Saturday, January 21, 2023

5 Simple Steps to Self-Publish Your Paperback Book on Amazon in India

 


It's relatively easy to self-publish paperback books on Amazon in India using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). 

The basic steps are as follows:


Create a profile: 

Create an account on the KDP website. 

Your personal information and tax information must be provided.


Get your book ready: 

Format your book in accordance with KDP specifications. 

Your book must be submitted as a print-ready PDF file, complete with the cover art.


Make a new heading: 

Create a new title for your book by logging into your KDP account. 

You must include details about your book, including the title, author, summary, and keywords.


Determine your price: 

Set a price for your book in your KDP account after deciding on one. 

You have the option to establish a price for your book or use the KDP Select programme, which enables you to give your book out for free for a limited time.


Review and publish: 

Check that all the information in your book is accurate. 

Click "publish" after you are finished to make your book available on Amazon.


Make the book a paperback option: 

Enroll the book in KDP's expanded distribution programme so that readers can purchase it in paperback form.


Promote your book: 

As soon as your book is out, you may begin to raise awareness of it. 


To reach your target audience, you can employ several strategies such as email marketing and social media.


It's important to keep in mind that India has a unique tax and banking system, so you might need to supply extra information or documents to meet their needs. 


A paperback version's publication procedure may differ slightly from a digital version's. 


The KDP website should constantly be checked for the most recent information and policies.

For book publishing support visit writerskalam.com 

Cults of the Roman Occupation: The Impact of Roman Religion on Celtic England



The Roman occupation of Celtic England brought about many changes to the indigenous population, including the introduction of new religious beliefs and practices. One aspect of this cultural shift was the emergence of various cults, which developed alongside the Roman religion and had a significant impact on the spiritual beliefs of the Celtic people.

One of the most notable cults to emerge during this time was the cult of the mother goddess, known as the Matres or Matronae. This cult was popular among the Celtic women and was characterised by the worship of mother goddesses who were believed to be responsible for fertility, childbirth and the protection of the home. The cult of the Matres was often associated with the Roman goddesses such as Ceres, Venus and Bona Dea, and was often depicted in statuary and inscriptions throughout Celtic England.

Another significant cult that emerged during the Roman occupation was the cult of the god Mithras. This cult, which originated in the Eastern Roman Empire, was primarily practiced by Roman soldiers and was characterised by secretive initiation rites and the worship of the god of light and truth. The cult of Mithras was particularly popular among the Roman military and had a significant influence on the spiritual beliefs of the Celtic people who came into contact with the Roman soldiers.

The Roman occupation also saw the spread of the cult of the god Apollo, which was associated with healing, prophecy and the arts. The cult of Apollo was particularly popular among the Celtic nobility, who saw the god as a symbol of Roman civilization and culture.

Additionally, the Roman occupation also led to the spread of Christianity among the Celtic people. While the Roman authorities generally tolerated the practice of Christianity, they did not officially support it and often viewed it as a threat to the traditional Roman religion. Nevertheless, Christianity slowly gained popularity among the Celtic population, particularly among the lower classes and among those who had come into contact with Roman soldiers and merchants.

Overall, the Roman occupation of Celtic England brought about significant changes to the spiritual beliefs and practices of the indigenous population. The emergence of various cults, such as the cults of the mother goddess, Mithras, Apollo and Christianity, had a significant impact on the religious landscape of Celtic England. These cults not only influenced the spiritual beliefs of the Celtic people but also played an important role in shaping the cultural and social developments of the region during the Roman occupation.



Thursday, January 19, 2023

LESSONS FROM INSTAGRAM LIVE SESSION: By Writers' Kalam, India's Latest Knowledge-Based Education Venture

 


Wow! This was a fascinating first-time live session from the Writers' Kalam family. 

Special thanks to @_neharora12 and @ankush.bharti11 for being part of this live session. You guys are awesome!

I'd also like to thank all our #Instagram family for encouraging us and for giving us that motivation!

You are awesome!!!

Here are a few lessons that we learnt in this live session! 

I hope this will be useful for anyone trying to use Instagram live for success in their ventures. 

1. We learned that we should announce the live sessions beforehand using a poster for a video message.

2. We understood that there is a growing demand among the young generation of India for Authentic, Brief yet Clear information that is the motto of The Holistic Pine - authenticity brevity and clarity. 

