WHO WRITES? WHO PUBLISHES? WHO BUYS? WHO READS? WHO SELLS?
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Book
Beg, Borrow, Buy, or Stele!
That is an age-old saying. That is the fate of the final product,
BOOK. "A Book Is An Old Friend" - I read a poem in English long time ago.
Recently, Sri Pemmaraju Venugopala Rao gAru read one of his translations
into Telugu - a poem, on libraries (books). A nice one. If I were a book,
I would know what the book feels about being a book.
1) WHO WRITES: Anybody can write. Becoming a known writer is different.
Every writer who writes and publishes a book is regarded as a writer.
Quality of writing is a different aspect and will be discussed some where
below.
Olden days: Writing was passed on from one generation to the other.
Writing was posessed by certain families.
One had to belong to a school (of writing).
Writers were classified.
Young writers were groomed by their predecessors.
Maharajhas nurtured the writers.
Writers in turn praised the Maharajhas.
Writing was an elete professon/part time pleasure.
A writer had to be born in a writer's family.
Old glory was the leading light.
An ordinary who wanted to become a writer had to struggle a lot
and had to overcome a lot of hurdles, especially social hurdles.
A number of great kAvyAs/prabhandhas emerged out in the last
1000 years. They all have oscillated around either
romance/religion/history (in the realm of the princely donors).
Present Times:
Writing is still being passed on from one generation to the
other.
Writing is not being posessed by certain families.
One need not belong to "a" school of writing.
Writers are still classified (with great changes).
Young writers are groomed by the readers/society.
No maharajhas.
New maharajha pOshakas mushroomed.
Governments/foundations/institutions support some writers.
A writer need not necessarily be born in a writer's family.
Writing is still an elete profession/profession/hobbey.
Sometimes, old glory is the foundation stone for success.
Any writer who wants to become a writer has to struggle a lot
and has to overcome poverty/publication-promotion barriers/
acceptability as a writer and especially training/overhauling of
the skills. Encouragement by the peers/readers/teachers/experts
is still needed.
Above all, a Godfather/Godessmother is highly critical for a
writer to exist and pull on as a writer.
How many modern Kavyas have emerged out since the Independence
in Telugu language? I don't have a correct answer. Still the
readers are struggling to differentiate between what is a Kavya
and what is a Mahakavya. Still readers are debating to accept
which is the acceptable language. Still readers are struggling
to decide which is high quality writing and which is low quality
trash.
On the other hand, the Telugu writers are mushrooming and are
those who became prominent are contemplating leaving the legacy
to the younger generation of writers. Social dynamics have
changed dramatically and still have been undergoing changes
perpetually. Some of the writers have realized that and got out
of the quagmire of old habits and are trying to tailor their
writings to the needs of the readers/society. Those writers
have become successful. Those are the wise Telugu writers. The
others are still caught in between the old and coated gold.
How one becomes a writer?
Any one who has the zeal to write can become a writer after a
prolonged indefatiguable tenacity to become a writer by mixing
practice and watching other writers and society. This is a
three-dimensional battle. If writing, other than writing essays
on cow (as my friend Sri Veluri says : Avu mIda vyAsam), is
taught at schools and colleges in Andhra, the possibility of
seeing good writers is high. A question I ask is, how many
academic institutions in India offer writing as a different
curriculum?
There are several writers who are not known at all. Some of
these don't come forward with their writings because of
psychological inhibitions. Such an academic training in writing
would ease this type of writers. Also constructive criticism is
still lacking backhome - reasons many-folded. If one shows a
piece of writing to an expert, the expert will say "cAllE!
nuvvu cAlA kRshi ceyyAli!" He will not tell what is that kRshi.
Secondly, the expert will say "vADu rAsEdEmiTi. vallakADu."
Third, another expert will add "vADu manavADu kAdu. vADEmi
rAstADU!". These are a few examples.
Telugu writers backhome should also know that there is nothing
like perfect writing. There is nothing like "HIGH QUALITY"
writing. One wise man told me "Do you know the best book? The
one sitting on the shelf in the library. That is the best book"
. Another wise man told me "If you haven't published it, you
haven't done a thing". The same thing applies to a writer. The
writer attains almost perfection after writing many many items
(books/articles). Good writing is mastered by constant writing,
practice, open to criticism, and watching closely the other good
writers.
