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A Price to Love : A Conversation with Author Smita Das Jain
While it's a cliche that becoming a published author is like becoming a parent, it isn't too far from the truth. The astonishing reality of creating something new after months or even years of writing away the heart thumping precarious process of submissions, rejections and deals. So how has this whole journey to being a published author being for you? Bringing a book to life, cannot be without its highs and lows. Was it so with the publishing of your book A price to Love?
Smita Das Jain
@SmitaDasJain · 4:35
And finally, once I thought that I have done all I could, I sent their manuscript out to the beta readers. Then the feedback from beta readers came, and it was excellent feedback, led to a lot of changes that improved the book. And then I sent out the manuscript to publishers. Reader mania accepted it, and then again started a phase of discussions, brainstorming. When more and more people get involved, writing is no longer a lonely process. You get ideas
Thanks for that smita. So your protagonist, Sonya is an ambitious woman who works for a prominent media company. She has a devoted spouse who idolizes her and colleagues who respect her as she tries to balance balance her personal life and a successful career in a maledominated corporate arena. Let me start off by asking you if it was a bit challenging to come up with a strong female character like Sonia as a writer
Smita Das Jain
@SmitaDasJain · 3:55
That's a very good question, Ramya. And you know, that is the reason precisely that I started pending down A Price to Love. I am a very avid reader, but my reading tastes have evolved with times. I used to read something very different in my teens and then twenty s and now when I'm in my thirty s and during this entire time I realized that there are no strong working women characters in Indian fiction
Smita Das Jain
@SmitaDasJain · 3:35
It's pretty much an institute that is there, right? So that's how it happens. You combine nuggets from reality, add on your imagination and pronto. You have a story or a book that you want to bring out to the world
It's like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub. There's plenty of opportunity for or selfdoubt. I'd like to have your take on this. How do you deal with self doubt as a writer? I think this is something that could be really helpful for our aspiring writers in the community to hear
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Smita Das Jain
@SmitaDasJain · 4:45
So giving your best to your craft, to your job, to your writing and going forward with it consistently. For me, honestly, when I started writing, I did hard myself doubt. If you recall, in one of your previous questions, I did answer that I delete coming out with The Price to Love because I wanted to be sure whether I am as good a writer as I think. But then I didn't sit on it without doing nothing. I instead came up with short stories
Thank you, Smita, for this very insightful conversation and for giving me a glimpse of what went behind A Price to Love. I loved having this chat with you and would definitely love to bring you back on for more such literary conversations. I'm also going to be sharing the Amazon link of the book here for our listeners to check out. But before you go, I will just leave you with this question
Smita Das Jain
@SmitaDasJain · 3:01
Until and unless you love yourself, you won't have anything to give to the world. You will search the entire world. You may have all the money to go across to four corners of the world in a quest for fulfillment, but you will still return home emptyhanded. The key to enjoying life is selflove. Self compassion. Selfcare. You are the most important person in the world for you. And if you don't love yourself, you will not be able to love those around you