Bangalore, Aug 04: In its mission to provide access to opportunities for India’s community of writers, Groww Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Groww has launched Imprint, a one of its kind initiative, in collaboration with Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF). A fully-sponsored publishing programme, the first edition of Imprint has attracted close to 1500 registrations from across the country.
While India’s publishing market is expected to reach a projected revenue of US$ 31,209.6 million by 2033, it still suffers challenges of newcomer bias. Publishing books still feels like a closed club for most budding writers, and those without an agent or a contact are rarely read. This dependence on access, rather than talent, keeps a generation of new voices from ever breaking in. Moreover, those who somehow are able to make it through, often find the terms unfavourable. Royalties run at a meagre 5-7% for traditional publishers, and with the self/boutique publishing route, the onus of editing, cover design and promotion falls on the author as well, making it almost impossible for many good ideas to reach readers. Not surprisingly, only a handful writers are able to make a substantial career out of writing. And for the rest of budding passionate writers, these hurdles make their dream of becoming a published author seem like a far-fetched reality. Imprint was devised to solve these problems.
Commenting on the launch, Kalpana Swaminathan, Head of Groww Foundation said, “Some of the most powerful writings never make it to the bookshelves, not because they lack merit, but because their writers don’t get a fair chance. With Imprint, we aim to bridge that gap by empowering the writer community with a wide audience, ensuring that first-time authors don’t face difficulties in developing and publishing. The response we’ve seen, with close to 1,500 manuscripts from across the country, reinforces just how much untapped creative potential exists today- all it needed was an avenue. Through our partnership with the Jaipur Literature Festival, we hope to help promising writers turn their passion into vocation, and if a few of them are able to find readers, confidence and a foothold in the literary world, our job with Imprint would be a success.”
Under this programme, writers can submit the first chapter of their manuscript along with a synopsis of the book – stories that explore journeys of growth, change, and lived experience. Post the ongoing initial screening, the longlisted writers will be contacted for submitting the full manuscript. These submissions will be reviewed by an illustrious panel of experts in the jury, and the final shortlisted manuscripts will be taken further for an all-sponsored journey of editorial mentorship, professional editing, cover design, production and publication as a book.
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts, “At Jaipur Literature Festival, we have always believed that literature flourishes when new voices are discovered, nurtured and given the opportunity to be heard. While readers often encounter the finished book, the journey of becoming a writer can be uncertain and inaccessible for many. Imprint is an important step towards opening that journey to talented writers who may otherwise never find a pathway to publication. We are delighted to partner with Groww Foundation on an initiative that seeks to widen access, celebrate original storytelling, and invest in the next generation of Indian authors.”
Groww Foundation ties this to the premise behind its core inception: that access, not ability, is usually the missing piece. Just as Groww made investing accessible to millions of first-time Indian investors, Imprint by Groww Foundation bets on doing the same for first-time Indian writers. Imprint is intended as a long-term initiative, with future cycles planned to keep this route into publishing open.