How a Chennai Romance Author Sold 6,800+ Books With Estorytellers’ Publishing Strategy

Background

Meenakshi Raman, a 29-year-old writer from T. Nagar, had been posting romance short stories on Instagram and Wattpad for two years. Her stories received good engagement, but she couldn’t convert them into a publishable novel. She also feared losing the cultural charm of Chennai while making the book appealing to a global audience.

Challenges

• Fragmented draft (based on short stories)

• Inconsistent tone

• Weak character arcs

• No series planning

• No clear branding

• Lack of confidence in pitching to publishers

Estorytellers’ Solution

We created a structured publishing pathway divided into four stages:

1. Developmental Editing & Series Roadmap

Our editors guided her in transforming scattered stories into a unified romance novel.
Work included:

• Strengthening character motivations

• Expanding romantic tension arcs

• Adding new subplots

• Ensuring Chennai’s charm appeared naturally

• Creating a three-book series blueprint for future installments

This approach gave her clarity and long-term vision.

2. Ghostwriting Enhancement

Meenakshi wanted her voice preserved, so we used a soft-touch ghostwriting model.
We helped:

• Sharpen dialogues

• Improve pacing

• Build intimate emotional beats

• Modernize narrative style while retaining Tamil cultural context

3. High-Impact Production

Estorytellers designed:

• A vibrant pastel-themed cover inspired by modern US romance titles

• Clean interior formatting

• Optimized metadata for Amazon and Goodreads

Keywords focused on:
“South Indian romance,” “Chennai love story,” and “Indian contemporary romance.”

4. Targeted Launch Campaign

A focused marketing plan included:

• Bookstagram outreach

• Chennai influencer partnerships

• Amazon ads targeting romance readers

• Email drip campaigns

• Goodreads launch strategy

• Chennai bookstore consignment placements

Results

In the first 90 days:

• 6,800+ sales across India & the US

• Ranked #7 in Indian Romance on Amazon India

• Added 2,400 new followers on Instagram

• Received two offers for translation rights (Tamil & Malayalam)

• Bookstores in Chennai (including Starmark and Higginbothams) stocked the title

Her confidence grew so much that she began drafting Book 2 within a month.

Author Statement

“I always dreamed of seeing my stories in print. Estorytellers took me seriously, polished every page, and helped my book reach readers I never imagined.”