that repurpose print content into new and emerging web-based, tablet-based, and mobile-based platforms.

“Other plans include the launch of an online knowledge website for children, scheduled for later this year. The website will support learning in home and school by covering every key subject area from Science to History. The roll-out will involve engaging with schools and students through quizes using DK content,” shares Aparna.

Custom publishing…

And DK India has other plans too…they are also eyeing different avenues and focusing on the bespoke publishing or the custom publishing for distribution or own use. “Almost 95 percent of own content is DK-owned, hence we have a vast depository of content, which we can use and give away for segments like tourism, medicine, wine-tasting, cheese-tasting, etc.” embarks Aparna.

On talent…

“There is lot of talent available in India but exposure is not much. They do not know how to stretch their boundaries of creativity while focusing on the information. Sometimes, the exposure to subject is not there. We keep training our team at DK Academy as an ongoing process. Our colleagues from UK are also engaged in this extensively,” tells Aparna.

Celebrating 40th anniversary…

DK India has always been committed to its green initiatives such as judicious re-use of paper, by encouraging practices such as double-sided printing and using recycled notebooks. “As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations to communities across the globe, DK India has planned to inculcate a tradition of caring for and enriching the quality of lives of the communities where their staff stay and work in. DK will work with local charities to help raise funds, spread awareness and allow staff to volunteer their time,” tells Aparna.

Future plans…

“For the next three years, we will put in our energies and see the impact in the local publishing segment. We have come up with a special pricing for the Indian market, which is 20-30% cheaper and most of the books would be priced between Rs 200-500, which is quite competitive and affordable. These books are produced without compromising on quality in content, paper, printing or the ethical values. We work with empanelled printers who use renewable sources,” tells Aparna.

“There is a lot of clutter in the children publishing segment but DK wants to stay distinct and be valued for its quality product,” concludes Aparna.

“Great books are always rewritten”

“Great books are always rewritten” 

A message to all Asian authors from Nury Vittachi, in conversation with Varsha Verma. 

Nury Vittachi is a journalist and author based in Hong Kong. His columns are published daily, weekly in a variety of newspapers in Asia as well as on his website. He is best known for the comedy-crime novel series The Feng Shui Detective, published in many languages around the world, but he has also written non-fiction works and novels for children. He is also known for his role in founding the Asia Literary Review, the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, the Man Asian Literary Prize, and was the chairman of the judges of the inaugural Australia-Asia Literary Award in 2008, where he shares more about his love for books and the pleasure of being a judge for literary prizes. 

Being a judge to many literary awards for more than a decade, what are the basic attributes he keeps in mind? “It is tough being a judge as every book is unique. Every organisation has their longlist and they have some key elements on which a book has to be judged, but I personally, do not go by those elements alone but love the enchantment and the magic in a book which makes you forget the world,” he replied. “We are soon launching a World’s Readers Awards in November in Hong Kong to honour the best book written in the world, which is dominated by Asia,” he informed. “Asians are becoming more and more assertive. There are so many literary awards where Asian authors cannot participate. It is ironical that the maximum numbers of internationally successful books are from West while the bulk of audience is in the East. The Asian book industry is growing. Hence, it is important to have an award where Asian writers can compete,” he told. 

On asking about the standards of Asian authors, Nury replied, “Asian authors complain too much about the lack of good editors, agents and distributors. What is important is to write a fantastic book and all things will appear on their own. Asian writers are not very ambitious and they are not very keen on taking creative risk. In the west, authors take at least a year or two to complete one book and do 4-5 revisions before submitting it to the publisher. Great books are always rewritten.” 

As a message to Asian authors, he concluded, “The world is ready for you to write great books.”

“Religious books revere India's spiritual heritage and preserve the culture”

–says Brahmanathaswami, Kauai's Hindu Monastery, 

Himalayan Academy Publications, in conversation with Varsha Verma.

Kauai's Hindu Monastery is located on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Here, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and 20 monks carry on the tradition and mission of an ancient Hindu lineage. The center in Hawaii is the international head-quarters for those who are closely associated with this spiritual lineage. Here, Brahmanathaswami, Kauai's Hindu Monastery, Himalayan Academy Publications, Kapaa, HI shares more on religious books and their impact on readers.

ABP: Why are books on the philosophies and meditation techniques of spiritual gurus, general religion, self-help guides and Indian mythology fetching brisk business these days?

Brahmanathaswami: Once the glamour of wealth, money and the things that money can buy wears off, at the end of the day the innate drive of the soul, the Atman is there regardless of a person's circumstances. That drive is ever onward through the cycles of reincarnation to find and become one with Shiva, Para Brahmin. Whether you know this consciously or not, whatever terms or labels you may give, the path of San Marga, the straight path to God is something every soul tries to find, sooner or later.

In a newly emerging middle class India where Hindu philosophy is the underlying though process of a nation, where the fascination with technology and money is wearing off, then it is a short step onto the spiritual path/search. As a youth you may be very ambitious, but after one or two years in the technology sector, you may find it doesn't bring the happiness you thought it would. Sure, you may have cash in your pocket now, but money doesn't bring peace.

In other areas of the world where youth have not been exposed to affluence, the focus may be more on career. So the market is really not that big except in some sectors. For Himalayan Academy Publications, we don't see a huge growth, but a steady sales year after year that reflects the niche market we serve that is pretty much always there in each new generation of readers.

ABP: How are new age gurus different from older ones? 

Brahmanathaswami: There is one class of "new age gurus" who peddle themselves as "God Men" where they make a particular personality the center of focus for those who become "followers." They try to be universalists and "transcend religion" but they are just re-packaging the ancient teachings of Hindu sages and scriptures in a new language.

