Update (Feb 29th) The emails we referred to in the 13th Feb update were sent out on the 24th Feb. To all the selected authors, good luck and godspeed. We hope to see your name in lights soon.
Important update (Feb 13th) We’re having a little hassle with our automated emails to scouts and selected authors.
And, several of our scouts have requested more time to evaluate pitches - last week was a very heavy one for our friends in the publishing business.
So, making a virtue of necessity, we are opening up the scouting console to them up to the end of this week.
And we will send out those connecting emails on Monday, 18th February.
Please ensure that you’re subscribed to Caferati Contests for further updates.
Update ends
Have you wondered how to catch the eye of a publisher? Have you despaired of getting them to take just one look at the manuscript you’ve toiled over? We have a contest this year that will help you to do just that. And the prize? You could wind up being published. Doesn’t get simpler. Or better.
Submission method
Simple.
Go to this web form. (But puhleeze make sure you read the entire page here first.)
Fill in the following:
- The Title of your book - up to 5 words
- A Blurb, exciting enough to grab your target’s attention - up to 50 words
- An Synopsis of the book - up to 500 words
- An extract from your Manuscript - up to 5000 words
- Select one or more genres that your book fits into.
And then?
From the 4th to the 9th February, Talent Scouts from several publishing houses and a few literary agents will be checking out all the submissions.
Each scout will first see only your Title and your Blurb (so make sure that those work very hard), and the genre(s) that your book fits into.
If those catch her/his eye, s/he can then click through to the Synposis.
And if that meets with her/his approval, then s/he will click through to the manuscript Extract. Then, if your submission interests her/him, we will make the connection between that Scout and you. If more than one Scout likes your submission, then hey, you’ll hear from all of them, you lucky so-and-so! After that, it’s up to you and the Scout to take the whole thing forward.
Deadline
Midnight (Indian Standard Time), 3rd February, 2008.
Rules and Conditions
The contest is open to anyone, anywhere.
Aside from the fields mentioned above, there will be places for you to fill in your name and contact details. Make sure that they’re accurate. While this information is not displayed to the Scouts (see this page for a bit abut how the system works), it’s the only way we have to contact you.
Important: Please ensure that this is the only place in which you put any identifying information. If we find anything that we deem to be personally identifying information (like your name, phone number, postal address, email address) anywhere in the other fields, your entry will be deleted. We mean that.
Entries must be in English. (Note that this does not exclude translations into English.)
Should your book be a graphic novel
- State that in the Synopsis field, and
- In the section reserved for your 5000-word Manuscript extract, only post links to up to 5 images, each representing a page of your manuscript. No text other than the links. (Why 5 images? Well.)
- To preserve anonymity, please open a new account with an image-hosting service, post your images there, and use those links. Please make sure that the account name and image filenames that you use do not contain any element that could be seen to be personally identifying.
Entries must be your own, original work, and previously unpublished anywhere, in print or online.
We interpret “published” to mean that there was some form of editorial or jury selection and/or payment involved. So work that appeared on a personal blog or unmoderated forum is okay, but something that won you a prize somewhere is not. Something that may have been selected to be printed in a newspaper is published, whether you got paid for it or not.
Updated, 25th January, 2008 Entries must be your own, original work. Poetry, short fiction, essay collections and other shorter forms must not have been previously published as a collection. Similarly, it is okay if extracts from longer manuscripts have appeared in collections or periodicals. Update to rules ends.
Multiple entries are permitted. Do not duplicate entries, however; we will delete all copies of your entry from the system if you flood it.
The decisions of the Talent Scouts are final and binding, and no correspondence will be entertained regarding their decisions.
Submissions remain the intellectual property of the entrants, but by submitting an entry, you give the the Kala Ghoda Association, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and its Sponsors, the Literature festival curating team and Caferati permission to use your entry, in full or in part, with acknowledgement, but with no payment to you, in their websites, as part of Press Releases (where they may be reproduced by media organisations), and in a possible special booklet or CD featuring the best of the Festival.
