Robert Morgan’s publishing tips for writers

Saturday I attended a workshop on ‘How to approach publishers and get your manuscript noticed’. Robert Morgan, Publisher of BookLand Press, conducted the workshop. I had participated in an earlier workshop that Morgan conducted for the Writers and Editors Network in mid-May. But the time he was allotted was rather short, and he had to rush through his material.

At Saturday’s workshop, held at the picturesque Runnymede public library, Morgan spoke uninterrupted for three hours. He answered a range of questions from the participants that comprised a mix of Canadians and immigrants from different age groups and backgrounds.

Why this sudden interest in book publishing?

There are two reasons. The main one is my fascination for book publishing as a process. My only inheritance from my grandfather Harischandra Bhatt is a collection of books. Among them are manuals on printing and publishing, and on typefaces and fonts. Harischandra had a publishing house – Nalanda Publication– for a brief time and published books on a range of subjects.

The other reason – and I feel oddly reticent admitting to it – is that I’m in the process of writing a novel. Actually, I had begun writing this novel after I had encouraged Richard Rothman to publish his book of short stories (Intelligent Endings). That was many years ago. 

As it happens with most of our creative efforts, life intervenes and interrupts. We leave behind what we love doing to attend to our immediate needs. The needs then multiply and we forget about our writing. 

2009 is a year of revival for me in terms of my reading and writing. That happened primarily because I joined Sheridan College’s journalism program. I was introduced to Canadian literature. This is the first time ever that I'm studying literature. I also started this blog. 

Then a couple of months ago, Joyce Wayne introduced me to Antanas Sileika Artistic Director, Humber School for Writers. I will be meeting him in July for Humber School for Writers’ summer workshop. In preparation for this interaction, I began writing my novel.

I fished out my old manuscript. But I found only some parts of the earlier version interesting. So, I started to build upon a short story that I had entered into a competition. 

In about two months, I have written close to 18,000 words. I don’t know if it is good or bad. What I know is that I’m enjoying the process of writing. I get up early every morning, and then sit for a couple of hours at least to write my book. 

Mostly, I’m rewriting and the pace is extremely slow. But it is so engaging that if I had a choice, I’d only write.

I know a few friends who are writing a book, and I know a few others who should be writing a book. 

I’m reporting a few interesting aspects of Morgan’s presentation that I think writers will find interesting.

• Do your research on the internet to select the right publisher for your manuscript – target specific publishers who publish your genre.
  
• Check submission guidelines – every publisher has specific guidelines.
  
• You don’t need a literary agent nowadays – especially if you’re an unpublished author.
  
• Don’t send generic cover letters – you’re a writer, and the publisher is a literate person. Write a personal letter.
  
• In Canada, publishers receive on an average 800 to 1000 submissions every month. So, don’t expect a prompt response from publishers after you submit your manuscript.
  
• A good business relationship is essential between an author and a publisher for the success of any book.
  

These bullet points are just a glimpse of what Morgan said during his presentation. He conducts these workshops twice a year, and charges a nominal fee from participants. 

The proceeds are donated to Canadian Aid Charity. He also informed the participants about Canadian Aid Charity’s literary contest where the first prize is a trade book publishing contract. Check out the details here. The deadline is September 1, 2009. 

Asian Writers

Multiculturalism in Canada is like secularism in India – preached more than practised.

In the Indian context, it means that the government says the minorities (Muslims, Christians, etc) are equal to the Hindus in India. What it really means is that they must fend for themselves.

In Canada, officially, the governments – both federal and provincial – are committed to multiculturalism. Again, as with the minorities in India, the immigrants are to fend for themselves.

That’s not a politically correct thing to say, I know. However, that’s been my experience as an immigrant in Canada in the last ten months that I’ve been here. 

Even if they generally keep quiet about their situation, that is the experience of most of the minorities in India.

But let's get back to being politically correct. Being polite is to be a Canadian.

One of the happy fallouts of the official policy of multiculturalism is the celebratory recognition that each ethnic group receives from the officialdom.

