Publishing a book isn't all sunshine and butterflies, as I've come to discover. Most of the journey has been fantastic and I'm overwhelmed by Desperate in Dubai's success, despite barely doing any Marketing (given my anonymous status). There have been no book launches, no book signing events, no book tours, no TV interviews. There have been no ads either, no publicity gimmicks. Whatever publicity that has been generated, has basically been from my blog, Facebook page, Twitter and a some interviews I've given. But evidently, it has been enough as the book has dominated the Number 1 spot in the UAE Bestsellers list for weeks now :) It's also sold out for the 5th time in Kinokuniya.

But, as with everything in life, there are always different opinions, different expectations, different tastes from the thousands of different people in the world. Desperate in Dubai isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I wouldn't have it any other way. However, I have to admit, it's difficult when people who don't like the book start slating it and sending me nasty messages, mainly Emiratis who feel that my portrayal of Lady Luxe was unjust and unfair towards their culture. To an extent, I don't blame them. I was expecting this from people who are finding it difficult to comprehend that Desperate in Dubai is a story with characters and a plot. Just because a character is crazy, doesn't automatically mean that the writer is trying to say that all women of that particular nationality are crazy.

When we read The Catcher in the Rye, did we think that all American teenage boys were off their rockers? When we read The God of Small Things, did we think that all South Indian women had big bums and love affairs?

The list can go on and on and on.

One particular ignorant message came to me via Twitter - when a woman said that Desperate in Dubai is obviously my desperate attempt to overcome my failure at bagging a wealthy, already married Emirati man. Erm, I'm actually very happily married :) And thankfully my husband only has the one wife.

Another surprising comment came from an Emirati author who obviously doesn't realise that one author slating another just isn't the 'done' thing. It is tasteless and uncouth. I would never reciprocate with negative comments on her work.

You know what, though? The first negative comment I got really got to me - but as I get used to this business, my skin not only gets thicker but I actually start finding it amusing. After all, only one in 10 comments I get is negative - most of them are fantastic - so when that one person starts saying all this stuff on Twitter or whatever, all it does is generate more publicity. And we all know, there's no such thing as bad publicity :)

Wasn't it Oscar Wilde who said that 'The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about?' ;)