Zafira Rajan
Zafira Rajan is a copywriter and brand strategist who is currently writing her first book, a collection of essays investigating the notion of home.
We talked about
how her professional experience with her clients’ launches (including book launches) is influencing how she thinks about building her own author platform and ultimately launching her book
what she thinks about Substack as a platform for writers to grow their audience
how to decide whether to self-publish or to go for a traditional deal.
Listen to our interview here.
You can find out more about Zafira at her website zafirarajan.com and sign up for her Substack here.
Here’s an AI transcript of our interview, with apologies for the many errors in transcription:
Transcript
00:00:02 Speaker 1
So welcome to today's behind the book launch interview and today I'm speaking to Zafira Rajan, who's a copywriter and brand strategist who helps entrepreneurs unblock their voice, harness their creative energy, and writes sensory stories that connect with their audience. And she's also an aspiring author, which is why I wanted to interview her.
00:00:24 Speaker 1
For this series, I really wanted to talk to someone in the very early stages of their book journey, and so Zafira I'm so pleased that you have joined us today. Welcome.
00:00:35 Speaker 2
Thank you so much.
00:00:36 Speaker 2
For having me, I'm so excited to have this conversation.
00:00:40 Speaker 1
So what I was hoping we could do to begin with is if you could just tell us a bit about your book idea and kind of where you're up to in the writing and publishing and thinking about getting published processed.
00:00:52 Speaker 2
Yes, so book idea, I have it for context because it's it is rooted in my personal stories and upbringing. I was born in Canada, raised in Kenya.
00:01:06 Speaker 2
Yeah, my cultural roots are in Southeast Asia, predominantly India. So my book will be a collection of essays that really asked the question what is home? And for further context, I currently live in Canada. My parents and my family.
00:01:27 Speaker 2
Moving back and forth between here and Kenya for many years and there has been such.
00:01:35 Speaker 2
An ongoing journey that growing a life in Canada and looking at back at it now. I'm also curious to explore the fetishization of Western culture growing up in Kenya, and why you know what I expected didn't quite match up to the reality and how it's unfolding now and kind of.
00:01:56 Speaker 2
Finding my place and just navigating the challenges that come with putting down roots in a place where you never feel like you quite belong.
00:02:04 Speaker 2
And the inspiration for putting together a collection of essays around this topic is also because I feel like a lot of the storytelling that focuses on places like Kenya or East Africa, or Africa in general are not often from this lens, one that is cross-cultural or one that can really also explore and, you know, adjust the beauty that is growing a life there and going up there from a totally different perspective than it's typically colonial or.
00:02:40 Speaker 2
Memoirs that we tend to read are often rooted and elsewhere in the world. So I'm really excited to to kind of share that with with more people and in terms of where I'm at in the journey right now, I actually started writing this book when I was pregnant. So that was in 2021 this summer.
00:02:59 Speaker 2
Of my third trimester was a really creative one, which I'm so grateful for.
00:03:04 Speaker 2
And since then have obviously had a child who's now 1 1/2, so I've been picking it back up again over the last six months.
00:03:12 Speaker 2
And I would say where I'm at is that I've got a structure I'm working essay by essay, and I'm in the process now of trying to seek out.
00:03:23 Speaker 2
You know Connexions with agent and publishers, and put together a book proposal. So because I have a very clear vision in mind and I know where I'm going with the book, and I really needed to.
00:03:34 Speaker 2
To get to the core, like almost thesis of what it's about. Before I was comfortable, you know, just pitching it out there.
00:03:41 Speaker 2
So my goal this year is to really nail down a book proposal and get it in the hands of the right.
00:03:48 Speaker 1
People around absolutely in pole position to do that by.
00:03:56 Speaker 1
The writing coach in me is like dying to talk to you about the themes of the book and so on. But that is not the theme of our conversation today, but one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, in particular about this is because of your professional background and and current was going to say day job.
