Writing a book is a dream for many, and for a few of us, it feels as far as becoming an astronaut. Here are my few cents to help create more authors.
It all began on a pilgrimage
Many years ago, I was travelling with my grandfather on a pilgrimage. He advised me that there are three things one should do in life — to call it well lived.
- To conduct a marriage.
- To build a house.
- And to write a book.
I feel fortunate to have completed all three, dharmically, without compromising on values. Life teaches a lot.
The first spark – Writing a book
About twenty years ago, I visited a local bookstore and told them that I was planning to write a book and wanted to know how to get it displayed there. The store person smiled and said that I would need to visit a print house in Chennai. That’s where it stopped.
Years later, when I left NTT DATA to pursue my dream through HabitZup Innovations — with a mission to create one million strong, positive, and stress-free individuals — the purpose of writing a book came alive again.
The result was I’m Not Busy – A Guide to Conscious Living. It received heart-touching testimonials and continues to reach people meaningfully.
You can get a copy here:
https://habitzup.com/buy-i-am-not-busy-book/
The fire spread
After that, I wrote four more books — the Hippo Dippo Jumbo Toolbox series for children and parents. I’m grateful to my gurus, my family, and my friends for supporting me in this new direction.
Author Madan Ganesh became a reality.
For the Hippo Dippo Jumbo Series, you can get it from:
India – https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0FQH6CD23
Global – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQH6CD23
The publishing journey
Over time, I explored several printing and publishing options. I compared the ease of publishing, costs, and global reach across many platforms.
All my five books are published via Amazon KDP, and they are available globally — in print and Kindle formats. The only limitation is India, as KDP doesn’t have a local distribution tie-up.
Like Steve Jobs once said — “connecting the dots” — one of my college-mate’s school friends happened to run a print house in Tamil Nadu. Through HabitZup, I was able to make the first print run and sell directly through Amazon and HabitZup Website (www.habitzup.com). For self-printing, one needs to obtain an ISBN and display it on the back cover. You can use isbn.gov.in to get them – which takes about 3 days.
Later, I visited Sapna Book House Head Office in Bengaluru, hoping to list my book there. The team advised me to come through distributors — a reminder that founders always look for solutions by walking the path themselves. Sapna Book House kindly gave connects of other distributors as well.
Among various Indian self-publishing options — Notion Press, WhiteFalcon, Pothi, Evincepub, and Ingram — I found Notion Press most practical.
For I’m Not Busy, I opted for their basic ₹4,000+ plan (no support from Notion Press). It made my book available through Flipkart and Amazon India with print-on-demand setup. Their review process was detailed, with several rounds of feedback and corrections. We managed the design part ourselves within HabitZup.
Every other print house turned out to be costlier.
Reflections – Writing a book
To write a book, in my view, one must enjoy telling a story.
I often tell parents — write your story. Your children may not remember the difficult path you travelled, and without it, they may fall for the wrong influences.
The experience of writing and self-publishing a book felt exactly like running a bootstrapped startup — uncertain, creative, demanding, and deeply satisfying.
Truly grateful.