Nobody becomes a great writer overnight. That credit goes to
Kalidasa only or may be Tenali Ramalinga. Those are still
legends to me. Unless schools and colleges teach "Writing" as a
special subject and offer special degree, still we get
fewer and fewer writers. Writers all around the world follow a
universal language. That is writers' language. Writers of
Telugu language have to exchange ideas with writers of other
languages. They have to read other languages. They have to
travel a lot. I don't want to bring olden days here. Things
have changed thousand-fold these times when compared to those of
the old times.
Those good old days of writers writing for Maharajhas are gone.
The Maharajha is the reader these days. If reader doesn't like
writer's writing, the writer has to look for another job. So,
the writer, whatever he/she writes, has to reflect the society
in his/her writings. There has to be a message in the writer's
work. Writer's work is the mirror for the society these days.
2) WHO PUBLISHES:
Olden Days: Maharajhas published.
Jamindars published.
Maharajha pOshakAs published.
Rich writers published thier own work.
Friends donated money towards publishing.
Present Times:
Governments provide financial help towards publ.
(a little bit)
Universities give money to publish.
Religious institutions provide assistance.
(If it is religious)
Private Foundations support publications.
(Again it has to fit their mission).
A few societies support their own publications.
(Again theme has to fit in there)
Some Maharajha pOshakAs still exist.
(You have to be one among that club).
Things haven't changed much from those of the olden days.
One thing is for sure - the same classification exists.
Funding for publication (or publication by the publishers)
dictates what a writer has to write. There is a heirarchy
among writers these days. With an exception of a very few,
one may see a particular variety(ies) of books being constantly
printed.
The question that has to be answered: Are writers taming the
readers? or Are readers tuning the writers? or Are the
publishers conditioning the readers and controlling the writers?
Modern publishers of Andhra Desa definitely should have known
the readers' psychology of taste towards choosing a book.
One exception (may be two):
a)The weekly magazines
b)Novels (several novelists)
c)Short stories
d)Upto some extent poetry.
e)Some cine-related stuff.
Other than the above major categories, one may not see many
publishers publishing books on other subjects (in the dark).
Even though titles on Science, Cooking, plays, art, cottage
industries, translations from other languages are being
published, those publishers are not not known and it is very
difficult to contact them. Finally one has contacted them for
copies and the reader is told that that book is out of print.
Finding a suitable publisher is a Herculian task. Almost all
the Telugu writers are well-below the poverty or slightly above
the poverty level. They have to find a publisher. The Telugu
writer doesn't write a book having a publisher in mind. Once
the manuscript is done, then start the writer's nightmares.
Finally, the manuscript ends somewhere in Subbisetti's grocery
store as a paperbag for suji. Several thousands of such
manuscripts have ended somewhere where they don't have to. We
lost a variety/generation of writers that way.
Now, who is to be blamed? The publisher? or The writer?
or The Reader?
If all the high-schools, local libraries, college libraries, and
university libraries in Andhra Mahadesa buy almost all the
published books in Telugu that year, probably every Telugu
writer could sell more than 10,0000 copies of that book. Don't
count the individual readers now. Do you think schools,
colleges, and universities in Andhra can not afford to buy
Telugu books published that year (in one year)? How many books
in Telugu are publishe by all the publishers in Andhra a year?
300-500? About 30-40 thousand rupees budget - a liberal guess
-is the budget for those books. I don't think 300 Telugu books
are published a year. They should make this mandatory in all
the educational institutions in Andhra.
Take home lesson here is - the administrators should know the
value of reading. The message will go to the publishers. Then
the message will go the writers.
3) Who Buys:
Natyacharya Satyannarayana Panda, my music and acting teacher
at Parlakimedi once told me the difference between an average
Bengali and others - "When a new book hits the stalls, every
average literate Bengali buys the book, reads the book, and sits
together in a day or two to carry out discussion on that book."
How many of Telugus buy a new book that arrives at the shops?
How many read it?
How many discuss about that book - without shouting at each
other (like I do - get emotional/commotional :-))
Poor Jampalaji has a hard time to sell Telugu books here to the
Telugu Literature Lovers (so-called). If you want to sell a
book among 5000 Telugu Literature Lovers (TLL), you will be
lucky if you can successfully sell 5 copies each at a price of
$5 (half of that I spend on Pan Prarag). I may be apologized -
it is a personal affair sir. But I am making a general remark
out of my general experience in selling books here. Prof.
Vemuri Venkatewara Rao gAru did publish his "Rasagandhaya
Rasayanam" and was selling each book for $2. I don't know how
many he could sell either here or back home. Sri Sistla Sree
Rama Chandra Murthy gAru gave a free copy of his Hari Dasa
Sampradaya Kirtanas along with his tapes (sung by Balamurali) at
the cost of $15. May be less than 100 people bought those
tapes. Prof. CR Rao gAru has been trying to sell his excellent
book on Statistics. People don't come forward to buy that
enlightening book.
