1. Can you tell us a
little about yourself, your books, and your aspirations and your hobbies!!
I love reading books and so do my children. My hope is
that parents will start encouraging their children to read ebooks on iPads,
Kindle and other tablets and not just to play games … J
In the coming years, I would be working towards making Jojo a Television Series. Before
embarking on this venture, I worked as a Software Enginner in the Silicon
Valley and became a stay-at-home mom to spend time with my children.
2. How you first got
involved in with writing, are you an imaginative person?
I have always loved writing and painting and spent many
summers dabbling in oil painting and peotry as a child. After I took a break from my IT Career to be
with my children, I started making up stories for them. They loved it! My husband suggested that I go the ebook
route and self-publish and so here I am, with close to 250 ebooks J Yes, I do have a vivid imagination and I am
a creative person.
3. What do you find
most challenging about writing about your topic?
Reaching out to parents and getting my ebooks out there
is the hardest part. Sometimes I go on a
writing spree so my illustrations get delayed.
4. Tell me about some
of the people you have met while working on your books?
I have found many topics to address while sitting in the
park or pushing my kids on the swing. Once, I saw a mother struggling to take
her howling child home. That inspired me to write What are you feeling, Dragon?
5. How would
(someone) describe your writing style?
Well, I really couldn’t say. I have tried different styles of
writing. But here is one of the great reviews
I have received for my book
(Toto Tiger) about being nice to others: “Toto tiger by Sujatha Lalgudi is just awesome. I love reading this
with my son who now practically knows every single word. It teaches him so many
things; different animals, patterns etc but most of all, how to be a good
person! Sujatha lalgudi's work is impressive with colorful illustrations. We
simply loved it. Check out her other books too. “
6. What do you do
when you are not working on your books?
Probably taking my kids to classes, baking, discussing my
latest book idea with my family. I also spend a great deal of time conducting
story-telling sessions in schools, libraries and cafes.
7 .Where do you see
yourself writing wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?
I have over 20 books that need to be illustrated and
published. This year, I plan to have Indian languages like Hindi, Sanskrit and
pretty much all the South Indian languages.
I am working towards releasing related apps to make learning a more fun
activity. Publishing Audio books is
another todo to encourage newbie readers to read. Making a TV Series is big on my list right
now so trying to work that out.
8. What networking do
you do that you feel helps your writing business?
I visit schools and libraries to conduct story-telling
sessions. My goal is to meet one lakh
kids in the coming years. A lot of
children get excited when I tell them I will be reading the book I authored J
So far I have met close to 500 children.
9. How do you keep
coming up with material/content for your books? Many people struggle with
coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one books.
I am never short of stories J My children are my biggest inspiration. When I
struggle with something as a parent, it ends up in a story. When I see
parents/caretakers dealing with certain issues, lo presto! Jojo, my favorite elephant character
goes through the same and comes out happier with the lesson learned.
10. What’s your
strategy with your books in general?
There is no strategy here. Publishing books is my passion. I
have the best ‘job’ in the world! J
11. Any specific tips
you have for newbie authors who want to make it in the book world?
One word: Write! It is theraupetic. But if your goal is to
make lots of money or to be famous, get in line!!
13. What’s the best
thing an author can give his/her readers?
Something they can take away with them at the end of the
book: A happy thought, a call for action or a simple lesson in case it’s a book
for children.
14. A lot of people
are interested in blogging/writing for the money earning potential. What are
some tips for people interesting in making money from blogging/writing? What
are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?
Unless it’s a paid project, I am not entirely sure if you
can make a living out of this profession, unless of course you are an overnight
success (which I don’t believe exists!!).
But if writing is your thing or you have an opinion or a message to
share, then the passion will take you where you want to go, eventually…
15. What motivates
you most in life?
Purpose.
16. What has been
your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your books?
Undoubtedly, my story-telling sessions for children.
Atleast, in India!
17. Which genre do
you feel gets the raw deal?
Picture Books for children! In my experience, parents
have to like the book as much as the children to pick it up from stores. For example, my book Where
is Santa - A Christmas Picture book for Children was a best-seller in the
Christmas category two years ago. I still got a few reviews that said quote:
“It was okay, my 9
year old enjoyed it. But it wasn't really as stimulating as I thought it would
be for my girls. But a good Christmas book indeed!” This book was meant for children between 3 – 7
years …
18. Five adjectives
that describe you.
Creative. Passionate. Driven. Serious. Simple.
19. What book would
you say has made the biggest impact good or bad on you?
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It’s a classic
and I enjoyed reading it to my children as much as they did. Here’s another one
from my childhood: The Giving Tree. It has absolutely no words.
20. Do you get easily
provoked by positive/negative comments??
I wouldn’t call it provoked. But it does affect me when I
work on the next book. It gets added as one more ingredient to my story.
21. Are you a
judgmental person, do you prefer to take sides instead of standing neutral?
I am not judgemental but I have my opinions and pet peeves.
22. What genre
attracts you the most and which genre you avoid?
Books for children is almost always my biggest attraction. I
usually avoid chic-lit or paranormal genres.
23. Your Views on
Contests and increasing plagiarism?
Take it as a compliment! Your work will speak for itself, I
guess J
24. Words for me and
my blogs Desire v/s Destiny and Blogger Interviews and my Website www.MyMagicJobs.com
Thank you for giving this opportunity to Authors and
Bloggers. Keep the passion going and am sure your blog will be on the path to
the most sought after J
25. On winning the
Award/s, Are they really necessary.
Perhaps I can comment on it after I receive one? Jokes
apart, I do believe every artist, be it an actor or an author seeks some sort
of recognition for the work they do. It also helps them to reach out to their
audience as it gives them additional credibility.
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