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A Look at India’s Publishing Industry Profile

assorted-color filling book lot

Books have long been recognised as one of the most significant forms of media for the cultivation and dissemination of human ideals. They serve as the impetus for a nation’s overall progress and development. They make a record of novel concepts, maintain and spread information, educate and instil values in their students, and contribute to an individual’s entire growth and development. India’s book publishing business is considered to be one of the top seven in all of the world’s book publishing industries. After the United States and the United Kingdom, India is the third largest market for publications written in English, with an estimated value of 10,000 crores.

Fundamental Changes in the Character of the Sector

The advent of the digital era brought about fundamental changes in the character of the sector. Because of India’s highly qualified workforce and the country’s rapid technological improvement, India has become a significant outsourcing centre for print and pre-publishing services all over the globe. This is true whether the service in question is print, design, or editing. The industry has a huge amount of untapped potential, not only in the home market but also in international trade.

A Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 30% is being seen in this industry as of right now. The significance of the Indian market has been acknowledged on a global scale, to the point that the London Book Fair in 2009 focused its attention on the Indian market specifically. This industry had a modest beginning under the surveillance of the British government, but it now produces 90,000 new books each year in 24 different languages, including English.

Publishing Industry in India is highly fragmented and hierarchical

The publishing industry in India is highly fragmented and hierarchical, with different regions catering to different languages. The Indian publishing sector has a lot of room for growth and innovation because of the country’s 24 official languages, including English. The Indian languages of Hindi and English together account for more than half of all titles published in India, with Hindi accounting for around 26 per cent of all titles and English coming in second with 24 per cent. The Indian government has a significant share of the textbook publishing industry. Before the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was established in 1961, a small group of international publishers had a dominant position in the Indian textbook industry. At the moment, the National Council of Educational Research and Training, the State Text Book Boards, the National Book Trust, and the Publishing Division are all amalgamated to form the biggest publisher in the nation.

In an effort to turn India into a publishing powerhouse and capitalise on the country’s large pool of English-speaking technical labour, the government has decided to permit 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the country’s various publishing businesses. The book publishing sector suffers from a severe lack of available research information. The capacity of the industry has been estimated in a number of different ways by a number of different people. However, the vast majority of them are unable to provide the full potential of the industry. In light of this limitation and the fact that the knowledge sector in India is expanding at an exponential rate, it is crystal clear that the Indian publishing industry in India is truly a colossus—a giant in slumber, which needs to be awakened and given its due status and identity. This conclusion can be reached because of the fact that the knowledge sector in India is growing at an exponential rate.

Requirements of the Publishing Industry

The requirements of the publishing industry in the following ways, bearing in mind the enormous significance of books and the vast potential of the publishing sector:

  • Address the major concerns that are now being faced by the publishing business, both in terms of trade and policy, and seek to advocate for these issues.
  • Assume a leading role in the publishing industry, both in terms of business and policy.
  • Represent the publishing community in India in international events and explore business prospects for Indian publishers outside of the country.
  • Encourage the development of thriving library infrastructure in India.
  • Determine where the industry is lacking, and then work to fill those gaps with new chances for capacity creation.

Programs should be conceived of and developed such that the publishing industry may get assistance and profit from them. With the intention of catering to the needs of the industry, FICCI began organising PubliCon in the year 2011. The legislative and regulatory problems that are of the utmost importance to the publishing sector were the primary focus of the programme. Additionally, trade-related concerns, the National Book Promotion Policy, intellectual property rights, digital publishing, the revitalization of libraries, the export potential of the business, children’s books, and other topics were discussed during the conference.

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Present, Future, and Beyond of India’s Publishing Business

assorted book lot

The publishing sector is going through a significant terrain shift as a result of the digital era. The number of people subscribing to print editions of newspapers and magazines is on the decline, although traditional book publishing is adapting well to the digital age. In 2019, it was predicted that the publishing sector in India was worth roughly INR 500 billion, with the potential for growth to reach INR 800 billion by 2024. Not only does the sector encourage education and learning, but it also provides work for more than 1.2 million people, which is a significant contribution to India’s overall economic growth.