00:04:16 Speaker 1
But it's your business, not your nor not your day job as such, but your current work as a copywriter. Obviously you think about launches all the time for work.
00:04:27 Speaker 1
So how has that affected have you started thinking in any way, shape or form about?
00:04:34 Speaker 1
The marketing and the launching of the book, or are you just thinking about the writing process?
00:04:40 Speaker 1
At the moment.
00:04:42 Speaker 2
And vigorously nodding, even though no one can see that right now. But yes, absolutely. And I would say I have been thinking about the launch process specifically because I've also supported clients in the process of launching their book and all the things that come with it. And I know there are so many different directions to go.
00:05:05 Speaker 2
I see people launching an aligned podcast in tandem with their book. I see them launching with.
00:05:10 Speaker 2
Special pre-order bonuses if I see them launching with live events, I see them launching with a group programme in tandem.
00:05:18 Speaker 2
I see so many possible directions that it is actually overwhelming because of how much I know can work and how much I do.
00:05:26 Speaker 1
Yes, you can definitely know too much, can't you?
00:05:30 Speaker 2
I do, and I also know, you know, say I was to go to self-publishing, read the marketing from that standpoint versus with a traditional publisher might also look very different, but.
00:05:43 Speaker 2
Something that I think is really effective is conversations and interviews like this ones. And when I see authors doing their podcast tours and you know.
00:05:53 Speaker 2
Really speaking specifically to certain audiences and certain groups, and tailoring those conversations to open up discussions of the book in that way, I have found that to be very effective, not only.
00:06:06 Speaker 2
As someone on the back end back end strategically, but also someone who's an avid reader listening and really allows me to get to know an author from a different perspective.
00:06:16 Speaker 2
So I think that is something on my mind that I would definitely have as part of my launch process. But the copywriter and me is actually really excited.
00:06:25 Speaker 2
You know, right now I'm trying not to like count all my.
00:06:29 Speaker 2
Chickens before they.
00:06:31 Speaker 2
Get hatched. So what I'm trying to do is focus on actually making the book the book A tangible, real thing, something that will get published, something that's like guaranteed to be out of the.
00:06:42 Speaker 2
World and from that point onwards I know the ideas are just going to flow as it pertains to launching and I'm I'm so excited to treat myself as a client when that does happen.
00:06:55 Speaker 1
Yes, there's something quite luxurious about being able to sink into doing that, I think.
00:07:02 Speaker 1
And one of the things that I saw that you you have done, which I'm assuming is feeding into how you're thinking about reaching your ultimate audience of readers.
00:07:12 Speaker 1
For your book is starting a sub stack and this is something that a lot of my clients are either doing or interested in doing and I wondered how that has gone for you, whether you would recommend it to others, just how you're finding it.
00:07:27 Speaker 2
Yeah, I am so excited about sub stack and what it's doing for writers, not only in terms of building community, but also reaching people.
00:07:35 Speaker 2
Who really want to read good work and that that's the place where it can live without the noise and the clutter.
00:07:43 Speaker 2
Of the other things that happen in the world or the other things that we're consuming, it's really a platform for people who want to digest good stories.
00:07:50 Speaker 2
So you couldn't ask for better readers on the other side of the screen. For me personally, this year has been one where I'm really trying to lean into my creativity and where it's telling me to go and sub stack has always been.
00:08:03 Speaker 2
On my mind, because I think when we tend to box our writing.
00:08:08 Speaker 2
It can. You know, there are gaps in between where you're missing out or your potential reader. They're missing out on getting that those extra juicy bits for me.
00:08:17 Speaker 2
So for context, yes, I'm a copywriter, I run a business. Typically my main form of expression has been my e-mail list, but there's certain things that don't necessarily like certain stories.
00:08:28 Speaker 2
Want to tell that don't really belong in an e-mail to my audience? Who wants to learn about copy and brand messaging and all those things?
