Back in October 2022,
I started working on setting up a new website, BooksFirst, which I finally launched
in December that year. This website was supposed to be a useful, interesting
online resource for people who love books. Or, more specifically, non-fiction
books. And the objective was to go beyond just book reviews, book excerpts and
book launches – regular books website stuff. I’ve always been an ardent reader
and had, over the years, developed a keen interest in the book publishing business
and how things work in publishing. And so, with BooksFirst, my objective was to
find interesting stories from the world of books and publishing and bring those
stories to the world. The site featured writers, authors, journalists,
illustrators, designers, photographers, librarians, book publishers, book
retailers and many others who were simply passionate about books and reading.
They had an eclectic selection of stories to tell – about their work, about the
book(s) they've written, about the books they read, about the authors they like
– and I did my best to bring those stories to fellow book lovers.
The site, BooksFirst.in, did not do very well and I had to shut it down permanently earlier this week. Some readers did write in, saying how much they liked the website. The publishers whom I wrote to were, for the most part, happy to send books for reviews. And most book authors whom I wrote to did agree to giving interviews. And despite all of that, BooksFirst never managed to gather much momentum – there was very little traction and traffic to the website remained poor over its two-year lifetime. Maybe BooksFirst did not serve a useful purpose, people perhaps simply weren’t interested or maybe I did not do a good job of running the website. But I still thought it might be interesting to look back and see why I set up BooksFirst in the first place, and what was the inspiration behind setting up that website.
When I started the initial ground work on setting up BooksFirst, I had already worked for more than 25 years, having started with technology journalism, then moving to automotive journalism and then spending a few years in automotive- and motorsports-related PR and communications. Which is perhaps why most people who had known me for a couple of years were very surprised when I told them about my plans for setting up a books-related website. Most reactions were on the lines of, ‘What?! Writing about books? Why?!’ So, varying degrees of shock and horror, followed by an embarrassed silence, was the standard response from most of my peers and former colleagues. Most felt that the site would never work – some said as much openly, while others chose to keep quiet. Of course, in the end they’ve all been proven right, since I did have to shut the website down after just two years.
But why did I set up BooksFirst? That is reasonably simple to answer. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always loved books, loved reading. In the early years, it was only fiction. Now, for the last 15-20 years, it’s only been non-fiction. But the love for books has remain unchanged. I also have a keen interest in the business – and the process – of publishing itself, and enjoy talking to book authors, publishers, designers, illustrators, retailers, marketers and others whose work has anything to do with books.
And what was it that inspired me to set up BooksFirst? It was… what else, a book. Off the Shelf: On Books, Book People and Places, by Sridhar Balan. A rather slim, 246-page book but one that’s a proper heavy-hitter despite its modest page count. Off the Shelf punches way above its weight, both literally and figuratively. But who is Sridhar Balan, you might ask. ‘Author of Off The Shelf, with 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, and a prominent columnist for leading newspapers in India,’ says his bio, on Twitter. Before he got into publishing, Mr Balan started with teaching, serving stints at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, and at the North Eastern Hill University, in Shillong. He then came to work for Macmillan India, later moving to the Oxford University Press in 1985. He is currently a senior consultant with Ratna Sagar, in addition to his other work, which includes teaching an introductory course on publishing that’s offered by the National Book Trust (NBT) India.
‘The route to choosing a career in publishing may vary, and for many, it may not have been a conscious career choice at all. Indeed, till recently many people joined the Indian publishing industry having only a very rudimentary idea of what they were getting into, with the sole exception of those who joined the family profession of publishing or bookselling,’ says Mr Balan in one of the opening chapters in Off the Shelf. In that same chapter, he talks about the one primary qualification that makes one suitable for a job in publishing, which is ‘a love for books and a passion for reading.’ He admits that having studied in an Anglo-Indian school in Calcutta gave him a strong foundation in the English language and provided sufficient exposure to books and literature. ‘I also belonged to a generation which received books as gifts at birthday parties,’ he adds.
Subsequent chapters in the book are a rich collection of Mr Balan’s memories, anecdotes, personal introspection and insights into the world of books and publishing. Some of the most engaging of these are his descriptions of ‘book people.’ Alberto Manguel, for example. Argentine-Canadian anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist and ardent collector of books, who moved from Canada to France so he could have enough space to store his books. All 30,000 of them. Or Roy Hawkins, a Brit who came to India and joined the Oxford University Press in the 1930s, and became a legend in his own lifetime as he led OUP’s business in India to great heights in subsequent decades, finally retiring in 1970. And the late Ravi Dayal, who joined OUP in the early-1960s, worked under Hawkins and later went on to head OUP. And the late Ram Advani, the legendary bookseller of Lucknow, whose bookshop in Hazratganj used to be an absolute must-visit for all those loved books, whether it was local residents of the city, visiting authors, academicians or any other prominent literary figures. And a few other giants of publishing, who left an indelible mark on the world of books in India.
Elsewhere in the book, Mr Balan speaks of book fairs, great libraries, legendary book shops and the inner workings of the printing and publishing business, of legendary printers and their craft (which really mattered in the pre-computer days), of stocking books, selling books… and since he’s been an insider for decades, he is able to write with authority, painting a fascinating picture of the publishing business. Yes, well, at least I found it utterly fascinating. The book – and each of its chapters – made me think, and those thoughts when put together formed the basis for setting up BooksFirst.
In later months, some time after BooksFirst was launched, I did get an opportunity to meet Mr Balan, who was kind enough to invite me to his house for a cup of coffee. It was an honour for me to meet him and just listening to him talk about books made me realise just how very, very little I knew about books and publishing. I really did enjoy our little conversation came away from his house very happy.