Then there are books by the more traditional Gurus who put the perennial teachings into new packages so to speak, but do not promote themselves personally. Our own books are of this genre: we teach traditional Saivite Hinduism and Hindu Basics.

ABP: Tell us more about your publishing house? 

Brahmanathaswami: Our work is solidly rooted in the Vedic tradition and Saiva Agamas as preserved by the Kailasa Paramapara. Himalayan Academy Publications bring the classic wisdom of Hinduism to the 21st century in modern English. The presentations are done in ways that make the ancient teachings of the Vedas and Agamas digestible. We do not present any new age philosophy as such. So for those who revere India's spiritual heritage, want to preserve the culture, and yet find ways to understand and integrate this in your life today, our publications have a big appeal. Some of our bestsellers include Loving Ganesha, Dancing with Siva, Living with Siva, Merging with Siva. Lemurian Scrolls is also a popular book... but of a different genre.

Our authors include Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (now deceased) and Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami (current Mathadeepati of our lineage).

ABP: In general who are the target audience? 

Brahmanathaswami: Hindus who have left India, whose first language is now English, are the main buyers of these books. Western yoga practitioners who have finally woken up to the fact that yoga is, and always has been, a Hindu practice leading to God Realization and part of a larger religious and philosophical context. Sage Patanjali, for example, would go to the temple every day... So when these yoga practioners start to yearn for a more complete religious cultural life, family and community, our books provide a gate way for them to learn about and finally fully become Hindus.

ABP: How important is production quality for such books? 

Brahmanathaswami: Production values are very important for Himalayan Academy Publications. Our books are top notch in quality. That said, "pulp paper" may also work for the publisher who has good avenues to markets where low prices are important. I don't think it is an "either or" equation.

ABP: Are they gaining popularity amongst youngsters? 

Brahmanathaswami: Not really at this time. While we offer free ebooks, youngsters are looking for a more novel form of presentation, video, audio, apps. We hope to start developing these as time goes on.

ABP: In today’s e-world, do you envisage a successful future for printed books? Why/Why not? 

Brahmanathaswami: There will always be a place for printed books because not everyone, today, or tomorrow, wants to sit in front of a screen or read things on a little device. The success of the publisher who depends on print media will depend on his ability to manage capital investment for printing books, marketing and keeping cash equity locked up in unsold inventory as against the revenue stream for selling books to those who still want a physical printed volume. If you measure success by modern standards of continuing growth and volume then probably this kind of success is not an option. If you measure success by the ability to stay in business, then that is certainly possible, provided you have the capacity for continued production of a diversity of new titles while having the fiscal management skills to stay in the black.

From ready-to-print files to e-publishing!

–Pre-media service providers across the country are offering high-quality pre-media services to publishers across the globe. Varsha Verma shares more on this industry segment and trends within.Pre-media is the term that is used in the design, creative and publishing industries for the processes and procedures that occur between the conception of original artwork and the manufacturing of final output channel. It is a process that combines creative art and technology to communicate the final message to a consumer. 

A lot of pre-media service providers in India have emerged due to good quality, timely delivery and of course low rates. These pre-media service providers offer and supply ready-to-publish files developed on industry-standard software, delivered on the platform of choice and ensuring that the client’s requirements are met. 

These service providers also work on e-books, e-learning solutions, etc. On an average e-books are 30 percent of revenues from developed markets and are forecasted to be 10 percent of revenues in developing markets like India with the growth anticipated to be three-fold. There are early signs that e-books are going to make a big impact in the Indian sub-continent in the coming years. Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce company and BookGanga have already ventured into e-book infrastructure space, selling e-books in India. Penguin India has also released e-books by Indian authors. Readers in India can purchase e-books from any of these retailers at international prices – Amazon, Apple, Kobo and Google, Gardners, Sony, OLF, Apabi, Go Spoken/Mobcast, OverDrive, eBooks.com, IGroup and Baker & Taylor. 

By 2015, Asia will account for the second highest e-learning expenditures after North America which has till now shown a growth rate of around 10 percent in this segment. In India, the e-learning market is growing at a rate of almost 20 percent. Higher education e-learning is major market revenue generator in e-learning industry today. Right from playschools to universities, everybody is trying to compliment their traditional classroom training with some sort of e-learning courses as well. However not all schools and colleges are open to this technology yet. Some have opted for hybrid learning which includes use of AV and laptops in classrooms with some online learning. 

This has opened up new avenues for publishers who, in turn, are utilising the services of such pre-media service providers, instead of investing on their own in this field. In fact, India is a hub for such pre-media services and almost every other such service provider is working for global companies. 

What makes India a preferred destination? What is the total expanse of this business and what are the opportunities and challenges in this segment, finds out Varsha Verma. 

Publishing industry today… 

“Growth in digital media has revolutionised the world and of course the publishing industry. Authors looking for publishers now have the option of self publishing. The publishing industry is experiencing a paradigm shift. The recent statistics related to digital books sale and purchase, e-readers, tablets and e-book lending, etc. reveal that there is a boom in the e-books domain. The rise in the sale of e-books is having a dramatic effect on the sale of print books,” tells Nitasha Malhotra, e-sales and marketing manager, Realty Pre-Media Service Pvt Ltd, Pune. Headquartered in Pune, India, their core focus has been in pre-media services, e-books, design and digitisation services. Established in the year 1997, they currently have around 120+ employees. 

Pros and cons of going digital…. 

“E-book sales do not involve any overhead cost to the publishers/authors as compared to the print books which involve cost of printing, binding, storing and distribution. Another added advantage is the possibility to add interactivity in the digital version of the books and make reading more engaging for the readers. E-books run over variety of devices – tablets, mobiles, e-readers, etc. Tablet devices (iPad, Kindle Fire, Galaxy Tab) have played a vital role in interactive children e-books,” shared Nitasha. 

