Sundari Venkatraman's Blog, page 11

Sharing: CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT OF INDIE

I have come a long way since I hit the publish button on my first eBook The Malhotra Bride on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. I must say it’s been an amazing journey, walking along the path of indie. 
To begin with, there were a number of people, including many authors that I got to know through social media, who sniggered behind my back. There are those who do it till this day.
Okay, one might ask, “How do I know that they snigger if they are doing it behind my back?” All I can say is that news travel at the speed of light, especially the negative kind.
Well, today, I declare that I have (not had) the last laugh as I laugh my way to the bank, month after month.
And they came, the publishers, big and small, seeing that I have made a success of my books, becoming an Authorpreneur in the true sense, inviting me to publish with them. 
I rejected a number of them, for various reasons and signed up with a few, for which I have my reasons too. 
When I realised that one publishing house might never be able to catch up with me and publish all my titles, I set out to do a lot of research. That’s how I have always worked, doing research. In 2001, I went to a number of bookstores to make a list of publishers and their addresses from books and writing to them. That’s how the rejections happened. 
So, recently, I attended a number of book launches, both big and small, trying to understand how this worked. I even went to a school to give a lecture to Std. IX kids. I also met a couple of publishers to understand how they functioned. That’s when a question arose from within me? Does it make sense to spend lakhs of rupees on book launches at 5-star venues? 
I suppose it depends on what you ultimately want to achieve as an author. Spending the whole of December, trying to understand the logistics and investment involved, I arrived at the conclusion that this was just not my cup of tea.
Sour grapes? 
I would say not. I am too fond of my money and I would rather pay my cover designer, my editor, my cook and my maid more rather than pay for free books and fancy dinners to friends, colleagues and relatives. I just can’t see the logic in splashing all my hard-earned money on such events. 
And then something happened that truly woke me up to some hard truths that I needed to know about myself. I spoke to this publisher, who’s fairly newbie as against me, who’s proved that I have a huge readership for my books. He told me in no uncertain terms that it’s the publishers and editors who know best about what sells in a book and I should be open to changing my story as per their advice. 
That did it!
I write for the love of it. I am thrilled that my readers enjoy my books. I wouldn’t say that all of them love all my books. But then, I don’t like the artworks of all artists either. We aren’t clones, but human beings, who have different tastes. I tell my stories and it makes me happy that people like reading them. But I would be the last person to shove it down anyone’s throat. 
That’s the point when I decided that I would rather spend my time writing, publishing and promoting my books, at my pace, my style and my way. I finally accepted that I am indie through and through, and a proud one at that. 
And for my success as an Indie author, I have to thank Rubina Ramesh, first and foremost, and The Book Club she launched, I am proud to say, with my book. She has been a great support throughout my publishing journey and I can truly say that Rubina has played a major role in my becoming what I am today, a super successful author of 37 books + 4 collections.
On the eve of publishing my 38th book—Her Prince Charming—I also thank my readers and fans. They are my backbone. They are the ones who have made my success possible. 
Even though 28 publishers rejected my writing, the readers have declared otherwise, loving my books and some even giving me a lot of constructive criticism. 
And then there is the Amazon KDP team. Without taking any names here, I would like to thank the ones who got in touch with me after consistently seeing my titles on the Top 100 Bestseller lists. They created a wonderful video for me and also made me a judge for their writing contest, Pen to Publish, over two consecutive years. And imagine my joy when they made me a speaker at Jaipur Literature Festival 2018, a chance that even many traditionally published authors with major publishing houses find it difficult to get. There was one more feather to my cap when the director of KDP declared me the most successful KDP author in India. 
It gives me immense joy that I, who had struggled with repeated rejections from major publishing houses around the world, have become a famous, bestselling author, all thanks to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. It thrills me to be their Brand Ambassador. 
And thus, I have arrived at another turning point, another stepping stone: to publish my own paperbacks under my brand, Flaming Sun. 
Why? You might ask, wonder. Well, I realise that I love my independence, I like to be in control of my life and the Amazon Dashboard that lets me peek into my sales graph that gets updated hourly, has spoilt me thoroughly. It’s also the money that gets deposited into my bank account on a regular basis. It makes me feel on top of the world. 
I don’t plan to rush, I am not desperate. Though I would love to sell millions of copies, I don’t want to push my book into the hands of people who aren’t interested in them just for the sake of marketing. I would rather that readers buy my books because they are keen to own a copy and create their own collection of Sundari Venkatraman’s books. 
And so we head to my announcement:
With Her Prince Charming, I plan to launch my paperback which will be available exclusively on Amazon. 
Oh yes! If you want a copy of my book, you have to purchase it from Amazon and nowhere else. 