00:08:36 Speaker 2
On me and then on the other side, I'm writing the book and I'm focused on essays there. But there are things happening in my day-to-day life that I really want to write about or there are things that I really want to explore.
00:08:46 Speaker 2
And they don't.
00:08:47 Speaker 2
Really have a good space to land.
00:08:49 Speaker 2
And typical social media doesn't really do it for me, because I find that the lifespan of content on there is really short.
00:08:57 Speaker 2
So I think sub stack really fills that gap creatively for me anyways. But I also have found it to be a good way to keep myself accountable to telling stories in real time without feeling confined or without worrying that the audience I'm sharing that story with isn't the right one, because this is.
00:09:17 Speaker 2
Now a space.
00:09:18 Speaker 2
Can carve out for myself.
00:09:20 Speaker 2
Strategically, I also hope to use it as a place to drop snippets of.
00:09:25 Speaker 2
The book or.
00:09:26 Speaker 2
You know, show kind of my work in progress so that by the time it does come out, I also have built a community of engaged readers and people who are ready and willing and excited and invested in the process.
00:09:40 Speaker 2
What also really excites me about sub stack is that it has the ability to be a subscription model while also offering space for content to be free.
00:09:50 Speaker 2
So you know you can lock certain pieces of content and have people actually pay you to write good work, and I think.
00:09:57 Speaker 2
That is such.
00:09:57 Speaker 2
A privilege to have in today's world.
00:10:00 Speaker 2
So I will probably end up doing that for pieces of the book, for instance, that I drop out on my sub stack I.
00:10:06 Speaker 2
Would want people to go for that, yeah.
00:10:06 Speaker 1
Ohh interesting right? So you did that bit via a subscription model, but the rest of the.
00:10:13 Speaker 1
Creative writing that doesn't quite fit the book would be the open non paid subscription. Interesting.
00:10:18 Speaker 2
Yes. Yes, exactly. Well that's the hope anyways and.
00:10:23
I also think.
00:10:23 Speaker 2
It's a good place to test out, you know, the direction that you're going in.
00:10:29 Speaker 2
I can see, you know, for instance, certain essays I might write might resonate more than I think, where they might. I might get responses from them about them being.
00:10:39 Speaker 2
People interpreting them in a way that.
00:10:42 Speaker 2
I didn't foresee and that might give me more ideas about things I can focus on as I'm writing the.
00:10:47 Speaker 2
Book, right? So I also think it's really this like open feedback that I can be receiving from writers while, you know, actually in the process of writing a book that is really exciting to me and other writers that I've seen using sub stack.
00:11:04 Speaker 2
You know who are quite consistent with it, have built a loyal readership.
00:11:08 Speaker 2
That by the time their book launches like, you know, they could sell it from their sub stack alone and do so well in pre-orders and do so well and getting on podcast.
00:11:18 Speaker 2
So I think it can be a really strong engaged platform for writers. And I think you can determine the frequency and you can you can make your own rules.
00:11:29 Speaker 2
Around it and still have it be incredibly beneficial, so I like.
00:11:33 Speaker 2
I clearly like a lot about sub.
00:11:34 Speaker 2
Stack and highly recommended.
00:11:36 Speaker 1
That's coming through loud.
00:11:37 Speaker 1
And clear for sure. And and.
00:11:41 Speaker 2
But I think it's a really unique way for writers to be heard right now.
00:11:44 Speaker 1
Absolutely. And I think it's a really interesting point that you made that it's both.
00:11:50 Speaker 1
Strategically, from a marketing point of view, growing the audience, but at the same time, it's fulfilling a creative need and giving you that, that feedback almost your your first readers, your beta readers for the.
00:12:03 Speaker 1
Book are right there on the platform and and being able to do both of those things at once is, I mean, it's always really satisfying when you can kill two birds with one stone, isn't it?
