From Corporate Sales to Creative Writing
One of the pleasures of running a writing community is watching writers develop their craft over time. We see people arrive with an idea, a journal, a few poems, or the beginnings of a manuscript, and then gradually grow into authors. That has been the case with Ishita Nigam, a regular participant in several Green Mountain Writers workshops and the author of the newly released poetry collection Crawlers.
What makes Ishita’s story particularly interesting is that she did not begin her writing life in childhood or pursue a traditional literary path. Instead, she spent nearly a decade working in corporate sales before discovering that creative writing offered something her professional success could not.
During a recent conversation, she explained that the turning point came during the isolation of the 2020 lockdowns.
“We were isolated in lockdown, and I started with content writing,” she said. What began as a blog soon expanded into short stories, poetry, interviews, podcasts, and eventually books. Today, she works full-time as a content writer while continuing to develop her own creative projects.
Building a Creative Platform
Many writers struggle with the transition from writing as a personal pursuit to building a public presence. Ishita approached the challenge by building upon skills she had already developed during her years in sales. Her website, Salestors.com, originally focused on sales-related content and interviews with business professionals. Over time, the platform evolved to include conversations with authors, creative professionals, and fellow writers. The site expanded into a YouTube channel, social media platforms, and podcast interviews, creating an ecosystem that supports both her professional and creative work.
Alongside her poetry, Ishita is also the author of The Black Flames, and The flames Turn White, the first two novels of a mystery thriller fiction series currently planned as a trilogy.
A Look at Crawlers
Ishita’s newest release, Crawlers, is a collection of poetry that explores personal reflection, emotional struggle, growth, and transformation. While contemporary poetry often leans heavily on abstraction, many of the poems in this collection remain grounded in recognizable human experiences.
The title itself suggests movement and persistence. A crawler advances slowly, often unseen, yet continues forward despite obstacles. That image serves as an effective metaphor for many of the themes running through the collection.
Readers looking for formal, highly structured poetry may find that Ishita’s work embraces a more contemporary free-verse approach. Her focus is less on traditional meter and rhyme than on capturing emotional moments and internal conversations. The poems frequently examine questions of identity, resilience, relationships, and self-discovery.
What makes the collection engaging is its sincerity. Rather than presenting answers, many of the poems invite readers into the process of searching. The voice is personal without becoming self-indulgent and reflective without losing accessibility.
For readers who enjoy contemporary inspirational poetry and introspective writing, Crawlers offers an approachable entry point into Ishita’s work.
The Value of Community
Publishing a book is often viewed as a solitary achievement, but most writers know better. Behind every finished manuscript are conversations, critiques, workshops, revisions, and the encouragement of fellow writers. Over the years, Ishita has been an active participant in Green Mountain Writers programs, sharing work, exchanging feedback, and contributing to discussions with other authors. Her publication of Crawlers serves as a reminder that creative growth rarely happens in isolation.
Writers develop through practice, persistence, and participation in communities that support the work.
Learn More
Crawlers is now available on Kindle through Amazon.
Readers interested in following Ishita’s work can learn more through her website, Salestors.com, or connect with her on her YouTube channel, where she regularly shares updates on her writing, interviews, and upcoming projects.
Green Mountain Writers congratulates Ishita on the release of Crawlers and looks forward to seeing where her writing journey leads next.
Stephen Kastner writes essays, science fiction, memoir, poetry, and is currently working on a screenplay and novel about his Quaker ancestor Thomas Maule, who was arrested for defending the wise women accused of witchcraft in Salem in 1692. He leads the Green Mountain Writers Group in Vermont and creates digital media professionally as DesignWise Studios.
Follow his Antediluvian Attitudes on Substack: https://stephenkastner.substack.com