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#IWSG : What advice do you have for a new author on book tour?

You Beneath Your Skin

My debut literary crime novel,”You Beneath Your Skin,” published by the fab team at Simon and Schuster IN is slowly making its way into the world.

It is available in India here.

Worldwide, here.

If you’re a netgalley reviewer, snag a copy here. Reviews are appreciated–please get in touch if you’d like a review copy.

Last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activities. I’ve been to 5 diiferent cities and so many events.

A launch in Delhi at the IIC building on the 19th of September at 6 pm–in conversation with author and journalist Shutapa Paul, to talk about crimes against women.

Anouradha Bakshi from Project WHY, and Alok Dixit from the Chhanv Foundation spoke on the occasion.

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Book events with the Chhanv foundation:

On the 20th September at Lucknow at the Sheroes hangout cafe in conversation with author Mohd Nadeem Siddiqui

On the 21st September at Agra Sheroes hangout cafeΒ  — in conversation with Agra Book Club founder Dr Shivani Chaturvedi.

On the 28th September at the Atta Galatta bookstore, Bangalore.

This website will also be revamped soon–to reflect an author page, and this blog would be part of it. I hope to receive your feedback to tweak it better.

One of the things this journey of publication has taught me is the love of friends.

I’ve been friends with absolutely everyone in the blogiverse, and found so much love from friends.

They have helped by doing beta reads, by hosting me on their blogs, doing cover reveals.

The first of my guest posts was on Shailaja Vishwanath’s blog: 16 Compelling Ways to organically increase your blog reach. I’ve spoken about how the past 11 years of blogging have given me a very engaged subscriber list, and of course, a ton of friends!

I’m also appearing on other blogs in the coming months–so hope to see you and exchange notes!

Anna Simpson: What difference does your writing make?

Mayuri Nidigallu: How to find a Writing Group that’s a great fit for you?

Lynda R Young: Benefits of reading and books to read.

Alex J Cavanaugh: Screen rights! (I now have a Bollywood agent for You Beneath your Skin)

Coming soon:

Ellen Jacobson, Shannon Lawrence, Juneta Key, Cath Humphris, J Lenni Dorner, , Julie Canfield, Rebecca Reynolds, Rekha Rao, Shilpa Garg, Roshan Radhakrishnan, Priyanka Nair, Ashlynn Waterstone,Β  D J Cockburn,Β  Insecure Writers Support Group, Jemi FraserΒ  Jacqui Murray, Dan Antion, Pam Lazos, Belinda Witzenhausen, J H Moncrieff, Marian Allen, Chrys Fey, Debby Gies, C Lee Mckenzie, Ronel Janse Van Vuuren.

Some of my appearances will be posts on writing, and most will connect to You Beneath Your Skin, in some way.

More about the behind-the-scenes mayhem, here.

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Social media by Chrys FeyHave you read you Beneath Your Skin? Do you have advice for a harried new author on a book tour? If you’ve already read an excerpt or advance copy, what are your thoughts about the novel?Β 

This post was written for IWSG: Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for organizing and hosting the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) every month! Go to the site to see the other participants. In this group we writers share tips, self-doubt, insecurities, and of course, discuss the act of writing. If you’re a writer and a blogger, go join rightaway! co-hosts today are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Mary Aalgaard, Madeline Mora-Summonte, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!


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Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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33 Comments

  • jmh says:

    Congrats on your very successful launch! Thanks for adding so much value to my blog during the week I was too busy to breathe, and for being so patient with me.

  • Just ordered the book.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      So grateful! Many thanks. Let me know what you think of it?

  • Big congrats, Damyanti!

  • lizipaulk says:

    Hello. Congratulations on successfully launching your book out into the world. A lot of work already done, with more to come, right? (Plus I admire how you are linking your passion with the written word with your passion for improving the world at the same time.) I was wondering whether you would be open to having another book blogger review your novel (i.e. me)? It would fit in perfectly with what I like to read and I would be happy to read it if you’re looking for another reader. πŸ™‚ (But no pressure! πŸ™‚ ) Again, big congrats to you!

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Oh, I’d absolutely love for your to read it! Thanks so much for offering–let me know what’s the best way to connect with you.