Many publishers are struggling with adopting new processes that fit with their existing processes and deliverables. “Content is now available in many different formats, depending on publisher uptake of new technologies. Customers are confused about why they can’t get the content they want in all the ways they want it. The publishing industry is at an inflection point and most publishers seem to be looking to the market to make a strong direct statement about the direction they should take with their products and processes instead of taking the lead,” told Ameet Chauhaan- president and CEO, vPrompt eServices, who offer enhanced, interactive e-books in English and in almost all foreign languages, besides offering services like digitisation of content-XML based solutions, pre-press or composition services for books, journals, magazines, etc. with a staff strength of 350, they work on various platforms. 

At the same time, the publishers/authors have to part with their revenue as commission to the aggregators like Apple, Amazon, etc. “These platforms not only provide them with a popular distribution channel but also provide technology that prevents unauthorised sharing, forwarding and copying of the e-book formats. Also there are some people who advocate that nothing can substitute for the look and feel and smell of a real book. And of course the digital books need a suitable device/platform for reading unlike the print book which can be read by anyone who knows the language,” said Nitasha as a matter of fact. 

Publishers on e-books… 

The publishers were initially reluctant as they were not sure of two things, whether e-books will sell? And whether the e-books will be secure and free from piracy? But now the situation has changed. “Publishers do not want to stay away from this revolution and reap the benefits of earning more revenue at low added cost. Also readers now are more interested in digital formats as the penetration of devices has increased considerably,” added Nitasha. 

“There are major disparities in how publishers are dealing with recent technology changes. Many are experimenting with new models and deliverables on a limited basis, while others are adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach and not changing much at all. In the meantime, new companies are stepping in to fill the gap between existing publishing processes and outputs with products that are born-digital,” shared Ajay Srivastava, managing director, vPrompt eServices. 

In 2013, somewhere between a fifth and a third of book publishing revenue in the US came from the sale of e-books. Till 2013, there was a growth in this number as more and more publishers were getting their backlist converted. But now this figure seems to be stagnated. Now publishers, authors, etc will not hesitate to continue experimenting with new kind of content.” The recent development in digital publishing is augmented reality for print books. By means of this technology, one can add an amazing experience to the print books,” told Nitasha. 

E-learning: a growing segment 

E-learning as an industry is in the midst of massive growth. “With the cost of implementing e-learning tools falling and increase in demand for such courses, more and more schools, colleges, universities have added online courses and distance learning to their programmes. e-learning has led to development of classes without boundaries and walls. The students are benefited as the cost of such programmes is considerably low. At the same time, the lecturers, presenters, etc are also compensated for their knowledge and skills due to large participation. Use of videos, audios, animations make learning fun and effective for the students,” shared Nitasha. 

Publishers have also taken advantage of this new trend and are getting their education content adapted/developed to suit this trend. Due to the limited knowledge regarding the array of features and formats available in digital publishing, publishers need the services of some specialised digital solution providers and consultants. 

Standing out from the crowd… 

But the question is - how can publishers ensure that their books are discovered in the online environment where shelf space is infinite and titles huge? “A properly entered metadata helps in fruitful search of the book on popular search engines. Just converting to e-book and uploading it to stores online may not lead to its sales and popularity. One has to reach out the masses and the best way to do so is use internet to market your book(s). Use of social media marketing services in order to reach out to your target audiences helps to increase the presence and hence sales of the book. We, at Reality Pre-Media, help publishers to harness the benefits of various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and all others. We also offer SEO services to promote their website and hence their books. Use of appropriate keywords is highly recommended,” told Nitasha. 

While, T Giriraj, sr. director strategic planning, vPrompt eServices, shared, “Creating a high quality digital archive is at the top of the list. Engage a high quality content services partner who has good experience in this area. Make sure that content components are done properly (full linking for references, images that scale to work on multiple devices, charts and tables in fixed layout format to preserve context, etc). Once you have a strong set of content, then decide on a sales and delivery model, and finally, license or build tools that make the content more findable and useful. Consider adding interactivity that creates additional value for digital content.” 

Challenges faced… 

The content services industry is very competitive, with numerous new companies coming into the space, increasing operational costs for suppliers and a continued reduction in profit margins as customers look for the very best pricing. “vPrompt is coping by specialising in high quality processes and deliverables and in focusing on customer service and communication that goes beyond expectations,” told Giriraj. 

“Availability of free conversion tool and lack of awareness are the two key challenges that we face today. Many publishers believe that the freely available conversion tools should work equally for them and convert their books to e-book formats without any error. We have to educate the publishers about the shortcoming of such tools as they do not produce professional e-book formats and the styling of the book is often messed up. The e-books so produced are rejected by Apple and other platforms due to invalid characters. We, being one of the pioneers in this field, offer extremely professional service with three levels of quality assurance. 

We not just offer conversion services but act as a digital consultants for our client offering them solutions pertaining to conversion, marketing and distribution,” told Nitasha. 

Besides, there is a cut throat competition and a price war among the service providers and as everywhere the concept of ‘survival of the fittest’ hold true here also,” added Nitasha. 

Business… 

“Most of the business comes from international publishers though the domestic publishers have now started taking interest. Approximately 90 percent of our business comes from territories across the globe (excluding India) with major chunk coming from US and UK,” told Nitasha. 

Similarly, Giriraj shared that their major clients are from US, UK, and Australia. “We have started doing work on Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages apart from other languages such as Persian, Urdu and Indian languages,” he added. 