Logic:
All Telugu Readers are Not Buyers
All Telugu Buyers are Not Readers
There for All Telugu Readers are ...buyers and readers!
Corrected Logic:
All those Telugus who buy books may not read.
All those Telugus who buy books may not know who borrowed those.
All those Telugus who borrow books definitely read those.
Therefore some Telugus buy books but for some other reason.
My father (Late Sri PV Rama Sastry), used to tell me a story:
There was a senior lawer at his bar by name "Ulavabhadra Dora".
He had an excellent library containing about 5000 volumes.
My dad visited him once. He glanced at some books and asked
him "May I borrow this book?" Dora replied "No!". Then my dad
asked "Would you please tell me about that book!". Then dora
replied "Cann't!". May dad in turn asked him "Why not?". Then
dora added "I didn't read it." My dad asked him "So, why do you
have it here?". Dora said "Just a decoration."
Sri Kandukuri Viresalingam once said "cirigina pAta cokkA ainA
kaTTukO. kAnI mamci pustakamokkaTi konukkoni caduvukO!".
Reading has to be cultivated in the families and taught at
schools. Literate parents have to teach the value of books to
their kids. They have to take them to the libraries. They have
to take them to the book stores. They have to read the book
reviews. They have to attend the seminars on book releases.
Just like observing the ritual of going to cinemas, educated
families have to develop home libraries. Buying and reading a
book has to be the part of their lives. To pomote this several
publishers like EMESCO had done a lot. Readers should take that
opportunity. If readers buy the books, the message goes to the
publishers. Then the message is carried to the writers.
I don't know whether a book digest exists for Telugu books.
Some weekly magazines cover a brief review on the new books.
Hindu covers occassionally on new Telugu books.
4) Who Reads:
Who reads and who buys go hand in hand with. Those who are
interested in that book and who are willing to spend will buy the
book. Also, those who want to have the book for vanity and can
afford will also buy, with the exception of some libraries and
educational institutions.
Buying a book depends on the personal taste and need. Some
people interested in a book for the content will buy it (for
research/reference/daily use). Everybody buys gamTala pamcAmgam
and a Telugu Calender. The same way cine lovers buy, Sitara.
Novels are bought by novel lovers. Books on poetry are bought by
poetry lovers. A lover of this and that will by this and that
and this and that will disappear slowly.
Subject, content, appearance, need, usage, obsession and greed
will dictate the reader's choice.
Readers also have to venture into reading new books. Everyone
has an inhibition to read books other than his/her choice.
Reading is a special character in an individual. I said that
above and how to promote and cultivate reading.
Just like the "Writers' Clubs" there should be Telugu Readers'
Clubs in Andhra Desa. They have to discuss on new and old books.
They have to hold seminars. They have to invite writers to give
talks. It has to start from the family and spread into the
society through schools. Schools and teachers should encourage
reading. Reading has to be a part of the curriculum. Children
have to be encouraged to read various subjects. They have to be
persuaded and rewarded for reading. Beginning is hard but once
the kid takes off in the realm of reading, no one can stop
him/her. Just like writing, reading is attained by practice only.
5) Who Sells:
Higginbothoms/Book Center/Visalandhra/TTD/Vavilla Press.
Telugu Publishers/writers have yet to master the strategies to
promote and sell their books. The problems are with the
publishers. The publishers don't do much of any publicity on the
books. Just compare the publicity of an about to be released
movie or a newly released movie with that of an upcoming book or
newly published book.
There are no clear cut distribution levels for Telugu books.
There are no book digests to advertise new books.
Upto some extent, the publishers do the promotion.
Publishers have to be separted from the distributors.
The book sellers don't attempt to advertise a new book at all.
School teachers/college professors don't know anything about a
newly published Telugu book.
Even though Dr. Kasi Somayajula, Prof. of Telugu, Duvvada
University knows about PAMCHA MAMCHA PADYA KAVYAM, and although
he received a brand new copy form the publisher, he will hide the
book under his pillow. The students and rest of the faculty will
never know about that new book. Oh! If he tells everyone, all
others will ask for the book, read it, and he loses control over
the subject.
Recently, I had seen a book (some dozens for that matter) in the
local library on how to publish and sell a book. The book gives
such a neat strategy.
I feel that our publishers/writers still have to know how to
promote their product.
---pAlana
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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are not those of the CAS at all.
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