Who Says Writing is Easy?

By Shobhan Bantwal

Don't all published writers occasionally come across people who assume that writing novels is simple? Most folks are really awed by the process, but I have met a few who seem to think writing a book is easy, and that publishers will line up at your door to buy it. And pay you a ton of money to boot! This naturally leads to the absurd assumption about huge advances and royalties.

When I tell such individuals how hard it is to write a novel, then find a reputable agent, and eventually sell one's work to a publisher, they look at me like I must be rather dim-witted because it took me a while to sell my first book. Only a fellow writer would understand the trials and tribulations of achieving that special and coveted status, the one labeled "published writer."

Sleepless nights, nail-biting, frustrated sighs, and even a few tears of anguish are all part of getting there. Then there are so many of us who have tough full-time jobs, families, and social obligations that demand attention, leaving very little time to write.

But then after completing the uphill climb to actually getting published there is yet another, steeper mountain to navigate: Marketing and Promotion. Personally I have found that promo and reader outreach are ten times harder than writing the book.

Of course one can hire a marketing consultant and/or a virtual assistant to handle some of the promotional work, but that has its limits too. A few fellow writers who hired high-priced PR agents have not sold any more books than the ones who had neither the budget nor the time for any fancy marketing tools.

While we all work hard as authors and try to find the most cost-efficient resources to publicize our books, it still feels like it is never enough.

So, is fiction writing any easier in today's self-publishing and e-publisher markets? With my limited technical abilities I am absolutely amazed at what some self-published writers have accomplished through Amazon and other avenues.

How many of you have found fame and fortune with these new trends? I would love to hear comments about how easy or challenging it has been for you to "arrive."

www.shobhanbantwal.com

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Flirting with Fiction at Fifty

By Shobhan Bantwal

When I made the impulsive decision to start writing fiction at the ripe age of fifty, I knew it would be a serious challenge. I had never written anything more creative than school essays and the thesis for my master's degree. Nonetheless I had to start somewhere, so I began by writing articles and short stories about Indian-American immigrant experiences.

Much to my amazement, between 2002 and 2005, I successfully wrote over thirty articles for various Indian-American publications, and three of my short stories won awards/honors in fiction competitions.

But when it came to full-length novels, I had grave doubts. Would the mainstream American establishment be willing to accept stories that hinged on arranged marriage, dowry abuse, virgin brides and grooms, and male dominance? Would they even consider characters like compliant wives and mothers who, despite college degrees and flourishing careers of their own, catered happily to the men in their lives?

In spite of my trepidation I took a calculated risk by writing romantic fiction, a sub-genre that I branded "Bollywood-in-a-Book." I introduced serious social issues in contemporary India to American readers by weaving them into fun, romantic, entertaining tales.

After two frustrating years of agent-hunting I finally landed a great agent, Elaine Koster (now deceased), a publisher-turned-agent

who had published literary giants like Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Erica Jong, and Khaled Hosseini. Fortunately she loved my "outside the box" fiction, and sold my debut book, The Dowry Bride, to Kensington Publishing in 2006.  More contracts by Kensington followed in quick succession, making it a total of six novels in six years.

I would love to hear about your own unique publishing stories.

www.shobhanbantwal.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ShobhanBantwal.author

My Super Hero - Average Looks, Big Heart...

by Shobhan Bantwal

author of The Reluctant Matchmaker and other books

Handsome looks, assertive personalities, and bold exploits are typically the stuff romance novel heroes are made of. Even the bad boys are somehow lovable because of their naughty-yet-innately good qualities. So, are men with average looks and subdued dispositions likely to be labeled 'heroes' in romance novels? Most likely not.

However, perhaps because I was born and raised in India, a traditional culture that places more emphasis on practical matters such as family values, job security, and fidelity over appearance and personality, it is no surprise that my favorite fictional hero is Atticus Finch of Harper Lee's old classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.

An "Average Joe" when it comes to physical looks, Atticus is in every other aspect a true hero in my humble opinion. In my own books, my lead male characters are rather nondescript, and yet it is their generosity and caring nature that makes them heroes.

A young widower struggling to raise two young children in a conservative small town in the deep South of the 1930s, Atticus embodies everything that is decent, unbiased, kind, and supremely courageous. As a young Caucasian lawyer defending a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, he is keenly aware of the repercussions of his actions in a race-torn southern town, he nonetheless sticks to his principles. He is a shining role model, an ideal husband and father.

And yet, to the young women of his time, his marital and family status combined with his liberal ideas on racial equality and justice might be the very traits that are unromantic and not quite so sexy.

Nevertheless, Atticus is my ideal hero.

Tell us about your favorite fictional heroes and why you love them so much by posting your comments.

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