Storizen March 2018 Holi Special Issue Holi 2018 Special Issue | Page 34

STORIZEN INDULGE
The next step is to take your heart in
your hands and approach the
publishers, assuring yourself that
they will love the book nearly as
much as you do. A list of publishing
houses is compiled in order of
preference and over the course of
what feels like forever, you work your
way through the list, as dejection
follows on the heels of relentless
rejection. During dark moments, you
curse yourself for not listening to
your teachers, getting an engineering
degree and securing a ‘safe job’
where they work you into the ground
but at least make sure you are richly
compensated. What madness
compelled you to take up a career in
such an uncertain field where the
only surety is heartache and
exacerbated suicidal tendencies?
Then when hope is at its lowest ebb
and you are seriously considering
those stupid emails and ads which
urge you to take up data processing
(whatever that means) so that you
can rake in the moolah from the
comfort of your home, a blessed
publisher agrees to take a chance on
your baby book. For the next few
months, you wallow in ecstasy,
dream of super stardom and make
prudent plans not to piss away the
fortune that has your name on it.
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Months of waiting on tenterhooks
take the edge off the vulgar joy and
arduous editing coupled with even
more waiting blunts it some more.
Finally, your book hits the stands and
to your pleasant surprise becomes
one of the top 5 sellers for that year!
You are over the moon with joy but
not surprisingly make a crash landing
when you come to the sobering
conclusion that you are not yet in
Chetan Bhagat’s league let alone J.K.
Rowling’s. When reality bites, it really
does take a chunk out of your heart
and soul!