Avishek Gupta works as a Principal Technical Writer in a leading software organization. He has penned several popular books, such as 15/1 Story Avenue, Zareena: Of Love Forlorn, and Season of Love. Some of his stories have been translated into Bengali and Telugu. He actively interacts with his readers on social media.
1. Who and what inspired you to write?
The seed of writing was sown in our family with my grandmother, a poet and disciple of Rabindranath Tagore. The writing bug transfused to my father, who is a published author himself, and then, I got it in inheritance! I started writing at the age of seven. I used to love it as a kid, because I was creating a world of my own; and even today, writing makes me feel liberated. Two other things shaped me up as a writer. Firstly, my mother always encouraged me to read and that made me a very imaginative kid. And then, my grandfather, a freedom fighter, he used to tell me stories about his youth spent in Dhaka, and his participation in the Indian independence movement. So, right from my childhood, I had a wish to write a story about those times.
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?
Writing this story was never a challenge but a vocation to me. I just had to share it with the world! However, spending long hours with the manuscript also meant not giving enough time to the family. So, I guess more than me, my wife and son had to make sacrifices when I was writing this story.
Finding a publisher was tough initially. I was trying since 2016. After a handful of rejections, I decided to first create a reader base for myself. I blogged, I reviewed books, and I published my short stories and poetries. After a few accolades started coming my way, I decided to rekindle my romance with this novel. So, though “Visions of a Summer Past” is the first book I have written, it is the sixth one that I have published.
3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS?
I was regularly reviewing books by Indian authors since 2014 and was actively sharing them on social media. In this process, Suhail Mathur and his body of work for The Book Bakers caught my attention. I met him on Facebook and decided to send him a proposal for my novel.
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them?
Suhail was the first person in the literary world who liked my story. All my earlier proposals elsewhere had met with rejections. The Book Bakers represented me, edited my manuscript, and designed my book cover too. They got me multiple publishing contracts and I had the liberty of selecting the one that suited me the best. I am very happy with my publisher Locksley Hall Publishing. They have always been clear and upfront in their communication. Today, this book has seen the light of the day only because of the faith my agency and publishing house has kept on my manuscript.
5. How do you see literary success for yourself?
Everyone wants their books to do well and I am no exception. I have been published before, but I still feel the goose bumps when my new book hits the market. If readers like my work, it inspires me to write even better in the future.
Writing will continue to be an integral part of my life always. However, my future decisions of getting published will largely depend on how this novel fare.
6. When can we expect your next book?
I am planning to do a research-based non-fiction book on Hindu spiritualism. It might take me several months to finish this one. In the meantime, I might release a Kindle novella around mid-next year.
7. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?
If you love to write, keep pursuing it always. If you have faith in your story, go ahead and publish it. And once it’s published, market it like your life depends upon it!
BOOK NAME : VISIONS OF A SUMMER PAST
PUBLISHER : LOCKSLEY HALL PUBLISHING
