How To Write Comedy (Fiction Novel + Material For Stand Up Comedy) - w/ Rohan

I wrote religiously and that is why this book Romeo Juliet and Hitler Could Happen wait hold on hold on sorry so you're saying you didn't have the entire story mapped out before you were writing you were just making it up on the go is that right when you're writing your first book you don't know if it would find a single reader on this planet right even I'm trying to figure it out that's why you're a guest on this podcast cuz you're not an expert yet that confidence put me on the stage and then the first open mic that happened it was like a bomb I know it's way trickier in comedy because humor by definition is so subjective what was holding you back was the quality of your jokes or was it

was the quality of your jokes or was it your delivery or combination of both those things open mics will require investment from your side it's supposed to be my book why am I being asked to edit it that time Welcome to The Ready Set do podcast where we learn from journeys of not experts who are just two steps ahead of us I'm Naman Panda and in this episode feature not expert is Rohan Gotham Rohan is the author of the book Romeo Juliet and Hitler an upand cominging standup comic and is also about to drop his first Venture into the exciting world of writing non-fiction we discuss how Rohan wrote his first book an output that consisted of over 55,000 words and he takes us through his rather interesting approach to writing which really is just an intense bias to action that got him

an intense bias to action that got him there I should note that it is a privilege and an honor for me to find a guest that embodies everything that the ready saidu podcast stands for we then go over ran for into the nerve-wracking world of standup comedy what to expect at your first open mic how to improve writing jokes and conclude with Rohan sharing his insights on editing publishing and honestly everything you need to know to drop your first book for a more detailed how to on writing non-fiction I recommend my episode with Sara which I will link in the description below in keeping with that theme of learning from somebody that's just too steps ahead of us instead of an expert my goal with this episode is to

expert my goal with this episode is to highlight rohan's Relentless throughput across various Arts be it writing or telling jokes this is The Ready Set to podcast and to support it subscribe on YouTube and leave me up to a festar rating on Spotify or your favorite podcast app you can also check out the links in description for more ways to support me if you have watched an episode on this channel before you will notice that this maybe looks different and it's because this is my first time recording on an actual camera that I got for this purpose exactly so really excited to kick off this new era but for now without any further Ado my friends here's Rohan Rohan welcome hi hian thank you so much for having me here so excited to pick your brain around writing specifically but also some other

writing specifically but also some other domains that we're going to delve in such as standup comedy and obviously all of that will be inspected through the common lens of writing itself so maybe let's start there um what can you tell us about writing non-fiction and by that I'm mostly referring to your book Rome Juliet and Hitler which I actually looked up just a few minutes before this call very interesting premise uh so curious to know kind of your journey around what made you think of the idea and what made you sit down and you know write um and also how many pages is it how how long is it great uh soan I think the the latest one I have a copy in my

the the latest one I have a copy in my hand right so this is of course a sample copy although but again like uh this is a non-fiction and to write a non-fiction I think it's a you know because especially if you have started your uh writing career or writing hobby whatever you call it I think you know if it was uh a fiction uh piece of work and then you choose to delve into non-fiction it's like it's like a world of difference difference exactly uh yeah so but then I think you know when I started when I thought of writing of course like I like I had once maybe I told you that you know those were the days even in India there were

were the days even in India there were readers who would love to read about uh you know uh some love stories or those kind of you know uh light uh for of reading right but then again I mean as a as a writer I was not convinced about what I was doing although people like people whosoever read it give it a shot I think they enjoyed it they had their laughter right I would say and uh they appreciated it but uh again you know I think I think I could uh do something more in terms of uh a meaningful product right that people can benefit out of you know in a more uh you know um in a more sensible manner right that that that I mean and and see I think it all starts

mean and and see I think it all starts with reading and I don't think you know I me I I I I haven't followed the the Journey of Shakespeare or uh you know these guys but I I feel that yes it all starts with reading at least guys like us uh you know when we read we connect we we see that there's a there's a world that exist Which is far uh more valuable and relatable than visual visuals can ever make an impact in our lives so I think that's how you know uh this book happened we all are [ __ ] idiots right with greatness hi hidden inside yes amazing yeah so we will be actually yeah I I had a separate section plan for your