Sustainable and Lucrative Growth

It is essential, but challenging, to create growth that is both sustainable and lucrative over time. The development of effective growth strategies, the specialists are aware of the fact that in this age of transformation, CEOs and other business leaders are burdened with the responsibility of producing maximum value for the stakeholders of their enterprises. We question the validity of preconceived notions in order to build and implement strategies that contribute to increased profitability and long-term value.

The primary growth drivers of the Indian publishing business have been identified as a rise in the total expenditure on education, an increase in the overall enrolment rates of educational institutions, and an increase in the number of government programmes focused on education.

At least 45 percent of the trade books that are sold are done in the many regional languages of India, making this business a booster of Indian culture, values, and excellence. It does this by making the most of the ongoing adoption of digital platforms like e-books written in regional languages to reach a variety of consumers.

Publishing Business is Fragmented and Competitive

With more than 9,000 publishers and 21,000 shops, the publishing business in India is extremely fragmented and competitive. Educational book publishing accounts for the vast majority of the market, whereas commerce book publishing accounts for only a minor portion. In addition, the business world contributes to the diffusion of scientific discoveries. The existence of a significant association between access to sources of published information, such as scientific journals and research papers, and the quality of research output is brought to light in this article.

The publishing sector in India is making substantial progress, but it is still confronted with a number of serious challenges, such as concerns pertaining to copyright and piracy. The illegal distribution of books accounts for 20–25 percent of the whole market and has a detrimental influence on the business as a whole. This has resulted in a decrease in revenue for publishers and a loss of tax money for the government. To combat these issues, India need a robust regulatory framework that clarifies the bounds of copyright infringement and reduces the likelihood of legal ambiguity.

Inefficiencies may be found across the publishing industry’s value chain, including its complicated distribution routes, high expenses, and issues linked to ease of doing business. These inefficiencies all have an impact on the industry’s capacity to remain financially viable. In contrast to more developed publishing marketplaces across the world, the payment receivables cycles in India’s distribution chain are significantly longer. This is a huge challenge for the industry.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has a significant influence on the regulatory structure that governs the publishing business. In the context of India, where there is no provision for a tax bracket with a zero rate, the imposition of a GST rate of 5% on books has the potential to be advantageous for both the publishing business and the government.

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak

In India, the publishing business has been further shaken up as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The implementation of stringent lockdowns resulted in a reduction in sales, which in turn caused publishers’ payments to be delayed and precipitated a precipitous breakdown in the supply chain. The closure of bookshops caused a full halt in the sales of printed books; but, at the same period, there was a huge increase in the number of sales of electronic books.

Digital formats are rapidly becoming important growth drivers for the publishing industry in more established nations such as Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The publishing industry in India is now dominated by print books, with digital versions accounting for only 10 percent of the market. There will very certainly be a shift in the manner in which people obtain their information as a consequence of the growing use of technology in Indian society.

The publishing industry has developed new methods of outreach, formats, and corporate structures in order to remain competitive in the face of shifting socioeconomic and technological breakthroughs. Innovative new business models, such as online shopping, subscriptions, bundle packages, open-access resources, and self-publishing, give new avenues via which a wider target audience may be approached.

The publishing business is an important force in determining the course that India’s future will take. The critical areas where the publishing sector and the government may help one another in order to attain these goals include the building of a knowledge society, the global dissemination of Indian culture and history, and key educational improvement efforts and targets set by the government.

The National Education Policy presents the publishing industry in India with a number of key prospects that should not be overlooked. The strategy would result in a new educational system and place an emphasis on the education and development of teachers, as well as plans to boost the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education and to foster research and innovation by establishing the National Research Foundation (NRF). It would be beneficial for the publishing business to work closely with the academic community to develop, promote, and disseminate high-quality journals to a wider audience. This would also improve the efficiency with which educational information is disseminated.

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How to Improve your Storytelling Technique

woman in yellow and black floral dress sitting on brown wooden chair

Something that the vast majority of writers have been doing for years and something that is one of the best resources an author has in order to learn the craft is taking in the stories of others. In point of fact, a passion for reading and storytelling is most likely what inspired many people to become authors in the first place.

