Article

I am very thankful to Griffin Publication for conducting a workshop on The Art of Writing Flash Fiction for which today I have become the first child author to write a complete book on flash fictions.

What comes to your mind when we are asked to draw a picture about the literary world? It might be books neatly packed into distinct shelves in the library, an event at an old-fashioned cafe wherein readers and author(s) have gathered for their love of books, a book fair and so on. Yet, what we seem to miss is the average voracious reader's debut book or the will to get one published and sometimes, it might not just be average! At Griffin, we encounter such manuscripts in a form that one would consider too raw to be serious. Such books normally do not survive the onslaught of the traditional publishers and their scrutiny. As a budding publishing house that is quickly making impact across all platforms, we have encountered gems that belong to this category. The first quality we look forward to is voice. A conceptually amazing story can cut through all flaws and shine bright. One of the shining examples is Diary of an Isha Home School Kid by Jai Bhatia. Home schooling is not something that is practiced in the Indian community widely and here we have a bright youngster giving a first-hand However, this is the first time we come across a voice who has not just been home-schooled but shows how unique his upbringing and ideas were, along with other home schoolers at the Isha Foundation students which involves a hybrid home-school and hostel habitat. Another such story is Indian Army - Wall of Peace for Borders in Jammu and Kashmir by M. S. Nazki wherein the aim of the author is to tell us that for peace, we require a home or a shelter and that, the shelter needs walls i.e. the Indian Army, who are tasked with the job of being at the ever-tense LOC border between our nation and Pakistan, and taking care of the people at the Kashmir borders who call it their home. At Griffin, we believe such voices are indomitable and its a matter of travesty that stories like these are sifted through the mechanical process of checking spelling mistakes by larger publishing houses. Conceptual boldness is another important marker. If the idea challenges norms or ventures into unexplored territory, it carries potential. We ask ourselves: does the story dare to say something new? Equally critical is the emotional core. Even when the plot is topsy turvy, our heavy editing can deal with the challenges of such a novel, and if a manuscript has these twin qualities, they are considered too good to be ignored. The first book of the Redemption Series by Shreyan Laha is one such book. It discovers the story of a paediatrician called Ronit Sarkar who is exiled to a penal planet 11 light-years away. In that planet, Ronit encounters the intellectual forest of zizanoids. Zizanoids are plant-beings who communicate through their root-like internet called Rootwork and are quite high in the evolutionary ladder, almost as high as humans are, when compared to mice! Another of our books is Autism Through My Eyes by Dawa Drukpa. Dawa Drukpa is a Bhutanese author and has nine years of experience in teaching children with autism. In Bhutan, where the author is from, this is considered the first book on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by a Bhutanese author. He had also earned a 'Fellowship' for the Inclusion Fellows Program at the University of Minnesota in the USA. Dawa is the author of five books and several research papers. In this book, Dawa brings together a unique blend of experiences based on literature and practical insight, guiding teachers, caretakers, parents, and policy makers to design a more effective and caring educational environment for children who suffer from ASD. If the manuscript moves us, draws us inwards, and moves our feelings, we believe in providing everyone with a voice. Why do we need to reject the author based on purely mechanical metrices? We also consider the author’s willingness to collaborate. Herein, we believe that the job of the editor goes beyond correcting an author's works. His work is to ensure that he works as a window to the author in the world of publishing space and what they require from the author. Besides, a promising manuscript can only be developed if its creator is open to collaboration. Revisions are not about compromise; they are about evolution. Only when there is an elaborate synergy between the editor and the author, transformation begins from a rough draft to a tale to look out for! It is precisely due to this reason Griffin has become a home for many talented first-time and teenage authors. Finally, much of this work relies on instinct. In a small press, we cannot depend on data-driven formulas or predictions. Instead, we trust our intuition - a subtle certainty that beneath all the imperfections lies something readers deserve to experience. It is a skill honed with practice, but it also requires humility: the belief that greatness often starts with imperfection. When raw manuscripts shine, they affirm the unique role of budding publication houses like ours.