I I had a separate section plan for your latest book but just to start of this first segment I was hoping we could focus just on the you know non-fiction uh the ru Juliet Hitler so my question around that is what was your process around writing that so did you have the major you know points of the story written down in in just in terms of bullet points and then you wrote chapters around that or did you follow a different approach so if I have a story in my mind right now what is my best shot at or what process can can I follow that you can recommend of turning That Into You Know chapters of a book I think yes I think uh you know specifically talking about Romeo Juliet and Hitler uh I followed a lame approach because I

I followed a lame approach because I didn't know what was the right way you know uh I wrote I wrote some 50 pages and then I was like man uh I don't think I'm moving in the right direction maybe this is this is uh you know this is like going hay right and so you know I would I literally junked uh 30 40 50 pages and I would rewrite because because at the end of the day I mean you need to have that bird's eye on the overall story exactly called plot so yes that was the first uh you know I would say uneventful journey of writing a book because you you don't know how you do it okay yeah I

you don't know how you do it okay yeah I mean maybe I I should have uh you know heard some writers how they they did it so easily uh but again I was like you know I just want to write and let's get started you know uh so I just started off yeah keeping less uh ideas but then yes practically when I did it then you know I so I followed like I said I followed a simple uh strategy um and and like I said that yes the book had about 55,000 words uh 200 plus Pages oh wow 200 plus pages so you know just I mean uh and and now if I have to write a book

uh and and now if I have to write a book like the second one then because I had gained the experience of writing the first book so I knew how I would go about it you know so like you mentioned that yes I need to have a u you know a skeleton ready and then I'm I'm I'm you know putting in the body parts or you know the skin or everything whatever comes in a human body so I think yes yes that that that is the way but the first one was like uh like just just moving yes that's so interesting to me that your first you know first Venture we can say turned out with an output of as you said 55,000 words that that seems like a

said 55,000 words that that seems like a lot to me were you ever overwhelmed at any point and were like this is maybe too bloated I should probably cut it down and you know right siize it a little bit more or were you always like I don't care how long it is this is my story I want to tell it and I'm going to do that well yes I think think uh the fact that I had read some fact that the fact that I had read some uh fictional uh books uh similar to what I was writing so I knew that a standard book you know should have at least 40,000 or 50,000 you know uh a certain count to be able to you know turn into a book so I knew that yes it it would

book so I knew that yes it it would somewhere it should hit at least 50,000 words and you know when I was writing yes I could see that yes the content was flowing and um you know I was I was enjoying uh so yes that's how I kept going and it took some time like I would say a year or more more maybe I think a year or half uh but yes overwhelming it was overwhelming no doubt about it it was the tormenting rather I would say right uh because uh I mean because when you're writing your first book you don't know you know if if it would find a single reader on this planet right true yeah because uh we live in a world where

yeah because uh we live in a world where you know it's a fast-paced world right we all on Fast Lane right so I mean even your family at times you know they they just want to go for a movie then then then sit with a you know book and you know watch PES Gad pages so it's like that but I'm happy that people read it you know I I heard positive comments and so amazing um and then so just being somebody somebody that's I'll just say has battered around the idea of writing stories so non-fiction myself it seems to me that a a path it's you know it's not the best path but one of the many ways to do that would maybe be by writing short stories

would maybe be by writing short stories first so because I just have a lot of ideas around that they're easier to write you don't need to have 50,000 words on a short story although some can of course have those many would you say that for maybe any of our listeners that feel really daunted by your approach I actually still don't even know how you did that you know man kudos to you um would it be would you recommend maybe it makes sense to start small maybe just with short stories and then gradually graduate up to a bigger novel or you know a longer story what's your take on that I guess I think yes absolutely I think if you want to because uh you know it all boils down to a neat approach okay that that of course you will eventually you know gain what what is

eventually you know gain what what is the right way to do it uh that after writing the first one yes I knew that now this is how it is but yes I think if if somebody who's beginning uh to write something I think the best way is to write crisp or because see I think I think more than that it is important to to have a love for writing because I think that is that is the hard part I mean we we end up losing interest I've heard a lot of people say to me that you know oh I also wanted I had a story I think we all have stories you know our own stories but but somewhere it's maybe it's not it's not the love for writing maybe it's not that

