Professor-turned-publisher disrupts Marathi book market
In a departure from traditional publishing models, Walden Publication, founded by former engineering professor Abhishek Dhangar, is making a mark on the Marathi literary landscape by leveraging social media for direct sales and cultivating a discerning readership.
14 Jan 2026 | 560 Views | By PrintWeek Team
Dhangar’s venture, launched during the pandemic, directly challenges the industry’s long-held woes of slow sales and distribution hurdles. Rejecting the conventional supply-and-demand chain, Walden’s strategy centres on a highly-curated list of "excellent books" designed to "enhance their taste," with a focus on high-quality translations of world literature, often sourced directly from the original languages.
Crucially, Walden bypassed established distributors, opting instead for a distribution system built entirely on platforms like Facebook. This innovative, direct-to-reader approach proved highly effective, demonstrating its commercial viability by selling 5,000 copies of its first translated work, 'Bhatkanti' (Wanderings), in just over 18 months—a feat achieved exclusively through social media outreach.
While traditional publishers reported a sales slowdown post-pandemic, Walden capitalised on the shift to increased online purchasing, proving that a targeted audience of serious readers exists and is willing to engage with a premium, niche offering. The publisher has since expanded its catalogue, securing rights for works from diverse global and Indian languages, and is now publishing critically acclaimed Marathi-language fiction and biographies alongside its translational efforts.
The success of Walden suggests that the viability of the book business rests on a new model that embraces technology, addresses distribution bottlenecks, and prioritises quality and reader taste over mainstream best-seller formulas.
(Courtsy: Sources)