Hyderabad, October 15, 2019…….All brilliant authors’ works were rejected initially. Harry Potter story was rejected by publishers 12 times. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell was rejected 38 times before it was published. Carrie by Stephen King was rejected 30 times before it was published. Chicken Soup got rejected 33 times. Ashwin Sanghis first book got rejected 47 times. For writers rejection is a way of life shared Ashwin Sanghi; India’s highest-selling English fiction authors while addressing a 200 plus gathering of FICCI Ladies Organisation(FLO).
He was addressing an interactive session “13 Steps To Bloody Good Luck” here in the city at Hotel Park at Somajiguda. He is the writer in the fiction-Thriller genre.
He is the author of The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, and The Krishna Key, all are based on historical, theological and mythological themes. He also authored other books—The Sialkot Saga, Keepers of the Kalachakra and the two New York Times bestselling crime thrillers with James Patterson, Private India and Private Delhi.
Ashwin Sanghi is well known for his works as conspiracy fiction writer took the gathering through the journey of Good Luck and Bloody Good Luck. He was sharing 13 steps to Blood Good Luck.
Ashwin Sanghi who also known as an author of the new era of retelling Indian history or mythology in a contemporary context shared six steps out of 13, which include: Persistence, Patience, People, Positivity, Practice and Planning. I am not revealing all the 13. If you want to know the rest you may have to buy the book he said.
Luck is the matter of preparation meeting opportunity he explained.
While explaining what was Bloody Good Luck he said 99% is traditional Luck which we all are familiar with and what is 1%? That 1% is Bloody Good Luck, he demystified the concept of The Bloody Luck.
He gave many captivating small stories to explain each of the six concepts of the book titled “13 Steps Bloody Good Luck”. He gave a story of Mohammed Anwar Ahmed whose small investment in Wipro went on to become 523 crores.
While explaining people and connections, he gave an example of Pt. Ravishankar whose success he attributed to network besides the talent. Luck hates loneliness. If you are alone, you will be unlucky.
Explaining positivity how a small survey proved that there is nothing like lucky and unlucky. It is only about positivity and negativity, he said.
How practice makes perfect, he explained the 10K rule of Outliers. Gladwell repeatedly mentioned in his book the "10,000-Hour Rule", claiming that the key to achieving world-class expertise in any skill, is to practice the same thing 10,000 hours.
The interactive session was organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), over 100 members of FLO interacted with the author who Forbes India included him in their Celebrity 100 list.
At the end of the presentation, he took questions and answered them. Replying to a question, Ashwin said, writing is not an art, it is a craft”.
I mail myself 10,000 times my creative ideas. I write between 5 am to 9 am. I research 15 months, plan plot and then write, he shared.
As a child, my Nanaji introduced to me to book reading. We used to give one book a week. He must have given me little over 400 books on a wide variety of subjects over a period of time. Without knowing to myself an author was brewing in me through that exercise, he shared.
My cousin, who new book writing told me that there were three rules for writing a novel. And those three rules were she said, “unfortunately, no one knows what they are”. So there are no quick fix rules for novel writing he shared.
If your novel tells such a story that stops somebody going to the bathroom is the compelling story he added.
Ashwin’s works speak volumes so much so that he is being hailed as the Indian Dan Brown for his both books—The Rozabal Line and The Krishna Key, both are critically acclaimed as the Indian version of The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol.
Besides writing, Ashwin also mentors, co-writes and edits titles in the immensely popular 13 Steps Series, on Luck, Wealth, Marks, Parenting and Health and more are expected.
A management graduate from Yale School of Management, he got into his family business. But, his first journey as a writer began in 1991 while he was studying at Yale for the SOM Chronicle, witty and irrelevant take on MBA Life.
I started writing The Rozabal Line while continuing to work full-time. I completed it two years later and was rejected by 47 literary agents and publishers, he shares. I self-published The Rozabal Line under the pseudonym Shawn Haigins in 2007. In 2009, The Rozabal Line was published by Tata-Westland under the name Ashwin Sanghi and went on to become a bestseller, he shared
This was followed by Chanakya’s Chant in 2010 and The Krishna Key in 2012. He left his full-time job with MK Sanghi Group in the year 2013 to pursue his writing career.
Now he is pursuing dual careers—business and writing.