Author
Amish Tripathi (born 18 October 1974), is an Indian author, known for his novels The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, The Oath of the Vayuputras, Scion of Ikshvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila (launched on May 29 2017). The first three books collectively comprise the Shiva Trilogy and the next two are the first two of the Ram Chandra Series.The Shiva Trilogy was the fastest selling book series in Indian publishing history and the Scion of Ikshvaku was the fastest selling book of 2015. All four books have sold over 3.5 million copies in the Indian subcontinent since 2010, with gross retail sales of Rs. 100 crores. Forbes India has ranked Amish among the top 100 celebrities in India four times in a row in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Amish was also selected as an Eisenhower Fellow, an exclusive programme for outstanding leaders from around the world.
After a Management degree from IIM Kolkata, Amish spent his initial several years in the Financial Services world. In this conversation, he talks about how he transitioned to the world of writing, his challenges in the early years of being a writer, how he had to innovate to stand out from the clutter and more.
This conversation was published around December 2016.
Nuggets from the
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Where the seeds of transition were sown
How did Amish Tripathi go from being a banker to a bestselling author? You might think that making this transition would have involved a life altering event. But sometimes, unknown to you, the seeds of transition might be nurtured in your life, through your lifestyle, habits, hobbies or the even the milieu around you.
Writing for self
What motivates a bestselling author? In this short nugget, hear Amish speak about the philosophy behind his writing, his views on failure and success and what can make you truly ‘unstoppable’.
Transitioning from Financial Services to Writing
So you have found your passion but undecided when and how to take the plunge? Hear Amish talk about how he transitioned to being a full time author from a banker. Discover how ‘pragmatism and positive vibes’ guided this transformation.
Dealing with failure
Confused about listening to your heart or your head? We all face those crossroads in life and Amish did too, especially while facing initial rejections from publishers. Dealing with failure, enlisting support, recognising what works for you and ultimately making it work for you: Amish touches upon these important themes in this nugget.
Harsh realities of Writing
For every famous sportsperson, there are hundreds who didn’t make it big. For every published author, there are hundreds who met rejection after rejection. How does one deal with being in a profession where a few “winners take it all”? Hear Amish talk about the reality of being an author and how his initial rejections made him go against the grain and market his books innovatively.
What does it take to be an Author
In this nugget, Amish elaborates on the one important question you should ask yourself before transitioning to a new profession. For eight years before he switched to becoming a full time author, Amish focused on only three things- his job, his writing and his family. What drove this level of discipline and commitment? Hear on.
Driving Deep Work
How easy it is these days to be distracted? Just one minute on Facebook or Twitter and there goes the whole morning! In such an age of distraction where our attention spans are becoming lesser and lesser, how does Amish find the time and space to write? Hear his tactics of getting the momentum going. Hint: there is also something about a sugar rush in there!
Marketing innovations around the first book
How did a self-published debut author’s books reach the best seller list within a week of launch? Undoubtedly, the book was good but behind the scenes some new, innovative and thoughtful marketing techniques also contributed. As Amish expresses, leadership is not about having the best ideas yourself but being able to pick good ideas when you come across them.
Building culture in a company
Culture is contextual and non-transferrable. Know the culture of the organisation and industry you are planning to join. Amish talks about the Chandravanshi and Suryavanshi cultures and discusses how organizations could think about their culture?
Three things they do not teach you in B school
Can competitiveness and calmness reside within you side by side? Why should one’s mind and heart be aligned? Listen on to find out what things, Amish thought, were not taught enough in B-schools.
In Summary – Playing to Potential
Thinking of a transition in life? Reflecting upon your purpose in life? Living a life that someone has decided for you? Amish shares a powerful quote from the Bhagwad Gita to conclude this conversation and urges people find their own uniqueness and ‘swadharma’.