Indian economist and civil servant
Rachna was immensely helpful in promoting Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia’s memoir Breaking Through, which was published only weeks before Dr. Ahluwalia passed away. The book was published at the height of the Covid pandemic and at a time when the author herself was unable to participate in promotional activities on account of her debilitating illness. Despite these trying circumstances, Rachna ensured that the book was widely reviewed. She also advised on digital outreach strategies. In doing this, she was always respectful of the author’s wishes, and sensitive to the constraints on the family imposed by a difficult situation.
Rachna exhibited a keen understanding of old and new media. She also demonstrated a very good understanding of both niche (economist) and wider (women, people interested in Indian intellectual history) audiences that would be interested in the book. She is understated in her approach but extremely effective. As a family, we were very happy that Dr. Ahluwalia’s story was widely covered so that it could reach many young people, as she had wanted. Rachna played a key role in achieving this outcome and we have no doubt that she would be a huge asset to any author.
The Ventilator Project: How the IIT Kanpur Consortium Built a World-class Product During India’s Covid-19 Lockdown
If I decide to write a book again – a big if – I will again seek Rachna’s help. She just made the whole process so easy for a first timer like me. Rachna knows almost everyone in the industry. Once she got the concept of the book, she connected us to the prospective publishers and editors, guided us through the process of selection and helped us with reaching agreements. Despite a raging pandemic, Rachna organized amazing events for popularizing the book among the public. I particularly appreciated her personal touch while executing a thoroughly professional job. Â
Caged Tiger: How too Much Government is Holding Indians Back
Rachna was recommended to me by my literary agent as ‘the best in the business’. While I can’t compare to others, I can unambiguously say that Rachna was everything that a first time author like me could have hoped for in a publicist, and then some more! Beyond the core publicity work, she was a guide and mentor throughout the process, helping me navigate multiple stakeholders and giving me ‘tips and tricks’ of the publishing industry. She also managed to get me spots in conversations I could have only dreamt of, including multiple media mentions and reviews, some of India’s top podcasts on the subject, and some star-studded events. Unlike many other people I worked with in my publishing journey, Rachna pushes the author (instead of the other way around), keeping everyone from the author to the publisher to vendors on their toes at all times. Since I work in the corporate sector, I think even of my personal time and expenses in terms of return on investment (ROI). Working with Windword gave me the highest ROI on both my time and money. I can’t recommend it enough!
The Eastern Gate: War and Peace in Nagaland, Manipur and India's Far East
I have known Rachna for several years, from the time my first book, a novel, was published back in 2005. She engages with the work of an author with complete buy-in, and follows it up with professionalism and dedication that are rare in South Asian publishing in general and Indian publishing in particular. She enhanced the reach of my 2022 work, Eastern Gate: War and Peace in Nagaland, Manipur and India’s Far East. I will continue to look to her as a colleague and guide.
Indian economist and civil servant
Rachna was immensely helpful in promoting Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia’s memoir Breaking Through, which was published only weeks before Dr. Ahluwalia passed away. The book was published at the height of the Covid pandemic and at a time when the author herself was unable to participate in promotional activities on account of her debilitating illness. Despite these trying circumstances, Rachna ensured that the book was widely reviewed. She also advised on digital outreach strategies. In doing this, she was always respectful of the author’s wishes, and sensitive to the constraints on the family imposed by a difficult situation.
Rachna exhibited a keen understanding of old and new media. She also demonstrated a very good understanding of both niche (economist) and wider (women, people interested in Indian intellectual history) audiences that would be interested in the book. She is understated in her approach but extremely effective. As a family, we were very happy that Dr. Ahluwalia’s story was widely covered so that it could reach many young people, as she had wanted. Rachna played a key role in achieving this outcome and we have no doubt that she would be a huge asset to any author.
The Ventilator Project: How the IIT Kanpur Consortium Built a World-class Product During India’s Covid-19 Lockdown
If I decide to write a book again – a big if – I will again seek Rachna’s help. She just made the Â
whole process so easy for a first timer like me. Rachna knows almost everyone in the industry. Once she got the concept of the book, she connected us to the prospective publishers and editors, guided us through the process of selection and helped us with reaching agreements. Despite a raging pandemic, Rachna organized amazing events for popularizing the book among the public. I particularly appreciated her personal touch while executing a thoroughly professional job.
