Meet the author: Shubha Menon on Writing, Resilience and Finding Her Voice
From the fast-paced world of advertising to the quieter, more demanding discipline of authorship, Shubha Menon’s literary journey has been shaped by observation, courage, and constant reinvention. Here’s more.
A former copywriter who learnt the craft of fiction in ad agencies like Lintas and Ogilvy, Shubha Menon has written across genres—from a sharp, humorous take on marriage in The Second Coming, to the powerful narratives of RESILIENCE: Stories of Muslim Women. As she prepares for the release of her deeply personal memoir Traitor In The House in early 2026, Shubha reflects on inspiration, publishers, the rigours of rewriting, and the realities every author must face in today’s publishing ecosystem.
Journey as an author…
“I’ve been a copywriter for a huge part of my career. In fact, that’s how I learnt how to write fiction. My first book was inspired by my friends and colleagues in Lintas. I had the germ of the idea but I actually wrote it while I was in Ogilvy. The Second Coming was published by HarperCollins India and is a hilarious take on marriage and adultery. Soon after, I wrote my second book, RESILIENCE: Stories of Muslim Women published by Frontpage Publications. By now, advertising had lost its charm for me and I decided to drop the ‘copy’ and become a writer. In early 2026, my third book, Traitor In The House, a memoir on bipolar disorder, will be launched by Westland,” shares Shubha.
Inspiration behind books…
“The Second Coming was based on office gossip in the ad agency where I worked. The world thinks that there is an embargo on romance when it comes to married women. But romance is not just for teens and tweens. Everybody wants romance. I decided to write this book because I felt that older women needed to be heard. While, RESILIENCE: Stories of Muslim Women was actually written for a not-for-profit organisation and I received a fee to write it and writers are too poor to scoff at money,” she shares.
On publishers…
“I have worked with three different publishing houses. I have learnt that it is a pleasure to work with a good publisher who can value add to your book. The only problem is the time taken by your publisher to revert on your manuscript and the changes thereof. That maybe because publishers work way too hard and are hard-pressed for time. The publisher for my first book and third book are the same – VK Karthika. I followed her from HarperCollins to Westland and I hope to continue the relationship,” shares Shubha.
Hardest part in writing…
On asking about it, she shares, “Rewriting. I find it very taxing because after you’ve finished writing a book, you are itching to move onto your next book. Rewriting can therefore become tedious and frustrating.”
Advice to budding authors…
“I wish self-promotion and publicity was not mandatory. A book’s success should not depend so heavily on the time and money spent on social media posts. Writers should write, that’s all,” shares Shubha. So, as an advice to budding authors, She says, “Learn how to market yourself and your work, because no one else is going to do it for you,” says Shubha.
Shubha Menon recently dropped the ‘copy’ from ‘copywriter’ to become a writer. She grew up in advertising agencies where she learnt how to write fiction. She was employed with Ogilvy till 2019, but decided to quit and work exclusively on her third book. A prolific writer, Shubha has written plays, articles, blog posts and stories both in the offline and online space.