Self Publishing made easy in India with Pothi.com

Aug. 15, 2008 - PRLog -- Mudranik Technologies, a Bangalore based start-up by two IITians, has launched Pothi.com, a self publishing platform. It helps writers easily self publish their books in print without any upfront cost. The platform uses print on demand technology, where even a single copy of a book can be produced cost-effectively. Therefore, a book is produced only after an order has been placed eliminating the need to invest in printing a large number of copies.

India is one of those markets, where print media is growing fast even with Internet and PC penetration increasing. Pothi.com’s model helps writers take advantage of this medium, while reducing the risks involved. “Internet has given people platforms like blogs and forums to express themselves. However, a book in print is still an indispensable form. It is something you can feel, read while lying down and gift to your loved ones.” says Abhaya Agarwal, co-founder and director of the company. He returned to India to work on this idea after completing his Masters at Carnegie Mellon University this summer.

The platform lets authors upload the soft copy of their book. It gets listed in the online store at Pothi.com from where readers can order it. Pothi.com takes care of the production and shipping of the book, and the profit is shared with the author. The royalty earned per copy is decided by the author himself. Several helpful articles are available to help the authors through the process of preparing their books for self publication. Affordable professional services are also available for cover design, formatting and typing of the manuscript.

The online store is currently live with around 20 books in English and Hindi. “Supporting all Indian languages is important for us. We are currently working with a Bengali author and are expecting more books in Indian languages to be made available through our store. The idea of creating a self publishing platform for print had come to us, when I was trying to look for a way to publish my book of Hindi poetry.” recalls Jaya Jha, the other co-founder of the company, who quit her job at Google India to start this venture.

People have found interesting uses for this Print on Demand platform. Apart from fiction, there are books on computer and technology, self improvement and business. Indian Association of Energy Management Professionals (IAEMP) has published their Independence Day special magazine “Urja Watch” through Pothi.com.

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About Pothi.com

Pothi.com (http://pothi.com) is owned and operated by Mudranik Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Mudranik is a Bangalore based start-up in the field of Self Publishing and Print on Demand.