the love for writing maybe it's not that in intense that we end up you know writing half a book or 50 pages and then so I think here uh writing short stories can definitely help because you know you know how to start you know I was I remember writing the first book I'll just share with you that uh I had written the entire uh I would say 45,000 and then I had to move towards the closing and I don't know close it the book right what to do so a lot of lot of readers they felt that you know they there would be a sequel to the book okay wait hold on hold on sorry so you're saying you didn't have the entire story mapped out before you were writing you

mapped out before you were writing you were just making it up on the go is that yeah yeah I mean I'm I think on this podcast it is going to be the heights of modesty you know uh coming into the show right so yes and then I I didn't know what what I would do with the ending because you know all that ends well goes well right and you know we we are Indians and we have this mindset that Happy Endings work and you know people want to read I was not prepared you know so yes you know a lot of readers they were like they wanted more right so it happens that you know when something has ended abruptly you are not sure okay

has ended abruptly you are not sure okay what what it is you know they feel that oh there has to be something more right so I I admitted on on this podcast that yes somehow I ended the book because because uh maybe you know by the time it it ended uh I was a bit um I I would say exasperated in my head you know because I 5,000 words is not a mean feed yes yes so I think for any individual you know writing the first one I think yes so but the right way is yes to have to have a map of what you're writing yeah it should be pre-planned the more you pre-plan uh the Lesser you

the more you pre-plan uh the Lesser you will uh see that things go in vain okay uh I think that that will help for sure on that same note it I don't know if you would agree but it sounds to me like like it there's almost that tradeoff so this is something this is a pit that I've fallen into in the past where I'll spend so much time with the whole planning process and trying to micromanage every little detail that I can never actually get to the writing part what you did I think to your credit is even though you didn't really know you know exactly how it would end you at least kept making progress and kept

least kept making progress and kept going so I do think your approach has its merits so I don't know yeah I think it maybe just depends on each person how how they work and it clearly this approach worked for you so I I think you're being too modest when you say that you know it was in the best of R because think about it would you would you agree like at least it's something right you're putting words onto paper yes I mean yes uh no doubt about it at least you know I mean at times I have learned over years that you know you should you should give yourself a pat time and again okay if if others are not doing it right so yes I I was I Was

doing it right so yes I I was I Was Bitten by the bug okay that kept me you know onto it that you know right right okay so I wrote religiously uh and and I mean and that is why I mean uh this book The Romeo Juliet and Hitler could happen and of course at the end of the day uh it's about writing so if you're writing you'll find your way okay so you need to write and and that that's I think the that's I think probably the best advice that can be for anyone amazing and then did you have so yeah just kind of quickly want to touch on that last thing that you just shared which is you know making continual progress putting you

making continual progress putting you know sitting down having an hour or two chocked off every single day to make progress on whatever it is that you wanted to make progress on what was your approach towards that did you just time block that you know like 7:00 a.m. to which wherever 9:00 a.m. I'm going to sit and ride no matter what or was it more ad hoc for you I guess my question to boil it down is um how can I ensure that I make progress every day what systems or tools or protocols can I use for that yeah I think see I'm I'm I'll be very again I'll be very honest with you that you know I am somebody initially when I writed when I I when I

initially when I writed when I I when I started writing I would simply use a pen and a uh paper approach okay oh wow not even a laptop that was because five six years back and then you know so I mean it started with pure traditionalism okay uh you know keeping that approach but then again and in terms of you know blocking a time yeah it makes sense but again we all have different circumstances uh this again this might come as a as a as a you know as something which will give you indigestion okay that you know I was I was I had my CA finals and we know that CA exams CA finals uh you know Indian creat has brutal yeah vastness so I mean I I I had one uh elephant of you