Looking ahead… 

“Though the e-book market is still in its infancy stage in India and may have some teething problems also, like low e-reader adoption and penetration rate, low internet penetration rate and e-commerce transactions (11 percent), etc. The government has plans to have the internet penetration rate of 25 percent by the end of 2015. With a huge population, a literacy rate of 75 percent and growing and a steady growth of infrastructure, domestic market of India is definitely going to be a huge digital publishing market!” shared Nitasha. 

Similar views were shared by Giriraj. “We also think that India is on the verge of digital revolution. With the availability of bandwidth, infrastructure, people are more inclined to using online e-content. This is not to say that the print publishing will go away but with the emergence of e-books, e-content, there is an increasing shift towards online content. Also the rapid growth of mobile smart phones and notebooks has really helped people to access data faster anytime, anywhere. The revolution is happening in every sector be it mobile, healthcare, education, retail, finance, logistics and travel. On content side, interactive e-books, mobile apps and knowledge based services are fast emerging and we at vPrompt are very much a part of this revolution,” concluded Giriraj.

“Publishing is a unique business that needs both skill and technology”

shares Vinay K Singh, executive director, Thomson Digital, a division of Thomson Press (India) Ltd, in a chat with ABP editors SK Khurana and Varsha Verma.

Vinay K Singh

The world is flat wrote Thomas L Friedman. It has never been as levelled and flatter for the publishing industry across the globe. Books can reach anywhere…threats and opportunities are everywhere. Publishing services is not an organised industry in India but the prevailing pessimistic views about the industry are irrelevant; the industry is growing but requires certain degree of healthy competitiveness, discipline and professionalism,” says Vinay K Singh, executive director, Thomson Digital. Thomson Digital is a full-service publishing solutions company with a global reach. With its expertise spanning end-to-end solutions in content development, content processing, e-learning, rich media and conversion services; it is a one-stop-service provider for publishers and professional institutions across the world. As part of India Today Group, a highly regarded media house in India, Thomson Digital carries a legacy of nearly five decades.

“Infact, India has 80 percent of the global pre-media business as a country, which may amount to $4 billion worth of business. But, there are rules in the game, suppliers are falling prey to their own greeds. In a race of growth and overnight success, they are potentially compromising on quality/service which could be a significant trick for its sustenance in future and that is a major deterrent to the industry. Publishing is a cyclical business and there are set number of customers, who allocate different shares to various solutions providing companies,” tells Vinay as a matter of fact.

Pondering on the challenges within the industry, Vinay also talked about the manpower issue, “The employees move from one company to another for instant gratification. In fact, it is difficult to estimate the actual worth of each employee as in an effort to attract talent from the industry, companies do not shy away from giving manifold higher salaries to the people coming from their counterparts. The cost of attrition and training also adds further. It is difficult to find employable talents even in big cities like Delhi and Chennai as the quality of affordable talents are hard to train and retain.”

“Then comes the infrastructure, electricity and the diesel prices, also adding direct costs. This is the reason why publishing houses are also moving from metro cities like Delhi/NCR to other cities like Trivandrum, Dehradun and other two-three tier cities, ” he adds.

New office in Gangtok…

“Very recently, we have also opened up a new facility in Gangtok, which employs 200 people. Since the weather in this place is wonderful and infrastructure and manpower cost does not go that high, we will be able to get good results,” shares Vinay.

Telling more about the new office in Gangtok, Vinay shares that the quality of people is good as their language skills are fine and above all lot of hands-on educated people are females, who make excellent employees in this field. “We have deputed 12 trainers and managers from our NSEZ unit from Noida,” he adds.

On Noida unit…

As a matter of fact, the NSEZ Noida unit of Thomson Digital now employs 1,200 people, working round-the-clock in three shifts on various products like books, journals and magazines. “For magazines, we do everything besides editing while for print and e-products, we provide 100 percent publishing solutions,” tells Vinay. They do a mix of all kinds of books – though less number of black-and-white books. The trade books are full of text, while the illustrated books are all-colour.

Technology is prime at Thomson Digital and they have employed 100 people in R&D and have recently come up with a ‘push-button’ technology which works on the principle 1P1P which means one person, one project. “With this, we are able to cut down our turnaround time from 6 days to 24 hours, besides having complete control over the project. This is a game changing technology and we had launched this last year during Frankfurt Book Fair,” tells Vinay.

On asking about their success mantra, Vinay replies that undoubtedly, the business is run for making money, but there is an element of passion that keeps the management on track and is shared by the employees as well. “Our company can boast of the single set of investors since the day it came into being, thus the passion, culture and objectives of the company have remained intact over the years. We have not believed in growing in numbers, but in the focus towards contribution we make,” he shares.

Looking ahead…

With the new Indian government in place, which seems to be very dynamic and result-oriented, Vinay is also hopeful that the new budget and other reforms would help the industry to grow.

“Publishing is a unique business that needs both skill and technology in equal proportion. The industry has been ever since the mankind existed and it will continue to flourish as there will always be a need for content, publishing and knowledge, but may be in multiple formats,” concludes Vinay optimistically.

Chit-chat with a YA fiction Author!

Jash Sen is a popular Young adult fiction author, with Wordkeepers trilogy to her credit. Here, Jash talks about writing for YA genre and more….

Jash Sen’s first memories of reading were of leafing through a hard-bound copy of her grandfather’s illustrated Ramayana on his four poster bed. Ignoring an opportunity to read English, Jash graduated in Statistics, then completed her MBA from IIM, Calcutta. She worked in the IT industry in Bangalore and the US before opting to teach Mathematics in a London High School. This was when she started writing in her free time. Jash began The Wordkeepers Trilogy in December 2010. The Wordkeepers, first in the series, was published in January 2013 and its sequel, Skyserpents, in October 2013. She is currently working on the third and final book of the trilogy - Soul Army. Jash Sen is pen name of Jashodhara Chakraborti. Here’s a brief chit-chat with this popular Young Adult (YA) fiction author.

