Good but unknown writers seldom find willing publishers unless they have tremendous patience. For them, it is also an issue to get certain subjects published unless they are safe or popular. We decided to start this publishing house to get over the wave of trends or brands,” says Chetan Joshi, editorial director, LiTreasure Publishers, Pune while speaking on their journey from idea to reality.
As the name suggests, LiTreasure Publishers is literally a treasury of literature, believes Joshi. Their journey began with an outfit in Pune and a branch in London to be able to access the world of writers and readers beyond the Indian geography. Moving ahead, they had to create an online presence along with an offline distribution network. “Getting an ISBN was the most suspenseful time of our life,” says Joshi. “That done, we needed a panel of editors, proof readers, layout artists, printers and, of course, writers! We have had a steady stream of titles every year since our inception. More than the stories inside the books we publish, the launch of every book has been truly thrilling. Since books do not usually get advertised on conventional platforms, social media has been a true lifeline for the promotion of books,” he recollects.
New projects
The company is also launching a theme based anthology titled ‘The LiTrerasure Hunt for TEMPTATION’ by December 2017.
Writers were invited to contribute stories based on temptation and all submissions went through a careful selection process. “The next title has stories based on ‘Embarrassment.’ Although there are several hundred genre-based anthologies being published across the world, there are very few publishers that carry a theme (Rare Exception – GRANTA),” informs Joshi.
Recollecting his first project, Joshi states, “The first book we published was Literally Yours, which is a commentary on the current Indian English writing scenario. Recently, we republished On The Wheels, a nonfiction travelogue in pre-independent India where one man completes a round trip of 6,000 miles from Mumbai to Sri Lanka on a bicycle!”
Idea and writers
As a mentor of creative writing himself, Joshi has direct access to many potential writers from several media colleges. Joshi also believes that the internet has been a great boon to reach out to writers. Speaking on bringing a writer on board, he reveals, “The most important parameter to select a piece is the idea, followed by expression power. If we feel that a submitted piece of work deserves to get published but lacks certain things such as exposition, conclusion or a clear point of view, we contact the writer and convey this along with some suggested changes, hoping that he/she would agree.”
Speaking on the latest trends and the types of books that he publishes, Joshi says, “We are a trend in agnostic company. What is trendy today could be considered trash tomorrow. So, we look at the longevity of a story, be it genre based, slice of life or even nonfiction. The only thing we are particular about is good, strong content and an equally strong voice.”
On bringing the best and good work out, Joshi elaborates, “A lot of good writing stays buried because publishers are unwilling to publish a written piece of work due to the financial risks involved. However, we believe that if the writer is willing to share the expense, all he needs is a willing publisher who will extend his hand, give his goodwill and distribution resources. We do that in some cases if we find the content strong enough.” LiTreasure considers both platforms—OnDemand publishing and approaching writers— for publishing. “After all, whether a writer approaches us or the other way round, what we insist on is that whatever gets published should be a book to be proud of. When writers approach us with their manuscripts, we usually advise them to improve their story, if necessary,” says Joshi.
Regarding distribution, he says, “Designing a distribution strategy for paperbacks is a tough idea in today’s times. However, digital marketing is a method that shows good promise. As far as our own channels are concerned, we try to set up writer reader forums, or enrol in existing ones.” Further, the publishing house has also come up with creative themes to help books catch the attention of readers. They come across all kinds of readers irrespective of age or gender.
Online to the rescue
Especially for readers from smaller towns, online purchase has proved residence boon to book lovers who often complain unavailability of their favorite titles in book stores. Reading a PDF may sound strange to an older generation born with paperbacks around them. But for a generation that has seen more of screens than pages, it is most natural to prefer digital books. Joshi also says that all changes are fine as long as the stories being told are not compromised upon.
In conclusion, Joshi says that literature festivals are a good way for readers and writers to connect. There should be an exchange of stories from different languages. He adds that even if every writer decides to translate one good book of another author, it will enrich the world of literature manifold.
