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Why We Need Independent Presses Like Story Artisan Press
When faced with rejection, niche writers need to be change- makers and risk takers
‘If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.’ — Toni Morrison
As writers of the diaspora, Nandini Patwardhan and I had been following that advice for almost two decades, penning essays and stories that spoke of our experience and world view. Encouraged by the success of Indian American authors such as Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Bharati Mukherjee, we hoped to publish our work in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and even the coveted New York Times. Unfortunately, we encountered rejections from multiple literary outlets, big and small.
Nandini and I met through our writing that appeared in a California-based Indian American print magazine, one of the few that was open to publishing our personal essays. Our association strengthened when I started contributing a regular column to Desijournal, Nandini’s innovative online magazine that featured thought-provoking and authentic content by Indian expats.
By late 2018, Nandini had researched and written a full-length biography and I had completed the first draft of my memoir. When we resumed contact, we were not surprised to discover that we had…
