Storizen March 2018 Holi Special Issue Holi 2018 Special Issue | Page 35

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.
However, thanks to your moral
science teachers who assured you
repeatedly that winner don’t quit and
quitters don’t win, you gather all your
resources and start work on your
next book. You take the plunge, and
do it again and again, 8 times at the
last count. Fortunately, despite
everything you are still a dreamer but
a pragmatic one. Now tempered with
fantasies of fame and fortune are
some hard truths. There will be good
days when you feel on top of the
world because a reader has sent a
heartfelt email asserting that your
words have changed his life and
Amazon recommends your book as
one of the best reads of the month.
Invitations to lit fests will be
extended, there will be beautiful
journeys and interesting people by
the wayside and even the occasional
award that will make you feel it is all
worth it.
STORIZEN MAGAZINE    |    32