Book Blitz: VARAHA: The Third Avatar (Dashavatar #3) by Sundari Venkatraman

Print Length: 39 pagesPublisher: Flaming Sun (Indie published) Publication Date: May 14, 2018Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLCLanguage: EnglishAvailable on Kindle Unlimited Genre: Mythology, Traditional Story
Jaya and Vijaya, gatekeepers of Vaikunta—Lord Vishnu’s abode—since millions of years, grow arrogant about their jobs, only to be cursed by the Kumaras.
Jaya takes birth as Hiranyaksha, an Asura, as a result of the curse. The Asura is mighty and destructive. He only manages to increase his powers by doing a severe penance, receiving a boon from Lord Brahma.
The boon protects Hiranyaksha not just from Asuras, Devas, Humans and Gods but also from flesh-eating animals.
Confident that he was as good as being immortal now, Hiranyaksha goes on a rampage to destroy all the three worlds. Things turn really ugly when he captures Bhoomi Devi and hides her in the depths of the oceans in patal loka. 
Mother Earth’s cries reach the heavens and Varaha goes to her rescue; an avatar of Lord Vishnu in the form of a boar. Will Varaha be able to slay the evil Hiranyaksha despite the powerful boon that protects the Asura?  
It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR




Sundari Venkatraman is an indie author who has 37 titles (33 books & 4 collections) to her name, all Top 100 Bestsellers on Amazon India, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada and Amazon Australia in both romance as well as Asian Drama categories. Her latest hot romances have all been on #1 Bestseller slot in Amazon India for over a month.
Even as a kid, Sundari absolutely loved the ‘lived happily ever after’ syndrome as she grew up reading all the fairy tales she could lay her hands on, Phantom comics, Mandrake comics and the like. It was always about good triumphing over evil and a happy end. 
Soon, into her teens, Sundari switched her attention from fairy tales to Mills & Boon. While she loved reading both of these, she kept visualising what would have happened if there were similar situations happening in India; to a local hero and heroine. Her imagination took flight and she always lived in a rosy cocoon of romance over the years. 
Then came the writing – a true bolt out of the blue! And Sundari Venkatraman has never looked back.
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @                 
Grab Your Copy From



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Book Blitz: SHWETA KA SWAYAMVAR by Sundari Venkatraman

Print Length: 55 pagesPublisher: Flaming Sun (Indie published) Publication Date: October 26, 2018Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLCLanguage: EnglishAvailable on Kindle Unlimited Genre: Romance, Short Story
When Shweta receives an irrefutable offer from a TV production house to participate in the reality show Shweta ka Swayamvar, she’s not as excited as she should be. And there’s a reason for it.
Adi is attracted to Shweta the moment he sets eyes on the fashion model cum TV actress. But he just doesn’t get an opportunity to woo her as he rushes off to the US for his father’s heart surgery. 
Disappointed at not meeting Adi or knowing of a way to contact him, Shweta signs up for the show, unaware of the surprise that awaits her when the shooting begins…
Are the two of them—Adi and Shweta—meant for each other or will fate keep throwing hurdles in their path? Read the full story to know more.
*A shorter version of this story was published before in the anthology Matches Made in Heaven  
It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR





