Kashmir is Free Trilogy

KASHMIR IS FREE (Book 1 of the KASHMIR IS FREE Trilogy) Just imagine the unimaginable. India walks out of Kashmir and makes Kashmir free. Huh?! How is that possible? Why … Continue Reading →


The Forbidden Truth Trilogy

If you liked the Lord of the Rings and the Game of Thrones, you will fall in love with THE FORBIDDEN TRUTH, too. Season One “If you know neither the … Continue Reading →


Being a Translator on Babelcube—Does It Work?

As an author, I’ve been privileged to have as many as 64 titles (as of June 2020, and counting, which should be a record!) translated through Babelcube in six languages … Continue Reading →


amazon ads

How Not to use Amazon Ads

I started experimenting with Amazon Ads in April 2017 — yes, I was one of those perennially sceptic/ late bloomers, who take time to jump on any bandwagon! But after … Continue Reading →


Professional Book Cover Designs for as Low as $5

As an author, you know how important a book cover design is. An eye-catching cover is the first positive cue to a reader to make him click on the thumb … Continue Reading →


boxset

For the Heart: 7 tales of Romance

“Morning without you is a dwindled dawn,” Emily Dickinson “There is no instinct like that of the heart,” Lord Byron Guys, I’m feeling a little mushy because I’m in a … Continue Reading →


Think of Writing as playing Angry Birds

Few weeks back, I stumbled across a blogpost by one writer I follow occasionally. This gent used to blog frequently about his sales and the things he had learnt in … Continue Reading →


Contract

Negotiating a Traditional Publishing Contract—To Sign or Not Sign Away Your World Rights

You know, what is the biggest mistake writers can make? It’s not typos in a book or bad formatting which you can all fix with a little diligence. But it … Continue Reading →


ultimate guide

Time sensitive: Ultimate Guides to Indie Publishing Bundle

Just to let you know about an amazing bundle of six books and resources for writers that is only available for a limited time. Disclaimer: The Bundle also contains two … Continue Reading →


you cant kill my love

Writing my Fourth Romance Novel “You Can’t Kill My Love”

I am happy to announce that my latest novel “You Can’t Kill My Love: A Kashmir Holocaust Love Story” is now published to Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, Google Play and other … Continue Reading →


Kobo

How to promote your books on Kobo: WITHOUT SPENDING A DIME

I recently realised that there could be tons of marketing opportunities outside Amazon. That was a discovery. Because from the time I started indie publishing my books in 2013, I … Continue Reading →


Payoneer: A brand new way to reclaim your royalties from CreateSpace and non-US territories on Kindle

If like me, you too live outside North America or Europe, you would know of the frustration in getting your hard earned royalties for books published through KDP or CreateSpace … Continue Reading →


The Compound Effect in Your Writing Career Revisited

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” –James Dean I originally wrote this blog post in 2014 but now I’m tailoring it for 2017 and … Continue Reading →


Be A Happy Author Before Becoming A Best-selling One

Dear Reader, I hope you are doing well. I am happy to announce that my latest book “How to Have a Happier Writer Mindset WITHOUT SPENDING A DIME” (the fourth … Continue Reading →


Why write when readers don’t care?

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” –Omar Khayyam The other day I was reading The INFJ Writer: Cracking the Creative Genius of the World’s Rarest Type. … Continue Reading →


developmental editing

Do you really need developmental editing?

The other day I stumbled upon an article about how expensive indie publishing has now become. I was in fact aghast to note that the author had estimated her typical … Continue Reading →


Kindle Unlimited—Some Strange Things You May Not Know

To be sure, all kinds of horror stories have been circulating about Kindle Unlimited on the internet for quite some time. But a bit of history first. The self-publishing world … Continue Reading →


Author mind-set

How to Develop A Successful Author Mind-set

No matter what you set out to do in life, mind-set challenges can really bog you down. Whether you’re learning swimming or trying to lose weight or run a business, … Continue Reading →


Celebrating Quiet Artists

Learn from Leonardo

Are you a creative person with so many diverse passions that people sometimes call you “confused?” Don’t worry then my friend because I feel the same. By training, I am … Continue Reading →


Love Karma Crossed

Writing my Second Romance Novel “Love Karma Crossed”

I hope you are doing well. I am happy to announce that my latest novel “Love Karma Crossed” is now out on Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, Google Play and other e-Book … Continue Reading →


do not check your sales everyday

Do not check your sales every day

Seriously. Checking your sales daily is a dangerous thing to do. It encourages short term thinking. Extremely short term. I am assuming that you want to be a writer for … Continue Reading →


portraying complex emotions

Portraying Complex Emotions like Jealousy and Manipulation in Fictional Characters

While writing my first novel, Legally in Love, I often found myself struggling to portray such complex behaviours as jealousy and manipulation through one of the main characters in this … Continue Reading →


Writing my first novel

Writing my First Novel “Legally in Love”

I know most of us have a novel within us. And that for some unfathomable reason, we are too scared to get it out. Believe me, I too wasn’t any … Continue Reading →


Kindle Scout

Why won’t I be joining Kindle Scout any time soon?