00:12:14 Speaker 2
Absolutely. And I think you know, I have multiple platforms that I have communities on and I'm sure everybody does.
00:12:21 Speaker 2
You know you've got an Instagram, you've got this, you've got an e-mail list. But I invited them all to follow my sub stack and so it has correctly filtered in all the other people and all the other communities.
00:12:33 Speaker 2
Growing and brought over just the ones who are interested in reading more stories than reading, better work. And so I know who I'm writing to is like genuinely there to receive that. So even you know that exchange between writer and reader is.
00:12:50 Speaker 2
Hidden in a really beautiful way that I don't quite find possible on other platforms right now.
00:12:57 Speaker 1
That's really interesting and that that feeling that you are.
00:13:01 Speaker 1
Talking to people who have completely opted in for this experience, I think is really freeing it. It helps to make it possible to be more kind of creatively vulnerable, doesn't it?
00:13:15 Speaker 1
Interesting. The other thing that I really wanted to talk about now is just given that you are at this early stage in the process, you're kind of before the stage at which I would often start talking to clients about the whole process of getting published and so on. Usually they're just that little bit.
00:13:35 Speaker 1
Further on than you are at the.
00:13:37 Speaker 1
And so I'm really curious, obviously you have a professional perspective having been involved in other people's book launches.
00:13:45 Speaker 1
But what kinds of questions are coming up for you at this point about the process of getting published? So, for instance, thinking about whether you want to get a traditional deal or whether you want to sell?
00:13:57 Speaker 1
Publish or whatever do. Are there any questions that are coming up for you now about any aspect of the process?
00:14:06 Speaker 2
Do we have an hour? I have so many questions. Maybe I'll say 5. My top five that are on the brain right now, definitely.
00:14:15 Speaker 2
Number one is, you know, the self-publishing versus traditional publishing route because you know I listen to conversations between writers all the time who advocate for one or the other.
00:14:26 Speaker 2
And some say there's no right way, but that's definitely something that's on my mind. The second one is really knowing what makes a.
00:14:38 Speaker 2
Awesome. The proposal and I'm doing all the research around that and I'm trying to put it together, but you know, definitely the copywriter and me wants someone to sign off on it and wants an editor to sign up on it and wants the wants to, you know, have that go through someone.
00:14:53 Speaker 2
'S eyes before.
00:14:54 Speaker 2
I try get it in the hands of someone else.
00:14:57 Speaker 2
The other question.
00:14:58 Speaker 2
Coming up is wondering.
00:15:01 Speaker 2
You know the best possible way to reach agents, like if they're if it's relationship building. If it's through, you know, certain platforms, if it's through, like doing very personalised research and seeing which ones are the best fit for the the stories that I'm telling.
00:15:19 Speaker 2
And the other questions I have are whether I need to.
00:15:24 Speaker 2
You know, try get some of my essays published in other media outlets first to strengthen the book proposal or I need to be growing my audience or my platform and get it to a certain place before I pitch it so that it feels like an easier yes or I have more likes to stand on. So overall, it's typically, I would say, the questions.
00:15:45 Speaker 2
I'm facing right now is whether.
00:15:49 Speaker 2
You know, keep an agent would see me as being in the right place or see me. See my book.
00:15:54 Speaker 2
And you know what I represent and the audiences that I've built as being, you know, an attractive package.
00:16:00 Speaker 2
So to speak.
00:16:01 Speaker 2
And whether you know, because I'm aware that the stories I want to tell are not mainstream, but I.
00:16:07 Speaker 2
Think they should?
00:16:09 Speaker 2
And I'm sure every author probably says that, but I'm coming at it from so many multiple, like from multiple cultural points of view, and so finding the right person who really believes in that is something that's on my mind.
00:16:24 Speaker 2
And you know, of course, I've closely followed my clients and peers who've been through the the process of trying to get their book acquired and they know that it's not a straight and narrow.
