Shoma Narayanan is the first Indian Mills & Boon writer to be published globally.
Banker Shoma Narayanan moonlights as a romantic author. Yes, the mother of two is the first Indian Mills & Boon writer to have been published globally. She took up writing as a hobby and her fourth Mills & Boon title hits the stands this November. The author of famous books like Monsoon Wedding Fever and Secrets & Saris talks to us about her latest book and how to get published.
Tell us about your latest book, The One She Was Warned About.
My latest book, The One She Was Warned About stars Nikhil, a reformed rebel with a bad-boy reputation and Shweta, his classmate from his school days. Nikhil has matured over the years, but he still has a wild streak and a troubled family history– at the same time, he is intensely attractive, and Shweta can’t seem to stay away from him.
Shweta herself was serious and just a little nerdy in school. She’s grown into a poised and confident career woman with a penchant for perfectly matching clothes and accessories. She is on the brink of agreeing to a marriage of convenience when she meets Nikhil again, and her nice tidy life turns topsy-turvy.
How does a first-time author start out?
First-time efforts sometimes tend to be imitative, and it takes a while before you discover your own individual style and ‘voice’. So at least at the beginning, it’s important to keep writing and experimenting with different kinds of characters, plots and structures. It’s always a good idea to get feedback on your writing from friends (preferably ones who read a lot) or from established authors or even through a blog. Once you’re comfortable with the writing process, and feel that your writing has matured to a certain extent, you could start approaching publishers.
How does one go about getting their first book published?
Once you’ve come up with a plot, it’s a good idea to write the first few chapters to get a feel of how the book is developing. If it seems to be going well, the next step would be to put together a book proposal. Some first-time authors do write an entire book before approaching publishers, and it’s a great way to go about this if you have a compelling enough idea.
Publishers usually have a template for submissions, e.g. they will ask for a synopsis and a few sample chapters, or just for a book proposal. It’s best to follow the guidelines religiously, as your submission may not get evaluated if it doesn’t conform to their requirements.
Once a publisher shows interest in a book proposal, a face-to-face meeting or at least a detailed call/web chat will give you an idea of what your next steps should be.
How important is it to write a book proposal?
A book proposal is an essential part of the writing process. Writing a book proposal helps you flesh out the main characters and structure the plot outline. It also gives a potential publisher a clear idea of what your book is about, and the opportunity to provide editorial inputs before you start the main writing process. Most publishers ask for a book proposal with a few sample chapters, and the commissioning editors make a decision on whether to offer the author a contract or not basis the book proposal.
How should a first time author leverage his book to a publisher? And how did you go about doing the same?
In my case, I was lucky enough to be one of the winners of the Harlequin (Mills and Boon) annual Passions contest. This gave me an opportunity to work with their UK editorial team, which was an amazing experience – my editor, Anna was incredibly supportive, and writing my first book (Monsoon Wedding Fever) was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had.
It’s important that your book have something unique and original that becomes a selling point and distinguishes it from other book submissions (for me, it was writing contemporary romance in urban Indian settings with Indian characters – I was the first Indian Mills and Boon author to be published globally). There also needs to be something that catches the editor’s attention without being gimmicky – it could be as simple as an unusual setting or character, or an unexpected twist in the storyline.
Does having a market for your genre of books help you get published?
Yes, it definitely does. There are authors who’ve created their own genres/ niches, but in general, a book is more likely to get published if it falls into a popular category such as romance, detective fiction or fantasy. Just picking up a popular genre isn’t enough though – the book also needs to be well written and have a strong plot.
Does hiring a literary agent help?
I have never worked with a literary agent myself, but I have heard from other authors that it helps to have an agent. An agent with good contacts in the publishing industry would probably be able to market a book better than the author can herself.
What is your advice to new writers?
Keep on writing, and don’t give up!