Varsha: When and how did you start writing for young adults?

Jash: I started writing in end of 2010, but of course, I just wrote a story. My publishers told me I was writing for Young Adults. So, I didn't start out thinking I'd write for a specific age group. I still don't keep that in mind. But, my trilogy is for young adults.

Varsha: In your opinion, what is the hardest part of writing a book? 

Jash: The hardest part is getting into the momentum of the story. Once you are in, it is smooth sailing. Writing daily helps a lot.

Varsha: What factors are kept in mind while writing for young adults as there is a thin line between children and young adults?

Jash: Well, in the young adult genre - I have some personal taboos - for example, explicit sex or too much violence or incest, although these are issues that many young adults come across. In this genre, I prefer a lighter touch. I do not make my vocabulary simpler, though, as some writers prefer to do.

Varsha: Are your characters inspired from life or are they fictitious?

Jash: They are both, and at the same time, I take quirks and characteristics from real people; but I add my imagination to that and keep the characters if I like the way they turn out.

Varsha: What writing/publishing advice do you give to aspiring writers of any age?

Jash: Start writing now and write every day. Start reading now and read every day, too. Read everything you can lay your hands on - an age group (children's, young adult) is just a guideline, not a boundary. Read the classics, they are still popular after so many years because they're very well written books.

Varsha: Your likes and dislikes...

Jash: Shhh - I dislike noise - noisy music and noisy people stress me out. I like soft spoken people, soft music and birds.

I enjoy reading, writing, watching films, bourbon biscuits, libraries and well stuffed armchairs.

Varsha: Which is the next book that readers can look forward to?

Jash: Soul Army, the third and final part of The Wordkeepers Trilogy, is my next book.

“Delhi Book Fair is a consumer fair, focused on the book lovers”

“Delhi Book Fair is a consumer fair, focused on the book lovers”

–tells Dr Ashok Gupta, president, Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) in a brief conversation with Varsha Verma.

Dr Ashok Gupta

The theme of the book fair this year is ‘Literature in Cinema’ which will focus on the impact of literature in cinema amongst the Indian society, told Dr Ashok Gupta, president, FIP. Housed in hall 08, the theme pavilion will be made attractive for visitors.

On asking about the expanse of the fair, Dr Gupta informed that the fair would be spread across hall number 08-12. “About 50 percent subsidy is being provided to regional language publishers to attract more such players to the show,” told Dr Gupta as a matter of fact. Besides, Indian exhibitors, there would be a host of exhibitors from overseas countries like USA, Pakistan, China, etc.

“In my opinion, the reading habits are improving though the formats are changing. In nuclear families, parents encourage their children to read. The market is growing, there zare more players in the publishing segment; foreign publishers have made the market more competitive. The shelf life of the books has decreased as similar books on the same subject come up very soon. However, in spite of similarity in their approach, some authors come up with better books. Despite all odds, the market is growing.” 

Unlike the New Delhi World Book Fair, where the layout is done genre-wise, Delhi Book Fair will have a mix of exhibitors. “A lot of publishers publish books in various categories, hence it is difficult to segregate them according to genre.

Besides, it is a consumer fair and not majorly a business fair,” told Dr Gupta.

“It is more of a B2C fair, where visitors can browse though books and sit on the sofas lined up for the purpose. We want to give them a homely atmosphere. We have contacted a lot of schools not just in Delhi/NCR but also neighbouring states and are expecting good footfalls,” he said.

A number of conferences and seminars, buyer-seller meets, book releases, book discussions, literary activities for children and meet-the-author get-togethers, etc will also be organised during the fair. “For example, Ranganathan Library will host a session for librarians, while organisations like Authors Guild of India, Bhartiya Lekhika Sangh, Sahitya Akademi will also host independent sessions,” he told.

The much-awaited FIP’s Excellence in Book Production awards function would be organised on August 29. “We have received 1,000 entries for the same and our jury has been finalised consisting of renowned people in the industry,” informed Dr Gupta.

As a message to all book lovers, Dr Gupta shared, “Parents should bring their children to the book fair and let them browse through books and decide to their interest. Parents, in turn, should let them buy those books. This will create responsible future citizens of India.”

Happier times ahead for the textbook publishing!

What have been the changes and emerging trends in the textbook segment, especially at the school level, shares Raghu Ram Aiyar of Amity University Press (AUP) in conversation with Varsha Verma. 

Undoubtedly, the total market for textbook publishing in organised sector has grown by leaps and bounds. The market is estimated to be over Rs 1,600 cr and more and more foreign participation is coming forth. Top publishing companies are acquiring companies of repute that are not doing well. This is testimonial evidence that there is a great future for textbook publishing, tells Raghu Ram Aiyar, executive senior vice president of Amity University Press (AUP).

“This is a true reflection that the companies already consolidated will take on newer grounds as they have the knowledge, experience and stability, which gives a new growth to the industry per se,” he adds optimistically.

On asking about any acquisition plans at AUP, Aiyar confirmed that they are also on the lookout for companies for acquisition. “In the last 7-8 years, AUP has consolidated itself in the primary segment of textbook publishing. Slowly, but steadily, we are emerging as a lead player,” he shares. “This is because the primary segment is ever-growing.”

