Pencil: Swarup Nanda and Preeti Grover Chib are Redefining Authorship with Data-Driven Publishing and OTT Deals
For centuries, the world of creative arts—books, movies, and music—has operated as a high-stakes "black box." While a SaaS founder can iterate their software based on daily user data, an author traditionally publishes a book and prays for luck, with almost zero insight into how readers are actually engaging with the pages. Swarup Nanda and Preeti Grover Chib, the visionary Founders of Pencil, are dismantling this archaic model. After a successful but turbulent journey in traditional publishing with Leadstart Publishing, Swarup joined forces with his former National Geographic colleague Preeti to build a platform that turns writers into data-savvy entrepreneurs. Today, Pencil is an ecosystem where 27,000 writers don't just publish; they validate, iterate, and monetize their stories across global retailers and Hollywood studios.
On the ELI Podcast, Swarup and Preeti share their transition from media professionals to tech-first founders. They discuss the "Creative Paradox" that holds writers back, the evolution of the "enhanced ebook," and why the next billion-dollar story might be hidden in a writer's iterated digital draft.
The Creative Paradox
Swarup identifies two business categories: Creative (books, music, movies) and Non-Creative (SaaS, Fintech). Non-creative businesses collect data and iterate to success. Creative businesses usually live in their first versions forever, relying on luck. Pencil changes this by allowing authors to see how readers read and improve their content dynamically.
The Leadstart Catalyst: Turning Failure into Tech
Swarup’s entrepreneurial journey began with Leadstart Publishing, a traditional firm that saw massive success in 2012 with Asura. However, in 2013, he invested ₹1.75 crore into a larger project that didn't meet expectations, leading to a downward spiral. "You need to be lucky, not just a genius, to get it right on the first book," Swarup admits.
This "hard-way" lesson led him to an epiphany in 2018: if writers could validate their content before printing, their chances of commercial success would skyrocket. This DNA formed the foundation of Pencil—a platform where "luck" is replaced by data-driven iteration.
Democratizing the Pen: Global Distribution for Free
Preeti, with over 15 years of experience in content marketing at Star and Fox Movies, heads product and growth at Pencil. Her mission is to fully democratize publishing. Pencil allows writers to create and distribute ebooks and paperbacks across 400+ retailers worldwide—including Kindle, Kobo, and Flipkart—in 65 different languages.
"We are giving the power of publishing directly to the user," Preeti says. "But it's not just about hitting 'publish.' We've built AI and ML tools that offer chronological references and prompts to help writers improve their thrillers, crime dramas, and romances in real-time."
The Pencil Multi-Layered Ecosystem
- Consumer Layer: Free global distribution across 400+ retailers in 65 languages.
- Validation Layer: A space where critics, reviewers, and super-readers score content before final release.
- Enterprise Layer: A "Producer Marketplace" where writers pitch concepts directly to 70+ studios in India and Hollywood.
- The Metaverse (3.0): An upcoming blockchain-enabled layer to map content uniqueness and prevent digital plagiarism.
Beyond the Page: The OTT Revolution
One of Pencil's most lucrative differentiators is its "Enterprise Layer." The platform has already sold 10 stories to movie and OTT studios, with two already live on screen. By bridging the "wall" between isolated writers and giants like Yash Raj or Hollywood studios, Pencil turns stories into multi-format assets.
"Writers can pitch their concepts directly to producers through our platform," Preeti explains. "We provide a scientifically scored validation from readers and critics, making the story 'studio-ready' before it ever meets a director."
Pencil's Growth Trajectory
- Community: 27,000+ active writers on the platform.
- Output: 900+ full-length books and thousands of short-form pieces.
- Partnerships: Working with 70+ studios globally (66 in India, 4 in Hollywood).
- Revenue Model: Ad-driven and partnership-based, with a 50/50 revenue share for creators.
The Meaning of Entrepreneurship
For Swarup, entrepreneurship is a "Creative Liberty"—the process of creating solutions that didn't exist. "It’s about the feeling of responsibility when you bring something from zero to one," he notes. Preeti defines it as the transition from a "specialist" in corporate to a "generalist" who understands everything from business plans to HR.
Founders' Advice for Innovators
- Measure and Test: "The ability and humility to understand that your 'world-changing' idea might not be taking off is crucial. Don't over-invest in features that users don't need."
- One Idea at a Time: "Startups are small teams. Focus your energy on one particular solution, test it, and then move to the next. Avoid doing everything at once."
- Grit over Skill: "Entrepreneurship is a creative journey, not just a skill-based one. You need the grit to persist through the 'unknown' phase."
The Vision: Pencil 3.0 and the Metaverse
As they look toward the future, Swarup and Preeti are preparing for **Pencil 3.0**, which will leverage blockchain technology to ensure content uniqueness and enable creators to build their own token-based audiences. By combining the oldest form of human storytelling—writing—with the cutting-edge tools of the digital age, Pencil is ensuring that the writers of tomorrow aren't just authors, but the CEOs of their own creative universes.