Frequently Asked Questions: 4-Week Young Authors Online Course

What are the main objectives of the workshop?

An author’s workshop can benefit students in many ways. It will improve their vocabulary, and writing skills. Their levels of creativity will go up. Since students will invariably go through the writings of others, they will develop the habit of reading. 

There is also a not-so-tangible benefit, which is the improvement in their confidence level. Once students themselves become authors, the way they look at books (academic and non-academic) written by others will be different. They will know that authors are no smarter than themselves. They will start to critically evaluate the quality of books. All these will have a positive impact on their studies. 

However, the ‘official’ objective of the workshop is to capture the world view of the students (and the world order they wish to see in place). Everything, right from the names of their characters to the plot and the flow of the narrative, will speak volumes of the world they live in, their belief systems, and aspirations. In essence, the book they will author, would serve as a snapshot of their logic and imagination.  

What will be the key outcome of the workshop?

An ebook not exceeding 50 pages (12,500 words - going by 250 words per page). The book will be published on Amazon Kindle book store. 

Note: Print book is not part of the deliverable of the workshop. However, arrangements can be made for print books upon request. The charges for the same can be arrived at based on several factors, including: 1) number of pages, 2) page and cover thickness, and 3) colours. Please find the details about the additional costs involved at the FAQ section on ‘fee’. 

Will my book have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN)?

No. 

An ISBN isn’t required to publish an eBook with Kindle. Once the book is published on Kindle, Amazon will assign it a 10-digit ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), which is unique to the eBook, and is an identification number for the Kindle eBook on Amazon.

How many pages will the book have?

The number of pages of the book differs from student to student. Some may write more and some may not. And that is perfectly fine. We don’t have to keep any quantitative target. It could range anywhere from 15 to 50 (excluding the front and back wrappers, pages carrying details about the publications, notes/bibliography, etc).  

What if a student writes less than 15 pages (or about 2,000 words)?

It is highly unlikely. But if for some reason a student is not able to produce the minimum required output, the project will be kept on hold. Special arrangements have to be made to get the student hit the targeted word count. This could involve a new estimate of time and cost. 

What if a student writes more than 50 pages (or about 10,000 words)?

This workshop is like a project. It has defined start and end dates. Hence, we have to honour the scope, so as to avoid missing the closing date. The scope of the project is strictly limited to 50 pages. Unless it is absolutely necessary, the book will not have additional pages. But the more the number of words, the better the quality of the final manuscript. For, the resource person will have more room to edit the book. So, students can - and are encouraged to, write without thinking about the word limit. 

Can the student design the book cover? 

No. The focus is only on writing/authoring. There will be no design session in the workshop. The book wrapper design will be done by a professional layout artist and the student will have only a limited say in the design.

Will the book have photos/images/illustrations within the pages?

Yes, if the book is nonfiction. Even then, the illustrations would be simple tables, graphs, and line drawings. 

No, if the book is fiction. There will be no illustrations, photos, and images within the book pages. However, the layout artist may use some icons at the beginning of the chapters or section dividers. \

Will the students get to view the videos of the lectures when they miss out a class?

There is no guarantee. But we are working on an arrangement for recording the lectures and making them available for the students. When a student is unable to attend a core session (from Class 1 to 5), they may have to set up a one-to-one session with the resource person. 

What is the duration of a batch? 

The workshop comprises 12 online sessions - 3 per week for 4 weeks. However, the workshop will have additional sessions for the students when there is a special case. 

How much time does a student need to commit every day during the workshop?

The online sessions are one hour sessions. They happen three times a week. Besides, students have to commit to spending at least one hour each day (whether there are online sessions or not) throughout the duration of the workshop. Ideally, students will be required to produce 500 words per day for at least 20 days. But it is self paced. When they write, how much they write, and how many days they write, it is all a student’s choice. Please note that there can be unlimited one-to-one phone/WhatsApp/email coaching sessions.

What are the class timings?

The timing for the online classes will be decided based on what works for the majority of the students. Usually, the most preferred slots are: 7:00-08:00 pm on weekdays, and 12:00-01:00 pm on weekends. 

What are the roles of students?

• To attend the classes and complete the given assignments on time (plagiarism should be avoided.) They are expected to produce about 5,000 to 10,000 words of the final draft within the four weeks. 