Caged Tiger: How too Much Government is Holding Indians Back
Rachna was recommended to me by my literary agent as ‘the best in the business’. While I can’t
compare to others, I can unambiguously say that Rachna was everything that a first time author like me could have hoped for in a publicist, and then some more! Beyond the core publicity work, she was a guide and mentor throughout the process, helping me navigate multiple stakeholders and giving me ‘tips and tricks’ of the publishing industry. She also managed to get me spots in conversations I could have only dreamt of, including multiple media mentions and reviews, some of India’s top podcasts on the subject, and some star-studded events. Unlike many other people I worked with in my publishing journey, Rachna pushes the author (instead of the other way around), keeping everyone from the author to the publisher to vendors on their toes at all times. Since I work in the corporate sector, I think even of my personal time and expenses in terms of return on investment (ROI). Working with Windword gave me the highest ROI on both my time and money. I can’t recommend it enough!
The Eastern Gate: War and Peace in Nagaland, Manipur and India's Far East
I have known Rachna for several years, from the time my first book, a novel, was published back
in 2005. She engages with the work of an author with complete buy-in, and follows it up with professionalism and dedication that are rare in South Asian publishing in general and Indian publishing in particular. She enhanced the reach of my 2022 work, Eastern Gate: War and Peace in Nagaland, Manipur and India's Far East. I will continue to look to her as a colleague and guide.
On a Wing and a Prayer: Spirituality for the Reluctant, the Curious and the Seeker
Rachna is an exceptional ally for authors striving to excel in the competitive publishing world.
She begins with skillfully capturing the essence of the narrative and then launches a relentless and strategic outreach campaign. With valuable connections in the industry, her support becomes an asset. Working with her was a delight, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone eager to make a difference.d-holder every author needs at that awful time whenÂ
Sisterhood Economy: Of, By, For Wo
I love Rachna’s meticulousness and her ability to leverage the network for an author.Â
Buddha in Gandhara
Publicity of a book is as important as writing it. And reaching the widest possible audience is theÂ
dream of every author. This is where Rachna Kalra, specialist in book and author marketing and publicity, with her decades of experience in PR, corporate communications and event management, comes to your aid. My personal experience with Rachna has been great. She helped me reach a wide audience through excellent book reviews in several magazines and periodicals, arranging interviews and podcasts, publishing articles and extracts. She persistently followed up with the media and was prompt to send the status report and links for what appeared. I would love to hire Rachna for my next book.
Insatiable: My Hunger for Life
Rachna is the reassuring, calm and gentle hand-holder every author needs at that awful time when
a book is about to go out into the big, bad, savage, wild world waiting to pounce on the writer's self-worth and dance on the grave. Rachna handles the beasts with tact, patience and complete professionalism. I was lucky enough to have her by my side through Insatiable - My Hunger For Life. She made me feel good about myself, and her kickass plan worked brilliantly.Â
Jobonomics: India’s Employment Crisis and What the Future Holds
I worked with Rachna on Jobonomics, my book on India’s underemployment crisis. This was
my first book and I had little clue on the complicated world that is book marketing. Rachna helped me learn and navigate that world, more as a friend than a publicist. Her ideas were easy to execute and yet effective. Rachna’s years of experience in the publishing business gives her access to people who matter, from book reviewers to editors. And all this immensely benefits any writer who chooses to work with her. Â
Less
Rachna was a delight to work with and found seemingly endless publicity for my books. It wasÂ
comforting to know I was in such good hands. Any author would be thrilled to work with her.
The Made in India Manager
I now have seventeen published books, but I worked with Rachna in the early years of my work
as an author. In that phase, a newbie is beset with self-doubt and hesitation.
Who is my target reader? Do I have a distinctive point of view to share? Is my writing coherent and clear? Who will be my most appropriate publisher? How will I make potential readers aware of my book?
The list of questions seemed endless and the answers sparse.
