Saturday, September 17, 2011

Hitting the bull's eye


Chetan Bhagat seems like a guy you can hang out with. He's quick with a joke, is refreshingly honest, and has a sincerity that makes him hard to miss. Don't be fooled by his light-hearted banter, his casual choice of words; underneath this animated 37-year old, lies a revolutionary and a rebel who broke the rule of the publishing industry - a million copy sold was almost unheard of before him; and changed the game of Indian literature - he was a techie and an investment banker before he took to writing books. In his own words, he'll "never win a Man's Booker Prize," but he'll always be a loved by a million readers. He prophases change and seems driven enough to bring one himself. He's fearless and flamboyant all at once. Here's more on the high octane Q&A session at the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2011.

Chetan Bhagat is often known to be marketing-driven person, which leads to better sales of his novels. Do you agree?
I have always had a fondness for marketing as a profession and a discipline. In fact, India has a long way to go when it comes to marketing its products: say, tourism. But then again, it's not just about advertising, promotions, and the frills; it's most importantly about the product. It's that what you're selling. I don't have a marketing budget; I launch my book at a shopping mall. My marketing starts and ends with the book. My sales force is my readers.

Full report here India Today

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