Kitabain.com is an online book-buying portal which allows users based in Pakistan to both buy books as well as sell their own.
How does kitabain.com work,
as in what is the set-up?
Anyone is free to put up their books on the website for sale
from individuals to large bookstores. Our automated process has meant that
about 140,000 books have been uploaded on the website to date! We sell
and deliver countrywide with Cash on Delivery available in most places.
How has the overall
response been in the country?
Excellent! The platform that started with zero books has
perhaps the largest online collection in Pakistan. We get book lovers from all
over including the smallest towns and cities. However we feel that we have only
scratched the surface and there is tremendous opportunity for growth, given
Pakistan's huge population. We are determined to do our bit in kick-starting
the book reading culture.
What about from
particular cities?
Large cities particularly Karachi and Lahore still
constitute our biggest client base.
On what social media
platforms does kitabain.com work?
Primarily Facebook and Twitter.
Who controls these
accounts?
I personally run these accounts.
What is the level of
interaction with the users of kitabain.com on the internet?
We mostly interact via direct email for any queries or
concerns.
How does the
promotion of the website work?
Word of Mouth primarily! We participate in Book Fairs, give
talks in schools/colleges etc, plus the media coverage about our services has
helped. We don't consistently advertise due to a shortage of resources.
Are there any
associations with any other literary organizations?
Not formally.
Tell me about the
other start-ups you have worked on.
We(Jawed, Rumman and I) started out The ReadersClub, a book rental service, in 2009 based on the idea of providing a cost
effective and efficient way for people across the city to indulge their
reading habits from the comfort of their home/office. It
wasn't started as a commercial venture but rather to address the
gnawing problems of a lack of libraries and the high cost of books. The response
to the service has been extremely encouraging and
beyond our most optimistic expectations.
What started out with 30 books, no members or staff has grown to
a library collection of over 5,500 books with a few hundred members all over
Karachi.
After that we started Kitabain.com in 2010, and we recently
signed a contract with TCS (Pakistan`s largest courier company) where we
are now the exclusive provider of books on their recently launched
e-commerce portal via
a real-time API integration. Our latest initiative Urdu Studio aims to be the premier online portal for delivering high quality digital Urdu
Audio Books. The Urdu Audio Books idea that was conceived in 2009, finally
got the much needed impetus for implementation, when it was selected
amongst the first batch of winners to receive a Google seeded P@SHA (Pakistan
Software Houses Association) fund for Social Innovation. This is just the start
of what we hope will be a long and successful endeavour, to rekindle a love for
Urdu and pass on its rich heritage to a new generation!
We've also recently signed a long term contract with
Amazon where our audio books are now available on all Amazon-owned
digital properties worldwide, and we also inked a deal with India`s largest Audio Books
Distributor Reado.
What do you think of
the current scene of English book writing in Pakistan? What about Urdu writing?
I think we have had some very good English writers over the
last few years with very popular titles, but Urdu is lacking that breakaway
title and international success especially by up-and-coming writers
What do you think of
the current scene of book publishing in Pakistan?
Pathetic! Most popular English titles have to be imported
raising the cost of books. Our own writers get published abroad, because the
local publishing scene is not something people want to rely upon. As for Urdu
there doesn't seem to be enough demand for a large scale industry to take hold.
Sang-e-meel in Lahore is doing a great job though.
What do you think
about Pakistani readers? Are there a lot or only a few?
I think yes, people in this country do want to read, but
price and availability is a big deterrent.
Do they read in a
particular language? Do they have any preferences in terms of genres? Does
anyone keep track of this in Kitabain.com?
We get all sorts but primarily people looking for books
written in English. Fiction seems to the most popular but it is difficult to
generalize.
Do you know if there
are any statistics about readers in Pakistan?
Not that we know of.
What would you say
needs to happen in Pakistan in order to increase readership?
We really need to start encouraging and promoting local
publications. Also, figure out ways to have cheaper books, since ridiculously
high book prices are always a huge problem during the buying process. I think
parents and schools need to do their part by putting a serious emphasis towards
reading at an early age. And of course more bookstores, libraries etc.
What is the worst
part of being a Pakistani who is passionate about reading?
Expensive books or books which aren’t always available. Also
it’s really hard sometimes to discover new and interesting titles.