Author’s Note
When I published my debut memoir A Fight for a Cup of Chai, I knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy—but I didn’t expect what came next. Within days of celebrating one of the most meaningful achievements of my life, I was flooded with messages that weren’t truly about my book. They were about buying back the spotlight I had already earned.
This piece isn’t just about calling out scams. It’s about reclaiming power. It’s about exposing a pattern that preys on the very vulnerability...
Beyond the Shelf: What I Learned as a First-Time Self-Published Author
By Sanman Thapa
When I first set out to write A Fight for a Cup of Chai, I thought the hardest part would be telling the story—reliving the pain, shaping the truth, and honoring the lives that crossed mine in the factories of Kathmandu. And while writing was certainly emotional, it turned out to be the most grounded part of the journey. Everything that came after—the publishing, the promoting, the endless pitching and...
As my family, friends, and I eagerly anticipated our journey from the San Juan Airport terminal to the Vieques, a small island off mainland Puerto Rico, an older woman approached me, speaking in her native tongue asking how to get to her designated terminal. However, my confusion was evident, and I couldn't respond. Sensing my struggle, a Spanish-speaking friend intervened in to help and gave her the directions. Despite our efforts, the woman gave me a disgusted look, waved her hands, and...