New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) A new publishing imprint, Say Again Press, was officially launched in the national capital with the release of its first two books, Be Heard and Lead Yourself. The event brought together authors, communication experts, media professionals, and academics, and was attended by the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Mahishini Colonne.

The inaugural titles focus on helping readers build communication, leadership, and personal development skills in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and shrinking attention spans.

Say Again Press, founded by author and podcaster Amrita Tripathi, is a multi-platform, interdisciplinary thought leadership studio. It has since expanded into a publishing venture, launching a curated imprint in collaboration with Bloomsbury India.

Author Amrita Tripathi said the books were intentionally designed to be concise, engaging, and accessible for modern readers.

“I’m very interested in how we can create beautiful and compelling books for today’s attention span. We know people are struggling a little bit more to read books, so we wanted to make some friendly, accessible and important books,” she said.

Explaining the idea behind the series, Tripathi added, “The first two books are in a leadership series. One is called Be Heard, which shows people how to communicate with confidence, as leaders do. The other is Lead Yourself, which explores, through quotable insights from amazing leaders, qualities of leadership and how we should look at success and failure in this age of AI.”

Introducing Lead Yourself, she described it as a collection of practical wisdom drawn from experienced leaders.

“Keeping in mind that time and attention are at a premium, the Say Again Press team has put together a series of sharp and insightful takes to turbocharge your professional development. You’ll find wisdom, honesty and perspective at your fingertips,” she said.

The author stressed that communication has become more important than ever despite technological advances.

“We’re losing the art of communication because most of us are constantly on screens and letting Gen AI do much of our thinking and communicating. It’s important to remember our original thinking, our own words, and reconnect with people,” she said.

On the changing role of writers in the AI era, Tripathi said authors remain vital because readers continue to seek authentic human perspectives.

“As authors and creators, we have our own audiences and our own messages. People are still very curious and want genuine human connection,” she said.

Speaking about plans, she hinted at an expanding catalogue.

“We have so many books planned. We have wonderful writers, designers and artists who want to work with us,” she said.

Rahul Srivastava, Managing Director of Bloomsbury Publishing India, highlighted the growing need for face-to-face communication, especially among young people.

“The biggest communication gap is the time young people spend on screens. Face-to-face communication is missing. We think we can do a lot over Zoom, but eye contact and personal interaction make all the difference,” he said.

Explaining the collaboration behind Say Again Press, Srivastava said the initiative aims to complement Bloomsbury’s existing publishing programme.

“We felt that what Amrita is publishing would add value to what Bloomsbury is publishing. These are shorter books designed for today’s readers with limited time. It’s a collaborative effort between Bloomsbury and Say Again Press—more books for more readers,” he said.

On whether social media is affecting listening skills, he acknowledged the challenge but remained optimistic.

“People are still reading, including on social media. That’s why we’re launching shorter books that can be finished in a couple of hours, matching today’s reading habits,” he noted.

Senior communication coach and former journalist Shivraj Parshad argued that effective communication is about understanding people rather than simply choosing impressive words.

“There’s a misunderstanding that communication is about having the right words. It’s actually about understanding what the other person or your audience needs to hear. How you make someone feel or respond is far more important than sounding impressive,” he said.

Offering advice on overcoming the fear of public speaking, Parshad said speakers should focus on serving the audience instead of worrying about themselves.

“Public speaking becomes easier when you realise it’s not about you—it’s about your audience. Think of it as a conversation over coffee with someone familiar rather than a performance,” he said.

He also underlined the link between leadership and communication.

“A great leader understands what they want people to feel, do and remember. Communication is much more than words; it’s about creating impact. That’s what makes an effective leader,” he added.

Describing the concept behind the new publishing venture, Parshad compared it to “snackable content.”

“There are countless self-help books. These books simplify the essentials. At its core, communication is about being clear, concise and coherent,” he said.

–IANS

brt/dan