Monday, September 03, 2012

The spook spreads...



Ok, first things first. I'm getting published. Yep. :)

There. Said it finally.

I've been putting off sharing this piece of news for a while now. In a world of record-breaking 'likes' and 'trending', I'd like to think of myself as an exception to the rule. Some of my co-bloggers who've also over a period of time, become good friends, know this. So, this also goes out to them. My friends out of the blogosphere have been asking about it, wanting to know more, a few of my colleagues know it too.

So then, what has kept me from sharing it with you guys? Nothing, it's just that I'm a little of an introvert when it comes to these things. I know, I know - you need to make use of Internet today to promote yourself, get out there and let the world know. Visibility and all that, yeah - I know. But..that's just me, I guess.

It's gotten me this far, so I'm not complaining.

I started blogging, as most of you know, about 9 years ago. At that time, the blog was just another outlet for me to vent my thoughts, feelings, observations of life. Nothing more. As time flew, the blog also took the shape of a canvas. A canvas where I painted my thoughts in a different color. Fiction.

I've always been a story-teller. To the point of someone having to clamp their hands on my mouth. "Stop it." Yeah, that crazy. But that was just verbal. And back when I was a kid, not now (Thank God!) So, when I was in school, my classmates looked forward to the 'free' period, usually a day before the weekend; the last two classes. It was meant for recreation. Teachers took their students out for a small 'nature-study' tour around town, or...just utilized it for crafts, entertainment, or some sort of talent show.

And when they needed a break from all this, a filler - There was always Sri. :)

God knows how I'd conjure all those yarns up. From kiddy cops 'n robber stories, to all sorts of adventure trips around the globe, you name it, my kitty would have it. Sometimes I'd get bored of it myself, but those guys would goad me on.

Anyway, coming back to the blog - I started writing fiction just to kill the monotony. I felt non-fiction was getting repetitive, everyone had something to say about their lives, I had had my say too; so why not try something different? I pulled back at all those imaginative strings I had as a kid, and put it to use on the blog. One story followed another, and there was no looking back. I and my readers escaped into this tiny little chink in the wall and entered a world where there were no deadlines, EMIs, targets, heart-breaks, break-ups, or anything that resembled real life as we saw it. I started enjoying it, my readers enjoyed it. It was good fun.

And then, one day - out of the blue, my wife said - "I think you should get these out to the real world. Seriously."

I'd not thought about that. I was kind of toying with another draft, which I thought would go to the publishers first, but that was, and is, still crawling. And I was happy here..it was my cocoon. Here, there were no strings attached. I was reluctant. But she didn't give up. Meanwhile, my co-bloggers started egging me on as well (those who did would remember all those comments, emails, and chats, God bless you) :).

So, I thought - what the hell. Let me try it. And so, sometime in Feb/March, I sent a few samples to a publisher. I'd heard stories about rejection slips and heart-breaks, so I thought nothing of it once I was done mailing it.

Three months later, I heard from them. I saw the subject line on the email and sighed. "Ok..here it comes." I imagined things like "Hi Sri..got your samples, but we're afraid we cannot accomodate it in our schedule now", or "Hi Sri, read your sample stories. We'll get back to you shortly" etc etc. But, surprise surprise - they wanted to publish the stories.

I read the email again, just to make sure it was addressed to me, and that I'd read it right. Ok, they had the title right..they had the email subject right. It was indeed me they were talking to. Of course, they asked for the whole collection first. The confirmation came a few days later.

So, then there it is, in a nutshell. (Whoa, that was a 'huge' nutshell, huh? Typical of me...)

But it's still some way off - only after April '13. That gives me time to come up with several more stories; as my editor suggested. I'd also like to come up with a few offline, just to keep the suspense alive, when you actually get to the book, if you know what I mean.

About the publishers; contrary to what I'd heard about publishers in general, these guys are mighty nice. None of those 'snooty' airs about them; no condescending tone in their voices. And my editor is a really nice person. I'm looking forward to working with her. I signed on the dotted line a month or so ago.

