The Writer’s Flight

You can even gift yourself the experience of riding a different set of wheels each time you plan a trip--from a Hummer to a Bentley to a Jaguar to a BMW or Range Rover Namrata Kohli   |   New Delhi Car rental companies offer a wide range of chauffer-driven luxury vehicles such as Audi, Bentley, Mercedes Benz, Lamborghini and even Rolls Royce. This BMW is owned by Avis India Travelling in a luxury car, staying in the presidential suite of an upscale hotel, lounging on a yacht or flying a private jet – these are the kind of aspirations many of us have. Good for those who can afford to buy them and use them regularly, but for others who want to savour the experience once in a while, luckily there are options in the market. At least, you can go for a long drive, outstation or even local travel in a fancy Audi or Lamborghini, whenever you wish to and wherever you want to. The best part is you can choose a different car every time you travel. It is unlikely that anyone will be ...

While the traditional publishing house is still the most popular, don't stress if it junks your work. You have two more ways to see your book morph into paperback or hardcover Namrata Kohli   |   New Delhi There is a great deal of flexibility in the packages offered by book publishers today in terms of design and layout, editing and proof-reading, and marketing. Picture courtesy: Anand Prakash Not too long ago, the biggest hurdle most aspiring writers faced was finding a publisher for their books. This was largely because it was the publishers--especially the large and reputable ones--who invariably called the shots on what made the cut, and what didn't. But things have changed drastically the past few years and today you have the opportunity to publish your book on your terms, through other means. Currently, there are three types of publishing: traditional, vanity, and self-publishing. The pandemic push The Covid-19 pandemic has created many first-time authors ...

In a Q&A, Naveen Valsakumar dwells on the coming-of-age of self-publishing, his firm's value proposition for budding writers and how he plans to take on the competition from Kindle Namrata Kohli   |   New Delhi Naveen Valsakumar, CEO and Co-founder, Notion Press Publishing Naveen Valsakumar , CEO and Co-founder of Notion Press Publishing, has made self-publishing both fashionable and feasible for aspiring writers. In a conversation with  Namrata Kohli , he talks about his journey in this line of activity, its evolution under the pandemic and how he plans to take on the competition. Edited excerpts: How did you come up with the idea of self-publishing? When we began nine years ago, our goal was to democratise the entire process of book publishing for aspiring authors who had no direct access to the market, as traditional publishers have been extremely picky. We looked at why this was happening and realised a lot of these reasons were prevalent back in th...

With home-office becoming the new normal, you will need a dedicated workspace to improve focus and reduce distraction, and furniture that maximises comfort as you work for hours at a stretch Namrata Kohli   |   New Delhi   A typical bedroom study, with a comfortable work chair, a sturdy table and enough storage. Source: Livspace Did you know that 22 per cent of students have been taking online classes from their bed and another 14 per cent rolled on the floors even as they were learning? The study by Godrej Interio further reveals that adults are just as bad, working from their sofas, dining tables and beds. Let’s face it. Indian houses aren't well-equipped for WFH. Had it been for a month or two it would have been fine, but to have kids hunched over a portable laptop table over their beds to complete their assignments or lounging from a sofa over the long term will have a disastrous impact on their health. Says Chandni Bhagat, child psychologist: “As children are ho...

Once frowned upon, gaming has acquired universal acceptance, with housewives, students and working professionals taking to it. Beware of the pitfalls, though Namrata Kohli   |   New Delhi Most people think video games make you stupid. But studies prove gaming done for limited periods can keep your mind healthy and active The three things that the majority of the people turned to during lockdown in order to 'preserve their sanity' were Netflix and OTT, Zoom chats and e-games. From taboo to mainstream recognition, the Indian online gaming industry is growing in stature and volume, with over 300 million mobile gamers in the country. Prashanth Rao, Partner, Deloitte India sees the gaming industry growing at a CAGR of 40-odd per cent for the next two years, and says the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated its expansion, taking it two years ahead of its normal growth. Factors that have triggered a massive growth in online gaming include spu...