Initially, Amish just wanted to write. He had no intention of publishing anything. It began as a pure philosophical thesis, an exploration of what is evil. However, with time, the narrative soon found a life of its own, “a work of fiction with elements of adventure and drama”, he says.
Some of the members of his family read his work and suggested that he publish it as a book. That is when the real adventure began. He sent the manuscript to a publishing house, and then to another, and another. “I must have sent it to about twenty publishers, but not one editor liked my book,” says Amish.
One publisher did agree, on one condition – that nearly 50 per cent of the book be rewritten. Most publishers declined the book, saying books on religion and mythology don’t sell. Finally, it was his friend, Anuj Bahri, who offered to edit, produce and print the book for him.
Almost a year of tireless efforts followed, with Amish travelling from city to city to promote and publicise his work. He says he never intended to make it a bestseller. He just wanted to see it published, so that people could read it.
Remember the root and fruit philosophy? When the roots are strong and pure, the fruit will be the best and tastiest.
Five years later, Amish is today the toast of the publishing circuit and his books have sold millions of copies, and been translated into numerous languages. Youngsters queue up for hours at the release of his books and many ask him if one can make a lot of money as a writer.
“Some writers are handsomely rewarded, they have established themselves. But most writers don’t really get paid well. My advice to aspiring writers is: please don’t take up writing as a career if your aim is to make money,” he says.
Amish believes that there are three kinds of writers in the world.
- Born writers.
- Those who develop into writers after hard work.
- Those who have writing thrust upon them.
When he started out, Amish belonged to the third category. He always thought of himself as a left-brained person. In school and college, he excelled in academics, especially in mathematics – he has even got a degree in the subject – but nobody pictured him as someone creative.
The only creative thing he did back in his college days was become the lead singer of a band at IIM Kolkata. He considers his career in writing a blessing from Shiva, to whom he dedicates his bestsellers.
How does one write a bestseller?
Amish says it is almost impossible to predict the reader’s taste. Research doesn’t always work. “So it’s important to write something that appeals to you as an author,” he says. “If the book sells a lot, that’s great, but as a writer, it should not be a problem even if it doesn’t. One’s objective shouldn’t be to write a bestseller; it should be to pen a book that appeals to them as an author. Do not worry about the critics, publishers or even the readers when you’re writing a book. It’s just about you and your book.”
Writing almost always involves some preliminary research. Authors like Dan Brown and Amitav Ghosh are known to do years of research before writing bestselling novels like The Da Vinci Code and the books in the Ibis Trilogy. “There are two ways you can look at it – one is not do any research at all, and the other is do thirty years of research, like I have done. As far as mythology and religion are concerned, I grew up in a very religious family where everyone was in the habit of reading and debating. We had huge libraries at home, and everybody was encouraged to read. I used to read eight books a month. So, for me, research is nothing but gaining knowledge and putting it down in my works,” Amish says.
Amish’s tips for aspiring writers
- Initially, take up a job that will help you to earn a livelihood. You are blessed if you find a job related to writing. Try and write as much as possible on weekends. In my opinion, the biggest positive about a career in writing is the amount of time you get to spend with your family.
- Coming to the craft of writing, the ability to let yourself enter a parallel universe which others can see only by the words you pen, is like a privilege – they see and record what you visualise, My readers can only see about 20 per cent of what I see. If you feel you can immerse yourself this way and experience something divine in the process, then you can definitely pursue it,” says Amish.
- To be a good writer, you must be a good reader. If you are well read, it will show in your writing.
- Marketing is very important. Do not think about marketing while writing. Be a passionate marketer and sell/pitch your book to your prospective readers. There’s a methodical approach to publicising your work. Be prepared to plan and execute it systematically.
Luck can be a very crucial determinant of success. Has it worked in Amish’s favour? “I think it would be wrong to say that luck doesn’t work. My grandfather says: ‘Life is like a cart with two sets of wheels. One set is your hard work and the other is your luck. Even if one set of wheels is bigger than the other, both sets are equally important.”’
Amish is aware that most Indian parents are quite traditional in their approach and do not encourage their children to opt for new-age careers, like writing. “Parents want their children to be protected in the career choices they make,” he says, “because their generation lived in poorer economic conditions. But parents must realise that times have changed now, and there are more opportunities pouring in. The key thing to succeed in whatever you do is to remember the Sanskrit word ‘Purshartha’. It has four components: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. All four should be balanced well to lead a happy life.”
Excerpted with permission from I Love Mondays: Embrace The Next Generation of Careers, Mala Mary Martina, Collins.