The Kala Ghoda Association, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, its sponsors, the Literature festival curators and Caferati are not charging authors any submission fee for this exercise. Nor are we charging the participating publishers and literary agents any fee for access to the scouting system. Should a happy author, publisher or agent want to help us with our web hosting bills after the event, we would happily accept. Heck, we’re on if you want to buy us lunch. Or coffee.
Who are the Talent Scouts? And what are they looking for?
Please do your homework and check their sites out so you know what they’re looking for. On board so far, we have representatives of:
‘Launched on a rainy day (June 20, 2007), Goa, 1556 is a quest to do things differently, and with goals that are different. Our aim is to democratise the production of knowledge. In our own small, alternative way. And we strive for quality simply by laying down high standards, while actively pursuing the goal of creating space for “other voices” to be heard.
‘We are interested in only Goa-related titles and non-fiction.’
HarperCollins Publishers India
‘At HarperCollins Publishers India, in the words of David Swarbick, Group Sales and Marketing Director for HarperCollins UK, we believe that “the India story of migration and loss…is over. Now, we need to see authors who describe the current scenario here, the buzz and economic landscape, in fiction.” That applies for the subcontinent in general, so we’d love to have a Sri Lankan or Pakistani or Nepali or Bhutani perspective, for instance.
‘For our local publishing list, we need books for the mass market, be it chick-lit, such as Advaita Kala’s honest, funny Almost Single or something in another popular genre, like a thriller, or a campus novel with a fresh take on things; edgy, experimental stuff, like graphic novels; to some extent, readable narrative non-fiction (history, travel, politics or another genre, especially about the Indian subcontinent). We want funny books, so humour, whether fiction or non-fiction, is welcome. What we don’t want is mid-brow literary fiction, or poetry. For literary fiction and poetry to even be considered, it has to be very, very exceptional.’
‘Jacaranda is currently celebrating its tenth year in business as a literary agency, with a focus on working with Indian writers but working with rights globally. Although, Jacaranda continues to work with a focus on Indian writing, Jacaranda’s vision has expanded to focus on writing within the Indian sub-continent and beyond. We are proud of our association with writers from Bangladesh, China and Turkey. We have been relentless in getting visibility for our writers through the many book festivals globally that Jacaranda has participated in.
‘Started by a team of professionals who love books and love everything associated with books, Jacaranda works in the area of both fiction and non-fiction. Over the past decade, Jacaranda has been very successful as the catalyst between writer and publisher and has been instrumental in getting various written works published. “The Better Man” by Anita Nair gave Jacaranda its life and since then has had a partnership with Anita that has been very special. Anita has been our mentor and friend and has infused creativity and enthusiasm within Jacaranda. While the list of our other special writers is exhaustive, a few to name are Shashi Warrier, Kiran Khalap, Gouri Dange, Tushar Gandhi, and Greg Chappell. We have also worked extensively with the Subhas Ghosal Foundation and PETA.
‘We, at Jacaranda attribute our decade long success to never losing sight of our philosophy and our mission. Ours is a simple philosophy. We value our writers and their written word. We value relationships we build with our writers and publishers and we place value in nurturing these relationships. We value the notion of commitment. We value commitment. Our mission is as simple as our philosophy. We want good writing to become accessible globally. Simply put, we want our writers word to become their published word.’
‘Established in 1946, Jaico Publishing House is the publisher of stellar authors such as Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Osho, Robin Sharma, Deepak Chopra, Stephen Hawking, Eknath Easwaran, Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Nirad Chaudhri, Khushwant Singh, Mulk Raj Anand, John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard and Brian Tracy. Our list has crossed a landmark 2000 titles and has published books in diverse range such as religion, spirituality, mind/body/spirit, self-help, business, cookery, humour, career, games, biographies, management, engineering and science.