  • Rebecca Douglass says:

    Fantastic news about the success of the book! As for advice on the tour, well, I’ve certainly never had that problem :D. But I’ve done some public speaking, and I think it gets easier with practice, at least for most people. Mostly I deal with any fear of not being absolutely brilliant by reminding myself that most people won’t remember what I said anyway :D. Maybe not what we want to think about for a writer’s tour!

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks so much, Rebecca!

      Strangely, I find I do not have any fear of speaking. The way I see it, I’m not important, so it doesn’t matter what people think of me. What I say about the causes I support is the important thing, and I must do the best job I can of it.

  • I’m enjoying watching you blaze with your book launches, interviews, and the like. Continued good luck. And congratulations again!

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      thanks so much–it’s been a bit surreal, but I’m hoping we can fund-raise enough to support Project WHY and Stop Acid Attacks.

  • DJ Cockburn says:

    I’m still reading and enjoying the book, and have got far enough to say with confidence that you have every right to any and all adulation you get on your tour! In terms of butterflies, I can only offer a couple of insights from having organised speaker events that often involve authors. Most people will be there because they love a good book and want to hear from the sort of person who writes one. Most of the comments afterwards amount to surprise that authors are human beings after all. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about an author because the achievement is there in the physical form of a book.

    Some of the things you say will stick in someone’s mind, and they’ll be repeating them as words of wisdom for weeks.

    Now and again, we get some twit who turns up because they want to deliver a monologue or a manifesto disguised as a question, and sometimes a nervous speaker might mistake that for the mood of the room. Writers tend to be so used to criticism and rejection that they’re confused by compliments and congratulations, and hear that twit as voicing what the inner voice that never shuts up has been telling us all along.

    It isn’t. Everyone else knows a twit when they hear one.

    Enjoy the tour!

  • Do your best to stay well-rested and feeling good. Lots of water. Other than that, I think most of the horror stories I have from hosting author events came from people doing things I *know* their mothers taught them better than.

  • Jemima Pett says:

    Great photos!

    My best advice is… enjoy it!

  • ideasflyhigh says:

    Congratulations Damyanti on your debut book! I read the book blurb, and it is intriguing. I love the way you write (having read your stories). By adding the colloquial words you give a nice depth to the stories. Looking forward to reading the book. πŸ™‚ ?

  • Birgit says:

    Congrats on your new book and everything that may come to fruition…well it will.

  • Loved the photos. So proud of your achievements. πŸ™‚

  • It’s so great to see you doing so well–and awesome how you’re helping those in need. It is a bit of a whirlwind, but so much good is coming out of it.

  • Jemi Fraser says:

    You’re going to need to sleep for a month at some point!
    Looking forward to having you over at the blog! πŸ™‚

  • Congratulations on your new release!!!! Wishing you great success!!!

  • Juneta says:

    Wishing you much success with the launch. Sounds like you are off to a great start. Congratulations.

  • DutchIl says:

    Congratulations on a start of a new adventure!!.. Haven’t had the chance to read your book yet but will do so… hope all goes well and life is all that you wish for it to be!!.. just follow your heart and you will not go wrong!.. πŸ™‚

    β€œThe art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” Gustave Flaubert

  • Lee Lowery says:

    Congrats on your awesome debut launch! And good luck with those Hollywood rights. You are headed for the stars!

  • You are amazing–a dazzling book launch and a screen agent. What a start to your writing career.

  • Congratulations! You’ve been busy with promo/book events. Exciting, but I bet tiring too.

  • I’m thrilled at how well your launch is going! So great that you’re able to spread the word about crimes against women through sharing your book with the world.

  • hilarymb says:

    hi Damyanti – bought two for god-daughters: both in the psychiatry world … so pleased for you. I’ll check with another youngster in the States … so brilliant … it seems to be really taken up – wonderful news. Congratulations … Hilary

    • hilarymb says:

      And I see you’re doing so much, learning so much too … while supporting the two projects so dear to your heart – your book deserves to be read to learn about life … brilliant about the film rights – but not possible without the book having been written first … all the very best – Hilary

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks so much, Hilary. The book has taken on an unexpected life of its own, mostly due to the support of kind blog friends like you. I hope your nieces have feedback for me–I’m very easy to find on social media πŸ™‚

  • So many events! Glad the book is doing well and being read around the world.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      It has been exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. I’m hoping the book works for the two orgs dear to my heart.

  • Nic Schuck says:

    Congrats