3. We realised that we should keep the time of the live sessions limited so that we can work on the next issue of our journal and also on the many projects of writerskalam.com!

The demand is so much that our Instagram family was not letting us leave the live session, and it is inspiring and at the same time terrifying in a good way. It reminded us of our true responsibility towards them, that is, to deliver authentic, good-quality content in a brief yet clear manner. 

4. When you feel a lack of motivation always do a live session because your Instagram family is there to support you always. 

These are a few lessons we learned from our live session today! 

Ciao, until next time!

To know more about us, visit writerskalam.com 

Or

theholisticpine.com


Sunday, January 15, 2023

The Holistic Pine Features Siju Rajan



When you are the owner of a sole proprietorship even Sundays are no off days. you have to work hard to make your visions a reality.


Of course, it is important to have a vision. When writers Kalam was starting I had a vision of Helping India Write. 


My friends, who took part in this journey along with me also realised the importance of the vision.


Many people are crippled by the fact that they do not have control over their written language. When you do not know how to write properly or how to write efficiently you could be losing out on many opportunities.


It is the mission of WritersKalam.com to go into schools, colleges, and other educational institutions to help students and teachers find a balance between their language and writing skills.


With this purpose in mind, we started a journal, the first independent online journal in India, The Holistic Pine.


When I see the massive reception the journal is receiving I feel proud about the decision of starting this journal.


The January issue of the Holistic Pine carries a very important column article on the psychological implications of the COVID pandemic.


It also features Siju Rajan's writing on "Where to Invest your Time and Resources in 2023."


Don't lose out on financial freedom. Invest wisely this year. Learn it all in this month's issue of The Holistic Pine, coming out in print and digital this week.



Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Interview with Ankush Bharti, Chief Editor of The Holistic Pine

 


The Holistic Pine, an independent international monthly journal is creating ripples in India and abroad with its treatment of subject matter and audacity of presentation. The avid reader found one’s haven of reading inside the pages of The Holistic Pine. The pine revolution of reading is an offshoot of Writers’ Kalam, a knowledge-based educational venture initiated by the renowned Indian English author Anu Lal. The venture envisions catering to the rising demands in bridge courses that can help candidates seeking future employment opportunities in equipping themselves better to meet professional challenges.  


The second issue of The Holistic Pine came out in December of 2022 and the timing of this issue couldn’t have been better. The new year broke with the stupendously insightful read on the various arenas of education. With J Krishnamurti, philosopher and educator on its cover, the journal carried articles like “Period Education Project”, “God’s of Education”, “Death of Pedagogy”, “School Phobia”, and “9 best Educators”. The second issue also features a line of new-generation courses, which would be immensely helpful for students and parents who wish to make the best of the coming academic year. 


With the view of exploring further about The Holistic Pine, The Indian Commentator spoke to the head of the creative team behind it, Ms Ankush Bharti, the Chief Editor of the journal. She is an author, a life coach, a motivational speaker, an NLP practitioner, NLP Trainer, a caricature artist, and a stage performer. She has directed plays and worked as a theatre artist. Her recent books include Letters to Life and Stories from the Soil


A special word of gratitude to Ankush ma’am for giving us the time and opportunity to interview her. Thank you, ma’am, for taking out precious time from your busy schedule. 


The interview: 


1. What are the challenging elements involved in the job of the Chief Editor?

As the Chief Editor, I don't face many challenges because I have a brilliant team. The Holistic Pine has new themes every month and getting topics that add to the epistemology is difficult. Thinking from the perspective of an audience is super difficult at times because firstly, it's a journal and secondly, we have given it the twist of a magazine. All the international and national writers who are a part of it are not just content writers. Managing all the departments simultaneously is an uphill task especially when I get the final draft. Our founder is the backbone of this journal since he gives me creative freedom. To make it readable by everyone I try to include new and relevant topics.


2. How would you look at those who exist in the margins in the world of literature and in general, as the Chief Editor of an independent journal?

Writers who are not mainstream are getting acknowledged by self-publishing platforms. First, the writers used to struggle a lot to get their works published and the market was ruled by big publishers. In the past few years, self-publishing came back as a boon for marginal and unpopular writers, supported by digital technology. It saves them from facing exploitation at the hands of publishers. It’s not easy to make a big name in this writing industry. What could be the bestseller idea is independent of one’s caste, creed, colour or gender. The audience or readers are the gods here. Yes, advertising your works will make them big. So it's not just quality that creates marginal writers and mainstream writers, as they tell us in the media. It's always these market elements that intervene and those who are unable or uninterested in dabbling in this matrix, would certainly go down in the fight to stay afloat and become unpopular and marginal. 