00:16:33 Speaker 2
Path so I have. I'm trying to just do things one step at a time and I think probably what anyone would benefit from this stage is like.
00:16:43 Speaker 2
Almost like an order like we need to do this first. Then we need to do that.
00:16:47 Speaker 2
And whether I need to be writing as.
00:16:50 Speaker 2
Much of the book as.
00:16:51 Speaker 2
Possible right now or waiting until I.
00:16:53 Speaker 2
Get a book deal.
00:16:54 Speaker 2
So these are all the things swirling in my mind right now. And I would say I'm working on all of them simultaneously, which may or may not be effective, that it's because it feels like I've got so many, so many buckets that I need to pour into right now and.
00:17:09 Speaker 2
It can be overwhelming, but it is also exciting.
00:17:12 Speaker 1
And I think if you can plug into the excitement.
00:17:16 Speaker 1
That's one of the most important.
00:17:19 Speaker 1
Factors in in kind of keeping your energy through this process because it is like it's a really long process as I'm sure you're well aware and and feeling that that excitement and momentum about it is so crucial to keeping going.
00:17:36 Speaker 1
I think just to to kind of dip into some of these questions because I'm sure your questions are the same questions that people listening to the podcast have. So I think that.
00:17:48 Speaker 1
One of your questions was about.
00:17:51 Speaker 1
Finding an agent and the best way to find an agent. So maybe we could talk a little bit about that for a moment.
00:17:58 Speaker 1
And I'm sure you're aware from the authors that you've worked with that often it is some level of personal connexion.
00:18:05 Speaker 1
That is someone's route to finding their agent. It's a very I would say the publishing industry is deeply, deeply kind of incestuous and clicky and nepotistic, tries not to be. And I think somethings have changed for the better but it.
00:18:21 Speaker 1
Nevertheless, if you do know anybody who knows anybody who has an agent, that is a really good route to start exploring, but also what you were talking about in terms of, like really personalised research into agents. I would say one of the best ways to find agents who might be well aligned to you.
00:18:41 Speaker 1
Is to find books that you love that have something, some quality about them that is resonant with the book that you want to write.
00:18:51 Speaker 1
And, and almost always in the acknowledgements to a book, somebody will thank their agent, and that gives you, you know, your little bread crumb to follow.
00:19:01 Speaker 1
And you can Google them and find their agency and find out what their submission criteria are and who else they represent, and so on. And just see do you think?
00:19:11 Speaker 1
Your book could have a home in that ecosystem, so I think that can be one of the ways to just kind of Hansel and Gretel your way through the forest looking for bread crumbs, looking for kind of kindred spirits. Because it is such an important relationship. So if you're somebody who's hoping to write several books.
00:19:32 Speaker 1
You might have a different editor and maybe even a different publisher for every book, but you will have the same agent.
00:19:38 Speaker 1
It's like it's a long term relationship. It's like thinking about who you book. It's, it's your kind of.
00:19:44 Speaker 1
Writing marriage and so finding somebody who truly feels aligned, I would say is like, don't skimp on that. Spend as much time finding the right person and really feeling that resonance with them as as possible.
00:19:59 Speaker 1
And that's something that you kind of you can start that research really early because you have a clear vision.
00:20:06 Speaker 1
For what the book is?
00:20:08 Speaker 1
So that's all you need to be able to to start doing that kind of research.
00:20:12 Speaker 2
That is great advice. Thank you. I've definitely been stalking the acknowledgement section of some of my favourite books recently, so I will pay closer attention.
00:20:24 Speaker 1
There there are. You know, there are databases out there that you can search for agents and so on. But I would say that's really like a fall back situation.
00:20:31 Speaker 1
I would definitely start with, you know, who are the people who have championed the writers, who you love because.
00:20:39 Speaker 1
I I I think seeing it in terms of finding a kindred spirit, yes, you want this person to be like, really, commercially savvy and go and fight for you and get the best contract possible and so on and so forth.
