“A fantastic blend of myth, imagination and
mystery. A great read” Says Amish Tripathi about his book. As his book hit the stand, it became an instant bestseller. I am talking about the
author of the national bestseller The Emperor’s Riddles, Satyarth Nayak. In a
candid chat with Timid Fingers this journalist turned author talks about what
made him drop journalism, about his agent Red Ink, publishing process in India,
about his debut book and a lot more…
Timid
Fingers: First I would like to congratulate you. How does it feel to see your
debut book climb the best-selling list so fast?
Satyarth
Nayak: It feels fantastic. Today when I walk into a
bookstore and see the book on the Bestseller shelf or see it topping the
Bestseller chart on Amazon or Asian Age, it’s a big high. The fact that the
book has gone into reprint gives me a huge sense of relief that all the hard
work has paid off and people have accepted me as a writer.
Timid
Fingers: Is journalism that boring or writing thriller more interesting than
journalism that you left journalism to put all your time in creative writing?
Satyarth
Nayak: Journalism can never be boring. I had great
fun for five years as a CNN-IBN Correspondent. I quit my job to actually get
into film direction which was a natural extension of my work as a television
reporter. I had absolutely no inkling that this story idea will ambush me out
of nowhere. That’s why I call this book a random act of nature.
TF:
Why such a genre for your debut book? I mean is it for the platform created by
Amish or Ashwin or you always wanted to write about it?
Satyarth: I have always been fascinated with thrillers and mysteries. I have
grown up devouring Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and Edgar Allan Poe etc.
So I always knew that if I ever wrote a book, it will be a thriller. This idea
of History meets Mystery is more a result of reading Dan Brown and Irving
Wallace and perhaps a secret desire to emulate them. It’s really surprising
that only a few Indian writers are exploring the thriller genre. We need a lot
more good mystery writing to come out from India.
TF:
Tell us something about your book. How much amount of research did you need to
complete a 398 pages book full of surprise elements?
Satyarth: The book as I said is a History meets Mystery. The main track is a
murder mystery while the background story traces the evolution of a celebrated
Emperor of ancient India and his secret that affects the present. The book
takes you on a trail of riddles that must be solved one by one to reach the
final stunning enigma. Besides elements of sci-fi, history, forensics and
myths, the book also deals with Buddhist philosophy and iconography. With so
much history in the book, it needed a fair bit of research so that I could
recreate the bygone era and characters faithfully.
TF:
All of your characters are unique in their own way, which character is more
close to your heart or while creating which character you enjoyed the most?
Satyarth: I enjoyed creating them all. As you said, they all are unique in
their own way, so they are all my favourites. Someone told me she enjoyed Alia,
the journalist the most and that maybe because I was a Correspondent myself.
Perhaps art imitated life in this case.
TF:
Is there anything that inspired you to write a murder mystery with a
mythological character in the center?
Satyarth: I would not call the character mythological. It’s more historical. What
inspired me is the Emperor’s fascinating legend and his powerful secret. An
enigma that is believed to have remained alive for thousands of years. An
enigma even Gods would kill for. The moment I discovered the legend, I knew I
had to weave a story around it and share it with everyone. That’s how the journey
began. Also I love riddles and the chance to create cryptic riddles to tickle the
brains of my readers absolutely drew me in.
TF:
Maximum publishing houses now a day, accepting manuscripts direct from authors
and you have hired Red Ink as your agent, so can you explain the role of an
agent in Indian Publishing Industry?
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| Satyarth Nayak & Amish with their common agent |
Satyarth: It’s true that unlike the West where publishers will not touch your
manuscript unless you are represented by a literary agent, the situation in
India is much more informal and an author can deal directly with publishing
houses. A literary agent however makes the sailing smoother especially for
debut authors like me who have no idea about the publishing industry. They know
the pulse of the market and pitch your book to those publishers where they feel
it has the best chances of getting accepted. Many have editorial teams who will
also go through your manuscript and improve it further. Agents also help you
decode publisher offers and contracts making sure you get the best deal
possible. Finally in case you don’t get a publisher, many agents also self
publish the book. However make sure you approach only the genuine literary
agents like Red Ink.
TF:
How was your experience working with Amaryllis?
Satyarth: It was awesome. They have a close knit team and interacting with
them was extremely informal and rewarding. I am highly grateful to my editor
Rashmi Menon for showing such maternal love for my book throughout. Also
grateful to Manoj for being the looming presence. I love how they have created
the final product. Best thing about Amaryllis has been their outstanding
distribution process making sure that the book is available at maximum stores
and online sites across India. That has been a big factor in the success of the
book.
TF:
For those aspiring or debut authors who are about to submit their manuscript,
can you brief them how important is it to get a good publisher for your debut
work?
Satyarth: It goes without saying that a good publisher is extremely crucial. Especially
if you are a debut author, the right publisher can do wonders for your magnum
opus. They will get it edited properly and proof read impeccably. They will
create a fabulous cover design and make sure the book is well distributed
across channels. They will also help you promote your book well. Most debut
authors go for big publishers and while that has advantages, a smaller
publisher can actually be more focussed and give you greater attention. Make sure you take an informed decision
before putting your years of hard work into a publisher’s hands. See how excited
they are about your book and then go ahead.
TF:
So, as you have dropped journalism and have already written a best-seller, when
is the second one coming?
Satyarth: Research is on for the next one. It will be a thriller again but
this time I am trying to explore fantasy and the paranormal. Let’s see how far
I succeed. Would definitely not want to disappoint my readers.
TF:
A successful journalist or a best-selling author, which Satyarth you like more
and why?
Satyarth: Have quit journalism for now so definitely a best-selling author.
And would like to remain that for a few years to come. Essentially both entail
the same virtues - good writing, honest research and great presentation.
TF:
Wish you all the best for your future endeavours. Few words for your readers
and for Timid Fingers blog...
Satyarth: I want to thank all my readers for taking the plunge and picking up
the book of a debut author like me. Thank you for loving and supporting my
book. And a big thank you to Timid Fingers and Purnendu Chatterjee for not only giving the
book a splendid and positive review but also giving me this wonderful opportunity
to share my journey. Timid Fingers has featured some of the best books and authors and
it’s quite a privilege to be one of them.
Blurb: Kiran
Khalap’s first novel is a poetic work, in which prayer, spirituality and
reality are interwoven, a village girl, Maya, fights her fate in a traditional
Indian family. She makes steamed pancakes and turmeric leaf fragrance and skips
school. Her fate is tied to Ravindra, in an arranged marriage that falls apart
when Maya meets the poet, Krishnarao, and is forced to spend the night in his
house marooned by a torrential storm. Ravindra refuses to believe that their
son Sharan is his own, and leaves her. The young girl is undone by men closest
to her, abandoned in an Indian society that places no value on woman on her
own. A tale of snakebites, separation and liberation.
