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Debutant author gets pirated book distributor to release short-story collection at pavement bookstalls
A regular at footpath bookstalls, which sell pirated copies of bestsellers, debutant author Anish Vyavahare decided, "If you can't beat piracy, join it."
Anish's book titled, Mumbai on the Footboard, releases at footpath stalls this week. A compilation of seven short stories on Mumbai, it took two months to write.
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OVERLEAF: Anish Vyavahare with his book, Mumbai on the Footboard, at a roadside bookstall at Fort. | The seven fictitious stories derive insight from actual events.
The 26/11 blasts, elections, immigrants and newspaper accounts have all been inspiration for this copywriter, who is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Sociology.
Uff, publishing!
A first-timer in the world of writing and publishing, he says the easy part was writing the book.
"Getting the book out has been the biggest challenge. Bookstores don't accept self-published books, and most publishers will look at your work only after a year," he said.
"Since the book is about the city, and pirated books sold at signals and railway stations are integral to a book lover's life, I thought why not release it here," added Anish.
He contacted a distributor of pirated copies, who calls himself a used books distributors. "Guess what? He demanded a 50 per cent cut on the MRP!" smiled Anish.
After months of ironing out details, Mumbai on the Footboard is ready to hit bookstands and traffic signals. The book will also be available at Crossword, Landmark and Odyssey.
He plans to continue the seven-story theme and publish more books under this title, and hold printing and publishing workshops for first-time authors.
Mumbai on the Footboard is available for Rs 179 at Crossword, Landmark, Odyssey bookstores and at Fort and Thane traffic signals | 