00:20:50 Speaker 1
But you also want them to be a person who truly shares your vision for the book and isn't kind to trying to subtly push you in directions.
00:21:00 Speaker 1
You don't really want to go in because they see that as more commercial or whatever. So I think that's.
00:21:06 Speaker 1
I think it's a huge.
00:21:08 Speaker 1
Shift in what your whole book publishing journey will be like. If you find the right agent for you, it's one of the most important decisions you can make for your writing career. So.
00:21:23 Speaker 1
And one of the other things I I was just thinking to pick up on is well was you were talking about, you know, do you?
00:21:31 Speaker 1
Would your idea for your book be commercial or not? You know will will people see the value of this idea?
00:21:38 Speaker 1
And I really feel that now is the moment for the kind of book that you're talking about and that publishers are finally waking up to the audiences. They haven't been reaching.
00:21:52 Speaker 1
And starting very slowly, far too slowly to be more aware of how white centric publishing is and has been for such a long time. And they're actively seeking out voices that can give that cross cultural perspective so.
00:22:11 Speaker 1
If I were you, I would be thinking to.
00:22:14 Speaker 1
Get my book proposal ready sooner rather than later because you don't want publishers to feel like ohh yes.
00:22:23 Speaker 1
We we dealt with that last.
00:22:24 Speaker 1
Year. You know what I mean, cause obviously.
00:22:26 Speaker 2
Yes, he checked that box off, so don't need another one this 100%.
00:22:30 Speaker 1
Totally. And and and it's so unhelpful that they have their check box attitude, but nevertheless, since I think a lot of them do you what you want to get in there before they have checked that box?
00:22:41 Speaker 1
So I would I would say to me that would give a slight element of urgency to the book proposal.
00:22:48 Speaker 1
So you were talking about, you know, should I be trying to grow my platform more or doing X or?
00:22:53 Speaker 1
Buy more before querying.
00:22:57 Speaker 1
In your case, because you have something a a topic which I think they will consider to be timely.
00:23:03 Speaker 1
I would obviously you you don't want to be all or nothing about this and you.
00:23:08 Speaker 1
Know throw together.
00:23:08 Speaker 1
A book proposal truly before you're ready.
00:23:11 Speaker 1
But I would be more airing towards doing it sooner rather than later in order to kind of capture that like guest.
00:23:19 Speaker 2
Amazing, vigorous nods all around. Over here. Again to and.
00:23:24 Speaker 1
That said, I would say that because you are, you have the kind of benefit that you're writing, a collection of essays where there will be pieces that can stand alone.
00:23:35 Speaker 1
I would be pitching those pieces now to outlets that you feel might take them as a standalone piece because it will be very helpful to your book proposal if they have been taken by somewhere that the publishers would see as a kind of blue.
00:23:51 Speaker 1
Place to be published, so I'm.
00:23:54 Speaker 1
Sorry, I'm just giving you 2 completely contradictory pieces.
00:23:57 Speaker 2
No, funnily enough that that's exactly what I've been sensing is the right direction anyhow, and have already experienced my first few doses of reduction with pitching a few pieces, but I'm going to keep going because that that's what life is and I do.
00:24:15 Speaker 1
And and actually on on that note, one thing I would really like encourage you and anybody listening to kind of really root into is that.
00:24:28 Speaker 1
When a piece is rejected, it's not necessarily got anything at all to do that. Rejection with the quality of the piece.
00:24:38 Speaker 1
But for literary editors and I used to be a literary editor, and you you were trying to put together like a balanced.
00:24:48 Speaker 1
Mission. And so sometimes somebody will submit something that you absolutely would have taken last month, but for this month you don't want it because there's already a piece that kind of speaks to that or has that sensibility about it or or whatever. And so although it is deeply depressing to get rejection.
00:25:08 Speaker 1
After rejection after rejection, unless people are explicitly telling you in the rejections that the quality isn't there, in which case obviously if multiple people tell you that.
