AUTHOR INTERVIEW- Sambhav Ratnakar
I am probably triple his age, but while my resume would finish up in just a single line, Sambhav Ratnakar’s resume would run paragraphs and paragraphs. His achievement and dedication are a reflection of a generation that is more wise and fast growing. Even at an young age, he has achieved so much and stands being a true inspiration for all others. Apparently he is also a person of few words 😛
Catch India’s youngest author in our author interview
Q1
First of all I would request you to please shout out your age for us all because I still can’t digest the fact that you are so young and your resume would probably run three pages long and mine standing at an age may be thrice to you would barely fill a single page.
I’ll be sixteen in about a week. I wrote The Covert Perspective when I was fourteen.
Q2.
Woju.ws is a platform for various authors to connect and share. How did you come up with this idea or rather was there any particular reason behind its formation?
The Indian literary industry is booming, but when writers set out to promote their books, hey often find themselves tangled in a never-ending loop. Primary research suggests 66% are unsatisfied with current viral marketing methods. Woju.ws was built to cater to this audience.Woju.ws was built to connect writers with readers.
Q3.
Tell us about DhoklaRises.com and the idea behind it
I started DhoklaRises last year. The point was to test the marketability of the idea so that it could be considered for a potential book. Fast forward a few months and I’m tangled with two manuscripts, one of which needs to be completed this year. I’m caught up with a lot of other projects though.
Q4.
You have a successful project to your credit “Operation Blue Dot”. How did this happen?
OBD never witnessed launch due to the project not being able to acquire authorizations.(obd.sambhavratnakar.com)
Q5.
I am now going to turn towards your book. The book has a central character that is 14 year old and naturally one cannot stop making a conclusion that it is purposeful and reflective of your personal life. So how much of “you” would you say is reflected by our central character?
I will have to read my book again to answer that question! But I would say not much. I tried to encapsulate the average 14-year-old into Joshi’s character.
Q6.
What sort of research had been the demand of the book?
I consulted Anuj Dhar occasionally who was very helpful, despite his busy schedule (thank you Mr. Dhar) and although the tiny font and 450 pages seemed horrifying at the time, I read quite a lot of “India’s Biggest Cover-Up”.
Q7.
My review was quite brutal and that is why I wonder at such an young age and moreover
as an author you are susceptible to reviews and people who can be so critical of your work, how do you deal with all those harshness?
I never perceive reviews to be “harsh”. There is good feedback, there is negative feedback. I tend to understand in detail what readers want from a book and how I can come up with a better manuscript.
Q8.
As a young and budding author, what are the sort of troubles that you had to face?
Snobbish literary agents, rejection letters, potential defamatory case, a censored prologue…you name it!
Q9
You probably have a lot of title to your credit, entrepreneur, author, editor-in-chief, blogger which one do you think you would like to carry forward on a full scale in future
Entrepreneur.
Q10.
I think as the brain behind Woju.ws, there is no better person to ask about the plight of the publishing industry and how much does it actually hampers or supports the authors because I have heard a lot of unpleasant experiences authors had to face with publishing houses. What is your take on the field in light of your experience?
The Indian book industry is much more profit-oriented than the literary industry in other countries. It’s a lot harder to publish niche novels than, say, a cheesy love story. How much the industry supports you depends on what you write, how you write it and how much they think it’s going to sell. And if this continues, we won’t be seeing much on the bookshelves except for lousy stories about tacky infatuations.
Q11
You were quite young when you wrote your first book but still the book shows a level of refinement in it. Is there a mentor or guiding force who smoothed your working on the book or was it all a result of your own efforts and sequences of trials and errors and self discovery?
I didn’t have a hardcore editor or mentor. I think the refinement you’re referring to has emerged due to all those rewrites.
Q12.
What is the toughest phase of being a writer? The concept development, actual writing or getting the book its audience?
This is highly subjective; depends on the book, depends on the writer and depends on the audience!
Q13
What would be your advice to people who want to take up writing or are in the process of writing their first book?
You don’t become a writer overnight. It requires dedication, commitment and motivation. Get those three first then start writing.
Q14
What are Sambhav Ratnakar’s future projects and plans?
I’m always exploring new opportunities that help me grow. I don’t know what I’ll be embarking on next, I’ll try and build the enigma. As for now, I’ve just launched Enlit, an app that inspires people live their life to the fullest. It’s been up for a few days and just hit 1000 downloads. You can download it here – https://goo.gl/nRGzwV (IOS ONLY). The plan is to continue with apps that help people!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sambhav Ratnakar is a writer, blogger best known for his fictional blog, DhoklaRises.com. He wrote his first book at the age of 9, but decided not to get it published since it was a bit too early for him to be involved in a lawsuit with Marvel. Along with writing, he is also obsessed with making the impossible possible and regularly takes up new projects that get his adrenaline going.
Catch him on his official website
http://www.sambhavratnakar.com
Twitter Handle
Catch the review of his first book on our blog
Nice questions, Merril, and amazing, to the point answers, Sambhav.. overall, cool interview.. 🙂
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Thank you so much 🙂
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