I mean I I I had one uh elephant of you know like dealing with the exam preparation and then I had chosen to write a book because I thought I had a story or something so I think that was that was my you know um you know I would say situation back then uh different people may have their own liabilities their own commitments okay so it makes sense yes I think I think we need to we sense yes I think I think we need to you know uh but again I think you I think for anyone to successfully complete a book it is it is important that you know we are devoting time to it to writing to the to the writing process yeah so I think it depends on us how we

yeah so I think it depends on us how we are able to uh you know take out time or spare time okay from a busy routine but that's the most important part absolutely and it really puts things into perspective where you already had so much going on but it really does sound like you were driven by the sheer love for writing you must really enjoy it because I don't see how anyone can otherwise uh you know go and go ahead and do that at that time where you're dealing with you know such a big exam and have you know it's also it's just so much cognitively overloaded to study as it is then to write on top of that is just adding on to that already existing cognitive overload so yeah I mean that is that is giving me indigestion you

is that is giving me indigestion you were um right about that very cool um jumping on to the you know next segment here I wanted to touch on your experience with um standup comedy and I know in some ways that is still related to writing because you I'm sure maybe some at least some of your um standup comedy experience must come from pre-written you know bits or jokes or I don't know what you say it in the industry what you call it but can you walk us through I guess maybe start with your kind of you know your experience so far and how you got into it and what's your you know way of going about things in this in this sphere yeah so I think yes standup comedy uh I would say that it it's definitely a different ball game right I mean um yes there are a lot of

right I mean um yes there are a lot of uh novelist writers who are into standup comedy but uh but if I say that yes is this has it got a connection has it got that Nexus uh you know making the two uh relatable I think there is you know of course the common thing the common uh node I would say between uh writing a book or you know being a writer and then St standup comedy is that uh they require writing you need to have some material written with you so that you can go out there and you know uh get your readers or get your listeners okay so yes I think u u i I thought that yes

so yes I think u u i I thought that yes maybe you know uh I should give it a shot because I can write uh have having you know I have I have spent a a good chunk of time writing a lot of things uh you know uh so I I had this in my mind that you know if it is a format of writing you know regardless of what format it is but if it is about writing I can write okay that is humor or anything you know so that confidence you know put me on the stage okay and then you know the first open mic that happened you know it was like it was

happened you know it was like a a bomb that that that's what we know right a common terminology where in comics are going out there and you know they they they're confident that yes they have they have the the laughter material and you know they fully packed with jokes and but then then when they start delivering it they realize that oh my God okay it's just it's just not Landing right so that's yeah so that was the first open mic experience okay so I mean a lot of lot of uh and I think a lot of comedians they they say it every now and then then you don't have to take it very seriously you know your first open mic experience or initial 10 15 20 Open Mic experiences

or initial 10 15 20 Open Mic experiences so I think yeah slowly and gradually you know I could again I could uh sort of recone that you know what what nuances uh you know that I need to touch upon and make different you know make it different from uh novel writing so yeah I think now yes I can I can feel that yes you know comedy when we write jokes are crisp you know you cannot uh stretch or you know create a foam out of it no of course uh you need to make it very um you know laughter specific right and um sometimes it makes sense uh but mostly they don't make sense right yes so that's the moral of the story yes uh so I think yes and me

the story yes uh so I think yes and me this has been this is being bit of learning right there been most things yeah I I I think think it would need you know like a generational talent to show up on an open mic for the first time and just start shredding basically so I am curious though about that first experience of your first time going out yeah um first of all I just want to begin with Kudos again to putting yourself out there that just say extremely nerve-wracking to me especially when you know like you're fine you don't have to do that you know but you're choosing to put yourself out there in a way that's just so nervous rcking and um be being somebody that

rcking and um be being somebody that sometimes will do things like that also very rarely um I know what it takes and which is why I think I can appreciate deeply your decision to do that but um my real my actual question however was in during those first maybe that first and the first few experiences um would you say the like what was holding you back was the writing which is you know the quality of your jokes or was it your delivery or was it like a combination of both those things yeah yes I think writing uh because you know when we write a write a story a long story a novel I think it is about you know we are always in an expansive mindset right we we adopt that exp expansive mindset that we

adopt that exp expansive mindset that we need to write you know if need to we need to write you know if there is a chapter then you know we we we try to hit every cord right but it comes to writing comedy I mean you know I mean there is a premise you know and then you have to you know then you know come up with a with punch lines right I see then you need to tag for the punch lines to to to get the desired effect you know uh the outcome in terms of laughter so yes um yes I think initially I think yes um I struggled uh to I would