May, for instance, is the Asian heritage month. February is the Black History month (my friend Mike Odongkara guided me to Morgan Freeman’s views on the subject that have been posted on the youtube; take a look).

Earlier this month I attended an interesting event at the North York Central Library (branch of the Toronto Public Library) on New Asian Writing.

Aparita Bhandari, CBC’s Metro Morning What’s Going On columnist, anchored the show. 

She was both vivacious and studied – an essential necessity in any anchor hosting a show full of writers, for an audience that comprises wannabe and published writers.

If she wasn’t both, she would have either bored or embarrassed the audience. By being both, she made the evening seem short.

The show began with a fabulous dance recital first in the Bharat Natyam style and then in Odissi style by the members of the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company. 

For a brief moment, I didn’t feel I was in Canada, and this is despite the Canadian accent of the young dancer of Indian origin who introduced the dances and the danseuses.

The writers who participated in the event included Kerri Sakamoto, Saleema Nawaz, Devyani Saltzman and Jaspreet Singh. 

I found Saleema Nawaz and Jaspreet Singh’s readings from their works (Mother Superior: Nawaz and Chef: Singh) evocative because they effortlessly created vivid images in my mind of their characters and the settings.

I may be creating an erroneous impression by singling out one or a couple of writers from the group that participated in the show, because all of them had different experiences to narrate as writers and different stories to tell.

I approached Singh and Nawaz after the show and requested them for an interview for this blog on the craft of writing. 

They said they would get back. They didn’t.

Probably because I’m unknown, anonymous. They are published writers.

Then, a week ago, I attended the Writers and Editors Network (WEN) meeting. 

I wanted to meet Jasmine D’Costa, an immigrant from Mumbai, and a banker-turned-novelist whose Curry is Thicker than Water is making waves across Canada right now and is certainly going to be among awards and prizes. D’Costa is the president of the WEN. 

The breakfast networking session that morning had a star speaker – Robert Morgan, Publisher with BookLand Press. Morgan discussed Publishing Tips for Authors from the Publisher's Perspective.

The endearing part of the meeting was interacting so many aspiring writers, and so many of them of Indian origin – some born in India but raised elsewhere; some whose parents were born in India, had no first-hand experience of India, and yet seemed to love the idea of India. 

That morning the idea of India did appear to be shinning bright – Sonia Gandhi had won the election.

Mybindi.com is holding D’Costa’s book launch on May 27. Click here for details, and attend it to meet a very interesting personality. 

Images: Singh: http://www.ufv.ca/MarCom/UFV_Today/090223.htm

Nawaz: http://www.freehand-books.com/authors/saleema-nawaz.html

D'Costa: http://www.wildsound-filmmaking-feedback-events.com/images/jasmineanitadcosta.jpg

The Tao of Cricket

Absence of cricket telecast is the worst part of emigration from India. As I write this, Bangalore’s Royal Challengers and Hyderabad’s Deccan Chargers are battling it out in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the Indian Premier League’s final. I missed the live telecast and followed the match and Deccan Chargers’ victory on the internet (The Times of India).

I haven’t read too many books on and about cricket. Cricket writing in India has a great tradition, but it is generally limited to the newspapers. I had the privilege of working with the legendary K. N. Prabhu, the eminent cricket journalist from The Times of India. Prabhu worked at The Daily for a brief period, when I was a reporter at the tabloid. (Note: I was a reporter circa late Cretaceous era). 

Prabhu's fluid and carefree style of writing was carefully cultivated.  A senior journalist at the newspaper was assigned to cover Raj Kapoor’s funeral. He began his report with, “As the maudlin sun turned ochre...” Prabhu walked over to the reporting section and politely told the reporter to stick to the facts. 

Think of the reader; don’t think as a writer, he’d tell us.

Among the more contemporary writers, Ayaz Memon is perhaps the best. Here’s his selection of the best cricket books he’s read.

The one cricket book that stays etched in my mind is Ashish Nandy’s The Tao of Cricket. Nandy, a free thinker, wrote the book in 1989. It’s an original interpretation of the game of cricket in the Indian context. 