Sundari Venkatraman is an indie author who has 40 titles (36 books & 4 collections) to her name, all Top 100 Bestsellers on Amazon India, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada and Amazon Australia in both romance as well as Asian Drama categories. Her latest hot romances have all been on #1 Bestseller slot in Amazon India for over a month.
Even as a kid, Sundari absolutely loved the ‘lived happily ever after’ syndrome as she grew up reading all the fairy tales she could lay her hands on, Phantom comics, Mandrake comics and the like. It was always about good triumphing over evil and a happy end. 
Soon, into her teens, Sundari switched her attention from fairy tales to Mills & Boon. While she loved reading both of these, she kept visualising what would have happened if there were similar situations happening in India; to a local hero and heroine. Her imagination took flight and she always lived in a rosy cocoon of romance over the years. 
Then came the writing – a true bolt out of the blue! And Sundari Venkatraman has never looked back.
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @                 
Grab Your Copy From



This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Linkedin
We Promote So That You Can Write 

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Book Spotlight: Love & Curses by Sunita Saldhana

Love & Curses 
by 
Sunita Saldhana


BLURB
When Amber meets Shardul, her heart starts doing somersaults and it seems as if her body has forgotten how to breathe. She has never been so strongly attracted to anyone before. But beneath the physical attraction, there is something else that she struggles with. Why does he seem so familiar when she is sure she has never met him before? And why has she suddenly started waking up each morning with tears running down her cheeks, haunted by the same dream every night?
Shardul has been waiting for Amber forever. But fate conspired to keep them apart. He could not forget what she could not remember. Now that he had finally found her, would she open her heart to love or would he lose her forever?
Grab your copy @
Amazon.com |  Amazon.in
About the author

Sunita Saldhana is a blogger, a poet, an author and a life coach.
She has been writing since the age of 13. She is now a “retired mom” with both her kids having flown from the nest and is now concentrating on her writing. She is happiest when she is writing with her dog curled up at her feet.
She loves reading romance and fantasy and binge watches Crime series like Criminal Minds and Elementary.
She blogs about things she cares for and things that drive her mad. She loves to review books by other authors and share good books with the world.
She has worked as a corporate trainer. She believes that every human being has seeds of greatness within them and she loves to help people find that tipping point in their lives as they discover themselves. This is why she started The Know & Grow Learning Centre where she conducts various courses for kids and adults on communication and life skills.
 She is happiest when she is writing fiction with her dog curled up at her feet.
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @                 
This Tour is Hosted by 


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We Promote So That You Can Write 




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Book Blitz: PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON KDP by Sundari Venkatraman

Publishing Your Book on Amazon KDP (The Writer's Toolkit Series 4)
by Sundari Venkatraman


BLURB
So, you have your manuscript all written, edited, proofed and saved on your PC. The next logical step would be to publish your story.
Read this tool kit to find out the different methods of publishing, the advantages and the pitfalls. 
And IF, after all that, you find that you still have your book unpublished, there’s a surefire way to get your book published. And that’s Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
Want to know how to go about it? Read this booklet to find out all that you need to know.
Grab your copy @
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.in
About the author

Sundari Venkatraman is an indie author who has 31 titles (27 books & 4 collections) to her name, all Top 100 Bestsellers on Amazon India, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada and Amazon Australia in both romance as well as Asian Drama categories. Her latest hot romances have all been on #1 Bestseller slot in Amazon India for over a month.
Even as a kid, Sundari absolutely loved the ‘lived happily ever after’ syndrome as she grew up reading all the fairy tales she could lay her hands on, Phantom comics, Mandrake comics and the like. It was always about good triumphing over evil and a happy end. 
Soon, into her teens, Sundari switched her attention from fairy tales to Mills & Boon. While she loved reading both of these, she kept visualising what would have happened if there were similar situations happening in India; to a local hero and heroine. Her imagination took flight and she always lived in a rosy cocoon of romance over the years. 
Then came the writing – a true bolt out of the blue! And Sundari Venkatraman has never looked back.
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @                 
This Tour is Hosted by 


Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Linkedin
We Promote So That You Can Write 



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Book Blitz: GUARDIAN ANGEL by Ruchi Singh

Guardian Angel by Ruchi Singh 


File Size: 709 KBPrint Length: 168 pagesPublication Date: December 26, 2018Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLCLanguage: EnglishASIN: B07MDHHP27Genre: Romance/ Short Read 
Ranking on amazon.in 
#2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Romantic Suspense#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Indian Writing#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Crime, Thriller & Mystery
A thrilling tale of unconditional love amidst danger and certain death.

