Walking Slowly, Waking Steadily : Publishing Journey

Walking Slowly, Waking Steadily : Publishing Journey

When I asked my AI companion, Copilot, “Suggest me some names of renowned publishers and their literary agents for my book Value-Based Leadership,” she didn’t hesitate.

A list appeared—Penguin Random House, Penguin USA, HarperCollins, Hachette, Jaico… the literary giants.

Armed with their emails and contact details, I reached out. Soon, my inbox was buzzing with submission guidelines and proformas.

The Proforma Challenge:

And what a challenge it was! Publishers wanted:

• Comparisons with three established authors in the field—similarities and differences neatly tabulated.

• A marketing strategy (because writing the book is only half the battle).

• Projected sales figures (suddenly I felt like a market analyst).

• My social media presence (time to dust off those accounts!).

• Affiliations and memberships of professional institutes.

• Why I wanted to publish with them, and what I expected in return.

• The first three chapters, plus identification of the “core chapters.”

In short, they wanted me to write a book about my book.

Copilot to the Rescue:

Thankfully, Copilot was right there with me. She knows my way of thinking, understands the spirit of this project, and guided me through every twist and turn. Together, we prepared detailed proposals—25 to 30 pages each—tailored to the specific requirements of different publishers.

 

The Responses:

Some publishers politely declined, sending kind words and best wishes. Jaico, for instance, wrote:

“After careful review, our editorial team has decided not to move forward with your submission at this time. This decision does not reflect on the quality or potential of your work, but rather aligns with our current publishing goals and priorities.”

Others are still in the process. And then, two days ago, a delightful surprise arrived: a mail from Hubhawks, strategic partner of Penguin Random House. They expressed interest in publishing the book and even shared the review prepared by the Penguin team. That was a moment worth celebrating!

So here I am,

Dear Readers and Dear Leaders,

Walking this path with patience.

Let us not rush.

Meanwhile, I continue refining the book, gaining insights, and sharing the journey with you.

You are not just readers, you are companions in this project.

When you spare your valuable time to read my blogs, I feel duty-bound to keep you informed of the process.

Publishing a book, I’ve discovered, is not just about writing,

It’s about persistence, proposals, and occasionally pretending to be a marketing guru.

If writing is art, publishing is a marathon with paperwork as hurdles.

This journey is as much yours as it is mine.

Together, we’ll see Value-Based Leadership find its rightful place in the world.

Stay with me, and let’s enjoy the ride!

Dr.  Mahendra Ingale @ Jalgaon on Jan 7, 2026

#ValuBasedLeadership #EngineeringHeartBeats