3. I read somewhere that you love reading and are an avid reader. Do you have a favourite book? A favourite writer?

 Yes, you heard it right. But I am unable to pick just one book or a writer because all of them were important as they all taught me some life lessons. 


4. Tell us about your birthplace

I was born in the district of Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. My house is located in the village of Bara. I have spent a maximum of years in Shimla since my dad was working there. After his retirement, we shifted here to Bara village. It's a beautiful place and the river Beas is just a walking distance of 10 minutes. It is home to natural wildlife and greenery. It gave me another understanding of solitude and the strong social norms in a village. Due to globalisation villages have also become advanced. People here have access to organic farming. There is a natural inclination among the youth to move out to bigger cities but still, they are emotionally connected to their culture.


5. Tell us about your journey as a writer

My journey has been different from others as a writer. My first poem got published in our school magazine when I was in class 4th. I continued writing and it took a beautiful shape since I love to read. My writing became more intense after losing my mother at the age of 11. I started writing a diary in which I would pen down my thoughts and emotional outbursts. Growing up was not easy but writing gave me a haven. I could write fiction also because I was able to add a pinch of my own experiences to it. I write in both Hindi and English. During college, I won many writing competitions.


6. Who inspired you the most in pursuing your journey as a writer? 

I had a lecturer in our college who encouraged me towards this field. I had no idea about writing as a profession but writing gives me joy even today.


7. Tell us about your mentor.

My Life was shaped by my mentor whom I met when I was in class 10th. He was not my school teacher but was a highly knowledgeable person. He helped me build confidence and gave me a new perspective on life. I developed my communication skills due to him. He motivated me to ask questions and made my subjects so interesting that I opted for humanities in class 11th. He died in 2009 but I still remember him as a strong human.

  

8. What is the most important lesson that you’d like to share with the present generation in their career? 

I would like to say the sky's the limit for you. So many career options have come up that you can choose from. Don’t neglect your health.


9. What is your message to young writers?

Young writers shouldn't run after being the bestseller as it could drain them. The process of writing, in itself, is a marathon. It needs a consistent approach rather than trying to make it big overnight. Read a lot since it will give an overview of other writers. Writing can be boring if taken professionally. So ask yourself this question: are you a creative writer or do you want to make money out of it? Once this answer is clear, you will be able to do justice to your writing. Don’t be bent down by negative reviews. Keep writing.


10. How can we get our writings published in The Holistic Pine? Please visit our website theholisticpine.com. You can submit your articles at theholisticpine@gmail.com. If we find them good enough we will include them in our journal. The articles should be good, grammatically, well-researched, and plagiarism free. 




Monday, January 2, 2023

The God Impact



The God Impact is the gratitude I feel in my heart for the passage that I was granted to cross the tumultuous waters of the past year. The year was tough, in every sense. As the past year dawned, emotions were overflowing, dangers were rising head high, and enemies had already sharpened their weapons and were ready to pounce on my family and me. As the year matured, the ground slipped from under our feet. 


We looked for help everywhere, and no one helped us. Relatives joined the enemies, and with friends, I had already kept a distance for fear of losing them all forever. In the absence of any human support, I realised that God became Man two thousand years ago and that I had chosen to walk his Way, the Way. 


God had taken human birth and had gone through every trial and tribulation that man would go through in life. So looking at Him, His cross, I found that I have only one refuge and that is the cross of Christ. So, I held on to it while the storms raged around me. There were moments when I thought even my faith would be lost forever. I remember moments when I prayed desperately, “Lord, please don’t let my faith die.”


God works miracles in ways that we cannot expect or predict. The sea of darkness in front of me parted ways as the year came to a close, and I was granted passage. When I stepped on the sandy shore of the new year with my family, I thanked God for the hope that still gleamed in the bottom of my heart. Still, after facing all these turmoils, where there seemed no hope for life, I hoped for a better tomorrow.  


I could muster the courage to hope. There seemed a way out of the predicament I had found myself in. There was a ray of hope at the other end of the tunnel. Therefore, I would like to name the previous year, The God Impact.