Stray Birds in bookstores

Looking back more than three years, I remember how I had to hustle to place Moving On in the bookstores. And how the so called "big bookstores" repeatedly rebuffed me for being a small publisher (and unknown "author").

Fair enough, books are after all business and if Chetan Bhagat and his ilk sell more, and deserve more shelf space in such bookstores, so be it.

But an achievement of sorts from back then was getting to place Moving On in two lovely, old and quaint and very "bookstorish" bookstores of Hyderabad -- Walden and Akshara.

Largely (of course) due to the intervention, goodwill and help of friends -- my PR sucks.

Ink Dries went a step further and had its launch / release at Akshara Books, largely again (of course) due to the intervention, goodwill and help of friends.      

I will of course, be headed for Akshara and Walden soon with Stray Birds, but speaking of bookstores, Stray Birds is already available at a bookstore in Hyderabad's original shopping district, Abids; a place famous (among the bibliophiles at least) for its second hand books market (where incidentally U saw a copy of Moving On as well!).

At a very "bookstorish" bookstore -- AA Husain, where almost every single inch of the place is laden with books.

I feel very Hyderabadi to say this. And I intend to go to AA Husain soon to see what "out of print" and "impossible to find anywhere else" treasures are roosting there.

BTW, if not for other rare to find books (and Stray Birds), AA Husain deserves a visit for its big collection of bird books and field guides. Because its managed by someone who knows the worth of anything to do with the feathered folks, a fellow birder.

So, do head out there soon!              

Moving On -- Now available at Walden

Starting today, Moving On is available at Walden {stores at Road No. 2, Banjara Hills and Greenlands Road (adjacent to Pulla Reddy Building), Begumpet / Somajiguda}.

Incidentally, Walden had given me a lot of food for thought (as an "account" being pitched for) way back in 1998, while I was with an ad agency a stone's throw away at Topaz Building.

Meaning, I had done the research on what Walden's advertising should be about and then stayed up some nights to write the copy :-)

It's another story (of course) that we never made a proper pitch........

Nice to see that Walden's still doing good business (the store had around 20 customers at around 11.00 today morning) even these days when there are bigger and swankier bookstores around.

Nicer to see that they are as choc-a-bloc full of books today as they were then.

Nicest is that they are stocking Moving On :-)