Entrepreneurs: raising the publishing level

Another important trend in the Indian publishing industry is that more and more MBAs or entrepreneurs are getting into the business. “This is giving a new dimension to the industry as these youngsters are themselves going into the depths of merits and demerits of the textbook. Earlier, trade was playing a bigger role in influencing the decision-makers to buy books. But, this is now changing as people are now doing justice to the efforts done by the publishers to bring out quality books. Now, books sell more on merit rather than just the monetary aspect,” tells Aiyar.

From printing to publishing…

“The publishing industry has come a long way. Earlier, publishing was synonymous with printing but now people understand that publishing is right from conceptualising to book production and this is art,” states Aiyar.

New government…
new beginnings…

“Besides, the new government has come in to add few more bold steps towards popularising Indian languages such as Hindi and Sanskrit. One has to look at this development with greater interest. Hindi, which has not got the importance it deserves, shall probably gain new momentum,” feels Aiyar.

Emerging aspects in education…

New institutions are now coming up which are less certificate-centric and more knowledge-centric. “The CCE (Continuous Curriculum Education) pattern started by CBSE ensures that the child has all-round development and not just bookish knowledge. There is an interactive process between teacher and children. Objective type questions are put forth to let the child understand the concept while the problem-solving and formal assessment play a lead role in gearing up the child to face newer challenges. This new methodology by CBSE is in the right direction,” sums up Aiyar. “This is a good time for children as academics is not the only aspect, sports is also important,” he adds. “Besides, sports teaches so many skills to students – team spirit, tolerance and of course focus, which are needed in day-to-day life and academics as well.”

Aiyar also shares his cherished dream that the ratio between child and teacher be 1:15 as against 1:35 prevailing trend.

Value education…

One of the most positively recognised subject is value education but not many publishers have taken it seriously. “Values are best imbibed at home front by parents. Books can only supplement it. Amity is aiming at educating parents also for value education and this is a new approach, that has been much appreciated,” shares Aiyar.

Publishing clichés…

Aiyar shares a very interesting example, wherein CBSE has provided 6-7 books which are unabridged versions of out of copyright books. Publishers can download it and put it in a form of book, with value additions. “Still, some of the publishers make grammatical and typographical errors,” he shares.

Looking ahead…

“It is heartening that people are now taking publishing industry as a happening industry and they are very careful about plagiarism and copyright issues. Due to this, piracy has also come down. The future of publishing industry is bright with lot of happenings in the printing and epublishing. But, they need not replace the print version as they all supplement each other. There are happier times ahead for Amity University Press in particular and the textbook publishers in general,” he concludes optimistically.

Children books pblishing

Kids & Teens

Let’s go ‘Bonkers!’

Indian book Bonkers! has recently won the 2014 Crystal Kite Award. Here, we met with the author Natasha Sharma and the illustrator Deepti Sunder to know more about the book that has created waves in the children world.Bonkers!, published by Duckbill Books, written by Natasha Sharma and illustrated by Deepti Sunder has won the 2014 Crystal Kite Award for the Middle East, Asia and India. The Crystal Kite Awards are given by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) to recognize great books from the seventy SCBWI regions around the world. Along with the SCBWI Golden Kite Awards, the Crystal Kite Awards are chosen by other children’s book writers and illustrators, making them the only peer-given awards in publishing for young readers.

Bonkers! plot line....

Bonkers! follows the adventures of a boy named Armaan and his overactive dog Bonkers. The story begins at the point when a brown and white pup, soon to be named Bonkers, enters Armaan’s life. What ensues is utter chaos as Armaan deals with puppy teething trouble, toilet training and Bonkers’ antics that unwittingly get Armaan into more trouble with the school bully, TT. Bonkers! talks about pets, responsibility as well as bullies.

Natasha Sharma, the author...

Natasha Sharma’s childhood had crazy episodes, featuring dogs, rabbits, ducks, guinea pigs, horses, buffaloes and the occasional squirrel, all in her backyard. She graduated in Math, did an MBA, worked as a brand manager, and is now happily doing what she loves most—writing books for children. Natasha’s other books include Akbar and the Tricky Traitor and Ashoka and the Muddled Messages (Duckbill Books), Icky, Yucky, Mucky (Young Zubaan) and Rooster Raga (Tulika Books).

Deepti Sunder, the illustrator...

Deepti Sunder graduated in architecture, but towards the end of her course, she knew she didn’t want to practise as an architect. She then went through this period of trying to decide what do next, which involved a lot of considering and dropping options. Somewhere in the middle of all the searching, she got the chance to do an internship with illustrator Tanvi Bhat. That was when she realised illustration was possibly the kind of career she had been on the lookout for. Following that, she applied to Duckbill and got to work on Bonkers, and ever since, there’s been no looking back!

Varsha: Tell us something about your award-winning book Bonkers!? 

Natasha: Bonkers! is completely inspired by real life! I grew up in a house full of dogs, with four at any point of time and often a litter of pups added in. With a whole host of doggy escapades, the idea had always existed in my head. Sometimes a wealth of ideas can overwhelm. I think I took time sorting through them before sitting down to write this one.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a dog of my own with the constraints of apartment living and incessant travel. My parents, however, have a young dog, all of one year, named Obi Singh. He is the current and original Bonkers and is by far the naughtiest dog we have ever had. He recently enacted the entire first chapter from my book Bonkers! much to my mother’s exasperation since she was left with a chewed up pair of spectacles. (We suspect Obi can read.)