Rachna Kalra was a valuable ally in that phase. She helped to uncover the answers to my questions from within myself. I am very grateful for her professional assistance in those early years. Rachna is a true professional.
The Women Who Ruled India: Leaders. Warriors. Icons.
I worked with Rachna when she was with Hachette, for the promotion of my book, The Women
who Ruled India. She was very professional and systematic. She created a range of very attractive promotion materials, and reached out to wide audiences through social media and mass mailing. She contributed tremendously to the success of the book. It was a pleasure working with her.
Girl Power: Indian Women Who Broke the Rules
Rachna and I worked together when my book Girl Power was published in 2019. Through it all, Rachna
was an absolute pleasure to work with and a real powerhouse of resources. It’s rare to find someone who has decades of experience and is still current – an author will find both in Rachna. If you’re lucky enough to have her in your corner, you’ll find that she is a tireless advocate of your book even in times when you’re a bit tired of it! I can’t wait to work with her on my next project.
Highway to Swades: Rediscovering India's Superpowers
Rachna has the ability to understand the essence of the book almost intuitively and yet,
she will do her homework, read the manuscript or the book in entirety even before suggesting next steps. Her diligence and involvement made sure that my book Highway to Swades – Rediscovering India’s Superpowers, published by HarperCollins, received media attention and support across a wide spectrum. Moreover, Rachna’s incredible experience and strong relationships with media and the stakeholders in the publishing world ensured that my book was given its due on the most popular and respected platforms in equal measure. Rachna herself is an avid reader and therefore she was able to grasp the core message of my book and connect it to possible and new readers everywhere. As a first-time author, I relied on her for sound advice and timely guidance and she provided those in abundance.
Making Excellence a Habit: The Secret to Building a World-Class Healthcare System in India
I worked with Rachna Kalra when my book, Making Excellence a Habit, was published by
Penguin Random House India. From the beginning I was very impressed by Rachna’s enthusiasm, knowledge and positive outlook. She helped me to reach out to many people, in addition to give me ideas on how to promote the book. Â
Rachna’s understanding of the media is admirable. I found her very easy to work with and always approachable. I would strongly recommend her whenever somebody is planning to publish a book or to promote it as she has a very wide reach. Thank you, Rachna, for all your help with my book.
The Indian Empire at War: From Jihad to Victory, the Untold Story of the Indian Army in the First World War
I worked closely with Rachna on the publication of my book and she was an excellent teamÂ
member: very experienced, proactive, reliable, hardworking, understanding of objectives, and producing the great results I was looking for. I would highly recommend Rachna
The Earthspinner
I first worked with Rachna Kalra during the publication of All the Lives We Never Lived. That
experience made me request my publisher at Hachette India to please let us work together on The Earthspinner as well.
There are a few crucial attributes a publicity consultant for books must have. Does she read? (This might seem basic, but it is less common in the publishing world than you might imagine.) Does she understand the pressure on the author? Does she answer calls or messages swiftly and clearly? Is she on your side? Is she intelligent and fun? Rachna Kalra ticks all these boxes.
Finally, she doesn’t give up on a book. Not months after its release. Perhaps never.
Watershed: How We Destroyed India’s Water and How We Can Save It
Rachna has worked with me in handling the marketing for both my books.Rachna’s little
black book is pretty impressive, she’s highly professional and she gets results. She pushes authors of their comfort zone (in a good way) to ensure their message is well crafted and heard. And she knows when the personal touch is needed and goes above – like hand delivering a book to an influencer – and beyond to ensure the book gets it day in the sun. When I write my next book, I will want Rachna to market it.Â
Nehru: Bharat ko Paribhashit Karne Wale Samvaad
Rachna is an eminence grise among publicists – a pleasure to work with and extraordinarilyÂ
effective in her job. I have worked with her on four books now, and whenever I get around to writing another one, I will be working with her again. She has excellent contacts in the media and her ability to ensure that the book reaches the right hands is unparalleled. Plus she keeps the interests of her authors front and centre during the whole process, plus she is extremely meticulous and thorough with her work and is especially good at keeping her authors informed at every step of the journey. Writing the book is only half the job; the other half is taking it to the world - and for this, Rachna is an outstanding, trustworthy and reliable partner.
Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi
Rachna Kalra was the publicity agent for my book Jugalbandi: The BJP before Modi , and played a key
role in making it a bestseller. She is focused and dedicated, and gets along well with publishers and newspaper editors. She knew what the book was about, and who the likely reader would be. I can’t recommend her enough.
Invictus: The Jungle that Made Me
Releasing a book during the Pandemic was daunting. With all conventional avenues toÂ
market books not available, one had to think out of the box and I was very fortunate at that time to have Rachna take on the task of handling the Press and media interface for my book Invictus. Working with her was a wonderful experience. Rachna is kind, resourceful, methodical and has wonderful and long standing relationships in the publishing industry- which she used very diligently to create buzz for my book. I put my faith and trust in her and can say with confidence that she is a very competent publicist and a good human being. Would recommend Rachna to any author looking for marketing and press augmentation.
The Forsaken Wilderness
Working with Rachna Kalra was a sheer joy! She is absolutely brilliant at her work, her dedicationÂ
to a book she takes on, and her focus on all aspects of it is unparalleled. To her I will be always grateful for the fact that through her I received my first ever print reviews for a novel of mine. Her inventiveness, innovativeness, and comprehensive understanding of how to best handle a book leads to an extraordinary vigour and vitality in her marketing of it. She is in equal measure of an artistic bent as well as proficient in the nuts and bolts of the trade; a rare combination—as well as being a genuinely caring and wonderful and considerate person.
The Ventilator Project: How the IIT Kanpur Consortium Built a World-class Product During India’s Covid-19 Lockdown
I’ve always wanted to write a book, but didn’t know where to start. In 2018, when I thought IÂ
had an idea, Rachna sat me down and gently told me just an idea wasn't enough. That I needed to put together a ‘full package’ for the book: Table of Content, a sample chapter, and a compelling note that described why this book would have a market.
For the next 18 months, ‘the book’ went on the backburner (not because of Rachna, but more because I got lazy!). Then, in 2020, Covid hit us all. Amitabha (my co-author) and I got involved in leading a once-in-a-lifetime taskforce where we mentored two young engineers to build and launch a world class ICU ventilator in just 90 days. Rachna, who stayed in touch, told us this could be the basis for a great book.
After that, there was no holding back Rachna. She hand-held us as we wrote the ‘full package’ that was used while pitching to our literary agent and several publishers. She found us an editor and ensured that our writing styles were unified. Once the publisher was on board, Rachna held out an irresistible challenge, ‘You built a ventilator in 90 days. Now write a book in 90 days’.Â
And we did! The book was written in 90 days, and hit the market as early as March 2021. For this record ‘time to market’, Rachna deserves most of the credit for the way she chased us intensely. Not for nothing is she known as ‘Ms Follow-up’!
P.S: She is now chasing me to write my next book.
The Truth Pill: The Myth of Drug Regulation in India
As first-time authors of a non-fiction book on the rather niche subject of drug regulation inÂ
India, we were looking for an experienced communications professional who could go beyond mere publicity and into the realm of advocacy. We were delighted to work with Rachna who did a wonderful job in helping us plan and execute the publicity and advocacy campaign for our book The Truth Pill: The Myth of Drug Regulation in India. From ensuring coverage in popular mainstream media to coordinating with the publisher to ensure that review copies were dispatched, Rachna was a complete professional. In the initial weeks when our book received a deluge of media attention due to drug scandals that coincided with the release of our book, she worked late nights helping us review and respond to different media requests. Our book also greatly benefitted from her networks in the print and visual media.Â
A World Without War: The History, Politics and Resolution of Conflict
Engaging Rachna Kalra to promote my book A World without War (HarperCollins, 2022) wasÂ
the wisest decision I took when the book was published. Her understanding of the media segment relating to books is outstanding. Her network is of high value to any author. Her persistence in search of results is admirable. Above all, she is fun to work with - always pleasant and productive. I hope that otherauthors will benefit from an association with her as I did.
effective in her job. I have worked with her on fo
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