I think yes um I struggled uh to I would say I at time I'm I I still struggle to do so because jokes you never know I mean U um you know you can think of you know you might feel that yes it is funny you know something that struck you it crossed your mind you thought yes this is funny but people may or may not mind you know uh find funny and then of course the audience you know they differ right I mean uh young sters they would like to hear something else uh group of senior citizens or married couples they have their own taste okay so I think reading the audience uh reading the listeners what you know what they can uh enjoy so I think it is it I I would say

enjoy so I think it is it I I would say yes it it requires lot lot more dynamism you know if you are delivering comedy right uh at times you have to you know emerge as an actor because you are you know right do a bit Yeah be a character yeah so I think it's it's the faraj of a lot of things yes uh and yes I think it's it has it own challenges for sure I think the really interesting thing to me personally about this whole you know comic thing especially looking out looking in from the outside I don't know the first thing about you know writing comedy what I feel in just as a general

comedy what I feel in just as a general person that's curious about General things the advice that I keep hearing from you know screenwriters or even book writers pretty much pretty much anybody that's creating art of any kind um there seems to be a consensus where people say that you should make art that you like to watch so for instance the reason why like how do I pick any of any given episode on my podcast the only thing I'm optimizing for is is this something I would like to listen and then I just make it and then I hope that there are others like me that would also want to listen to it so I guess my question to you is I know it's way trickier in comedy because humor by definition is just so subjective you know like you

just so subjective you know like you could hear a joke that would have you laughing for weeks and I would not even have any reaction to that that's a potential possibility so is your approach then to optimize for things that you find funny or are you I know you hinted on that earlier where you have to appeal to the audience but and I know I'm rambling here but when I think of the greats and maybe you would disagree but for me one of the comics that I really like is Andrew schills um he has you know a show called flagrant he's he has like a sidekick or whatever not sidekick but another person Akash Singh that you know tours with him and all that so the thing I like about him is his his stuff or his jokes seems to

is his his stuff or his jokes seems to be funny to everybody you know so how does one get there I guess this my question I think yes U you know if to be upfront my uh disclaimer would be that I'm even I'm trying to figure it out yeah of course that's why you're that's yeah of course that's why you're a guest on this podcast because you're not an expertly so I think but yes what uh in I think I've been doing it for the last four five months or six months what feel that yes relat uh you know uh relatability is the key here right so I think I think because you know you can touch upon any subject you can touch upon you know others lives uh there are a gazillion of things you know where you can make make jokes out off but then I

can make make jokes out off but then I think relatability is something which is the key and that is where you know everybody connects with your jokes and they are you know giving you laughs okay uh I think initially when I started I would I would you know make it a bit intricate in terms of the content you know I would think that yes I know I you know I would think that yes I have to create something which is uh out of the box and you know um not but then I realize that oh I'm I'm I'm maybe at times I say some certain things that people you know uh find abstruse or you know hard to understand which which is of again if no if they have to give a lot of time to understand things then it

lot of time to understand things then it is it's again it it is not really making sense I think we need to make sure that you know uh what we deliver is relatable and and then of course I think that that brighten the chances of you know uh generating humor yes I think that's that's what I say yeah I I like how actionable that is you know with like and you can simply optimize for do I relate to this and if you do chances are you know others might as well at least in your age group and demographic the Rie really like that fall out and just in terms of housekeeping I guess final question on this segment um how do you

question on this segment um how do you go about finding um you know open mics is it just as simple as you know you live somewhere and Instagram ad pops up and you just show up or is it more detailed than that I think I think first of all open mics are are a pretty pretty uh you know uh again places that can that require your courage to be at because no you know actually there are a lot of comedians right and uh you know so there is this this competitiveness in the air right you know where everybody is you know is watching you especially Comics they they you know they they are watching you because they are somewhere drawing that com comparison you know if this guy on stage is delivering any better right so and and yes I mean

better right so and and yes I mean because you're not doing a show you were doing an open mic you have actually paid for it right right I mean there are like in our city a lot of mics they charge you if you want to come and you know they give you a crowd of 10 15 20 people okay uh so yes I think I think open mics will uh will require you know um investment from your site uh monetarily time of course you need to wait for a couple of hours to get your you know turn to speak so yes this is this is but I think overall I think if if somebody