The book gained popularity and acclaim because Nandy claimed – tongue firmly in cheek – that cricket was actually an Indian game accidentally discovered by the English.

The book was equally an examination of the process of modernization of the Indian society in the post-colonial period. Nandy never intended the book to be merely about cricket and perhaps wasn’t too happy that it was cricket that made it popular.

Explaining this strange phenomenon, he’s observed, “Precisely because its political analysis is unacceptable and painful The Tao of Cricket over the years has been read more as a cultural history of cricket than as a deviant political psychology of popular culture.” (Quote from India Club website).

A review of the book published in The Hindu is also interesting. 

Once while visiting Strand with an editor of a prominent Marathi daily, I spoke to him about Nandy’s book. The person sitting behind the cash table – perhaps the late Shanbag’s son or some other relative – immediately named the book and Nandy, the year of publication, and the publisher. 

Now, here was a book shop owner who knew books. He didn’t have to run to the nearest computer to check the name of the book and the last name of the author to provide more information to the interested reader.

Unfortunately, old bookshops with their ethos will not survive. Not in Mumbai, not in Toronto. Walking along Spadina Avenue last week, I came across a bookshop that apparently was going out of business and I bought Joseph Conrad’s three novels in one volume for just $2.

Image: http://profpjayindia.blogspot.com/2008/08/interview-with-ashis-nandy.html

My Country, My Life

I’ve been getting up early in the mornings lately. The long hours of daylight in spring and summer in Toronto makes the day fruitful.

Early morning (Saturday) brought good tidings from India.

The BJP-led NDA had conceded defeat in the 15^th general elections for the Lok Sabha, and the Congress-led UPA had won, albeit with just a handful of seats short of a simple majority.

I watched the late afternoon (India time) live coverage on NDTV.com, and the erudite Vir Sanghvi was holding forth on Congress’ surprising victory.

One of the news flashes that really gladdened my heart was the BJP’s acceptance that Varun Gandhi’s anti-Muslim comments and the projection of Narendra Modi as the future prime minister hurt the NDA’s prospects.

This will mark the end of an era in Indian politics for at least two stalwarts – L.K. Advani and George Fernandes. Advani can forget his dream of becoming India’s prime minister; Fernandes should forget politics. One can differ with them on their politics, but I don’t think anyone would willingly ignore their contribution to Indian politics.

Just before I immigrated to Canada, I read Advani’s My Country, My Life (and wrote about it in this blog sometime ago). The book was aimed at the English-speaking minority of India that continues to have deep misgivings about Advani and the BJP, and shapes national opinion. To his credit, Advani doesn’t make any concessions about his ideological beliefs that many continue to find unpalatable.

Advani’s propensity to remain in the news for over five decades is probably unparalleled in the ranks of the Indian opposition. To emerge from the sidelines to the forefront and from being a bit player to be a contender for the PM’s post are unquestionably remarkable achievements.

He has constantly reinvented himself, and done that with conviction. My Country, My Life give a good account the different phases of his political career.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he managed to charge the Indian political firmament with his diatribes against the pseudo-secular, left-leaning intellectuals.

The term pseudo-secular gained tremendous currency in the 1990s, and helped – at that stage – correct the Congress’s political imbalance and politics of formulating policies for votes.

However, Advani’s political career will be remembered primarily for the destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Although – and this is the strangest aspect of his political personality – he did profess deep shock and grief at the demolition.

In the book, he appears to indicate that the demolition wasn’t the handiwork of the BJP volunteers. He implies that those who participated in the demolition spoke Marathi (and therefore could well have been Shiv Sena members).

Also in the book, Advani unflinchingly defends Modi in unequivocal terms, going to great lengths to explain his differences with the then prime minister and his mentor AB Vajpayee. For that alone he should have been found unfit to be the prime minister of India. People of India, too, share this view; at least for the moment.

However, the new breed of leaders in the BJP that will now replace Advani and the old guard, don’t possess even a modicum of Advani’s sincerity and intellect. Narendra Modi can administer very well; but he can’t administer without malice against a section of population that needs the state’s protection, but gets only systematic pogroms.