Scripting her success story

Savi Sharma seems to have taken the publishing work by storm, here in India. The 23-year-old author’s debut self-published novel Everyone Has a Story sold more than 1 lakh copies within 100 days of being published. And now, with her second novel, This Is Not Your Story, she is hoping for a similar success story. We chatted with the author about her newfound success and her latest book...

You left your CA studies to write Everyone Has A Story. What was the conviction you had in your writing and to people’s response to the story?

Leaving CA studies in my final year to become a writer was a challenging and life-changing decision for me but it was a risk worth taking as I was never interested in writing numbers. I always wanted to write stories and inspire people. I knew I was writing something fresh and new which Indian readers would definitely like it. I just listened to my inner calling and went ahead in self-publishing my first book.

Your debut novel was a bestseller. Did you expect it to do so well?

I strongly believed in my story when I self-published my first book and I knew that readers will like it. But I never expected that it would achieve such record-breaking success in such a short time. Crossing the milestone sales of 1 lakh copies in just 100 days was perhaps one of the best moments in my life. I feel so grateful for all the love and praise I received for it from my readers.

For your second book, This Is Not Your Story, did the title come first or the story?

Contrary to my first book, the title came first for my second book. Once you realise that everyone has a story, it’s also important to realise that the life you are living might just not be what you really want to live. But you are under the misconception or pressure to live it. Your heart might want to do something else but you are forced to do something else. I was pretty clear about the message I wanted to give and the title sounded very apt, meaningful and intriguing.

What are the other stories you see yourself writing in the future?

My mission is to inspire millions of people. And that’s why I write and tell inspiring stories. I might write non-fiction books about spirituality, law of attraction, positivity or self-help after few years.

How important is it for an author to promote themselves in this day and age?

In modern times, you cannot be a successful author if you don’t know how to promote your work. Writing and getting published is only half-way mark. You need to be active on social media platforms and engage with your audience, meet your readers on book tours and give media interviews. It’s just like running your own start-up company where your book is the product you created and now you have to make efforts to sell it.

Who has been your inspiration when it comes to Indian writers?

No particular Indian author influenced my way of thinking or writing. But I have always loved Paulo Coehlo, Markus Zusak and Mitch Albom. So you might find shades of them in my writings as it might happen subconsciously. Amish Tripathi, Ashwin Sanghi, Devdutt Patnaik are my favourite Indian writers.