But, but, but...this in no way means I'm done here. No siree, far from it. I love this space, I love you guys. I could never give it up completely. Not for anything in the world. So, I'm gonna be around, penning more stories. Only thing different, to a certain extent, could be the frequency. As some of you might know, I'm also working on a full length novel. My editor has graciously agreed to look at that one as well; so I need to get her something soon, right? And sometimes, just sometimes, juggling gets a little challenging. So, I might not post as frequently. I'll come around though, once a while, engage in banter with you guys, and go back to work on the book. I know all your wishes/prayers are with me on this one. Of course, for those wanting to go into the finer details, you're free to email me. :)

And of course, closer to the publishing, I'm also going to talk about it on my Facebook page (another thing I'm horrible at; but my editor, God bless her, has promised to help me out with that one). So, starting now, whenever you find time, do send me your FB IDs if you don't mind, so I could include all of you there, to keep abreast of what's happening.

And once the book is out (the first one), you guys'll know about it first - when, how, where...etc. And all of you had better make it to the launch. No, I mean it. I want to see every one of you there. Because, it's only because of you guys that I'm out to spook a whole lot more, out there. Now, you might've thought "what the hell, why should we be the only ones getting scared?", but I don't care whatever sentiment was behind the prodding. I, want to see each one of you there. Yeah?

So there.

And oh yeah. The publisher? HarperCollins. :)

See ya around.

****

58 comments:

Seema Smile said...

Congratulations! That is wonderful news :) ... Looking forward to your book.

Anonymous said...

That is wonderful news. I will wait for the book. In the meantime I guess I have lot of fiction that I need to read on this blog. :) Good Luck.

Uma said...

WOWOWOW...fantastic news!
Congratulations!!! I am really glad to hear this and I hope I'll make it to the launch too.
Looking forward to reading the spooky book :-)))
Best wishes, Sri! Keep writing and spooking us :-))

Menachery said...

yayayayyaayayyayayayaya aaaaaaa ..... congratualationssssssssss SRI!!!!!!!!! ....... lol... i luvd d bit abt u being the person who used to entertain the otr kids ... :P ... n btw dont 4gt the signed copy :) ....

Deepika said...

Thats great news........
Yipeeeee
Congrats Sri!!

Soumya said...

I need an autographed copy :)

Congrats, again!

Kanthu said...

Ufff. Finally. I thought I would never see this post..:P

Privy Trifles said...

Whoa!!

Congratulations :)

Please dont forget what I asked for - an autograph !!

My FB profile is Privy Trifles - will surely look forward to your book.

Wish you all the best - happy writing ....!!

Privy Trifles said...

Whoa!!

Congratulations :)

Please dont forget what I asked for - an autograph !!

My FB profile is Privy Trifles - will surely look forward to your book.

Wish you all the best - happy writing ....!!

Spaceman Spiff said...

This is beyond cool!! Congrats, Sri. :)

And yes, I want an autographed copy too. :)

Revacious said...

GOOD ON YOU!! Finally eh?
Really, it's bliss reading about this, gives the rest of us a lil hope. :)

phatichar said...

Seema Smile: Thank you! :)

jyothimusings: Hehe..yeah, please do. The longer ones (that have multiple parts) won't go into the book, so you could start with those.. (just saying) :P

Uma: Thanks, ma'am. Thanks a lot. :)

Menachery: :P. Thanks..yeah sure. :)

Deepika: Thanks so much. :)

Soumya: Of course.. :)

Kanthu: LOL ...

Me: Thanks, PT.. :P will surely do that.

Spiff: heheh..sure, sure. Thanks again.. :)

Revacious: Yeah..finally. :) There's always hope for everyone.

Pooja said...

Congratulations and best wishes.

Would need an autographed copy :)

Kunal said...

brilliant! congratulations :)

Nirali Naik said...

yay yay yay yay yay yay :D
I hereby accept the job of your unpaid PR agent and wish you soooo much luck :D
I would crash your book launch anyway like I need an invitation.