The ManSecurity expert Nikhil Mahajan is in mortal danger. Gravely injured and unable to see, he is in the midst of hostile strangers in an unknown place. Any hope of survival is fast fading away. 
The AngelShould an innocent man be left to die just because he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Someone has to intervene. 

It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR





Author of the bestselling romantic thriller ‘The Bodyguard’, Ruchi Singh is an IT professional turned novelist. Her other published novels are ‘Take 2’ and ‘Jugnu (Firefly)’. Winner of TOI Write India Season 1, Ruchi has also published a short story collection, ‘Hearts and Hots', besides being a contributing author to many anthologies.
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @                
Grab Your Copy From



This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Linkedin
We Promote So That You Can Write 

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Book Spotlight: Why Go Indie?: 6 Reasons for Self-Publishing (TBC Writer's Toolkit Book 1) by Devika Fernando

Why Go Indie?: 6 Reasons for Self-Publishing (TBC Writer's Toolkit Book 1) by Devika Fernando  Have you ever thought of going indie? Are you a traditionally published author interested in switching to self-publishing? Or an aspiring author looking at various publishing options?  This concise booklet will show you reasons to go indie and give you an overview of the advantages of self-publishing books. It also shines a light on the 6 F's of self-publishing.  This eBook is part of the TBC Writer's Toolkit series in which experienced authors offer advice. Check out the other volumes for a step-by-step guide on how to become a successful indie author. Grab your copy from AmazonAbout the Author Almost as soon as Devika Fernando could write, she imagined stories and poems. After finishing her education in Germany and returning to her roots in Sri Lanka, she got a chance to turn her passion into her profession. Having lived in Germany and in Sri Lanka with her husband has made her experience the best (and the worst) of two totally different worlds – something that influences her writing. Her trademark are sweet, yet deeply emotional romance stories where the characters actually fall in love instead of merely falling in lust. She draws inspiration from everyone and everything in life. Besides being a romance novel author, she works as a self-employed German web content writer, as a translator, and as a faithful servant to all the cats, dogs, fish and birds in her home. What she loves most about being an author is the chance to create new worlds and send her protagonists on a journey full of ups and downs that will leave them changed. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or thinking about writing. Website: http://www.devikafernando.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devikafernan...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Author_Devika ');

Blog Tour: WALKING ON THE PATH OF INDIE PUBLISHING by Rubina Ramesh

Walking on the Path of Indie Publishing
by 
Rubina Ramesh


 This booklet is temporarily pulled down and will be available soon. In the meantime, if you want to get a copy of the booklet, you can write to the author and ask for a copy at rubinaramesh1973@gmail.com

Now that you have decided to become an Indie author, here are a few tools you will need. 









The Topics covered are: 

1. What it takes to be an indie author 
2. Why have you chosen this path? 
3. Components of Indie Publishing 
4. Tools needed for writing. 
5. The Big Eight Brothers of Social Media 
6. Facebook Marketing: Promotional not Ad. 
7. Checklist for Facebook Marketing before your book is published: 
8. The Other Platforms for Marketing 
9. How to start a newsletter? 
10. Different forms of editing. 
11. The art of Cover Making 
12. Formatting of Manuscript 
13. Sample copyright page. 
14. Contacting reviewers 
15. Mind-Blowing Cover Designers' links 
16. Hashtags for Instagram Marketing and Twitter Marketing 
17.100 Facebook Groups to start off with your Book Marketing 

Hope this book is beneficial to the new authors out there. I, for one, learned a lot while writing and researching about it. 

Email to the author to get a copy of this book rubinaramesh1973@gmail.com

Rubina Ramesh is an avid reader, writer, blogger, book reviewer and marketer. She is the founder of The Book Club, an online book publicity group. Her first literary work was published in her school magazine. It gave her immense pride to see her own name at the bottom of the article. She was about 8 years old at that time. She then went to complete her MBA and after her marriage to her childhood friend, her travel saga started. From The Netherlands to the British Isles, she lived her life like an adventure. After a short stint in Malaysia, she finally settled down in the desert state of USA, Arizona.  Living with her DH and two human kids and one doggie kid, Rubina has finally started living the life she had always dreamed about – that of a writer.