I think overall I think if if somebody is fond of the grind and you know if if it is if that that part is clear that without grind I mean it's difficult to achieve anything right you need to just you know come out of your cocoon and comfort zone and you know be yourself and have the courage to you know still you know uh you know walk out with a with a consolation that yes even if you got no luck you you still there and you'll still you put yourself out there yeah very yeah I think I think yeah you need to have a a thick skin you know that's what matter in standup I mean I I'm I think it by this time it has

I'm I think it by this time it has definitely been established that you in fact have a Bly thick skin at least thicker than most people you know you're just out here writing books and you know doing standup and and all that all while obviously having your you know job your main uh bill paying job on the site so I think that yeah I think I'll take that yes because because that is about you know that is about uh I mean a compliment that is not to excuse it but at the same time it is you know that yes it's it's a it's something which is know yes it's just something that you know I relate to nowadays ever since at least I started my podcast it's just not easy man there's only 24 hours in a day

easy man there's only 24 hours in a day you know you and you have a lot of lot of stuff to do in that speaking of YouTube uh I know Andrew schills for example blew up on YouTube actually that's where he got his you know biggest know Fame and then he started doing shows and such is that something that you've considered maybe just you know commenting on things that go viral kind of like a commentary Channel and then you could layer in your own bits and jokes stu stuff stuff like that is is that something you've thought about by chance yeah I mean again I'll be very honest uh I mean if I try to get into something the idea is to uh you know cover length and because I mean I I have you know U I have learned one thing in

you know U I have learned one thing in life that anything that is done you know with a half-hearted approach uh remains you know or it it it uh produces lackluster you know results so I mean rest keeping aside certain things I mean of course luck and those things are there but at the at the end of the day you know I think uh hard work being persistent and you know when you're after something with all your heart and you're improving each day and you're willing to do it I mean that that that level of dedication and interest so I think yes why not I mean I I would you know because that's the plan that in coming days I would release I will probably you know uh throw my videos here and there and then let's see what's

here and there and then let's see what's the reaction and then you know I mean let's see where it goes but yeah I I I I'll I'll give my blood and sweat to it that's that's amazing that's so yeah I'm very happy to hear that especially because just in the day and age we live in I think the leverage that the internet affords any person now is just something that has never existed in our entire history ever you know the fact that you can click a button and have millions of people look at you and you know laugh at your jokes um is just still in many ways unreal to me so to not use that almost feels like you know such a missed opportunity so I'm glad

such a missed opportunity so I'm glad that you're already considering that and yeah obviously happy to connect offline around any questions that you may have around YouTube specifically thumbnail Etc there's a lot that goes into that so happy to help um with my very limited knowledge so much on that you know you've given me a possible source of uh you know uh information and knowledge you know I'm going to exploit that yes yeah and I'm actually even happy to share some of my favorite commentators and these are just like funny guys you can think of them like they just sit they'll look at stuff and they'll just be themselves while they react to it and it's just that yeah it's not hard they're just being themselves and I feel like you would your personality would be

like you would your personality would be endearing to a lot of people out there so yeah we can continue this further offline but kind of jumping into the last segment here which is your latest book which you were just flashing the sample copy what can you tell us about that book but is it still under the realm of non-fiction or is it fiction or a mixture of both this is this is purely non-fiction uh that's what I thought yeah yeah this is purely non-fiction and uh you know uh in a in a I would because majority of this book uh was written when I was in Indonesia and Thailand I mean when I was I was I was working there so uh given the climate that we have there given the you know um the tropical weather right uh I mean this

tropical weather right uh I mean this book happened if I if I uh sort of Imagine writing this sort of a book in in a day-to-day life I I think I think it is at least I cannot do that I mean you know so yes certain things certain factors contributed to getting those uh you know get getting those uh ideologies thoughts okay that that are rare about life because this needed this need writing this sort of a book I was in a completely meditative State I would say uh each time I you know uh took to writing this book okay I totally I mean I would go to the to my work and then once I'm back I'll just maybe I spend a

