Syed Arshad, a first-time author, faced several challenges when it came to publishing his book through traditional publishing platforms. Through his experiences, he discovered the problems many first-time authors face with their manuscript that never gets through the literary gatekeepers of traditional publishing.
Looking for a solution and to help other struggling writers, Arshad started Blue Rose Publishers, a self-publishing platform, in 2012. In the initial days, Blue Rose took book requests through a Facebook page from a small room of Arshad’s house. With time, the publishing house grew in terms of employees and space and now has offices in Rajiv Chowk (earlier Connaught Place) and Daryaganj in Delhi. Blue Rose publishes approximately 200-250 books a month and has diversified its business with its literary and life magazine, LitGleam, and WordsBrew, an event for authors and readers.
Speaking on the firm’s self-publishing model, Khushboo Kaushik, chief executive officer, Blue Rose Publishers said, “Being a self-publishing platform, we can’t rely on content. Even a good author is bound to make mistakes. And sometimes, it is difficult to convince first-time authors to get their book edited by our editorial team. And the number of books we publish each month is high; it is impossible to edit each book. The quality of a self-published book is certainly not promising, but at the same time, it gives a chance to first-time authors to publish their book in a hassle-free manner.
“We have several book publishing packages that differ in services and price. We edit the books according to the services chosen by authors. We don’t publish without the consent of the author. They look at the changes made by us and if they agree with them, we go ahead. Many upcoming authors don’t receive a response from traditional publishers and are mostly rejected, even if they do. Self-publishing is good for authors who want to keep the essence of their content intact, which may not be understood by an editor. Additionally, if a book does well and is picked up by a traditional publisher, our authors are free to get it published by them as well. The book is the author’s property.”
Blue Rose is attempting to build a traditional publishing brand – Hesten. Under Hesten, the publisher will undertake editing, designing, and marketing of books. However, only the books that do well in the self-publishing model will be chosen to be published under Hesten.
“The books that show the potential to do well in the market will be picked for Hesten. Rashmi Trivedi is the author to be published by Hesten,” Kaushik added.
