Into the Web : how a small publisher in India found a place on the Internet

Within the realm of publishing, digital communication in the form of the Internet is offering revolutionary opportunities. There are Web sites for an immeasurable range of subject matter from the daily news to online shopping to Brad the mechanical engineering grad's curriculum vitae. So who better to venture into this new form of publication than, well, publishers? The subject matter of this study analyses the entry of a small book publisher in India into the new area of Internet publishing. Kali for Women is a feminist press in New Delhi and also happens to be the first women's publishing house in South Asia. The author of this report travelled to New Delhi to establish a Web site for the company. Although the editors at Kali for Women had wanted to start a Web site for some time, the decision to create Kali's own place on the Internet meant the adoption of an entirely new publishing format with technology unfamiliar to those in the company. While the initiative was successful, it was fraught with challenges and obstacles, a condition that accompanies the introduction of anything new. This study attempts to map Kali's technological trajectory, but first places the endeavour in the context oflndian publishing and Kali's formation and presence in that market. The goal is to understand how and why a small, "low-tech" publisher in New Delhi established a presence in the online global community. The research is based on readings in related subject matter, newspaper articles from Kali's archives, writings by Kali's founders, a sampling of other publishers' Web sites, and the author's own experience .