If you look at a Monet painting and think that will teach you how to paint a masterpiece, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you expect that reading for enjoyment would automatically enhance and improve your own writing.

Even if you already read critically, analysing the positives and negatives of a tale, or routinely breaking down what you’ve just read or watched (in a manner that undoubtedly drives your non-writer friends and loved ones up the wall), is only the first step.

That is the equivalent of the first read-through of a story that is done by an editor: It provides a good general sense of what is working well and what areas may benefit from strengthening or developing, but it is not until the subsequent deep-dive analytical passes that an editor can determine on a practical and granular level what may not be holding together as well as it could, why this is the case, and how an author can make the story as effective as it possibly can be.

One of the most difficult aspects of editing one’s own work is developing the ability to view it with an objective and analytical perspective. It’s possible that you’re “filling in the blanks,” or making up details to bridge the gap between the story on the page and the one that’s playing out in your thoughts vividly right now.

But training yourself to examine narratives in the form of books, movies, television shows, and other media gives you the built-in objectivity of an editor, which you might not have with your own work. When you have the ability to recognise these components in the narratives of other people, it is much simpler to recognise them in your own narrative with the same level of objective clarity.

That does not imply that you need to get out your red pencil and transform into Max Perkins. Ironically, in order to conduct an objective evaluation of the success of a tale, you must first make use of a highly subjective instrument—namely, yourself and the responses you personally had while reading the story.

How are you personally impacted by this?

Taking note of your own reactions to a tale is the quickest and easiest method to get started analysing its components and determining whether or not it is successful. Think of this as the way you could summarise to a buddy a book, movie, or show that you particularly enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy) and ask them, “Did you like it?” What aspects of it did you enjoy (or not enjoy), and why? Why? It’s almost like a summary in miniature:

“I chuckled my way through it the whole time, but it’s got real heart, and there’s a surprise twist at the end that really packs a punch.”

At this early stage of the evaluation process, about your reactions to the story, try to be as thorough and comprehensive as you possibly can be. Were the characters believable, and were the struggles and quirks that they faced humorously recognised and relatable? Did it matter to you what occurred with them? Were there a series of exciting and surprising turns in the plot, and did the situations become either more entertaining or more dangerous as they progressed? Have you enjoyed (or been turned off by) the conversation, the action, or the relationships? Did the plot keep you guessing until the very end, take you by surprise at the conclusion, and leave you with a sense of fulfilment?

Keep asking yourself what aspects of the narrative stuck with you, what had an impact on you, and how it made you feel when you thought about it. What I refer to as “feeling the tale” is the equivalent of the first cold read that a good editor does of a manuscript. At this point, you aren’t giving much thought to anything in particular; rather, you’re focusing solely on how the narrative made you feel.

As soon as you have a rough idea of what the tale is about stored in your head (or written down, if that’s how you process information best), you can begin to zero in on specific details.

In what ways are you being impacted?

Once you have determined what is causing you to react in a certain way, you should reread the section in question to determine exactly where in the narrative those sensations and responses were triggered.

When did you first become interested in what happened to the character, and why did you care what happened to her? Were there any parts of the book where you were able to set it down and not feel strongly drawn to pick it back up (or press pause), but there were other parts when you were unable to resist turning page after page? Where in the narrative did you feel things like being on the edge of your seat, experiencing strong emotions, or becoming disconnected at any point?

Find the particular areas in the story (what part of the narrative, what scene, what phrase, even what word) that prompted your feelings and impressions, and then identify those spots. Marking these locations using post-it notes or other types of “flags” can be beneficial here (for step three, below).

The key is to be as specific and granular as possible: “I was all-in on the protagonist in act one” is helpful; “The scene in chapter two where we see how careful she is with someone else’s dog while pet-sitting really hooked me” is better; “The moment she tasted the can of dog food before feeding it to her friend’s beloved pet made me love her” is the clearest and most useful of all of the possible explanations for why you like the character.

Step 3: What makes you susceptible to this effect?

