Scenario 1: Last minute panic at work. Boss wants you to stay longer, you want to rush out. You try to hurriedly finish it up, but once again… you stay back! You are at work the next morning trying to finish all your tasks. You somehow manage to, though a bit late. You drive, or may be take a cab, to your favourite bookstore, but the traffic delays you and the bookstore is closed by the time you reach. Anxiety on day 3 is at its peak and you just want to buy the new book. Will you buy it today? Will you sneak out? Anyhow, it has to be today! It has already been three days since the release of the new book.
Scenario 2: A new book by your favourite author is released and you want to read it immediately. You go online and order an e-version. You have always loved to buy eBooks online. You have it on your kindle right away. All you have to do now is reach home and start reading it!
Which one would you choose? I have grown to choose scenario 2. Why run around to get your favourite books when you can order one right on your phone? Isn’t it plain easy!
Especially now, when the world has slowed down, the government doesn’t want you out, the virus wants to grab you as soon as possible, wants have been minimalised, shops generally don’t entertain people except for online orders. Well, we might soon be free of this lockdown and the world would gradually start coming to normal. Yet something makes me realize… ordering things online can be the new way of shopping for every small thing and the online business too will have to notch itself up a lot more than what it is.
Considering the world of books, the ease of finding books on your phone, getting to read them on your gadget without carrying a load-full of them, or getting them delivered at your doorstep, sanitizing the hand-held books has boomed the business of online bookstores. They are developing well-enough to let you have a glimpse on the insides of the book, read a few pages; yes, absolutely user-friendly. Navigate through the various genres, use drop-downs, flip a few pages, brew your own coffee… Other than ease, pricing is the factor that has drawn people to order books online.
Well, pricing becomes the numero uno factor now to publish your book online as well. Self-publishing is the new buzz word. It is the new way of realising your dream of becoming a published author. No more is a traditional publisher needed to check your book manuscript, approve or disapprove it. The run to publishers’ doors ends with the option of self-publishing in town. However, if you do want to publish your book, you might end up doing a lot more things than a traditional publisher would ever ask for. Editing, designing, proof-reading, promotions, distribution are all for you to take charge of. While it may get difficult and frustrating at times, it also gives yourself an opportunity to hone your skills and understand the market. While traditional publishing needs you to be a bestseller author, self-publishing market accepts new authors equally. As against the traditional publishing, if you choose self-publishing you can get a lesser number of copies as well, below 1000 in fact. Record your own life, or create your family’s memoir, pen down your thoughts in form of poetries, short stories, etc… Isn’t that an ideal way of preserving memories!
To help you, there are many websites and publishers, for example, Maneesh Media in Jaipur, who can help you self-publish. They provide you solutions for editing, proof-reading, designing, etc, or you can create your own customized packages. The process? As simple as uploading your PDF, drag photos to the right pages, no matter whether your book is text-oriented or picture-oriented. The team behind all this will definitely be guiding you in all your right and wrongs.
Well, yes, the digital world has put the world upside down. With pandemics like the one we are living through, the online world will advent yet more. Take the music industry, or the news world, travel industry, whichever it is, it is present online. However, in the world of books, it is moving at an easy pace. There’s a reason why. Books are a thing to relax your mind or give you knowledge. Books go across ages. And so the leisure of technological advent. Gradually, it will all be online, just wait for it but in the meantime, prepare yourself for the best!
Buy books online and publish books online, because that’s the way to be!