Entrepreneur - Interview with Preethi Nair, author of Gypsy Masala (Podcast)

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My article “The Writer as Entreprenuer” is published this month by Mslexia, the UK literary journal for women writers. Researching the article, I interviewed three self-published authors, Preethi Nair, Mark Blayney and Julie Noble as well as former Managing Buyer at Waterstone’s, the UK book chain, now Commercial Director of The Friday Project, the UK publisher of books derived from blogs. They shared with me masses of invaluable information about the process of self-publishing as well generously telling me their personal stories.

With the agreement of Mslexia and my interviewees, I am posting onto Fusion View my research for the article.

Today, I am pleased to upload a podcast of the telephone interview I did with Preethi Nair, author of Gypsy Masala. Click on the grey player below to listen.

The other resources relating to my article for Mslexia are posted as follows:
Tue 10 July - Interview with Julie Noble, author of Talli’s Secret.
Wed 11 July - Interview with Scott Pack, book publishing insider
Yesterday, Thurs 12 July - Interview with Mark Blayney, author of Two Kinds of Silence

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Over the course of this last week, you’ll have gained some insight into the challenges of self-publishing your own novel, thanks to Mark Blayney, Julie Noble and Scott Pack, all of whom took the time to answer my questions in a great deal of detail.

It all sounds easy as a concept. Write your book. Set yourself up as a publisher. Get some copies of your book printed. Then selll them.

But - once you’ve got your pile of printed books - all 10,000 copies of them, sitting in your hallway - what do you do with them? What does it take to shift your stock? Do you have the skills and energy to turn from writer into business person and get out there to sell your books? Can you ever make a profit?

Preethi’s story is the stuff of legends. She really took self-publishing entrepreneurship to extraordinary heights by creating a fictitious persona in the form of publicist Pru Menon to publicise her self-published novel Gypsy Masala. She was so good at the job, she was even shortlisted for an industry award for publicist of the year.