When you get to this point, you’ll be able to start transforming your subjective perceptions into an objective evaluation. Your responses to a story aren’t occurring by accident; competent authors employ craft skills consciously to generate the effect they wish to have on their readers. To put these strategies into practise in your own writing, it is essential to first have an understanding of how other authors approach similar tasks.

Dig deeper by using your responses and the precise places that aroused them. What exactly elicited your response, and how did the storyteller manage to do that? When responding to these questions, try to be as specific and concrete as possible.

Continuing with the (perhaps revolting) example from before, let’s imagine that the main character won you over by sneaking a taste of the dog’s food before giving it to him or her to eat. What was it about that particular thing that captivated your attention? What did it reveal about her personality that caused you to like, care for, or invest in her?

Did it imply that she is thoughtful and respectful of the things that are important to other people? Did it demonstrate how seriously she takes being entrusted with something that a friend loves, or how attentive she is about duty, or even just how much she loves dogs (which, believe me, is more than enough to win over devoted dog lovers)? Did her humorously awkward and unexpected move give you the impression that she puts forth a lot of effort to make things right, that she comes up with resourceful solutions to unexpected challenges, or that she is willing to do anything at all to get the job done?

Because of your responses, you’ve just uncovered a whole host of strategies that you may employ in your own writing to make a character appear in a way that is relatable to the reader or engaging to them. Craft recommendations like “Make readers invest in your primary character” may be wonderful writing advice, but they are somewhat general and ambiguous. For example, “Make readers invest in your major character.”

But by actually analysing in this manner how other stories and storytellers do this successfully (or unsuccessfully—paying attention to what doesn’t work in story can be just as enlightening as paying attention to what does) is how you learn, viscerally and concretely, how to put your intentions on the page.

You can start to construct a toolbox of strategies that you can use in your own writing to effectively convey the story you intend to tell if you develop the habit of paying attention to the responses you have to the narratives of other people and breaking down each component that provokes a response or reaction in you. If you train your editor brain in a certain way, you will not only become a better storyteller, but you will also become a better editor of your own work.

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How to Publish a Book – Steps to Success

How to Publish a Book – Steps to Success

If you’re a writer, a dreamer, or anybody with something significant to say, you’ve considered writing and publishing a book. But, while producing a book is a tremendous accomplishment in and of itself, getting it in front of readers is another story—and figuring out how to publish a book can be a significant challenge for first-timers!Indeed, with more publication alternatives than ever before, today’s authors have a lot to consider. We’re here to cut through the haze and teach you exactly how to publish a book. This thorough guide contains concrete advice, publishing resources, and all the professional support you’ll need to have your book published.

Decide on a Publishing Strategy

Again, current authors have a plethora of publication options from which to pick. Because there is no one “correct” way to publish a book, the steps in this guide should be regarded as best practices rather than necessary procedures.Having said that, your road to book publication will undoubtedly influence your approach here. Before you advance, you must make the following decision:

  • Do you want to self-publish or go the usual route?
  • If the latter, do you prefer to work with a traditional publisher?

This questionnaire should steer you in the correct direction, but only you can decide which publishing path is best for you.

Revise the Draft

A thorough edit is the most valuable gift any author can give their book. Yes, whether you self-publish or send your book to agencies, others will be reading it, judging it, and making decisions that will affect its success.

  • Allow a week or more before editing. This will give you the fresh eyes you need to look at your writing through the eyes of an editor.
  • Begin with the plot and characters. Read your entire book and take notes with the big picture in mind. Is your narrative well-structured, has a good number of plot points, and does not feel hurried at the end? Do your characters have well-rounded personalities, intriguing motivations, and dynamic relationships with others?
  • If this is too much for you, move on to line edits. You may be unable to comprehend the storyline or character developments at this time, but you can still work on the pacing of specific scenes. You can also hone your voice by using better wording. Even little mechanical mistakes are preferable to nothing!
  • If in doubt, read aloud. If you’re having trouble getting through a section of editing, try reading it aloud. This is an excellent method for breaking down mental barriers and hearing what might be improved in your writing.

