The Kashmir Pulse

During my college days, we were taught a quote by Francis Bacon: "Writing makes an exact man." Later, my teachers introduced me to another saying: "Read, read, and re-read." Many times, I also heard the advice to collect my thoughts first and then write.

I remember one of my teachers' sarcastic remarks on one of my essays, saying that I had become an author before my time. Such incidents have left a significant impact on my life, especially in terms of writing. Every event is a lesson.

The mixed reactions from my teachers and elders opened doors for me and made it clear that if I truly wanted to become a writer, I had to go through the same grind every writer endures. There is no other way.

Transforming an article into an error-free piece through the difficult stages of editing and proofreading and delivering an instructive piece to the readers is a fundamental task for a writer. However, this kind of experience requires a long life.

Using beautiful words does not necessarily constitute writing. For this, attributes such as thinking, exposure, consistency, self-contradiction, self-correction, etc., are essential. Becoming both a writer and a reader is the first step in the race to become an author.

The most crucial requirement for becoming an influential writer is that a person must read various books. This changes the way one sees things. The advantage of reading great minds is that one finds oneself in their company and is directly influenced by them. This brightens the chances of becoming an author.

High-quality books teach how to present events. The lesson of what it means to be an unprejudiced writer is a characteristic of these valuable books. Additionally, what kind of language should be used is a unique feature of great books.

By reading Mirza Waheed, Basharat Peer, Arundhati Roy, Aravind Adiga, Naseem Hijazi, Yuval Noah Harari, etc., one understands the nuances of language and becomes aware of the true purpose of writing. Whether it's historical books or fiction, one becomes well-acquainted with the ebbs and flows of language.

By reading great minds, one learns how to articulate things and where to say them. Another attribute of these high-quality books is that they compel one to pick up the pen and try to put their thoughts into words. The emotions burning like flames in one's heart want to be expressed through the pen.

However, today the situation is reversed. Everyone is in a rush to become a writer. Mastery of a language alone does not make an influential writer. There are many people among us who are proficient in more than two languages. But this does not mean they can be counted among the ranks of writers.

Every essay writer awards themselves grand titles. Among us, copying others' ideas verbatim is enough to be considered a writer. This happened to me too. When I started writing, I would copy others' ideas as I found them in other journals and magazines. But when I had the opportunity to sit with teachers, the reality became clear about how serious a crime this is.

Today, whatever I write, I write from my heart. It is filled with mistakes, but I keep trying to learn. To this day, I haven't had the courage to include myself among the ranks of writers. I'm just happy that I'm in a position to write a few words.

In contrast, many of us write long essays on trivial topics, which wastes resources and yields nothing. This leads so-called writers to suffer from a superiority complex and they fail to emerge from the grind of pruning. They become like the "frog in the well" trapped in their own shells. Whoever tries to pull them out of this mentality, they consider them an enemy. People don't even acknowledge them, and their words hold no value, leading to dire consequences.

There is a need to read the books of genuine writers. Additionally, one should learn about the intricacies of writing from them. Develop the habit of reading and try to write less but thoughtfully. Writing less but with consideration has the advantage of producing comprehensive articles that not only provide information but also contain depth.

Teachers, media, and enlightened members of society can play a significant role in this. Anyone, boy or girl, who wants to write should be encouraged. However, it is also necessary to urge them to follow certain rules.

This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse

GANDERBAL — Sehran Bhat, a 12-year-old boy from Dangerpora Laar area in Ganderbal district, has achieved a remarkable feat by authoring his first book titled "History of Kashmir".

The young author drew inspiration from the poems he encountered in his school books, sparking a desire to contribute to the literary world.

Grateful for the support he received, Bhat acknowledged the pivotal role played by his family, particularly his father, who suggested the title of the book. Originally titled "The Untold Story of Kashmir," Bhat later opted for "History of Kashmir" to better encapsulate the content.

Highlighting the cognitive benefits of writing, Bhat emphasized its role in overall brain development while also acknowledging the importance of play. "It enhances overall brain development, given the constant exposure to books and the necessity to read extensively. However, I am not discouraging playing, and it is important too," he stated.

Detailing his writing process, Bhat dedicated the first chapter of his book to the transformation of the Valley into a Union Territory and the second chapter to the history of its inception, seeking guidance from teachers along the way.

The 10-chapter book delves into Kashmir’s history, spanning Sikh rule, Muslim rule, and post-1947 events. Bhat revealed that the book was published by Nitya Publication, with whom he connected through social media, with his father facilitating the publication process.

Motivated by his curiosity about the differences between current times and the past, Bhat expressed his future plans. "I will continue writing, exploring poetry and other subjects. However, I have decided not to delve further into history," he affirmed.

Sehran Bhat's achievement serves as a testament to the potential of the young minds of Kashmir and their ability to contribute meaningfully to various fields including the literary landscape.

This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse

In an era dominated by mobile phones, students' focus on book reading diminishes, impacting their goals. The rapid pace of advancements necessitates a balance between reading traditional books and leveraging current technological conveniences.

