New-age writers, publishers doing well: Ruskin Bond

Publishing is still a profitable business despite the recent onslaught of digital offerings and the social media. The challenge though is for booksellers, with e-commerce becoming a threat, says iconic author Ruskin Bond.

According to Bond, a Padma Bhushan awardee, publishing “hadn’t come of age” in the late 1950s and the 1960s when he had taken-up writing. So, he opted for short stories that made their way into print through newspapers and magazines. However, things began to change post the 1980s with publishers coming in and with even the family-owned publishing companies playing a big role.

Putting out a view contrary to the general opinion, Bond points out that over the last decade, there has been a surge in desire among young people to write and to get their work published.

Unlike earlier years, when English schools were a “handful”, today a fairly large number of kids can read and speak the language. This indirectly leads to more number of people reading books and, hence, more books are getting published.

“Publishers are doing well. Books are getting published and there are many young writers who are earning good money with popular books. So, things are not as hopeless as people make (it) out to be,” Bond told BusinessLin e.

The top novelist is in Kolkata for the launch of English learning app — myElsa — for school students.

Citing his own example, he said that some of his earlier books (and editions) found no buyers even for a price of ₹2-3 a copy, back in the 1960s. But, now, these editions are getting re-printed in thousands. “So (I feel) potential is there for writers (and) publishers.”

Of new age authors such as Amish Tripathi and Chetan Bhagat, he says, they are “doing very well” as they know their audience. In fact, the publishing industry has also matured. “They (the new age authors) are writing for a particular kind of reader and they market their books well. Also, the publishing industry had not come of age at that time (when Bond began),” he said.

The multiple award winning author is not closed to the idea of alternative devices like Kindle, e-books or audio-books. But the printed book remains his first love.

“Up to now sales of e-books are still minuscule in India. And printed books are (still) in demand,” he maintains, adding that it is actually the bookseller, who faces challenges. The e-commerce boom is eating into their space. “It is not that people are not reading books, but they are buying online a great deal. But the good thing about buying books online is that people living in small towns and rural areas where books are not available can now get books easily,” Bond adds.

Advice for new writers

The author has a word of caution for his young and aspiring counterparts. They should write about their own life experiences, rather than try to set the story on something imaginary. A rule he has himself followed. Bond admits that city life can be mundane and affect creative thoughts. “Maybe that’s why when they (some youngsters) write, it is either highly imaginative or based on what they have read or plagiarised,” Bond adds.

The other virtue that the author emphasises is patience.

Many youngsters aspire to be writers and are flooding publishers with manuscripts. Since the rejection rate is high, these writers spend money to get their work published. That is not always satisfactory. “So youngsters have to be patient and keep writing. And, if you are good, then one day you will get a good publisher and you can make a name for yourself,” he points out.

Bond’s golden rule though: “You must write because you enjoy. And not as a task or simply as a way to get attention.”

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