Some three months back, I received an email from Amazon announcing their Kindle Scout programme for fiction authors that I just filed away because till then I had only written … Continue Reading →


How to Market Your Books WITHOUT SPENDING A DIME

Finally a Book on Marketing that cuts out the Fluff and Focuses only on the ESSENTIALS Are you bombarded with strange and esoteric marketing advice, to sell your books in … Continue Reading →


Do Giveaways work?

Wishing you all a very Happy 2016! In your book marketing journey, you cannot escape coming across advice about giveaways. As the term suggests, giveaways are supposed to be a … Continue Reading →


Should you split your novels into smaller parts?

Should you split your novel into smaller parts just because others say so?

A few days back, an aspiring author contacted me asking for some advice related to the above intriguing query. Since the issues raised are important, I am taking the liberty … Continue Reading →


Celebrating Quiet Leaders Now Available on All Major e-Book Retailer Sites

I was always intrigued by the question whether introverts can really lead? And if yes, can they just lead, as any imbecile hereditary heir to the throne is expected to, … Continue Reading →


1000 sales

From 0 to 1000 sales: Why is that a landmark that we need to talk about

I published my first book How to Cook In A Jiffy Even If You Have Never Boiled An Egg Before in September 2013. This was a simple college cookbook based … Continue Reading →


don't give up too soon

Don’t Give up Too Soon!

A few days back, one of my friends forwarded a very touching story that I thought should share with you today. No matter how talented or capable you are, a … Continue Reading →


sites to promote books

Over 50+ Sites to Promote Your Free & Discounted Books

There are hundreds of sites promising to promote your books. Their business model is obviously not very robust, because I keep on finding them dropping “dead” at the drop of … Continue Reading →


How to Make a Living from Your Writing

“We’re living in the best time ever to make a living with your writing!” So begins Joanna Penn in her latest book “How to Make a Living with Your Writing: … Continue Reading →


Babelcube

Babelcube is Fumbling Part-II

By the way, a few days back, I had e-mailed Mark Dresdner again sharing the link to the blog post. A few days later, his assistant replied. The reply was … Continue Reading →


Babelcube

Babelcube is fumbling!

Let me admit it. I have been an unabashed fan of Babelcube for quite some time. On 25 January 2015, I first shared my first impressions openly on this blog … Continue Reading →


eagle

You Become What You Believe You Are

“What do you want to do in life?” “What is the meaning of life?” “What is the purpose of our existence?” These may sound like a set of perfect questions … Continue Reading →


J.K. Rowling

JK Rowling’s famous Harvard Speech and the Fringe Benefits of Failure

I have read or heard very few speeches in my lifetime that have moved me so much. But J.K. Rowling’s famous speech “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance … Continue Reading →


pen name

Why using a pen name may NOT be such a smart idea?

Have you ever had an urge to write in a different genre? If so, you might have wondered at some point whether you should use a pen name or a … Continue Reading →


Dan Brown

Dealing With Criticism-the Dan Brown Way

Every creative person—writer, artist, singer or actor—cringes while facing critics and the looming tsunami from their poisoned tongues and quills. Who likes being judged after all? The sad truth, however, … Continue Reading →


100% Responsibility

Taking One-Hundred Percent Responsibility for Your Life

 I love reading motivational books. Lately every book I read has been advising me to change my response to an outcome. The constant refrain is that it is not the … Continue Reading →


Writing

Writing Without Spending a Dime

You may wonder if I’m starting with an oxymoron, because writing normally is NOT an activity that should cost anyone any money. You just grab your pen and paper, if … Continue Reading →


favourite books

My Favourite Books in 2014

As you probably know already, I love reading motivational, inspirational and even self-improvement books. In this post, I thought I should share with you a couple of my favourite books … Continue Reading →


Babelcube

Translate your books without spending a dime: the Babelcube way

Image Courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net Have you ever dreamt of having your books translated in other languages reaching untapped regions and markets AT NO COST whatsoever? “No, this is impossible,” … Continue Reading →


