Mysuru: Books that inspire social change enhance the interaction between writers, publishers and booksellers with society. It is essential to understand local conditions before deciding the pricing of such books, opined Siyahi Literary Consultancy Founder and CEO Mita Kapur, writer Kanishk Gupta and novelist Anita Nair.

They were speaking at the panel discussion on the topic ‘Working Behind the Covers Spotting, Selecting and Selling Books’ at the Mysuru Literary Festival yesterday.

“Publication is a different business compared to others.  It is important to know about several factors, including the selection of a book, topic, design and market conditions before publishing a book, as they have a great impact on society,” they said. They also added that the writer and publishers must bring out books that contribute to societal changes and not project themselves.

Anita Nair said, when compared to other countries, the prices of books were comparatively lower in India and stated writers can collect opinions before publishing their books.

“Good books need no publicity as they speak in the market. Similarly, there is also no need for agents to sell books within the country and they become a necessity when selling them in other countries. There is also a need to have good coordination between the writer and publisher,” she added.

Writer Kanishk Gupta said that books translated from different languages also have importance. Citing the example of ‘Heart Lamp,’ which won the International Booker Prize 2015, he said that sale of the book had increased worldwide.

“It is important that the perspective of the original book is maintained while it is being translated to other languages,” he added. Publisher Chirag Thakkar moderated the  panel discussion.