AUTHOR INTERVIEW
When did your love of books begin?
This is going to sound really weird, but I have a memory of the first time words made sense to me. I wasn't doing as well as the others in my reading class, so my mum was trying to teach me at home, and she left the room for a moment. And all of a sudden, the words just made sense. After that, I read every book I could lay my hands on, and my life was never the same.
When did you start to have the wish to become an author?
I started writing stories when I was about 9 years old and I dreamed of publishing some day, but I only published my first book in my 30s.
How have you found the process for becoming an author?
It's been the most fun journey, especially as an indie author :) You start with just writing and editing, but then you have to learn about cover design, formatting, selling it on different platforms, and the biggest beast of them all - marketing your book!
What would you say to those wanting to become an author?
For a long time, I believed that only traditional publishing would validate my writing, but I was wrong. The minute those reviews start coming in from happy readers, you're validated as an author, whether you're independently published or traditionally published.
I spent a lot of time pitching to traditional publishing houses - time that I could have spent writing my fiction instead - but I don't really regret it. It taught me to recognize and battle the self doubt that rejection creates, and to move past it and keep writing. If you're an aspiring author, just get that first book out there! It gives you an immense boost of self-confidence!
But that's a personal choice. On a more practical note, I would advise anyone wishing to be an author to keep a day job. Writing books is not going to pay the bills for a long time, if at all, and we all know that writers spend infinite amounts on crisp new notebooks and good coffee!
Tell us about your book/books:
I've published four books so far. They're all in a happy, funny literary fiction genre with the cosy flavour that I enjoy.
My first two - A Brave Day for Harold Brown and Merry Christmas, Mr. Brown - are about an older recluse, Harold Brown, who loves his routine and his quiet life. But when the circus comes to his small British town, he decides for just a day to break his rigid routine and go visit the tiger. A series of events takes place, propelling Harold Brown, introvert and recluse, into the centre of attention.
My next two books are Welcome to the Zoo and The Travelling Zoo, and they're both about growing up in a small town in India in the 90s. Each chapter is a hilarious, nostalgic, feel-good story that will take older readers back to their childhood and make young readers laugh out loud.
What do you love about the writing/reading community?
I've only gotten into the #writingcommunity on Twitter in 2021, but I've found some wonderful friends there and I'm so happy to be a part of it. I've learned a lot just through my interactions there, and have found some fabulous new indie authors too.
I'm not a big social media sharer, but I love talking about books and reading. I enjoy interacting with the reading community on Reddit, especially the Suggest Me A Book subreddit, and have added at least 50 new books to my TBR list just through the recommendations there.
If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?
First of all, thank you for choosing to read one of my books! If you've read and enjoyed my books, I'd love it if you could leave a review on Amazon. Most readers don't realize how very precious their reviews are to an author, especially an indie author. I read my reviews when I need inspiration or when I want to know what has appealed to people most, and they help immensely when I'm having a low day.
Where can people connect with you?
I'm most active on Twitter for direct interactions, so if you want to chat about books or writing, you'll find me there, but I do occasionally post on Facebook and Instagram too.
My social media links are:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mishanakhot
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