‘Jaico has also expanded its horizons to become leading publisher of educational and professional books in management and engineering.
‘Jaico has 8 branches all over the country with head office in Mumbai and a sales team of over 40 executives. Also, our direct mail order division and website ensure that our books effectively reach all urban and rural parts of the country.
‘Jaico is also a major distributor for leading international publishers such as McGraw Hill, Pearson, Cengage Learning, John Wiley and Elsevier Science.’
‘Harlequin Mills & Boon is the global leader in series romance and one of the world’s leading publishers of women’s fiction. The Toronto-based company publishes over 115 titles a month in 25 languages in 94 international markets on six continents. These books are written by over 1,300 talented authors worldwide, offering women a broad range of reading from romance to psychological thrillers to relationship novels. In 2007, 131 million books were sold, that’s 4 books every second!
‘Harlequin promotes its global presence through principal offices in Toronto, New York, London, Tokyo, Milan, Sydney, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Athens, Budapest, Granges-Paccot, Warsaw, Rio de Janeiro and as of December 2007, Mumbai. The company also has licensing agreements with businesses in another nine countries. Harlequin’s worldwide level of recognition and appeal provides the publisher with the unique opportunity of promoting and selling its authors around the world, wherever and whenever women shop.
‘In India, Harlequin’s newest subsidiary will be promoting 10 new titles every month for a the great price Rs. 99! Books are already available in over 77 metros and towns across the country.’
‘Osian’s Literary Agency deals with fiction and general non-fiction (biography/memoir, narrative travel writing, current affairs and contemporary issues) and represents authors from across the world, with a focus on Asia. We sell rights to our authors’ works into India and all major and upcoming overseas markets. We are the first literary agency in India with full organizational support and a dedicated team of experienced publishing professionals.’
‘Palador is an integrated media player that spans production, acquisitions, programming and distribution. The company is already an established leader in the area of World Cinema, with nearly 1000 of the world’s greatest cinema under its catalogue and is recognized as the pioneer that has made this genre mainstream, in India. The Palador catalogue of cinema, comprises legendary directors such as (name them) and cinematic masterpieces like (name them).
‘Having consolidated our position as the largest player in this category, Palador has recently embarked into the publishing arena, and is form agnostic. The company has acquired the Indian rights to nearly 100 graphic novels and cinema related literature. The same will be hitting Indian shores by June 2008. Palador’s intent of participating in this forum is to discover and promote quality writers, who could be the next Rushdie, Marquez, Miller or Eco. We love the esoteric, that can find 100 readers a year for the next 200 years - so if you’ve got another “If on a winter’s night a traveller”, we will not say “not sellable”. In short, our pursuit is literary and not bestseller oriented. But that does not imply we will not make bestsellers out of literature. Palador derives its pride from being associated with quality, and will go the extra mile to realize it when we spot it - no matter what the odds seem like.’
Celebrating twenty years of publishing through 2007–2008, Penguin Books India is the subcontinent’s largest trade publisher in the English language. In 2005 Penguin also started publishing in Hindi, Marathi and Urdu, and this year we start our Malayalam list. Founded in 1985, Penguin began publishing in October 1987 with seven titles. Today, the company publishes around 130 new titles every year and has an active backlist of over 2000 titles. Penguin has published across virtually every segment including self-help and cookery, reference and quizzing, biography, travel, picture books and graphic novels, science fiction and fantasy, business, politics, history, health and fitness, sports and leisure, religion and philosophy, and is known for its strong fiction, narrative non-fiction, classics and translations. Penguin’s children’s imprint, Puffin, is highly popular, and its titles are marked by stunning illustrations by leading artists in the country. Penguin India also publishes Indian stories in the international Ladybird Favourite Tales series.
‘Random House is the world’s largest English-language general trade book publisher. Random House has been a leading force in the Indian book market for several years, the business mainly consisting of the distribution of books originating outside India. Realizing the need, potential and demand of Indian writers and readers, Random House started its operations in India in July 2005 as part of the overseas structure of The Random House Group in the UK.
‘Internationally, many Indian writers, including Madhur Jaffrey, Ketan Patel, Salman Rushdie and Vikas Swarup, have been on the bestseller lists of Random House. This tradition of publishing the best of Indian writing will be continued by Random House India.’
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‘Routledge India began an independent publishing programme in March 2005. The programme aims to publish books in the Social Sciences, including the Arts and Humanities. Till date, 32 titles have been published covering the following areas: Economics/Development Studies, Gay Studies, Health and Public Policy, History, Law and Human Rights, Literature, Media and Cultural Studies, Philosophy and Religion, Politics/International relations, Sociology.
‘In the future, we hope to bring out books under the following series: Cities and the Urban imperative; Critical Asian Studies; Dictionary of Conflicts in South Asia; Exploring the Political in South Asia; War and International Politics in South Asia; Transition in the Northeast.’
‘Scholastic is committed to developing reading and literacy in children, and supporting parents and teachers. To that end, we are one of the leading providers of learning products and services in schools.
‘Recognizing that literacy is the cornerstone of a child’s intellectual, personal and cultural growth, Scholastic, for more than 80 years, has created quality products and services that educate, entertain and motivate children; and help to enlarge their understanding of the world around them.
‘The company has built a longstanding relationship as the most trusted name in learning, reaching millions of parents, teachers and children.
‘In addition to the publishing of children’s books, Scholastic Schools Division provide a range of products and services to primary and secondary schools. Our Book Clubs and Book Fairs provide, through teachers, the chance for children to collect their favourite books and for schools to build their libraries with books.’
‘Siyahi is a Jaipur-based literary agency. As agents we are always on the lookout for fresh, exciting talent within India and do our best to see their works in print. Since our operations began, we’ve sold two books to a major publishing house and are in the process of pitching seven more. We have a strong editorial staff and if it’s professional representation you’re looking for, look no further than Siyahi.
‘We are very keen to pitch books in the following genres: all Kinds of fiction; non-fiction- essays, memoirs, travelogues; coffee table books with quality pictures and sound text; children’s books; poetry, preferably anthologies.’
Tranquebar Press
‘Westland, which has a strong trade list, has launched their literary imprint, Tranquebar Press, with the release of noted filmmaker Saeed Mirza’s debut novel Ammi: A Letter To A Democratic Mother. Their list of authors includes writers as varied as the poets Jeet Thayil and Daljit Nagra, fantasy and SF author Samit Basu and the award-winning Malayalam writer M.S. Sethu. Aside from fiction, poetry, non-fiction, travel and food writing, Westland hopes to encourage more experimental forms and a wider range of genres.
‘Tranquebar and Westland belong to the Landmark Group.’
‘The only genre we don’t do is pure literary fiction. We are idea-centric. not style-centric.’
‘YODA PRESS is an independent publishing venture based in New Delhi. With a view to developing dynamic non-fiction lists, both academic as well as popular, which can make available interactive spaces for further discussion, scholarship, and writing, this young venture is currently focusing its attention on areas like urban studies, sexuality and the body, gender, cinema, contemporary art and popular culture, and new perspectives in history. In doing so, the larger YODA PRESS list hopes to effectively capture the non-mainstream, alternative, yet critical reality of contemporary India.’
‘Zubaan is an independent non-profit publishing house established in 2003. It grew out of India’s first feminist press, Kali for Women, set up in 1984 to increase and expand the body of knowledge on and by women in India and the Third World. Headed by Urvashi Butalia, who also co-founded Kali for Women, Zubaan publishes both general academic texts in the social sciences and humanities and has a strong fiction list. Under its Young Zubaan imprint, it also publishes books for children and young adults.’
(Are you a publisher? Would you like to be part of this experiment? Please email editors at caferati dot com with details about your company, and we’ll get back to you.)
