Surabhi Verma is the author of the book ‘And She Quit Her Job’. She has remained a writer at large and has given her contribution to eminent Indian and foreign publications. In 2018, Surabhi was featured in the Los Angeles Times and Daily Press Virginia for her outstanding work in the field of journalism and live show hosting. As a film critic and entertainment expert, she has interviewed Academy Award winners, BAFTA nominees, New York Times Bestselling authors, Fortune 5000 company owners, TV and film celebrities.
TBE: Your first book ‘And She Quit Her Job’ happened to be an instant eye-catcher amongst the readers, thanks to the unconventional theme you selected for the book. Tell us how your book performed in the market and how your life changed since you became an author.
Surabhi Verma: I published my book in September 2018, and the journey has been truly rewarding. The thoughts of not being able to sell even a single copy of the book haunted me for days. Finally, when the book released and was picked up by the LA Times; that was a moment when my nervousness took a back seat.
I made a few plans with my PR agent about ‘how to promote a self-published book’. However, in the end, it all summed up to my own passion in giving my book a person to person reach. The book performed far better than my expectations. There are still a few mornings when I wake up to heart-warming messages from readers. From the bright cover to the simple explanations inside the book, they loved it all. Not to exaggerate, the cat on the cover gives them a ‘stay at home’ feeling.
I have now become stronger about keeping my writings alive. Writing can be a lonely journey a lot of times. However, I now know the importance of giving my feelings a form and nothing can be better and more sacred than putting words on paper. Even in the darkest of my days, I write. You never know whose life your writings may inspire. I have also become more focused and more selective about the work that I take up, on an everyday basis. Knowing that a certain project is not worth my time, has been the best learning so far. I now value my time and my talent more than ever. Life has taken an absolutely wonderful turn both in terms of financial and personal growth.
TBE: You have had a multifaceted career so far. You have not limited yourself to being a writer. Tell us in detail about what your day to day tasks involve.
Surabhi Verma: I begin my day by practicing gratitude and journaling sometimes. This is one habit I have developed in the last six months. Since I am a full-time self-employed individual, my calendar and timers are crucial to my work schedule. I juggle between interviewing people to writing a hardcore analysis of films. I take a lot of tea breaks, attend a few phone calls and manage my writers who work from different locations.
Very recently I have started my own channel on YouTube, which is now thriving. On some days when I am not working, one may usually find me shooting and creating content in my studio space. Professional speaking is an essential part of my life and I have remained a professional speaker for 6 years now. Finding time to take over the stage and let my words flow is what gives me a sense of utter freedom. I have often compared my own life to Carrie Bradshaw’s. Except that she writes for Vogue and goes out with her girlfriends on most of the evenings, there have been many similarities. I work in two different time zones and my days end usually with conversations leading to conversions with my US users.
TBE: You have recently started creating content for your YouTube channel. Two of your videos have hit a total of 50,000 views in just a short period of time. Our readers would love to know more about this.
Surabhi Verma: Creating content for YouTube is an extremely challenging task in these times. YouTube is not a new platform in India, but it is still going through a transition. Almost every other person calls himself a YouTuber these days. What people don’t usually realize is the amount of work one has to put to make it thrive. Right from picking a niche to scheduling a shoot and even taking care of the logistics that come with the process, consumes much time and effort. Being a woman makes it more difficult to film videos for YouTube.
In the very beginning, I was too much concerned and very particular about my on-screen look. As I created more videos, I got habitual of doing it my own way. One needs to be less like someone else and more like themselves on camera. That is one factor the audience picks up on easily. The content I am creating is very niche specific and till date, I have not discovered any female based channels on YouTube India, similar to the niche I have picked. This is what inspires me to keep coming back every time. Moreover, right now I am not concerned about my views, though I am getting far better results than I expected. I just want to create and let the ideas flow. The right audience would eventually find me.
TBE: As an author, you have collaborated and worked with many entrepreneurs and world-renowned celebrities. Could you give us some insights on creating your own brand value as a writer and driving business through it?
Surabhi Verma: I stepped into the world of writing and journalism in my early 20’s. That was a time when I was aimless but too passionate about working in media. It was until 2016 when I discovered that I could create my own brand value as a writer. I read a very interesting fact somewhere – As a writer, you are a business! Being aware of the fact that writing for a few good publications wouldn’t be able to serve my purpose, I took it the other way. I became a brand! It took me 5 years (which is half a decade) to be able to call it a full-grown business, but the journey has been fruitful. It started with a team of a few writers writing for different media publications and it has now grown into a team that is handling multiple users at a time. And here, by users, I mean companies as eminent as Fortune 5000.
For me and my team to convert a single time user into a habitué, we do have to burn our nights, be cautious with our mailing system and deliver them quality output. The best part, it all started from a low paying 12-hour desk job! You really want to know how I am able to do this, it’s a skill and it takes an undeterred mindset.
TBE: Where do you see yourself in the next few years? Can we expect another book coming from you anytime soon?
Surabhi Verma: ‘And She Quit Her Job’ is a book that happened without much planning. I have got multiple things to handle right now including a growing YouTube channel, a team and a number of restless clients. A book would need more time and space to take shape. There are a few ideas in my head about writing again, but it is uncertain when I would really find solace to sit down and write. Till then I will keep my readers engaged with celebrity gossip, stories from the West and lots of interesting stuff.
TBE: Any suggestions for people who are trying to create a mark in the content industry (writing and videos)?
Surabhi Verma: Consistency is the key. Be patient with your work. Focus on your present-day skills and see market trends. One can’t keep working the traditional way if the dynamics of the industry have gone on the modern side. It is human nature to evolve and the same applies to work as well. Feed yourself with new ideas, learn from your mistakes and from the lives of those who are creating a significant change in the world. In the beginning, one needs to think less about finances and more about creating quality content. And as Gary V says, “One needs to be patient when life is long and there is much to achieve”, so do I believe.
