Iting on Shafiq Alibhai

Book Publishing Process

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:24:49 +0000

The stages of publishing a book, in rough order:

Writing — research, drafting, revising until you have a complete manuscript.
Editing — developmental editing for structure and narrative, then line editing for prose, then copyediting for grammar and consistency.
Proofreading — final pass for typos and formatting errors before anything goes to print.
Design — cover design and interior layout (fonts, margins, page breaks).
Production — printing or e-book formatting. Offset lithography for large runs, digital printing for shorter ones.
Marketing — promotional materials, advertising, media outreach, social media.
Distribution — getting the book to readers via publishers, online retailers, bookshops, or direct sales.

Writing

Start with a concept, do the research, outline the structure, then draft. The first draft doesn’t need to be good — it needs to exist. Revision comes after. Get feedback from beta readers or a critique group before you consider the manuscript finished.

Bathukamma

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 10:50:01 +0000

Bathukamma is a flower festival from Telangana. Women stack seasonal flowers into tiered arrangements, sing songs while dancing around them, and at the end of each day float them in water. It runs for about ten days in the autumn, usually September or October, and coincides with the end of the monsoon when flowers are at their peak.

The name comes from “Bathuku Amba” — may she live long — and is directed at Goddess Gauri. It’s not a festival with a single grand ceremony. It’s something that happens in neighbourhoods, courtyards, and public squares across Telangana, with each group making their own arrangement and singing their own songs.

The House That Bends

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:50:01 +0000

Introduction to Maison Horta

Maison Horta is one of those buildings that makes you stop and stare. It’s on a quiet street in Brussels, tucked away behind what looks like an ordinary façade, but step inside and the whole thing opens up into something that feels almost impossible — a house made of curves, light, and ironwork that looks like it’s growing out of the walls.

Victor Horta built it in 1893, right at the tail end of what we now call Art Nouveau. The style is easy to recognise: flowing lines, organic shapes, a deliberate break from the stiff, symmetrical architecture that came before it. Horta didn’t just adopt the style — he helped invent it. Maison Horta is his first major work, and it’s still one of the best examples of what Art Nouveau could be.

Staying Online

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:30:40 +0000

Back in the ’80s the Bee Gees crooned “Staying Alive.” In today’s parlance, that would be “Staying Online.”

Corny reference aside, the point is: building a web presence is one of the most important things you can do for your personal and professional life. But what does that actually mean? Is it just getting an email address? Putting up a website? Something about your online conduct? It’s all of those things and more. It’s closer to creating an identity — the online version of who you are.