Reimagining Independent Publishing

Karthika V.K., Publisher, Westland Books, New Delhi, shares how Westland Books, is creating content of perennial interest and value; doing business ethically and profitably, while providing a stimulating workplace experience to everyone who has chosen to be part of the company. Excerpts.

AABP: Westland has gone through a significant transformation in recent years. How would you describe its current identity and mission?

Karthika: The mission remains unchanged–to publish the best books in the best possible way.

AABP: After the transition from Amazon, what have been the key challenges and opportunities in rebuilding Westland as an independent publishing house?

Karthika: We were fortunate to find a home at Nasadiya and colleagues at Pratilipi who are as interested in building a business around writing as we are. So the challenges have been external, so to speak–reaching readers, expanding distribution, controlling costs, while remaining committed to finding and developing new voices.

AABP: Westland has always stood out for its strong list. What are your guiding principles when acquiring titles?

Karthika: Two principles really: outstanding original writing and saleability, and they don’t always go together as we all know. I think balance is key–research-led non-fiction and literary fiction are as important for us as business biographies, speculative fiction, poetry and true crime. Different books for different tastes, each one edited, produced and marketed with hundred per cent commitment.

AABP: What are your thoughts on the growing convergence of publishing, digital media, and streaming platforms?

Karthika: It’s exciting to be in an environment with so many possibilities and cross-currents. As consumers, we are inundated with great content; as producers we have intense competition but also incredible opportunities to monetise and to share resources. Each time one of our books is taken on for screen adaptation, there’s the hope that it will find a whole new set of readers, and of course, make more money for the writer and for us. Also, reels, bookgrammers, virtual book clubs, all of these additional digital feed-ins carry our books further than the older systems of communication.

AABP: What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you face in the Indian publishing ecosystem?

Karthika: There just aren’t enough bookshops in India–barring a few stores in a few cities, retail is insufficient and without initiative. Costs are prohibitive–the cost of acquiring titles, the cost of production, and also of distribution and marketing across such a large country. But there are also the opportunities provided by online marketing and social media, and the growing pool of talented writers producing excellent work. And always, the potential of a vast readership waiting to be captivated by a breakthrough book.

AABP: How do you manage distribution and visibility, especially for niche or literary titles?

Karthika: It’s not easy, but sustained marketing is key. We rely on the author working closely with us to take our communication on the book as far as possible, on literary festivals and book clubs platforming the book and the writer, and reviews in mainstream media as well as online to capture attention.

AABP: Have regional languages or translations played a role in your growth?

Karthika: We have an imprint, Ekada, that is dedicated to publishing translations as well as in languages other than English. And it will continue to be a highlight imprint scouting out new writers and texts–you can’t really be an Indian publisher without working in multiple languages.

AABP: Have any of your titles or authors gained attention or success internationally?

Karthika: We have published books that have international editions, although the rights were sold separately in each territory, it wasn’t led by us. Like the Pultizer finalist Rollo Romig’s I Am on the Hitlist, Zara Chowdhary’s The Lucky Ones and Rahul Bhatia’s The Identity Project. Gautam Bhatia’s novel The Sentence has just found a publisher in the US, Nilanjana Roy’s Black River has various editions internationally and was shortlisted for the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger prize. We also recently accepted an offer for Danish rights for Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari’s first novel Chronicle of an Hour and a Half. Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih’s Funeral Nights is another title that has been published in the UK and Somnath Batabyal’s Red River will soon be out too. What makes me particularly happy is that Indian editors are often lead editors on international titles originating here, or at least, are able to contribute equally. That’s a significant shift from the past.

AABP: Do you participate in global book fairs or rights sales? How important is this for your publishing house?

Karthika: We go to the Frankfurt book fair, primarily to build relationships with agents, publishers and international distributors. It helps us keep abreast of trends and deepen existing relationships, although deals are made around the year and are not really dependant on presence at book fairs.

AABP: What are your plans for the next 2–3 years? Any exciting upcoming titles or ventures?

Karthika: We are looking to scale the business and to build distribution channels that will help us do so. And yes, lots of exciting new titles are coming up across genres, including our newest imprints, IF and QD. There is also a particular focus on comics and graphic novels, which we will be growing substantially over the next year or two.

AABP: What does success mean to you as an independent publisher in today’s world?

Karthika: In a nutshell, I’d say success is about publishing books that help expand the mind and the market, with the occasional happy disruption of status quo; finding and establishing new writers, stories and formats; building a core list that delivers both in the moment and long term; riding trends but also creating content of perennial interest and value; doing business ethically and profitably, while providing a stimulating workplace experience to everyone who has chosen to be part of the company.