Niladri Mitra

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an independent writer from Kolkata, India. I started writing very early at the age of twelve and though initially I only wrote poems and songs, I later expanded my repertoire as I got older and now I write in several forms. I have written five books so far and they include two novels, one novella, a collection of poems and a collection of short stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new book is a collection of short stories called Beyond The Grey Line: The Illusions Of Time. As one can probably guess from the title, the book plays around with the concept of time as well as elements of the supernatural and psychology. I have always been fascinated with these topics and the subjective nature of each of them and as a storyteller I always strive to write stories that are fresh and which engage the reader on a very intellectual level. Writing this book with the central theme of time and the supernatural gave me the chance to do just that and I’m hoping that my readers will not be disappointed with the effort I’ve made to bring them stories that are not only experimental but also a little challenging.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it’s unusual or not but I can’t write too much in one sitting. Although, I tend to finish a substantial word count everyday when I’m writing but that’s always achieved in sort of small laps throughout the day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sidney Sheldon has had a huge influence on me. I love his work and I’m a huge fan of his storytelling abilities. My favourite book of all time is a Sheldon book called If Tomorrow Comes. Then there are others also from both classic and contemporary literature who have greatly influenced me like Charles Dickens, Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, John Grisham, Rabindranath Tagore, etc. I’ve learned a lot by reading each of their works.

What are you working on now?
When it comes to my writing, I’m not a multitasker at all. I take it one project at a time. I’ve just released my book and I’m pretty sure my next will be a novel. I have the outline of it in my head and will most probably start work on it from next month.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter has been immensely helpful when it comes to marketing and promotions. I’m fortunate enough to have a decent following and I try to interact with people as much as possible and as honestly as possible, so that has definitely helped me get a few readers. I’ve also become quite active on Instagram since last year and that’s helpful too. Other than that I’m also collaborating with a couple of book bloggers as well and I want to take this opportunity to get the word out that if you’re a book blogger then do get in touch with me and hopefully we can collaborate too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what comes naturally to you. Don’t look at what’s selling in the market or what kind of genres are trending because if you go against your own instincts and write only for the market then chances are that you’ll end up with a product that’ll come across as disconnected because you’re heart was never in it. Also, don’t run after deadlines. It’s good to set goals for yourself but don’t despair if you can’t meet them. Writing is an internal process and sometimes it just doesn’t click. Be patient and trust your ability.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To keep the language simple so that it connects with everybody. It’s really a myth that using fancy words is a sign of good writing and I did commit the mistake of believing it once but then someone told me to ease up on my language and I can safely say that my writing has become much better and fluid after that.

What are you reading now?
The Girl Before by JP Delaney.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m trying my best to get published traditionally because that’s a dream of mine. If all goes well then my next book will a traditionally published one. I’m also venturing into editing and proofreading. So let’s see how that goes.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If Tomorrow Comes.
The entire Sherlock Holmes collection.
Piccadilly Jim.
A Tale Of Two Cities.

Author Websites and Profiles
Niladri Mitra Website
Niladri Mitra Amazon Profile

Niladri Mitra’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account