once I'm back I'll just maybe I spend a lot of time in cafes I spend a lot of time in Resorts okay I me vacation weekends I would go to a you know um some Island random Island and you know I would write for four five days okay W so that's how this book happened and um I mean I mean I think by the end of it I was like man this is you know I mean I was totally perplexed at the outcome uh of just sticking again again sticking to write something you know if you've choosen that yes you have this is this is the goal to write a book a non-fiction so yes I hope that this is going to you know uh Reach people and you know they will appreciate it yes I

you know they will appreciate it yes I have no doubt um are you willing at all to share just a gist of what it's about and what one can expect yeah I think uh people should expect uh lot of uh practical lessons of life you know and uh at the same time time I feel that you know uh the way we are all wired uh and the way we are living Our Lives you know it seems like you know we are uh we are disregarding a lot of things that are that are there but that we cannot see our approach how we should be living okay and uh lot of you know I I I don't know I mean a lot of Life

I I don't know I mean a lot of Life Mysteries I could think of that I spoke of in the book that I could write about okay uh I have have even you know given a lot of anecdotal support to the book you know to make it to to make it more authentic so that people who you know people the readers they get that yes there is you know there is a backstory behind things uh yes so this is purely about life and see I wanted to write to you know to encourage you know I wanted to write to motivate okay and feel motivated at the same time right so I think this this is going to be I think a motivational read for anyone uh people people who are in

uh people people who are in shambles you know who see hope as as as a you know as a mirage or something ungettable I think I think this can restore or you know reinstate a lot of things so so excited to you know finally get my hands on and give it give it a read um and just because you're in this probably you're doing this right now or have just finished doing this what can you tell us about the launch itself of a book so and the publishing part that entire thing feels like such a black box to me I know there's ways to self-publish now but um can you share maybe you know briefly how you went about you know just stuff like publishing um designing the book cover there's so much that it sounds like that

there's so much that it sounds like that must go into that so how does that all work I think I think that's the hardest part frankly you know publishing a book because uh I still you you can write a book I if you're dedicated but publishing is something which you know which which is pretty complex especially the kind of world we are living in uh I was lucky that the first time you know U I got a traditional publisher not a not a vanity publisher so of course I didn't H you know have to Shell any Penny you know toward its publication yeah so so that was that's cool that that sounds awesome I mean I again that was that's something that

again that was that's something that happened you know in in favor but uh you know I think again the way we are moving the lot of uh uh books that are coming down from uh you know people who already established in in different fields like you know I mean sadguru is writing a book then there is G gor gopal who is writing a book business tycoons are writing their own books right so I mean uh you know then your chance of you know to emerge as you know unless you establish in your own field you know as a name you know whatever you are doing apart from writing so this is this is that this is the fact of the matter but

that this is the fact of the matter but I see again there is a slot for good work work I believe that there is a slot for good work always and at all times okay and that is what you know keeps the hope you know Al life for all of us okay so yes I think uh you know I think if you've written something uh even we live in a in a digital world right I mean everything is like we have the e-commerce uh sites you know these uh you know Amazon flip cart I think yes even if you are uh you know um self-publishing you you still have uh you know uh readers because you can still promote your book online and you get readers yes so I think yeah I think

get readers yes so I think yeah I think when when we are writing a book we should not be very much concerned about the publishing section because then uh it might it might discourage you you know right yeah right at this start so yes but I think that's that's the hardest part and you should have some planning done okay uh with regard to the same yes makes sense um yeah that that makes sense from an approach stand point of view but so sorry just to just to understand so if I have a book you know like written down all the text is ready yeah would I just go I know Amazon helps you self-publish sorry I guess I'm trying to understand how I would do it you know like what's the process exactly

you know like what's the process exactly so I think I think uh the you know I'll break it down for you we we all are uh sort of mesmerized by these traditional Publishers penguin you know you know um ma yeah MacMillan so they have their uh email IDs available okay okay but a response from them can be can be you know you will have a slim chance to get a response out of them because like I said they they are catering to to the creamy layer right yeah okay fortunately or unfortunately let's be very blatant about it okay so yeah but but again I mean it makes sense to to you know share your draft with them and then and then I I would say

