Website → http://iguanabooks.ca/
The Internet has connected – and continues to connect – billions of people around the world, sometimes in surprising ways. In his sprawling new novel, we of the forsaken world, author Kiran Bhat has turned the fact of that once-unimaginable connectivity into a metaphor for life itself.
Like modern communication networks, the stories in , we of the forsaken world connect along subtle lines, dispersing at the moments where another story is about to take place. Each story is a parable unto itself, but the tales also expand to engulf the lives of everyone who lives on planet Earth, at every second, everywhere.
As Bhat notes, his characters “largely live their own lives, deal with their own problems, and exist independently of the fact that they inhabit the same space. This becomes a parable of globalization, but in a literary text.”
Bhat continues: “I wanted to imagine a globalism, but one that was bottom-to-top, and using globalism to imagine new terrains, for the sake of fiction, for the sake of humanity’s intellectual growth.”
“These are stories that could be directly ripped from our headlines. I think each of these stories is very much its own vignette, and each of these vignettes gives a lot of insight into human nature, as a whole.”
we of the forsaken world takes pride of place next to such notable literary works as David Mitchell’s CLOUD ATLAS, a finalist for the prestigious Man Booker Prize for 2004, and Mohsin Hamid’s EXIT WEST, which was listed by the New York Times as one of its Best Books of 2017.
Bhat’s epic also stands comfortably with the works of contemporary visionaries such as Umberto Eco, Haruki Murakami, and Philip K. Dick.
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2DQIclm
Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/2Lqe9Fi
After your book was released, what was the first thing
you did when getting ready for your book launch?
Well, my book in fact comes out in January, but I am
currently on a tour around India,
following a part of a tour in China,
building up publicity. In order to get myself ready, in order to make sure that
I could properly speak, I first had to clear my mind, of the anxiety, and of
the doubt. This requires a moment in which you pause to yourself, and relax,
and live with yourself. When we accept ourselves first and foremost as a member
of the moment, and not of anything else, we then have enough of ourselves to
face the world.
After that, what was your next step?
Well, then I just speak. I introduce myself, the bohemian
lifestyle I have lived, the things I have done, and what I want to say. I read
from my book, and I take questions.
Did you do anything different to spice up your website in
lieu of your upcoming book release?
I’m still actually trying to get my website up and running!
So, yes, hopefully my website is spicy enough. Considering I’ve lived all over
the world, and I plan to use it as both a blog and photo space, I hope it gets
enough traction.
Did you ever consider using a PR agency to help you
promote your book or did you prefer the DIY route?
I’m currently using a few publicists to promote my book; one
for media in the USA,
another for book events in the USA,
and another in India
to get my book promoted there. My India
tour has gone really well, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my
publicist. I’m still waiting for my USA
tour to begin, so we will see how it goes there. But, generally, it is helpful
to have a publicist, and hard to do it any other way.
Were finding reviews a top priority for you and, if yes,
how did you approach that?
Again, my book hasn’t come out yet, so I’m still in the
process of doing all this. But, yes, getting reviews, and good ones are
important, and am still trying to figure out how to do it.
What are your views on social media for marketing your
book?
I am naturally a social media user, because it is the only
way to travel the world and also remain in touch with others. I also use
Instagram to widely document said travels. So, when it comes to marketing my
book, I am trying to learn how to use it well, but since I am starting out, it
is easier said than done.
What social media has worked best for you?
I guess Facebook, only because most of my connections there
were made naturally, organically, and since most people respond out of
friendship, ie a sense of love and commitment, they would be the most likely
ones to come to my events or buy my books. But, again, I haven’t really worked
hard in trying to promote myself as a writer. I largely just work on my writing
itself.
Did you write a press release and do you think it worked
for you?
My publicist has written a press release. I assume we will have to see once I see how
it affects people or not.
Did you revamp your author’s page at Amazon in any way to
prepare for the launch (https://authorcentral.amazon.com/)?
Actually, I just found out about this page right now, while
reading these interview questions. Just
finished signing up now; can’t wait to use it. ;)
Did you have other books you offered for free in order to
help sell your present book?
No, because a lot of my work was either written in other languages
or written for the sake of artistic experimentation. I accepted them largely as
things I wrote for myself, with little interest to a reader, so I just
self-published them and let them go. They aren’t related in any way to the work
of we, of the forsaken world... If a
reader chooses to buy them, I assume it would be many years from now, when they
are interested in some of the other things I have written. But I see them as
fairly separate, so I don’t think the sales of one would affect the other.
Did you set up book signings and, if so, how did that
work for you?
Yes, I have set up book signings largely in China
and India. I’ve
had some where only twelve people come, and then some where fifty come, but
largely, only about ten people buy a book per event. For me, it is good,
because it allows me to connect with readers and use my gift of gab for the
sake of my art. But, I also know that it probably won’t make much of a
difference in terms of sales in the long run.
Did you create a book trailer?
No, I haven’t. Since I write very literary fiction, I don’t
think it would be of value for me.
Did you time your book launch around a certain holiday?
Well, I wanted to release my book in November, but my
publicist advised me to get the release done in late January. This is because a
lot of book venues and media people will be resting for the holidays, so it is
best to release after. We will have to see how good of a decision it was after
my book tour is finished; right now I am in the middle of it, so it is hard to
know what is going well or not.
What was the best money you ever spent on your book
launch?
I think at the moment, I can say hiring my publicist in India
was a great decision. She got me booked for radio and television shows, and I
am doing events at very big places like Oxford Bookstore and Crosswords. I am
also getting more distribution in India,
which is important, since I don’t yet have an Indian publisher. I really am
building up a lot of credibility and exposure in India,
and I owe a lot of it to her, so I am very glad I spent money on her.
Any tips for those authors wanting to set up a successful
book launch?
I’m still in the process of doing my book launch, but one
thing I can say is to learn to be patient, as success, if it happens, takes
time, as well as a lot of hard work. You can’t expect everything at once; you
have to let people slowly, and assuredly, trickle to you.
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