00:25:18 Speaker 1
That's something you should listen to, but often things have rejected just because they come at the wrong time for that.
00:25:26 Speaker 1
Particular editor and so holding on to that knowledge and and keeping your belief in the quality of your work and not kind of going away and endlessly rewriting or reworking things because you think there's something wrong with the piece. More often there's something wrong with the timing of the piece meeting that particular editor.
00:25:46 Speaker 1
So that's just something to try and hold on to in this.
00:25:50 Speaker 1
Slightly wearing the process of sending things out to subjection.
00:25:55 Speaker 2
That's incredibly insightful. Thank you. Right. Place. Right time. I have a feeling that's going to be the theme of the whole journey, isn't it?
00:26:04 Speaker 1
Absolutely, absolutely. I could not agree more obviously on the self-publishing or going down the.
00:26:13 Speaker 1
Traditional route I would say.
00:26:16 Speaker 1
The biggest question for me, for anybody who has any kind.
00:26:21 Speaker 1
Of author platform that might get them a deal.
00:26:26 Speaker 1
So that doesn't just mean your social media numbers, as I'm sure you're aware, it also means your whole reach.
00:26:36 Speaker 1
So for instance, somebody who does huge amounts of podcast guesting, or has a very successful podcast themselves, they might have very minimal presence on social media, but they still have really decent.
00:26:46 Speaker 1
Reach or somebody who has a big engaged e-mail list like at the moment Laura Belgrave's launch of her book is everywhere, not just in her own emails, but in the emails of all the people she's connected with. And so that is.
00:27:06 Speaker 1
I know that's one of the qualities that she was able to sell her book on was having that powerful newsletter reach, and publishers have really, really, really been badly burnt in recent years by relying on people with huge social media followings that have just not turned into book sales.
00:27:26 Speaker 1
At all, and they're now much, much more open to the idea that an engaged e-mail list, for instance, is a much, much more valuable asset.
00:27:38 Speaker 1
So that's that's a bit of a diversion talking about all the platform. But essentially if you do have.
00:27:45 Speaker 1
In whatever form a platform that an author that a publisher might take seriously, then your choice is really on the one hand, if you self publish, you'll have a faster path to publication, which for some people really matters. They don't. They don't want to have to wait longer, so normally.
00:28:05 Speaker 1
The timing that I would anticipate for the difference between when you sign a contract with an agent and your book actually getting out there into the world is a good couple of years, could be longer.
00:28:21 Speaker 1
Whereas if you are self-publishing, once you feel like you're ready to go, you know things can happen in a few months rather than a a couple of years. And so that's one of the big differences. Another big difference is creative freedom. So an author.
00:28:40 Speaker 1
Obviously, once, usually as much creative freedom as possible, but some people are are willing to to.
00:28:47 Speaker 1
Trade some of that creative freedom for the the perceived status of being published by a traditional publisher, but also all the professional expertise that they're getting access to, and the fact that there are, it's not just perceived status.
00:29:05 Speaker 1
There are certain things such as you know, getting your book reviewed in the New York Times or whatever.
00:29:10 Speaker 1
Are incredibly unlikely to happen if you self published on the other hand, a traditional publisher may absolutely insist that you change your title, that you love to a title that you really don't love.
00:29:23 Speaker 1
Or you might have to live with a a book cover that you hate, or they might think that the in your case there are the, like the essay that you see as the crown jewel.
00:29:33 Speaker 1
In the collection they they might want you to take out and obviously you and your agent can fight for all of these things, and you probably wouldn't have to concede all of.
00:29:43 Speaker 1
Them, but you might have to concede some of them and so.
00:29:48 Speaker 1
That's the the decision point is for you to self publish. There's a lot of upfront costs, but you could earn a lot more.
00:29:57 Speaker 1
In the end, in the sense that you could keep a lot more of the profits from the book sales.