Deepti: I still can’t quite believe Bonkers! has won an award! That said, however, I think it’s a brilliant book. Natasha has written it wonderfully, with her trademark sound effects, come-to-life-when-you-read-them descriptions, and all-around craziness and humour. I remember really loving the story when I read it for the first time. When you read Bonkers!, the story comes alive in your head, and I think this especially helped with getting the characters onto paper. The characters I was most excited about illustrating (apart from Armaan and Bonkers, of course) were Guvi and Beeji. I loved Guvi with his alliterative exclamations and love for food, and couldn’t wait to draw him. I also found the idea of a grandmother who was scared of dogs and kept screaming around Bonkers hilarious. All in all, I had a lot of fun illustrating the book.

Varsha: In your opinion, what is the hardest part of writing/illustrating a book? Why?

Natasha: I think this would be different for each writer since the process of writing can vary drastically. For me, I breathe easier only when I have some framework of a plot. Characters of all sorts keep popping up in my head. Often they lead me to find their story. At times it is a concept with a strong character. Laying out the plot is the hardest part for me. Once that is done, writing it is the fun bit.

Deepti: Well, I’ve never really thought of any part of the illustration process as difficult. For me, the step that takes the most effort is probably conceptualising the characters, but the time it takes can vary a great deal. Some characters just take longer to take form than others, and you keep working at them until you are satisfied. For instance, Armaan came to me rather quickly, but I drew many, many versions of Bonkers before I was happy with how he was looking.

Varsha: What factors are kept in mind while writing/illustrating for children?

Natasha: Age, conceptual understanding by level, vocabulary to some extent (I don’t worry too much about it since there will be some words they may not know, but it is good for them to be challenged). I use humour in my writing and have to make sure it works for a child and for that age group. While writing picture books, the reason for each word to exist in that book becomes important. Page turns become crucial to hold a child’s attention.

Deepti: I think the main thing to keep in mind is that the illustrations need to be relatable for children who will be reading the story. So it’s important to make sure the drawings suit the age group at which the book is aimed, and it’s also important to add details and objects in the drawings that children can identify with.

Varsha: What publishing advice do you give to aspiring artists of any age?

Natasha: If you love writing, stay at it. The more you write, the better you’ll get. Since writing is self-driven, you have to be disciplined and write often. Don’t take feedback, critiques and even rejection letters as personal affronts. They are great learning. Observe the world. Keep a notebook and jot stuff down before you lose the idea, phrase or dialogue.

Deepti: My advice is very simple, really. I would say that it’s important to believe in yourself, have faith in yourself and to keep trying. When you send in applications, don’t lose hope when you are rejected. There’s always room to learn and grow. Also, stay positive and keep looking ahead. Being an artist is essentially about you trying to better yourself at your craft every step of the way. Learn from others, but don’t get bogged down in comparisons.

Varsha: We live in a time when young people have numerous choices for entertainment. What would you like to say to children who may be hesitant about reading a book for "fun?

Natasha: Books are the most fabulous fun! Try many different authors, titles, series, genres and you’ll be sure to discover something you like. Everyone’s taste in books is different and sometimes the most unexpected books can be the ones that get you hooked on to. So be adventurous with your reading. There are also many review sites and online reading groups where you can discover new titles.

Deepti: Books can be the most captivating, exhilarating source of fun ever if you just give them the chance. When you are so deeply immersed in a book that you cannot put it down, all that will matter will be you and whatever the book is saying, and nothing else. So pick up a book you seem to like today, and read it. You won’t regret it!

Varsha: Which is your next book that readers can look forward to?

Natasha: Raja Raja and the Swapped Sacks - the third in the History Mystery series (Duckbill Books); Squiggle Takes a Walk (Young Zubaan) and Anaya’s Thumb (Pratham Books).

–Varsha Verma

Kids hooked to books for a day at Friends Club

Friends Club, Friends Colony (West), New Delhi, in association with All About Book Publishing, recently organised a Children’s Books Day, a library event for children (4-14 years). This fun-filled event for children and their parents aimed at engaging the curious minds! Children could choose and buy books they liked; interact with peers, authors, publishers; and enjoy interesting sessions.

The first session was a book reading session by Simi Srivastava: master storyteller and founder – Kathashala, a story telling institute for adults. She is the architect of numerous engaging and insightful workshops across the country on storytelling for teachers as well as parents. Children were enthralled and loved this interactive session, where Simi read aloud and performed on her book Give Back my Ball, published by Vishv Books.

This was followed by an eye-opening session for young parents by Dr Bindu Sehlot, professional parent counselor and author of Goodbye Mom & Dad See You in the Afternoon published by Sterling Publishers. Dr Sehlot has a vast experience of 20 years in the education industry.

Another story telling & story acting session under the guidance of Manas Ranjan Mahapatra from the National Book Trust, hooked the children as well as parents equally. Everybody got to write a story and few enthusiastic children even performed them. Manas heads the National Centre for Children's Literature division of National Book Trust, India. He is also an educational activist, editor, poet and writer for both children and adults.

Kids love to eat...so a session on Young Chefs: Hassle-free Cooking for Kids by Kavita Gupta from Nita Mehta Publications, was thoroughly enjoyed by children, who gathered around Kavita and learnt to cook lip-smacking delicacies, while their parents looked at them in awe.

Another interesting Storytelling session, which kept the kids glued to their seats was by Jason Quinn, who recited from his book Magical Animals published by Campfire. Progressing from comic writer to editor, to TV and back to comics, Jason is a man who carved himself a steady creative career. Presently, he is the creative content head at Campfire Graphic Novels.

And with ebooks progressing fast in the digital world, a session on Fun with eBooks: Learn Beyond Books With Multimedia by A2Z Teaching & Learning Solutions Pvt Ltd was truly apt. A2Z teaching and learning solutions endeavours to provide the best answers and solutions to all types of requirements of educational institutions under one roof, be it school library books, teacher resource books, children and activity books or school books.