Ps if you reply with just a smiley I will disown you and resign

Nirali Naik said...

yay yay yay yay yay yay :D
I hereby accept the job of your unpaid PR agent and wish you soooo much luck :D
I would crash your book launch anyway like I need an invitation.

Ps if you reply with just a smiley I will disown you and resign

RJ said...

Whoa!!!!
you deserve it..a top class publisher for a top class writer!
congratulations!! :)
looking forward to reading your book just like your blog :)
best wishes for this new beginning!!!

Vinati said...

This is HUGE! *_*

Wowwww...congratulations!!! I am really happy for you. Finally, you took our's and your wife's advice. :D

And mujhe bhi autograph wali book chahiye. ^_^

Can't believe it's really happening. When your book is out, I'll tell my friends that I too nagged the author to get his stories published. Khikhi.. :D

Wuhooooo!

manan guju said...

CONGRATULATIONS MAN!!! freakin awesome!
ofcourse like everyone else i 'll be in the line to get an autograph ;)
harper collins is BIG news! and i'm not surprised, you definitely are THAT good, mate!
and most importantly, you'll be missed. and THAT holds true for all your readers. i had gotten into habit of checkin for new stories every day.
lastly, its good you shared this. maybe to you it seems somewhat like showing off, but its not. to me, its inspiring.

Keirthana said...

Awesome news :) Hearty Congrats man! Finally, you are doing it!

phatichar said...

Pooja: He he..sure, why not? Thanks so much.

BBB: :P ;-) :) :D. There, that's more than just a smiley. Happy? ha ha..yeah..you don't need any invitation. :P

Rhythm: Oh boy..that's some compliment, donno if I'm top class. So many more miles to go... Thanks so much for the confidence. :)

Mirage: :) Thanks a ton, girl. :)

Manan: Thanks bro, you made my day by saying all that. :)And hey..am not goin' anywhere in a hurry, will be right here. So..don't you go missin' me already, heheh.

Keirthana: Thank you so much. Yep, finally. :)

Srini said...

Congratulations :-). This is great. Some of your multi-part stories really oughta be published...am sure that what you are planning to bring out in print will be even better :-).

Do let us know once the book is out on flipkart/amazon/indigo :-).

phatichar said...

Sri: Many thanks, buddy. I will most certainly be keeping you posted. Why don't you share your email ID/FB ID so I could be in touch? :)

Anonymous said...

Harper Collins yippppeeeeee :)

Many congratulations Sri :)

Awesome news. So I can proudly say now I have an author friend :)

phatichar said...

GBTP: Thank you so very much, J. Yeah...I'm proud to have so many friends around too. It's overwhelming. :)

Shreya said...

Congratulations!!!! I am soooo happy for you!!!! And err...email ID?

phatichar said...

Shreya: Thank you, thank you..err..on my profile page? :)

Arch said...

I have only recently started reading you. Many congrats and best wishes for your book! Looking to it.

Erratic Thoughts said...

:D:D
Congratulations Senior!
Yeehaw! :)
N yep will be there at the launch(pakka Promise)...Who will want to miss knowing an author personally and yep I will be getting my copy signed by You..And then I will shamelessly flaunt it :D:D

n HarperCollins *sigh*
I always knew you will make it big :)

Keep Writing Sri, you've got avid readers :)

phatichar said...

Arch: Hello..thanks. :)

ET: Thanks Junior..was wondering where you vanished.. :D looking forward to meeting you. :)

Sushma said...

Congrats Sri! This is great news. Looking forward to the book.

Scribby said...

Heeeelllll-o !!!!! Haper Collins and all that huh !!! bade log badi badi batein :) :)

Neha said...

:))))) Very very happy!!!!

the little princess said...

Three cheers to you..hip hip hurray!!!!

phatichar said...

