I am born and brought up in Mumbai but I finally settled down in Bangalore. Sweet Temptations was my last poetry book with Meena Nair. I have two new upcoming books - one contains short motivational stories (being published by St. Pauls Better Yourself Books) and another short story book's manuscript is under review by a publishing house. Apart from these, I have one liner quotes Sugar and Spice coming out along with the 2nd Edition of Symphonies of Love.
2. How did you start your blog? How is the experience of blog-writing so far?
I had started newsletters few years back and it was getting difficult for me to send them out via post. So, in 2009 I finally decided to start a blog by the name of Beautiful Inspirations. Day by day, I started getting more views and readers on my blog. I believe, blogging is a must for the new comers in the industry. It’s a great way to let people know about your work-ability and to get direct feedback from them… I often blog these days too.3. What inspired you to write in the first place? You always wanted to be a writer?
No, not at all. I never wanted to be a writer. Instead, I wanted to be an actor and I used to do theater. I have done approximately 40 plays so far. It was during my college days, when a new dean was appointed. He was keen to experiment with new scripts, and all of a sudden, there was a huge demand for new stories that were innovative and would be able to hold the interest of the audience. That's when I started penning down skits and short stories. I had a collection of poems which eventually saw the light of day. Then, I entered the publishing industry.
4. How does it feel to be a writer now? Any memorable experiences in the journey?
Awesome, the feeling of having a book written by you and seeing your name on the cover is worth more than any other materialistic thing in this world. I still remember that when my first book Beautiful Inspirations YEARBOOK had come, I gave a copy to my school English teacher and she had tears in her eyes… There are many such memorable experiences that keep motivating me to write and express, for all are not gifted writers and we intend to express and motivate people as much as we can.
5. What is your biggest strength when it comes to writing?
I think, command over the language is very important when it comes to writing and also, how beautifully you can express a given situation and elaborate a simple line into a meaningful paragraph. Having English as my first language and having acting skills are my biggest strengths here.
6. What is RainDrops Company about? Share some of your interesting memories you lived while creating this brand.
I have been in this writing industry for more than 7 years now, and have gone through many hardships. I have approached many publishers for the publication of my poetry, novellas, short stories and so on. As a new comer, it becomes very difficult to get the right publisher and to get the right marketing for your book… There are many people who have written one book and have totally lost hope while there are people with one book who have actually made a name for themselves. I started RainDrops Company as a book marketing firm which intended to give authors and publishers a proper marketing offline in South India.
Since I was residing in Bangalore, it was easy for me to interact with book stores and other distributors there. After 2 months, I got it registered under sole proprietor and then got the ISBN and turned it into a publishing house. My other start-ups like event management, print media, and designing all came under one roof by this move. As a publisher, so far we have seven books in our kitty, out of which two are International poetry anthologies.
Today, I can proudly say that I have launched 30 new poets and mentored a few of them. We have our own offline distribution network and we have contacts with almost all major online stores. We have our presence felt at the recent World Book Fair 2015, New Delhi. We have tie-up with Urban Solace in Bangalore for our events and we also have other book stores for book launches and authors interactions.
7. How do you make sure your dreams come true? Is there any short cut?
I work in a corporate company and after I come back from work, I begin my writing work. I try hard to meet the deadlines and sometimes, I don’t sleep. I believe in the saying - “Success is not by accident nor by good luck, it’s the product of hard work and struggle I went through when you were sleeping.” There are NO shortcuts to success.
8. Do you think writing can be a good profession in the contemporary world?
Whenever I think of profession, it reminds me of a routine. You log in at this time and log out at a set time. Writing is a passion and if we treat it as a profession, the quality will get hampered. Writing is something to enjoy but I do see that there are many good writers who have made a profession out of their passion. Everyone has their own share of thoughts about it but personally, I feel writing should remain as a hobby and not a professional habit.
9. How was it working with different publishers and any words about the distribution of books?
I had a good opportunity to work with The Poetry Society of India and other big publishers. Each of them are unique and have a different style of working. Though I feel book distribution needs a lot of improvement. Every writer's dream is to see his book reaching the right audience but we must also understand that it’s difficult to promote books and distribution all over India or abroad requires a lot of effort.
10. Do you think author’s conversations and events are important for a book’s promotion?
Of course, it helps people to know the writer closely and also, boosts the confidence of the writer. The writer can express his views and people can directly interact with him. Book can be promoted by online events as well as offline.
11. Describe your writing style in ten words or less.
My writing style is very simple and easy to understand. I don't use complicated words. I always avoid them because I want to connect with a larger audience. I don’t want my readers to sit with a dictionary, trying to comprehend the jargon that I may add. I want them to connect with the emotions and not lose the essence of the story.
12. What are some things you like to do when you’re not writing?
I play guitar, listen to music, meet people and interact with school kids and youth. I am very passionate about my NGO activities and Facebook is always there to interact with online friends and readers.
13. Do you think that writing about different issues can actually be of some help to the readers?
The main job of the writer is to inspire and motivate people. I think yes, people look for role models and icons. A superstar, sportsperson, politician or even a writer can inspire people. So, it is very important to speak up or write on issues that are prominent and need to be addressed.14. How do you feel when someone disagrees with something you say or have written?
Earlier, I used to feel low but through the years of writing, I have understood that everyone has a different way of looking at a thing and I can't force everyone to agree with my perspective. Everyone has their tastes when it comes to reading. I may like Love Quotes and find myself relating to them but some of my readers may find Love Quotes totally insane and weird and perhaps overrated. If someone comes to me and says that this is wrong and needs correction, now I listen to them and try to see from their point of view rather than getting into an endless debate.
15. Tell us something about your future projects.
I have started something called #powerquotes where every day, I keep sending people quotation from my book or some reflections that I may have gone through. I send it via WhatsApp, Facebook and Emails. Glad that we have recently completed hundred #powerquotes. I have a novel coming out this Christmas and am preparing for the World Book Fair 2016, New Delhi.
16. Was this path difficult to tread on or a smooth ride?
Writing is all about your passion. It is my inner desire to write and conquer hearts. The journey was very interesting for me since I love writing but for those who are just following the trend and don't have proper inclination towards it, may find it difficult to sustain here.
17. Lastly, is there a message you would like to convey your readers?
My readers are my support. They play a vital role in my life as an author and a poet. I just try to analyse things happening around me and pen them down and my readers connect with my emotions. I feel a writer’s job is not to win 'bestsellers awards' but get love from his/her readers. I love my readers and for them, I strive hard every day to write the best content.
18. Any words for the interviewer? :D *laughs*
Ila, you have been doing good in your recent books and your blog posts. You have a wider scope in the writing industry than what we had 10 years ago. The industry has developed a lot recently and I see a brighter future for you to grow here as a writer.
Stay Blessed || Stay Inspiring
So, this was Bernard D'sa giving us an insight into his journey as a writer, distributor, and publisher. With so many credentials, he seems to be promising. I wish him all the very best for his future endeavors. Hopefully, I will be posting a review of one of his books soon. Stay tuned!
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