And that was not all! Children even got into the splash pool with bath books from Dreamland Publications. Besides, Friends Club offered their old library books at throwaway prices.

The participating publishers at the event included Dreamland; Vishv Books; Macaw Books; A2Z Teaching and Learning Solutions, Apple Publishing, Quixot Publications, Sterling Publishers, Nita Mehta Publications, Aadya Books, Campfire and Little Pearl Books.

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“Books teleport a child to fantasy land”

shares the dynamic and successful children illustrator Nancy Raj.

Nancy Raj

Nancy Raj graduated with a master’s degree in Fine Arts and specialization in Graphic Design from Stella Maris College, Chennai. She has been in the field of illustrations and design for a decade, with hands-on experience with many children’s book publishers and organisations for children in India and across the world. Some of her important accounts include World Health Organisation, Deaf Child India (NGO), SRA McGraw Hill, Oxford University, Tulika Publishers, NCERT, Katha Publishers, Sesame Street, Chandamama children’s magazine, etc. Her book Days with Thathu by Katha Publishers, has been selected in the 101 Best Indian Children’s book list recently. While, Malli and Mala’s Silver Anklets by Tulika Publishers, has been recommended by CBSE for schools. Here’s more about this prolific illustrator.

Artist since child…

Normally, children exhibit their strengths right from childhood. “My interest to draw and doodle began when I was a child. The clean whitewashed wall of my little house was an inviting canvas. I remember making many mad curls, lines, circles, sun, moon, girl, boy, house, apple, mango, vegetables, flowers, leaves and so on. Every Christmas the house would be whitewashed and my mother would warn me not to "dirty" it again. Anyhow I would be at it - I would start with a small dot which later would transform into gigantic flowers,” laughs Nancy.

She started illustrating when she was in her last year of graduation. “It happened when there was an ad on “artist wanted” put up on the notice board of our department. I was the only one who got in touch with them. It was a small NGO for children with hearing impairments in rural schools. I drew simple pictures for flash cards, story boards, greeting cards, posters, etc. These study materials were used to teach the children with hearing and speaking disabilities. I loved making quick sketches of the boy and girl, mainly because the organizers liked my “style” – I drew “local” colourful south Indian scenes such as dark skinned cheerful children, fat rounded dads in “baniyan and lungi”, thin, dark and beautiful featured mothers with a big bun and jasmine flower around it. This style of illustrations helped the children connect to their real lives. I loved my first assignment, though it took me a lot of hard work to balance between my college assignments, and I was paid very less, or sometimes nothing,” she remembers.

Her actual commercially published first book was Malli with Tulika publishers. “It’s the same girl I drew for the flash cards for the NGO. Malli is an extremely cheerful girl, typically south Indian in style. This book is still a hit! I’m glad to announce that this book has been recommended by the CBSE for schools recently,” she adds.

The most difficult aspect of illustrations…

People may think the hardest part in illustration would be the anatomy, proportions, perspective and shading… but Nancy says that the challenge in illustration is to capture the spirit or rather exuberance and feeling of the characters, that's the life giving factor in a picture book. “It’s also the elements we combine to form a composition that adds to it. For example when I say " A south Indian grandfather, in his room" - I would show a wrinkled, toothless old man, lying in an easy chair, reading a book, and next to him is little window, and the curtain flowing in the breeze, a small coffee tumbler on the floor, a table with books and a pen and on the wall is a calendar, in the corner of the room is a mosquito coil...Bringing together these elements in a composition captures the feeling and the spirit of the character,” she explains.

Besides, another difficult and interesting thing is to keep the child engaged throughout a book. “While I’m sitting with my pencil and papers, squinting at my latest character with a big nose and maybe curly hair, and wondering if that is enough for my little reader... I'd rather finish by adding in the corner of the page a branch with a nest and a little bird it - this element would teleport my little reader to a new world of fantasy. I always think children like watching even the smallest and un-noticed things. I like doing it too; I go away from the actual story track and look into the details that will tour you to a sweet memory left behind in life…that’s the aspect I try to bring in my pictures. This is a kind of a creative exercise that helps creative thinking and imagination in a child's mind,” she adds.

Inspirations…

“My illustrations are strongly 'South Indian' as I am attached to the ethnicity of my land, the colours and culture. Local people and life around are my great inspirations - fussy children, loud hawkers, motorist, overflowing buses, shared autos, markets, greasy mechanics, grumpy neighbourhood and so much more to watch around. I love pets, I never miss to capture a pet in my story, and it could be a baby goat, cat, puppy, or a hen. These are some interesting motifs that one can always expect in my art,” she tells amusingly. And yes, artworks of other illustrators are inspirations too. “My favourite artists are Bill Watterson, Quentin Blake, and most of the children's book illustrators from publishers like Tulika, Katha, Tara, etc. I pick inspiration from anything that's interesting to watch,” she adds.

Publishing advice to artists…

“Well, the only advice that I can share with budding artists is to "love" what you are doing! This is not a get rich quick field, but there are many pockets in illustrations like newspapers, comic books, magazines, animation, etc. Just let your creativity wonder and do a mix of things. Don’t give up and this is where the loving what you are doing kicks in. Also keep watching, sketching, reading and spend time with children and pets…this will make you stay creative,” shares Nancy.

Encouraging reading habit…

Nancy hopes that more publishers, writers, illustrators, readers, buyers, critics, art schools will emerge and evolve in India as there are numerous choices for entertainment around that’s hiding books from children. “I would recommend parents to gift their children Indian picture books to encourage reading. For children, I would like to say that reading books is a hep and cool thing to do! And start with picture books, as the pictures in it will actually 'teleport' you a beautiful world of fantasy. Try it!” Nancy concludes happily.