Do you know there is a magical alternative reality everywhere around us? That version of the charming multiverse feels more real than our own version of everyday reality. Every now and then we crave to enter this immersive world, where we get so involved and absorbed that we begin to live in those fictional tales and wonderful stories driven by fabulous characters and their journeys.
It is the metaverse of books. For different people, books represent distinct parallels. For some, it is the school where they learn not only to read their letters but the very philosophy of their lives. Yet for others, books play the role of Guru, guiding them throughout their lifetimes. And for ardent book lovers, books are like best friends forever, playing the role of compassionate companion wherever and whenever they need it.
In the fast pace of modern lives, some might get a feeling that people are reading less and less books, nowadays. However, that is not true. Just like any life cannot live without food, we, the homo sapiens, cannot live without the food for our thoughts. In fact, books are our philosophers, our wizards who over the aeons have wizened us, enabling us to evolve more and more into homo sapiens, sapiens. We get spellbound by the charms of words and the magic of books, always and forever.
It was her passion, obsession, and enormous love for books that Antara Bhattacharjee founded My Secret Bookshelf, a magical wand for all the book lovers, a wand which lets them enter the magical world of classics and fictions.
Antara shares the secret, “We are a community of readers, who come together in this world of hustles and rat races to enjoy the fragrance of a new book, to enter a new story. We are currently operating in three dimensions: Book Store, Book Club, and Author Promotion Program.”
She spoke in an interview with Insights Success, where she revealed the idea behind her bringing this universe full of magnificence to all of us, the devoted bibliophiles.
Please tell us more about My Secret Bookshelf.
My Secret Bookshelf is a unique online bookstore that offers books by Indian authors and promotes their writings. In fact, it is a warm community of book lovers who come together to interact with each other and discuss and enjoy the book’s passion. Apart from its feature of an online bookstore, it also includes a book club and an author promotional program.
The website is very subtle and welcoming with numerous book titles put up on display. The best part is that it offers books at a special price on the MRP.
What was your inspiration behind venturing into the business arena?
My Secret bookshelf is an online bookstore established in 2018 with the objective of promoting Indian authors and their writings. We wanted to nurture the habit of reading by recommending books which are written by Indian authors.
What were the initial challenges that you had to surmount to ensure My Secret bookshelf’s success rate of reaching greater heights?
The challenge to date has been with marketing and promotions. To let people, know about our existence and why they should buy books from us.
What professional values and qualities do you think your clients’ value in you and My Secret bookshelf, the most?
Transparency and consistency in our business have been acknowledged and appreciated. Also, our passion for literature provides the readers with a growing option of numerous titles. My Secret Bookshelf offers all the books at discounted prices which itself is a deciding factor for many customers. Our readers enjoy the privilege of ordering the copies specially signed by the authors themselves.
What are the USPs that highlight My Secret bookshelf?
Unconventional and quality books which are written by Indian authors. We often list author-signed copies. We always provide discounts, and our pricing is less than any other e-commerce website. These aspects make any customer feel special and valued. Encouraging people to buy books at the best prices has increased our popularity steadily as the quality and virtues speak for themselves.
We now have more than 180 titles by Indian writers. We have participated in more than ten literature festivals and book fairs in India in the last three years. My Secret Bookshelf has successfully organised around five online literature festivals in Indian colleges and institutes.
As an experienced professional, what would you like to advise the budding aspirants willing to enter the business world?
If you want to become rich overnight, then this isn’t for you. Bookselling requires perseverance, consistency, passion and love for books. You need to connect with the readers by showcasing your titles in the gallery.
Identify the reasons why any book reader will reach your bookstore and buy from you. Focus on the two main aspects of taking customer feedback and improving your service regularly.
Understanding the basic aspect of any business to sustain and succeed is in their customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers will be loyal ones for a long period of time. They are also a reliable source of reference in recommending our bookstore to their family and social circles.
How do you envision My Secret Bookshelf’s operations with the emerging technologies and automated tools that are revolutionizing the business world by enabling innovations?
Being an online platform, we are approaching most book lovers through online promotions. Search engine optimization of the website is done periodically to direct the customers towards our site www.mysecretbookshelf.co.in
Social Media is the most happening interactive digital platform today, with almost every smartphone user active for some part of the day. Facebook & Instagram promotions, and Twitter updates all constitute approximately eighty per cent of promotions done online.
We encourage the active engagement of our book club members as they gather in our book club events. Various readers share their thoughts, suggestions and feedback on the book of the month.
Our emailers are sent to our database of old and existing customers to keep them updated about our events and activities.