Excessive use of mobile phones negatively influences students' thoughts and actions, contributing to a deviation from books. Despite the e-world trend, the profound benefits derived from reading books cannot be replaced by e-reading or e-learning.

Urging students to reconnect with books is essential to combat detrimental habits and distractions, fostering a positive educational environment. As the world grapples with the pandemic, the shift to online classes further distances students from books.

To rekindle their interest in reading, students must be educated on the significant impact of books on their intellectual growth. The synergy of mobile phones and books can reignite students' passion for reading, paving the way for a brighter academic future.

This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse

Literary fiction is a subgenre of literature that defies simple categorization. Genre fiction is much easier to classify. Typical genres such as science fiction, romance, and fantasy all adhere to well-established conventions. That is to say, the reader has an idea of what will occur. The difficulty in reading a book is another distinction between literary fiction and genre fiction.

How do you define literary fiction?

Simply put, literary fiction is a novel in which the characters take center stage rather than the storyline. Prose, symbolism, allegory, and the human condition are given greater weight than commercial fiction. More investigative than explicative. This means that the story's focus is not on whether or not the protagonist makes it through a disaster unscathed but on how they react to it. It's essentially a subgenre of fiction.

However, it deviates significantly from the standard conventions of the genre. Reflective rather than outgoing is a common trait. George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' inverts the conventional wisdom that good triumphs over evil. Unfortunately, many modern readers want instant results.

At times, literary fiction works are beyond the average person's reading abilities. Will Self makes this remark regarding the Harry Potter novels in an interview with The Guardian? That is to say; you should expect these to be something other than pleasant reading experiences.

The fall of literary fiction

The Arts Council England has released a report, stating that sales of literary fiction are in crisis. The survey suggests that the recession, which coincided with the emergence of cheap and easy entertainment, is to blame for the drop in sales of literary fiction. "Literary fiction is often 'difficult,' expensive, and time-consuming compared to the distractions of our cellphones," the report's authors wrote.

This is nothing new to those of us who are literary fiction book editors. For a while now, it's become increasingly difficult to find a publisher who is willing to invest in literary fiction because so few people actually read it.

The future of literary fiction: self-publishing?

It's the only possible future. Thus, that's the only answer to the question. Traditional publishers will only publish books if they think there's enough money in the market to support doing so. However, many readers are interested in reading works that are more difficult and provide more insight. While the audience may be smaller than that of a genre author, it does exist. Finding an audience for their work and actively selling copies can take time for literary fiction authors.

Marketing works of literary fiction

Indeed, this is the most challenging step, especially if your goal is to sell books on Amazon. It is now difficult to determine the total number of Kindle eBooks. In this case, "over" is a magic word. The thousands might write more novels of this type.

As a beginner literary fiction author self-publishing on Amazon, you need to know that there is a lot of garbage and poorly categorized books on Amazon. Choosing appropriate classifications and keywords for a book is a process that most first-time authors need to familiarize themselves with. If a book is classified as either of these broad categories, it will get lost in a sea of similar titles and have no chance of being purchased.

The location is the most crucial factor

Visualize where your book would be shelved in a physical bookstore. You won't find it on the front-end displays. It's also possible that the category shelves or author A-Z shelves are where you'll find them. The process of finding a job online is very similar. One of your goals should be to display your book where curious readers can locate it.

No, it won't likely be at the top of the bestselling lists. However, strategically placed books can achieve high rankings in less crowded niches. Keep in mind that literary fiction has different subgenres and themes if you plan on self-publishing.

Literary works are relatively easy to categorize. However, there is usually some connection to a traditional form. For example, the novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' could be classified as dystopian fiction. Many self-publishing authors preserve the importance of location.

Is self-publishing really worth it?

This is one of the vital questions: is self-publishing a literary novel worth it or not? In my opinion, it's absolutely worth it.

• In this case, you do not have to wait for any publisher's permission to promote or publish your book. You will decide everything from when to publish to who you want to read and how much publicity you want. Everything will be in your control.
• In the case of traditional publishers, it may take so many months to publish your novel, but you can do it whenever you want. This means you can do this as fast as you want.
• Most importantly, no one wants to convert their work into something else. If you are publishing your novel on your own, then no one can replace anything. But a traditional publisher will change so many things according to their needs, and maybe a lot of things will be changed.
• With the help of traditional publishers, you can earn up to 10% to 12% profits only, but as a self-publisher, you can earn anywhere between 50% to 70%.
• By publishing any novel or book on your own, you can also control your future; you can control everything. You can sell it online, offline, in PDF format, in audio format, or anything you want.

So, keep the freedom to yourself by publishing any book or literary novel yourself.

The bottom line

There is no longer a substantial enough market for intellectual reading since people want ease and rapid gratification for major publishing houses to take a chance on it. But there are still readers out there looking for something more substantial to read, and self-publishing is the most direct route to these individuals. Self-publishing has never been simpler. But you will see a few sales once you put the time, effort, and money into book marketing and promotion. This means that literary fiction can avoid greater odds.

This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse