A Scrapbook of Memories - Softcover

Chopra, Ashok

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9352641124 ISBN 13: 9789352641123

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2016

Synopsis

A rollercoaster ride through Indian publishing For nearly forty years, Ashok Chopra has been responsible for publishing some of the biggest names in India: Khushwant Singh, Shobhaa De, Dom Moraes, Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins are part of his illustrious list. In this candid and colourful memoir, Chopra brings his long experience to explain what works and what doesn't in the Indian market: Why do some books last when others don't? Is there a winning formula for publishers and writers? What do readers in India want? How does one commission textbooks and reference guides? What should one do about bans and censorship? And how is the market holding up in the age of e-books and digital readers? While going into the commercial aspects of publishing, he does not forget the human stories. Be it sourcing manuscripts, chasing celebrity authors like Dilip Kumar and Anupam Kher, scoring historic deals in the cut-throat world of publishing or managing egotists, eccentrics and windbags, Chopra's adventures and ordeals are unfailingly entertaining. If he celebrates the hits (the runaway success of Freedom at Midnight, for instance), he does not leave out the misses (such as Shalimar, the book based on the movie, one of the biggest flops of Indian publishing). Along the way, he recounts scandalous episodes, stories of wild parties and lavish book events on warships and boats. Filled with rip-roaring revelations and honest reminiscences, this is the definitive story of English-language book publishing in India - tracing its journey from the winding lanes of Daryaganj in New Delhi to the glamour of high-profile book launches.

About this title

About the Author:

ASHOK CHOPRA has occupied some of the hottest seats in the Indian book trade - executive editor of Vikas Publishing House, vice-president of Macmillan India, publishing director of UBS Publishers, executive director and publisher of the India Today Book Club and Books Today as well as chief executive and publisher of HarperCollins Publishers India. Currently, he is the chief executive of Hay House Publishers India. He lives in Gurgaon, near Delhi. Presently he is working on his next book: The Ageing Loins.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 9352641124
• ISBN 13: 9789352641123
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 444