Connect with the author:
Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Other books in this series
Why Go Indie? 6 Reasons for Self-Publishing  Vol 1by Devika Fernando
Walking on the Indie Path Vol 2Can be presently found in her blog www.rubinaramesh.comby Rubina Ramesh
The Art of Ghostwriting Vol 3by D. R. Downer
Publishing Your Book on Amazon KDP Vol 4by Sundari Venkatraman
Fears and Doubts of a Writer Vol 5By Reshma Ranjan
Boosting Book's Sales with a Riveting Blurb! Vol 6 By Ruchi Singh


This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Linkedin
We Promote So That You Can Write 

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Book Blitz: THE PANCHATHEERTHA Part 1 by Rajiv Mittal

The Panchatheertha Part 1 by Rajiv Mittal



File Size: 1691 KBPrint Length: 352 pagesPublication Date: November 21, 2018Language: EnglishASIN: B07KSBFTTS
The Panchatheertha (five pilgrimages) is an outrageously funny, satirical revision of sections 1 & 2 of The Panchatantra, the masterpiece Vishnu Sharma wrote between 1200 BCE to 300 CE. The stories are primarily about statecraft and full of wisdom and morals. Despite that, youngsters found them very entertaining. In the tales, animals act and speak on behalf of human beings. The series begins with a parent story that unfolds story after story; each strung to the other by a narrator.
Vishnu Sharma’s reincarnation Shiva Varma has, in this redraft, revived the ancient Indian tradition of parampara (continuation of knowledge from one guru to the next). In his excitement, he forgot the younger age group of his shishyas (students). His characters now try to explain the motives for their actions, also express their feelings; something The Panchatantra had cleverly avoided doing. Within its pages, animals are still made to think and behave like human beings but have not otherwise been harmed in any way.
The Panchatheertha was considered lost but the discovery of two altered strategies ‘The Loss of Friends’ and ‘Gaining Friends’ should create hope within the large and growing community that has had considerable success with the first and complete failure with the second. Those wanting to meet Shiva Varma are hereby informed he dislikes economists, preferring astrology. He is in samadhi (seclusion / deep meditation) and not in hiding.
There are many intriguing characters not known to Vishnu Sharma in this adaptation; from a sex consultant plying his trade in the locality Ajilundpenodhoka in district Makasam… to a devadasi (courtesan) wanting to conduct the temple prayers because she is bored… to Sage Narada Muni!!
Bibliophiles are urged to read the original Panchatantra (which Shiva Varma did consider including as an appendix), to truly appreciate the extent to which history gets distorted when it is made to explain itself. Historically, the appendix has been viewed as a vestigial organ with no real function. This is why Shiva Varma chose not to include it… or so he claims.
It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR




"I was born in Chennai, India in the early nineteen sixties.  I now live in Melbourne after a stint of several years in the Middle East.  
Writing was a vague aspiration.  It became a reality thanks to a stranger who said I reminded him of the main character from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann.  He quoted from it, ‘Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.’"
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk him @                
Grab Your Copy From



This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Linkedin
We Promote So That You Can Write 

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Blog Tour: THE SECRETS OF GHOSTWRITING by D.R. Downer

The Secrets of Ghostwriting by D. R Downer

 

A guide that will tell you everything there is to know about the big, bad, mysterious, and often misunderstood world of Ghostwriting.Grab your copy from Amazon





Connect with the author:Facebook | Twitter | Website | Amazon Author page | Goodreads

Other books in this seriesWhy Go Indie? 6 Reasons for Self-Publishing  Vol 1by Devika FernandoWalking on the Indie Path Vol 2Can be presently found in her blog www.rubinaramesh.comby Rubina RameshThe Art of Ghostwriting Vol 3by D. R. DownerPublishing Your Book on Amazon KDP Vol 4by Sundari VenkatramanFears and Doubts of a Writer Vol 5By Reshma RanjanBoosting Book's Sales with a Riveting Blurb! Vol 6 By Ruchi Singh

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