them and then and then I I would say that do not wait you know wait for like you know a year or so waiting for their response because then you know uh like I said they have they have lacks of uh drafts coming to their inbox right so I think yes having if you have applied now you can do uh you know you can launch yourself okay uh there are there are independent designers there are independent uh uh players in the market who will do the design at a at a minimal cost they do your cover designing uh you know they will do your formatting okay also editorial services are everywhere okay so that way you you you can almost

okay so that way you you you can almost get your you know hard copies you know paperback you know in your hand in in almost 10 days you know or 15 days once you've completed writing that's cool I I mean just see I mean the first book that I wrote it took it took a year uh before it was launched because you know uh I I went with a traditional publisher right so I had to wait a year because they had scheduled my launch after a year okay and this book I mean I mean we are still in in talks with Publisher and I I thought that okay let's get the book rolling and you know I'll I'll start

rolling and you know I'll I'll start selling it online and then you know later whenever I get a traditional publisher I mean we always have that uh you know opportunity open to use yes I see that's super helpful yeah that makes much much more sense now um okay and then you would just be yeah just be Googling around your area maybe editors and or book designers and all that and it sounds like they usually come under the same umbrella and you can just pick and choose the exact services that you want so that makes sense and I guess the last thing here before I let you go is yes pleas um another thing that I've never personally understood is I know editing a book is really important obviously no points for guessing that yeah but does it have to be another

yeah but does it have to be another person that edits for you or can an author edit their own book what's the ground reality around that so I think that's a very good question because uh yes editing uh is something which is uh very critical but I mean if I talk about my first book The the publisher made me edit my own book at least 10 times before it was you know before it rolled out okay okay uh so at least 10 times you know back and forth it was really I mean painful I mean you know at times you start you know um doubting yourself right I mean why it's supposed to be my book you know why am I being asked to edit it yeah I mean there

being asked to edit it yeah I mean there has to be an editor for me right so so yes there was an editor for the book for my first book but again I think she she just maybe fine-tuned it then you know then then you know actually make any structural changes or something uh yes so that is one approach like I I told you that yes I mean if you are reading but it's always it's always an you know if you are self-publishing I think I think spending on you know because editors they they come heavy on your pockets to be honest okay I see uh because you know they are they are steamed especially if you're going for steamed uh you know renowned Publishers

steamed uh you know renowned Publishers in the industry uh editors in the industry yes so I think I think there can be an alternate uh approach wherein you know if you've written a book or any pie of writing you can get some of your friends to read the book okay I mean who you feel that can can come handy and give you you know give you Fe where you can make changes and you know what what better you can do right so I think that is one way wherein you can get the feedback and then accordingly you can execute in terms of uh editing it because you know you you are the writer so you know I mean you you you have been the the ship

mean you you you have been the the ship on the captain till now so from here on of course uh you know the you know you can still steer your way right to that final draft which is which is just ready to go into the print absolutely yeah love that yeah I might be you know eventually maybe a few years from now if I have a draft ready ever um I might bug you around this specific process for you know just you know proof reading editing for me appreciate that um well ran it's been such an amazing time you know honestly just learning from your experiences and um just the depth of your I don't want to say expertise because you know it's it's not exactly that but it is kind of your expertise because you've been doing this

expertise because you've been doing this for such a long time now um but it really shows like you know how much how driven you are about this and how much you just enjoy it so thank you so so much for taking the time today to talk to us and for teaching me probably the coolest would I've learned in a while which was fagio I think you said faraj yes faraj yes yes just a mixture of things yes yeah that yeah I was like that is definitely yeah I don't know if you have a process for like you know vocabulary capturing but I like to write cool words that I find down just so I can keep coming back to them and then I'll start slipping them into you know everyday conversation great great great makes sense 100% yes but yeah thank you

makes sense 100% yes but yeah thank you so so much for your time here today thank you so much Nan for speaking and uh you know you know uh organizing this in such an impeccable manner okay totally loved in all the best to what you're doing and I'm sure it is going to go miles for sure thank you thank you that brings us to the end of episode 36 of the ready said do podcast thank you all for sharing these conversations with those that continue to benefit from them if you would like to support me the easiest way to do that is by subscribing to the YouTube channel and leaving me up to a festar rating on Spotify or your favorite podcast app catch you all in the next one new episodes every Wednesday