MAM
Kindle Direct Publishing announces winners for the fifth edition of ‘Pen to Publish’ contest
Mumbai: Amazon’s self-publishing service Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), has announced the results of the fifth edition of its contest: Pen to Publish. The contest received a great response from aspiring authors who submitted their eBooks to be evaluated by an esteemed panel of jury members. KDP Pen to Publish contest recognises literary excellence among self-published authors across genres. Through this contest, KDP recognised 11 self-published eBooks in each of the three participating languages of English, Hindi, and Tamil. The top three winners received a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each, and the first runners-up were awarded ₹50,000 each. The second runners-up won a cash prize of Rs 30,000 each, while the remaining 8 participants from the top 11 were granted an amount of Rs 10,000 each.
The jury panel comprised of best-selling authors Sudeep Nagarkar and Sudha Nair for English entries, Satya Vyas and Vijay Kakwani for Hindi entries, and Naga Chokkan and Cable Sankar for Tamil entries. This year, the contest witnessed participation spanning genres such as literature & fiction, romance, science fiction & fantasy, and mystery & thrillers. The entries were judged on the basis of several criteria including originality, creativity, and quality of writing by the judging panel.
Aggarwal said, “For the last ten years, Amazon KDP has been consistently working towards helping the writers community by encouraging and providing them with a service that enables them to self-publish their eBooks and become recognised authors. The fifth edition of KDP Pen to Publish contest received entries from budding and established authors from different walks of life such as doctors, lawyers, engineers and homemakers.”
Best-selling author and jury member for the English language Nagarkar said, “Passion and dedication could be felt in every eBook that was submitted for Amazon KDP’s Pen to Publish contest. I enjoyed reading the English language entries given the variety of stories and their quality. However, the engaging stories also made judging quite difficult. It was an honour to be a part of the jury panel as I believe that this contest encouraged many aspiring writers to complete their stories and share it with the world.”
English language winner Mainak Dhar said, “The KDP Pen to Publish contest is an incredible opportunity for aspiring writers to realise their potential and receive recognition. I am quite thankful to Amazon as well as the jury members of the contest for making it possible. This award exemplifies how anyone with talent and a story to tell can reach readers all over the world with their work.”
Author, storyteller and jury member for the Hindi language Vijay Kakwani said, “Reading the entries submitted in Hindi for the fifth edition of Pen to Publish contest was an absolute pleasure. I can completely understand the anticipation and excitement of every participant as I have been in their shoes a couple years ago. I came across so many new styles of writing across genres, and each had its own distinct flavour. I am truly inspired by every participant and wish them the very best for a bright future ahead in the field of writing.”
Hindi language winner Pradumn Rakesh Chourey said, “To say that I am elated at this moment would be an understatement! Winning Pen to Publish is a huge achievement as well as encouragement for me to write more. I am thankful and grateful to Amazon KDP for recognising the writer in me through my eBook.”
Chokkan said, “The Pen to Publish contest not only motivates writers but also fuels an environment for writing and sharing meaningful content. This was evident in the originality of the content across entries this year. Amazon KDP continues to provide writers the enormous opportunity of reaching audiences far and wide by self-publishing their eBook.”
Dilip Narayanan, winner from Tamil language said, “It feels great to have won the Amazon KDP’s flagship Pen to Publish contest. Amazon KDP enables me to reach out to an expansive audience as well as generate royalties.”
MAM
Kate Rouch steps down as OpenAI Chief Marketing Officer
Marketing leader prioritises health after late-stage breast cancer diagnosis.
MUMBAI: When the toughest battle moves from the boardroom to the personal front, even the sharpest minds know it’s time to step back and focus on winning the most important fight of all. Kate Rouch, chief marketing officer at OpenAI, has announced she is stepping down from her role to focus on recovery following a diagnosis of late-stage breast cancer.
In a heartfelt LinkedIn post, Rouch revealed she was diagnosed around a year and a half ago, shortly after taking on the CMO position. Despite undergoing intensive treatment, she continued to lead the company’s marketing function through what she described as one of the most challenging periods of her career.
She explained that while she remained deeply committed to her role and team, she had reached a point where prioritising her health and recovery had become essential. Rouch called the decision difficult, noting it required acknowledging personal limits and shifting priorities. She reflected that the experience had reshaped her understanding of courage not always about pushing harder, but sometimes about stepping back to focus on long-term wellbeing, family and sustainability.
Rouch expressed gratitude to her team and colleagues for their support. She mentioned that Gary will step in to help lead the function and recruit a successor. She plans to support the transition and remains open to returning in a different capacity in the future, depending on her health.
Prior to joining OpenAI, Rouch served as the first chief marketing officer at Coinbase and spent over a decade at Meta, where she was vice president and global head of brand and product marketing.
She also thanked well-wishers for their messages and shared that stories from fellow survivors had a meaningful impact during her treatment journey.
In the high-stakes world of tech marketing, Kate Rouch has always been known for her strategic brilliance. Now, she is showing a different kind of strength, one that reminds us that even the most driven leaders sometimes need to pause, heal, and come back stronger when the time is right. Wishing her a full and steady recovery.
