by Ben Antao When the well-known Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo told me in January 2011 that my stories in English are really Konkani stories and that the only reason I write them in English is because of my greater fluency in the English language, his critical insight dazzled me. I…
Category: Publishing
Learning from Zynga
This blog post is inspired by one on Zynga where the author has identified the “four secrets behind Zynga’s narcotically addictive games”. Anyone who has played games developed by the iconic company, like Farmville for instance, will describe quite passionately how these games can keep you engaged for hours on…
New old books
We have constantly endeavoured to bring old titles back in print, thereby taking advantage of our design and print-on-demand capabilities. We have done this often before, both for the State Central Library, Goa and also as part of our own publishing programme. This time we have 3 titles on offer,…
Are Self-Publishing Authors Killing the Publishing Industry?
The title of this is post is borrowed from a recent article in the Huffington Post that wonders if self-publishing authors are spoiling the party for everyone. In their hurry to create blockbusters, authors, the article argues, are ignoring the basic tenets of writing and resorting to cheap gimmicks to…
Two of a kind
It has been a pleasure to work with Ben Antao. Originally from the Goan village of Velim, Ben cut his teeth in journalism while working at the Indian Express as a reporter. He subsequently migrated to Canada where he works a certified financial planner. Ben’s heart, though, still beats for…
E-books in Hindi!
The development of e-books in Indian languages is a road fraught with challenges. These challenges include the usage of appropriate fonts and the ability of the reading device to accurately render the text legible. After working at it for some months now, we were able to develop an e-book in…
Looking Back: Publishing Next 2011
by Vinutha Mallya Going to Goa for a conference? No one around me could hide the tone of incredulity in their question, when I was invited as a speaker for Publishing Next 2011. I was thrilled at being able to go to Goa, where my ancestors hailed from, for something…
Arte da Lingoa Canarim
Thomas Stephens, arguably one of the first Englishmen to come to India, ultimately spent 40 years of his life here, most of them in Goa. Born at Clyffe Pipard, Bushton, Wiltshire, England in 1549, he fled to Lisbon to escape religious persecution wrought by Henry VIII against the Catholics. In…
Copyright: Not a Right to Copy
by Vinutha Mallya The World Book and Copyright Day is being celebrated the world-over today. In India, books and publishing have seen a boom in the last decade. The ushering in of the knowledge-based economy in the new millennium has contributed to the surge in the demand for books. But…
At What Price?
As Indian publishers gradually take to eBooks, they will have to contend with the question of how these eBooks should be priced. In the mature markets of the West, there is still no consensus on this issue. Amazon prices its books starting at $1.99 and going up to $9.99 but…