00:30:02 Speaker 1
So you could keep maybe up to 60% of the cover price of sales, whereas if you'll be on.
00:30:09 Speaker 1
You know, 7-7 to 12% depending on the deal you're on of the cover price, if you have a traditional deal. So if you personally are the person who's going to be making most of those sales through your profile and your platform, then you're going to keep a lot more of that money for yourself. If if you self publish, you also can make sure that the timing of the publication.
00:30:35 Speaker 1
As in, you know the launch doesn't clash with things that are going on in your life in your business, whereas if the publisher can insist that the book comes out in, you know full 2025.
00:30:48 Speaker 1
And maybe you're having a baby at that point, and that's wildly inconvenient for you. They won't necessarily bend to your personal time scales, so there's all kinds of considerations to to make and and one consideration is just whether you have the upfront cash to self publish.
00:31:10 Speaker 1
Thing things paid for you by the by the publisher.
00:31:14 Speaker 1
So yeah, there's a lot to consider. Ohh and one final thing I would say is that almost everybody overestimates how much marketing help they will get from a traditional publisher, and unless your title is what they consider to be their big title for the season, then probably however much marketing help you think you might get is more than the overstretched person in the marketing department who will likely be, you know, super experienced and brilliant at what they do. But Just will not have much time to give to your book specifically, so that is like a whistle stop tour of all reasons to lean one way or the other towards self-publishing or getting a deal, but hopefully it covers some of the main points.
00:31:59 Speaker 2
Yes, this is fascinating. I love hearing these insider insights, and it's it's so it's so challenging, right, as an author to to decide one way to go or another because like you said, there's.
00:32:14 Speaker 2
So many unknowable outcomes. So I think being open to both right now is where I'm at, but I I definitely need to do some more investigation and I know sometimes even for authors, they start out self published right and then they get another.
00:32:33 Speaker 2
If something will pitch them like that happened to Rupi Kaur for instance.
00:32:37 Speaker 2
And who is someone I look up to and?
00:32:41 Speaker 2
I'm really inspired by how she's created space for reference representation of voices like ours, and it's if you just like you never know which way it's.
00:32:50 Speaker 2
Going to go.
00:32:50 Speaker 2
So. And I'm really so fascinated by it. And I think I think I would probably try the traditional route first to see if it goes anywhere and then if it didn't.
00:33:01 Speaker 2
I would consider self-publishing and I I'm sure a lot of.
00:33:04 Speaker 2
People end up tendency books.
00:33:06 Speaker 1
Yes, very much so. I would say the majority of the people I work with.
00:33:12 Speaker 1
That's that's ultimately where they land that if they can get a deal, they'll go down that route, but if not, they're open to self-publishing and I think there is a as, as I've just said, I think there's a huge amount to be said.
00:33:25 Speaker 1
For both options, both for and against. So there's an extent to which just kind of seeing where the cards fall isn't a perfectly logical way of decide.
00:33:37 Speaker 2
Totally. Thank you so much for sharing, this is so helpful for me.
00:33:41 Speaker 1
Oh, I'm glad. Well, we're kind of coming to the end of our timing because I was promising people that these interviews would be action-packed, but relatively short. So super, maybe you could share with people listening where they can find out more about you and your book?0:34:01 Speaker 2
Best place right now would be to follow my sub stack which is the Fira Rajan dot.
00:34:07 Speaker 2
Sub stack dot.
00:34:08 Speaker 2
Com. If you would like to follow along with my writing journey and get a taste of what's coming down the pipeline. I'm also active on Instagram. If you ever wanted to start a conversation at.
00:34:21 Speaker 2
Zafira Dot Rajan and if you want to see what I do on my day job as a copywriter, you can find me at zafirarajan.com on my website.
00:34:31 Speaker 2
Thank you so much for having me, Sophy.
00:34:33 Speaker 1
Perfect. Thank you for coming on.