Karnataka State Library bulk book purchase application process

This post explains the process to be followed to submit your books to Karnataka State Govt Library for bulk purchase. English summary on top, detailed post in Kannada below.

Various state governments run hundreds of public libraries across the state and a certain amount of money is allotted in each year's budget to procure new books to these libraries. This post is about Karnataka state government and its public library bulk book purchase scheme. There could be similar process for other states. If you have authored a book, you can try your luck applying under this scheme- if selected, Govt will buy some 300 copies of your book at a rate it feels right and you can have your book available to readers in various public libraries across the state.

Before publishing the book:
Book should have some relevance to the state of Karnataka- either it should be in Kannada Language (official language of the state) or topic of the book should be about Karnataka or author/publisher should be from Karnataka etc. Books of other languages like English or Hindi etc are considered but if relevance to Kannada readers can't be established, book may not qualify. I had written same book in English and Kannada- while Kannada version got accepted, English was not accepted for copyright.

Have a page with all key details on the left side of the inner pages, preferably on the back of insider cover. (Main cover, blank page on its back, next page title, backside complete book details). This page should include every detail authorities may look for- number of pages, MRP, publisher and author address and contact details, published year, paper quality in GSM, number of copies and so on. NotionPress's self publishing tool isn't compliant with this, so I got reprimanded. Also Notionpress assigns roman numbers for sections like preface and regular numbers for main chapters- this makes it difficult for them to count total pages.

After publishing the book:
Visit central library located inside Cubbon Park, submit 3 copies of your book and get it copyrighted in your name. The process can last up to 30-60 minutes depending on how busy staff is. Though library in Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Hall opens at 8.30 AM, staff related to copyright submission will be available only after 10.30 AM. Library is closed on Mondays, second Tuesday and all public holidays.

Next, wait for announcement by public library department, soliciting applications for bulk purchase. You can either keep an eye on their website http://karnatakapubliclibrary.gov.in/ or keep looking for it in newspapers. Typically announcement comes after end of a calendar year- like in January 2020 for all books published in 2019.

Submit a copy of your book, along with filled application form and copy of Copyright confirmation to Deputy Director, Public Library Department, within the deadline. You need to affix a passport size photo of the author as well. You will get an acknowledgment. You can send by post as well, but in that case you won't get an acknowledgment.

Tip: Beware of the lift-man in the building- he got all furious when I pressed the button of the floor I had to go to (4th floor). My act was out of habit but liftman probably thought I am out to steal his job. When I visited the building at 9.30 AM it was all deserted. Only after 10.30 I could see concerned govt employees (and liftman) in the building.

Deadline for this year- for books published in 2019, is till 31st January 2020. If it s a reprint, rules demand 10 year gap between previous print and reprint.

eBooks are also accepted but you have to give it in a CD format.

Next you have to wait for them to assess the book and communication of a decision, if positive.

Points to factor: 
Number of pages, paper quality and MRP matters more than value of content inside.
Govt will decide an offer price based on above (number of pages, quality of paper etc)If your production cost is high, you will either have to sell it at a loss or find an alternative means to print the book at low cost. Expect just about 50 paise per page as offer price.

ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರಕಾರ ತನ್ನ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಗ್ರಂಥಾಲಯಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಪ್ರತಿ ವರ್ಷ ಹೊಸ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಖರೀದಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ನೀವು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿರುವ ಲೇಖಕ ಅಥವಾ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಕರಾಗಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನು ಗ್ರಂಥಾಲಯ ಖರೀದಿಗಾಗಿ ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಲು ಅರ್ಜಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಬಹುದು. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಸಮಿತಿಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟವಾದರೆ ಸರಕಾರ ಸುಮಾರು ೩೦೦ ಪ್ರತಿಗಳನ್ನು ತನಗೆ ಸೂಕ್ತವೆನಿಸಿದ ಬೆಲೆಗೆ  ಖರೀದಿಸಿ ನಾಡಿನಾದ್ಯಂತ ಇರುವ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಗ್ರಂಥಾಲಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಪ್ರತಿ ಕಲಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಆಯ್ಕೆಗಾಗಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಅರ್ಜಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಬೇಕೆಂದು ಕೆಳಗೆ ವಿವರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.

ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸುವ ಮುನ್ನ:
ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಒಳ ಪುಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಡಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಕುರಿತಂತೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವಿವರಗಳು ಇರುವಂತೆ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ. ಒಟ್ಟು ಪುಟಗಳು, ಲೇಖಕ ಹಾಗು ಪ್ರಕಾಶಕರ ವಿಳಾಸ, ಫೋನ್ ನಂಬರ್, ಜಿ ಎಸ್  ಎಂ, ಒಟ್ಟು ಪ್ರತಿಗಳು, ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದ ತಿಂಗಳು, ವರ್ಷ, ಹಕ್ಕುಗಳು ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ.

ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ
ಕಬ್ಬನ್ ಪಾರ್ಕ್ ನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಗ್ರಂಥಾಲಯಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಕಾಪಿ ರೈಟ್ ಮಾಡಿಸಿ. ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಮೂರು ಪ್ರತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಡಬೇಕು, ಅರ್ಧ- ಒಂದು ಗಂಟೆ ಸಮಯ ತಗಲಬಹುದು. ಕೆಲಸದ ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹತ್ತೂವರೆ ಗಂಟೆ ಆದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹೋಗಿ. (ಸೋಮವಾರ, ತಿಂಗಳ ಎರಡನೇ ಮಂಗಳವಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸರಕಾರೀ ರಜಾದಿನ ಲೈಬ್ರರಿ ಮುಚ್ಚಿರುತ್ತದೆ. )

ಅರ್ಜಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುವುದು: 
ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಗ್ರಂಥಾಲಯ ಇಲಾಖೆ ಹೊರಡಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಕಟಣೆಗೆ ಕಾಯಿರಿ.
ನಿಗದಿತ ಅರ್ಜಿ ನಮೂನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಭಾವಚಿತ್ರದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದನ್ನು ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ಸ್ವೀಕೃತಿ ಪತ್ರ ಪಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಿ. ಕಚೇರಿ ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ವೀಧಿ ಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಜಿಪಿಓ ಕಟ್ಟಡ ಪಕ್ಕದ ಕಟ್ಟಡ. ನಾಲ್ಕನೇ ಮಹಡಿ.  ೨೦೧೯ರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಅರ್ಜಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಲು ೨೦೨೦ ಜನವರಿ ೩೧ ಕೊನೇ  ದಿನಾಂಕ.

More about my books  . Thanks to Soori Hardalli and Srinidhi TG for guiding me on this topic.