Sushma: Thank you! :)

Scribby: Huttt! :P :D

Neha: :) :)

Princess: He he..thanks, thanks.. :)

Unknown said...

This is just OUTSTANDING news.
I cant wait to read it.
My FB profile is Krystan Decunha.
Please add me so that I can also keep abreast of whats happening.
Once again...You deserve it.
Congrats!!

Shreya said...

Arre...it gets stuck somewhere in Lotus on my office server! Just type it out again please!!!

phatichar said...

Krystan: Thanks, buddy..added you. :)

Shreya: smuliya@gmail.com

Blue Lotus said...

Awesome news!!!!Congrats congrats...One of us gets published..I am really happy for you..Yes,I'll be buying one definitely.And I'll tell all my friends as well so that they also get nightmares reading your spooky tales..No,I won't spare them.
Ohh and Harper Collins,that is the best part of all..Oh Yes,I am really happy for you...

TTT said...

why doesn't it surprise me :))) ??? i knew it !!!!! congrats !!!! and yes I will be there standing in the q waiting to get your book autographed !!!

phatichar said...

Blue Lotus: Thanks...thanks a lot. :) Yeah, do tell your friends. Would you like to keep abreast of the developments through FB? Round up your friends as well. Email me your ID whenever you find time. Yeah?

T3:Ha ha..thanks..I'm not sure if this is gonna be such a huge thing at all (standing in line for the autograph etc), am just a beginner :)

cmus said...

Harper. Collins.

This, is going to be exciting! :D

Congrats Sri!

Hope the launch is going to be in Bangalore. If so, then drinks on you buddy. Ha!

All the best. :)

sumitra said...

Congratulations! I've said that already :D but it's never too much, is it? I'll be there at the launch for sure if it's in Bangalore. I would very much like a signed copy. :D

Pooja said...

Hey my fb id is krpoojaarchana@yahoo.co.in pls add me as well

Rahul said...

Congrats. :-)

Saru Singhal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Saru Singhal said...

WOW...Awesome :) First you have been blogging for 9 years, thats an achievement and second a big congratulations on the book. Will look forward to it. :)

Harper Collins...Great going dear...:) All the very best :)

phatichar said...

cmus: :D Thanks! I'll drink to that (with you, of course) ;-)

sumitra: Thanks, yes certainly. :)

Pooja: Err..isn't that your email ID? I visited your FB profile, there isn't an add button there. :(

Rahul: Thanks, buddy.

Saru: Thanks, ma'am. :)

Nisha said...

You know, when I was clicking on your blog today I was thinking this guy should publish his stories and whoaa... there you are!!
Congratulations!!! Will look forward to read your work..Best wishes.. loads of them :)

phatichar said...

Nisha: :) Thank you so very much!

Varsha said...

Awesome, congratulations

Anonymous said...

I know I have been so lousy in recent times but you know how happy I am for you right? and proud. Like, super proud :)

phatichar said...

Varsha: Thank you, Doc.. :P

Toffee: Neevu sigi nange... :P - Thanks, of course I know :)

The Meditating Lion said...

Oh F*** !! Im late again!!
But see, what welcomes me here in your blog after my long hibernation ??? Yaaaay!!! Im mighty Happy, SRI!! :D
First things first : Im gonna find your facebook page rgt now, and start sharing it with friends! Put me in the list too of '-autographed copies-to-give-away' please!!

Love and Happy Roars,
LION :)

phatichar said...

Lion: :D Thanks for such an enthusiastic comment, made my day. And why bother searching - here it is: https://www.facebook.com/sri.muliya

Send in the request now. :)

Take care.

Visha said...

Congratulations :)

phatichar said...

Visha: Thank you! :)

Rohini said...

lalalalalala!!! Bingo!!! waise yeh toh hona hi tha! :D See how genuinely happy people are for you here! As if its their own! And this is the truest proof of an artist's capabilities and his most precious reward! You have all the blessings!! Wayyyyyyyy to GOOOOOOOOO!! Damn proud of you! :)