• To submit the final draft of the book and each chapters in digital format (MS Word or Google Doc)

• To submit their colour photo (passport size) in high resolution

• To prepare the author’s bio (not exceeding 100 words)

• To fix the price of the book 

• To check for the typos and layout mistakes, if any, of the ready-to-print PDF

• To create an author’s page on Kindle (for those who are 18 years old or older)

Can the student use ChatGPT?

Absolutely. However, there are a few guidelines. They will be explained in the class. 

What if the student is not able to complete the book within one month?

There will be 15 more days of grace period to submit the book. For the 2024 batch, which ends on May 12, the final deadline is May 27. If the grace period is missed, then it will not be considered as a part of the current batch. However, if the student is still interested in completing the book, new scope can be created and the resource person can continue to work with the student. For this extension of services, there will be additional charges. 

What will be the roles of the parents/family members/friends/other adults?

Non-interference! The idea is to kindle the imagination of the child, and produce the imagination, as it is, in letter and spirit. Introducing the logic of the adults will be nothing but contamination. However, parents can discuss with their children about the workshop, its progress, and so on. 

Obviously, parents need to support the children with the necessary infrastructure, and facilitate the writing process by helping them enjoy uninterrupted time during the writing hours.

What are the roles of the resource person?

• To introduce the steps and techniques involved in each stage of the writing process through classes and one-to-one followup/doubt clearing sessions

• To edit and finetune the manuscript - a.k.a final draft 

• To organise for the page layout and publishing of the ebook on Kindle 

• To publish the book under Atlas Books or any other imprint on Kindle (when the author is a minor)

• To pay the royalty (60% of the realisation of the sale) to the author, when copies are sold and as soon as Amazon makes the settlement 

• To coordinate with the page layout artist to prepare the Ready to Print copy of the book, and the printing of the book (When the student, decides to print the book)  

• To ensure that the printed books are delivered to the authors (within India) 

How long will it take for the resource person to come up with the edited version?

Since everything depends on the word count or number of pages, this should be calculated at the end of the project. Once the final draft is submitted, the resource person can take up to 30 days to edit the final draft of the student. The estimate of time will be made once the final draft is submitted. 

Can the resource person delete or add sections of the student?

Yes. If a student writes 5000 words, it does not mean that the final book will have 5000 words. Because, the student’s final draft will be edited for clarity, and it would mean there will be fewer or more than 5000 words. 

Will the student make changes to the edited version?

No! There can be no revisions after the edited version. The student has to leave everything to the discretion of the resource person! 

What is the workshop fee?

It is Rs. 8,000 (Rupees Eight Thousand). The fee covers 12 classes, unlimited one-to-one coaching during the month, editing, and layout design and Kindle publishing. It must be paid in full at the time of enrollment.  

Can I get a refund if I discontinue the workshop?

No!

How much will it cost to print the book?

The printing cost involves the following two components: 1) layout design exclusively for the print edition, and 2) printing. The exact cost of these two items will be based on the number of pages of the book, the page and wrapper quality (in terms of GSM), and colours involved. Once the ready-to-print book is prepared, we can get the quotation for you. The minimum order value is 100 copies. 

Just to give you an idea of the print book cost, it could be about Rs. 1500 for the layout design, and Rs. 30 per book of around 25 pages (which is the average size of the book of the workshop participants). Considering that the minimum order value is 100 copies, the printing cost would be Rs. 3,000. And the total cost would be Rs. 4,500 (this excludes transportation charges).

What are the steps involved in enrollment?

Students - and their parents, should go through the FAQ and get clarifications, if any, from the resource person. They can contact the resource person at sankar@sankarg.com or via WhatsApp: +91-9080190031. 

When they are satisfied with the arrangement, they can apply. Please note that the 2024 batch will have no more than 5-7 students. Enrollment will be based on the availability of seats and a few other criteria. 

The student will be required to write a letter of self introduction and the purpose of joining the workshop in their own words. The letter will help in the assessment of the thought process, and the writing style or competency of the students. 

Is the course fee same for students outside India? 

The fee is different on account of exchange rate fluctuations, transaction fee for intermediaries, and so on. Kindly let me calculate and share the details with you. 

Can the student design the book cover? 

No. The focus is only on writing/authoring. There will be no design session in the workshop. The book wrapper design will be done by a professional layout artist and the student will have only a limited say in the design.

Will my book have ISBN number?

ISBN is a unique number given to a book. No, ISBN is not part of the deal. If you are very particular that your book should have one, we could discuss. It involves more time or cost or both.