Indie Author Pack Review: Three Classics in one go

I was fortunate enough to get hold of a copy of the Indie Author Pack when it was on pre-order. Undoubtedly, this pack is a real value for money, as … Continue Reading →


Abraham Lincoln

Three Things That All Self-Published Authors can Learn From Abraham Lincoln

I keep hearing some self-published authors cringing and whining all the time about how difficult it is to pursue a career as a writer. Sure, many are passionate about what … Continue Reading →


the compound effect

The Compound Effect in Your Writing Career

Image Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/cooldesign I hope you are NOT reflecting too much on how difficult it is to be a self-published author. I know how you work extremely hard writing … Continue Reading →


J.K. Rowling

A Truly Inspiring Story About a Writer

Image Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Thaikrit Today I thought I should share a story with you, a story which I personally found to be very motivating and inspiring. I happened to stumble … Continue Reading →


businessforauthors

Business For Authors: Viewing Your Writing Profession as a “Business”

I thought today I should share with you a book which I found to be really helpful for self-published authors. Most Authors make the mistake of viewing their writing as … Continue Reading →


Celebrating The Quiet Child: A Must Read For every Parent, Teacher, Mentor, Sports Coach……..

I thought I should share with you the news about a book that I have just written in another genre. This is actually a sequel to my book Quiet Phoenix: … Continue Reading →


self published author

10 Habits of a Successfully Self Published Author

                    Image Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Lamnee So, you think you have a knack for writing and have heard that these days you … Continue Reading →


Author Marketing Club Premium Membership—To Be or Not to Be

Let me be frank. As an author operating on quite a shoe string budget, I have been quite sceptical of smart-aleck sites promising you the moon, if only you could … Continue Reading →


Best selling e-book ideas

How to discover Best Selling e-Book Ideas

Image Courtesy of Master isolated images, FreeDigitalPhotos.net So you have decided to be a writer. Congratulations! You, of course, know what inspired and motivated you to do so. You are … Continue Reading →


“61 ways to Sell More Non-Fiction Kindle Books”: My Take

This is indeed a very helpful book for anyone looking for ways to sell more kindle books on Amazon. How about 61 ways? No problems, because Author Steve Scott does … Continue Reading →


Ready for a Tell-all Memoir on the Inside Working of a Top Indian Law Firm? Quiet Phoenix Now Available on all Amazon Platforms

Dear Friends, You may be happy to learn that my latest book Quiet Phoenix: An Introvert’s Guide to Rising in Career & Life is available on Amazon worldwide. Did I … Continue Reading →


how to format an ebook

How to Format Your Ebook Without Spending a Dime

It’s time now to format and finish your book. This should be split into Final proof reading and then formatting to make your book suitable for various formats like Kindle, … Continue Reading →


How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn

How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn is probably the best and the most comprehensive book I have read so far on book marketing by self-publishers. This book has … Continue Reading →


3 ways to design your free book cover

Do not underestimate the power of your book cover. In the digital world, this is the only thing (along with your title) buyers are going to look at when deciding … Continue Reading →


editing

Editing Is Vital, Even If You Think You Write Like Shakespeare

Editing is a subject which no author should ever ignore.  Editors broadly come in two flavours- structural and line. Structural Editors go through the entire structure of your book and … Continue Reading →


word cont

Setting a daily word count

Image Courtesy of phanlop88/FreeDigitalPhotos.net With the draft outline out of the way, you need to start setting your other tasks and targets, of which the most important is the word count … Continue Reading →


Writing my first book

Writing my first book

When I started writing my first book, I had an idea in my mind that I should write a book for an audience which does not know how to cook … Continue Reading →


writing

Writing is planning, then plodding and then some more plodding

 Success is supposed to be one percent inspiration and ninety-nine  percent perspiration.  Writing is quite similar. You do need inspiration, dreams and fantasies  to start with. But to finish your … Continue Reading →


Author

How exactly do you become an author, part-time or full time?

Beginning As An Author At The Very Beginning….. As the mindboggling material available on the worldwide web would indicate, the path to becoming an author would be as different as … Continue Reading →


amazon books

If I Could Publish, Without Spending A Dime, 3 Amazon Books In Six Months, So Can You….

Image Courtesy of adamr/FreeDigitalPhotos.net This is my story of how I could publish, 3 Amazon books in six months, without spending a dime.  You, of course, don’t know me. By training … Continue Reading →