Meet Anitha, Bengaluru's passionate author who sells her own book on streets, metro stations
Bengaluru: From the busy streets and crowded metro stations to the bustling malls of Bengaluru, Anitha (44), an author by passion rather than profession, has embarked on a unique literary adventure. Her book ‘My Observation of Tension At (Tention)’ delves into the intricacies of tension and attention, and she's taking it to the public in a remarkable way.
Anitha embarks on a tour to metro stations, malls, parks, coffee shops and busy streets of Bengaluru with an intent to reach out and market her book to potential readers directly.
Anitha revisits her journey saying that she started this just with a keen intent on this topic, comprehending it in detail and also mentions about it being her personal requirement to explore tension and attention in detail, simultaneously this exploration results in her finding a way of expressing it through writing.
Anitha started her career as a researcher, following which she pursued to become a course facilitator at a private firm. Upon asking about her inspiration to pen down this book, she reveals that it was her personal expedition into the topic of tension and attention through observation.
Anitha's book, available on the e-commerce site Amazon.com, has received an impressive 4.8-star rating out of 5. To date, she has directly sold over 30 copies of her book to customers.
We met Anitha outside the Konanakunte Cross Metro Station and saw her marketing her book, below are the excerpts from our conversation.
VB: What made you take up to marketing your books on busy streets, malls and metro stations ?
Anitha: For me everything was absolutely very new from writing to publishing, which I had to learn through process. I Am not an author by profession, nor have I learned the process of writing while writing this book. So, I thought that someone would take up this book but to my dismay there was very little progress, marketing would cost me a lot of money, which is why I decided to market using social media and also through Amazon.com however I did not find any satisfying results. Meanwhile, this idea struck my mind that I have a product and let me take that product to the people and connect to them and make the product visible.
VB: How did the customers react to your traditional way of reaching out to them?
Anitha: Even those not interested in buying the book often listen to me. There are also many of them who have liked the idea that an Author is coming down and explaining, expressing about the book and also answering the people. And in the process I am making a lot of friends. Meanwhile this also benefits me in turn to get direct feedback.
VB: You're not a psychologist, and I'd like to ask whether you believe one needs to be a psychologist to write about such experiences. What is your opinion on this?
Anitha: One of the aspects to psychology is behavioural science that is derived through research. Our relationships with life around us evolves with exploring, experiences and navigating ourselves to coexist. For a professional help having a professional degree helps.
VB: What inspired you to write on mental health and address issues relating to tension in particular ?
Anitha: Tension and attention are universal experiences, and we all encounter them. We learn many things in school, but no one teaches us how to manage stress or pay attention effectively. This book aims to fill that gap.
VB: Some people ignored you the moment they saw you marketing a book, mostly youngsters are not interested in reading books, they rather prefer podcasts or video, what is your view on this?
Anitha: To get people to read is a challenge, once even if you get them, for them to stay connected to it is difficult. Many people have lost interest in reading the books and in this process some also suggested that I should do youtube videos on this particular topic. If you ask me what is the difference between YouTube, Podcast and book, I would say that book is like a low flame cooking. What happens with 5 or 10 videos will happen with one book reading.
VB: Keeping in mind the societal dogma, how did your family react to the idea of reaching out to readers in the streets ?
Anitha: Well, honestly my father did not like the idea, because somewhere he feels that they will make fun of me. He always wished for me to work in a corporate environment, instead of roaming around with a bag selling a book. My children and husband were surprised initially, however later they also started giving me ideas about going to church streets and other places to market my book.
VB: What are your plans for the future, what other books are next in the pipeline?
Anitha: Yes, actually the content will remain the same. I am transforming the presentation of this book in order to make it reachable to the younger audience more than that to reach a larger audience. My next book will be a graphic novel, simplifying the content.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rahul, Congress tried since 2002 to target Modi's image, PM's credibility remains high: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Thursday dubbed Rahul Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the US prosecutors' indictment of Gautam Adani on alleged bribery and fraud charges as part of his long-running efforts to target its leader, and noted that none of the four states named in American courts had a BJP government.
Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra made it clear that as far as allegations against the Adani group are concerned it is for the company to issue a clarification and defend itself.
"Law will take its own course," he said, while keeping the focus on Gandhi's allegations against the prime minister and the BJP government at the Centre.
Since 2002, Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and the Congress have been trying to tarnish Modi's image, but they have not succeeded and the prime minister received the highest civilian award in a foreign country on a day the opposition party was attacking him, the BJP leader said.
Rahul Gandhi claimed in his press conference that the opposition has been successful in destroying Modi's credibility over his alleged proximity to the business tycoon.
Citing the Adani group's investment in various states ruled by the Congress and its allies, Patra noted that it invested Rs 25k crore and Rs 65k crore in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan when Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot were at the helm there respectively.
The conglomerate invested Rs 45k crore in the DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu and had recently given Rs 100 crore donation to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for a skill development foundation, he added.
If Adani is "corrupt", then why are the Congress governments seeking investment from his company, he asked.
The billionaire industrialist has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over USD 250 million (about Rs 2,100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts.
This was concealed from the US banks and investors from whom the Adani group raised billions of dollars for the project, the prosecutors have alleged. US law allows pursuing foreign corruption allegations if they involve certain links to American investors or markets.
The Adani group, however, has denied the charges.
The Congress, Patra alleged, cannot tolerate the Indian economy gaining in strength with Modi as prime minister, as it is now on track to become the third biggest global economy.
Rahul Gandhi has been trying to target the Indian economy by making all kinds of allegations, and over 2.5 crore investors even on Thursday lost a lot of money as the stock market tanked, he said.
The Congress leader targeted the government over the alleged corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal and had also gone after it over the issue of Covid vaccines, he added.
Patra also objected to Gandhi's claim that his party has to do the job of the judiciary as well, saying it amounted to contempt of court. Gandhi does not understand legalities and technicalities around an issue and merely repeats what he is briefed by a few advisors, he added.
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha will now start a "drama" when Parliament's Winter session begins from November 25 and try to disrupt its proceedings and target the economy, he claimed.
