Faraaz Kazi

29-October-2010

Vol 0 | Issue 1

The transition from a writer to an author is never smooth. Apart from external criticism, one has to be strong enough to handle internal motivation. The ability to keep going as people disregard your work comes with a lot of effort.

‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ my soon to be released debut novel stems from a short story I had written in my school days for a national short-story writing competition. The fact that it won the fourth prize in the competition and the appeal of being a renowned writer someday, never made me lose sight of the dream to see the story grow.

As most authors, my first book too has autobiographical shades to it. From the joy of falling in love for the very first time to the despair of rejection, the book portrays the theme of teenage love in various hues and colors. The protagonist of the book matures at an early age and his transition from the cheerful school heart-throb to a depressed denizen of a desolate park in another part of the world makes a tale that I am sure will captivate the reader’s attention.

The book is primarily mainstream romance which transcends horizons of true love. The market dynamics make it a light read for youngsters but it does cross boundaries with literary fiction in parts and pieces. It is unique in the sense that such a work has till now not been attempted with regards to infatuation turning into obsession at an age when love is defined by crushes and attaching a ‘puppy’ as a prefix. ‘Obsession’ is perhaps the only word which grows beyond love yet does not manage to submerge it in its wake. Has anyone ever wondered what if love grows beyond love itself? What can happen if it breaks all barriers? What happens if it turns into an extreme obsession? ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ makes an attempt to answer all this and more.

With just about two months left for the book to release, I have set out to work on its marketing. The publisher is expected to push it post-release but for an author building the initial hype and curiosity is all the more important these days due to clutter in the book market. Personally, I believe that there cannot be a better marketer or PR person than the author himself. For two weeks, I worked on a viral video of the book which I released last week as the official trailer. It was appreciated by one and all as people now know what to expect from the book. A similar attempt was made on my blog where I have released a short synopsis of the book alongwith the same trailer. A lot of positive feedback has been flowing in, tempting me to release another trailer of the book.
 

With humble respect, neither do I wish to achieve success like the big names in industry nor am I aiming for the Man Booker. The fact that the book will strike a chord with every individual who has fallen in love will suffice for me. The love of my readers will be the measure of my success.
 

Faraaz Kazi, 23, is currently doing his MBA in Mumbai