In a nutshell, sure. Nobody wants to read a book with typos or gaps, and no self-respecting author would publish an unedited draught in the first place. Unless you’ve already secured a book deal, you’ll need to find someone to edit your work – and short of training to become an editor yourself, that means paying a professional editor.

Obtain Feedback from Editors and Critique Groups

Whether you engage an editor or not, objective third-party opinion is priceless. So, share your manuscript with trustworthy colleagues throughout the editing process (most authors go through numerous rounds of changes).

To encourage more candid input, allow your participants to fill out an anonymous form with their comments on specific components like the story, characters, pacing, and prose. You could make it easy for them by including a rating system. Also, to ensure that their input is constructive, ask them to provide a remedy to each problem rather than simply pointing it out.

If you feel comfortable doing so, you should ask friends and family for notes. However, this can be a delicate process, and you should avoid involving anyone you know personally. Here are three more ways to acquire trustworthy comments on your book.

Critique circles are excellent locations to gather input. They not only let you take notes on your book, but they also assist you to improve your critical thinking skills! To understand more about critique circles, go to that post.

Give your Manuscript a Title

Writing communities can also be beneficial. Although many of these communities have built-in critique circles, it’s worth visiting their forums to see if anyone is seeking a critique partner — or, if you’re lucky, offering free critiques.

You may have already decided on a title for your book if you’ve gotten this far. But if you haven’t decided on a title yet — or if the editing process has changed your manuscript so much that you feel you need a new one to fit — now is the time to do so.

We have several fantastic resources to assist you with this, such as our book title generator (which offers over 10,000 choices!) and our guide on how to choose outstanding book titles.

Keep it brief. Consider how many bestsellers have one-to-two word titles these days. For a reason, titling your book “The [Something]” is a timeless strategy – it gets the point over immediately and is easy for readers to remember.

Make it enticing. A brief title also has the advantage of automatically creating intrigue. Still, if in doubt, add a little more.

Don’t try to imitate somebody too closely. While using tried-and-true patterns is beneficial, you don’t want your title to seem so similar that people wonder.

Prepare your Book for Publication by Formatting it

Now that you’ve finished polishing your manuscript, you’re ready to style it with chapter headings, aligned text, and page numbers. Again, whether you’re self-publishing or submitting your work to agents, a professionally prepared book will create a solid first impression.All you need to do if you’re sending your book to agents is prepare it in a standardized, readable manner. We’ve even created a document formatting template specifically for this occasion!This instruction has so far applied to all techniques of how to publish a book, but this is where things begin to diverge. The following are the stages to publishing a book based on your desired path:

  • If you intend to self-publish, read the rest of this tutorial thoroughly.
  • If you intend to publish conventionally, now is the time to contact literary agencies!

Create a Book Description that is ‘Publisher-Ready’

Another important component in persuading people to buy your book is its description. Fortunately, it’s simple to improve your description for increased sales. The most helpful resource for this is our essay on how to create a book description that sells, but the essentials of producing a powerful description are:

  • A catchy headline will pique the interest of your readers. Whether it’s a dramatic statement, a pull quote from a glowing review, or the exact first line of your book, your title should immediately pique readers’ interest.
  • Introduce the major plot or idea. But don’t summarise everything — you don’t have room for that! Give a summary of the key conflict(s), or, if you’ve authored a factual book, mention the central conflict(s).

Make them desire more. Finish with a question, a suggestion of a twist, or even a cliffhanger. Make it impossible for readers not to preview your book (even if it’s just to see if you can pull it off).When in doubt, read the descriptions of best-selling books in your category and try to replicate them. After reading five to ten of these descriptions, you’ll probably notice a pattern emerge – from there, your description will nearly write itself. As an example:

Finally, some thoughts

Whether you choose self-publishing or traditional publishing, releasing a book is always a massive undertaking. The good news is that if you’ve made it this far, you now know exactly what your alternatives are and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

We can’t publish your book for you, but we’re convinced you to have everything you need to accomplish your lifelong dream! Keep your sights set on the prize, have fun on the voyage, and send us a postcard when you arrive. We can’t wait to see where you end up.