Coming back to the present, BooksFirst.in is gone and won’t be coming back. What’s next? I honestly don’t know. This little blog, The Lucknow Wallah, allows me to write about whatever I want – cars, motorcycles, music, computers, technology and, yes, also books. For now, I couldn’t ask for more.
The site, BooksFirst.in, did not do very well and I had to shut it down permanently earlier this week. Some readers did write in, saying how much they liked the website. The publishers whom I wrote to were, for the most part, happy to send books for reviews. And most book authors whom I wrote to did agree to giving interviews. And despite all of that, BooksFirst never managed to gather much momentum – there was very little traction and traffic to the website remained poor over its two-year lifetime. Maybe BooksFirst did not serve a useful purpose, people perhaps simply weren’t interested or maybe I did not do a good job of running the website. But I still thought it might be interesting to look back and see why I set up BooksFirst in the first place, and what was the inspiration behind setting up that website.
When I started the initial ground work on setting up BooksFirst, I had already worked for more than 25 years, having started with technology journalism, then moving to automotive journalism and then spending a few years in automotive- and motorsports-related PR and communications. Which is perhaps why most people who had known me for a couple of years were very surprised when I told them about my plans for setting up a books-related website. Most reactions were on the lines of, ‘What?! Writing about books? Why?!’ So, varying degrees of shock and horror, followed by an embarrassed silence, was the standard response from most of my peers and former colleagues. Most felt that the site would never work – some said as much openly, while others chose to keep quiet. Of course, in the end they’ve all been proven right, since I did have to shut the website down after just two years.
But why did I set up BooksFirst? That is reasonably simple to answer. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always loved books, loved reading. In the early years, it was only fiction. Now, for the last 15-20 years, it’s only been non-fiction. But the love for books has remain unchanged. I also have a keen interest in the business – and the process – of publishing itself, and enjoy talking to book authors, publishers, designers, illustrators, retailers, marketers and others whose work has anything to do with books.
And what was it that inspired me to set up BooksFirst? It was… what else, a book. Off the Shelf: On Books, Book People and Places, by Sridhar Balan. A rather slim, 246-page book but one that’s a proper heavy-hitter despite its modest page count. Off the Shelf punches way above its weight, both literally and figuratively. But who is Sridhar Balan, you might ask. ‘Author of Off The Shelf, with 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, and a prominent columnist for leading newspapers in India,’ says his bio, on Twitter. Before he got into publishing, Mr Balan started with teaching, serving stints at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, and at the North Eastern Hill University, in Shillong. He then came to work for Macmillan India, later moving to the Oxford University Press in 1985. He is currently a senior consultant with Ratna Sagar, in addition to his other work, which includes teaching an introductory course on publishing that’s offered by the National Book Trust (NBT) India.
‘The route to choosing a career in publishing may vary, and for many, it may not have been a conscious career choice at all. Indeed, till recently many people joined the Indian publishing industry having only a very rudimentary idea of what they were getting into, with the sole exception of those who joined the family profession of publishing or bookselling,’ says Mr Balan in one of the opening chapters in Off the Shelf. In that same chapter, he talks about the one primary qualification that makes one suitable for a job in publishing, which is ‘a love for books and a passion for reading.’ He admits that having studied in an Anglo-Indian school in Calcutta gave him a strong foundation in the English language and provided sufficient exposure to books and literature. ‘I also belonged to a generation which received books as gifts at birthday parties,’ he adds.
Subsequent chapters in the book are a rich collection of Mr Balan’s memories, anecdotes, personal introspection and insights into the world of books and publishing. Some of the most engaging of these are his descriptions of ‘book people.’ Alberto Manguel, for example. Argentine-Canadian anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist and ardent collector of books, who moved from Canada to France so he could have enough space to store his books. All 30,000 of them. Or Roy Hawkins, a Brit who came to India and joined the Oxford University Press in the 1930s, and became a legend in his own lifetime as he led OUP’s business in India to great heights in subsequent decades, finally retiring in 1970. And the late Ravi Dayal, who joined OUP in the early-1960s, worked under Hawkins and later went on to head OUP. And the late Ram Advani, the legendary bookseller of Lucknow, whose bookshop in Hazratganj used to be an absolute must-visit for all those loved books, whether it was local residents of the city, visiting authors, academicians or any other prominent literary figures. And a few other giants of publishing, who left an indelible mark on the world of books in India.
Elsewhere in the book, Mr Balan speaks of book fairs, great libraries, legendary book shops and the inner workings of the printing and publishing business, of legendary printers and their craft (which really mattered in the pre-computer days), of stocking books, selling books… and since he’s been an insider for decades, he is able to write with authority, painting a fascinating picture of the publishing business. Yes, well, at least I found it utterly fascinating. The book – and each of its chapters – made me think, and those thoughts when put together formed the basis for setting up BooksFirst.
In later months, some time after BooksFirst was launched, I did get an opportunity to meet Mr Balan, who was kind enough to invite me to his house for a cup of coffee. It was an honour for me to meet him and just listening to him talk about books made me realise just how very, very little I knew about books and publishing. I really did enjoy our little conversation came away from his house very happy.
Coming back to the present, BooksFirst.in is gone and won’t be coming back. What’s next? I honestly don’t know. This little blog, The Lucknow Wallah, allows me to write about whatever I want – cars, motorcycles, music, computers, technology and, yes, also books. For now, I couldn’t ask for more.
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