Attending a discussion panel with published authors is an eye-opener to me on the writing community and the publishing industry. As much as I wished to publish a fictional piece or travelogues, I was quite paranoid about the acceptance of my content by the publisher or the matter of censorship in my country. It would be better if I can make enough research or consult with an experienced writer before putting my works into printed form. UNMC's Writer's Soc gave me the opportunity the attend one of their panels which invited student authors with published works to share their experiences in writing and publishing.
Language as a means of power, that is the first topic that was introduced within the panel. As I was sitting among the audience, this question hits me hard. I had never actually put my thoughts on this, but I do agree with one of the panelists that language as a key in communication. Without language, you can't express your feelings or needs. I think language is a difficult craft to master. To make a moving piece of writing, one needs the ability to make a plain drinking water into a potion of youth. If it is not touching enough, there is no different than a report of events.
The Asian society has a very low opinion in Humanities students, especially towards young people who choose to pursue creative-based careers like writers or artists. They usually believe that these careers do not earn a very high income like lawyers or doctors. It pretty much resonates with a high-school classmate of mine who told me that an author could not feed themselves solely by their works. Besides, the older Asian generation has this sense of prejudice against Art Stream during high school. They believe that people who are in the Art stream do not work well in their academics. I found it odd because the people I knew who studied in Science Stream converted to Humanities when they attend Universities. Most of the panelists have struggled and worked hard to come into terms with their parents to allow them pursuing their writing career. My parents are quite lenient about my choice of studying English with Creative Writing, but they expect me to become a teacher after I graduated. Speaking of career, the panelists also expressed about their future in writing. Most of them are enthusiastic about being a writer as their profession, only some of them prefer to make writing as a side job.
Some of the writers write about topics like the LGBT+ community or mental illness, which are extremely controversial within the Asian community. In the context of Malaysia, censorship is quite strict when it comes to the subject of gender, sexuality, race, religion, or politics. The government believes that these contexts would destroy the harmonious relationship among their people, therefore works that relate to these topics would be silenced or rejected. Moreover, authors also need to change some of the content in order to meet with the demographic. For example, the author would change a Chinese character with an English name like Hannah into Han Nah to relate to the local Chinese community more. As a matter of fact, censorship should not play a big part in writing, especially in creative pieces.
Time management is difficult for authors who are still studying, which there are other commitments and priorities they need to focus on. Discipline comes into a huge play to ensure there is a balance between academics and passion. When it comes to long holidays with no classes or extracurricular activities, it is considered as the best period for authors to put their full attention on their works. Some of the panelists would write according to their mood; some of them have a target to write a certain number of pieces per day. I am more of the first type when it comes to writing my own fictional writing, but I would be more target-orientated in academic essays. I could try the second approach in personal writings during the next holiday, so I can see the difference in efficiency and end product between these two methods.
For the publishing process, the best thing could happen to a writer is to have their work accepted by publishing companies. Nonetheless, there are times when writers can receive a rejection letter after days, weeks, or months of reviewing—indicating that the work is not good enough to be in printed form and being sold in the market. It is also important to find the right publishing company that fits the requirements for one's work and able to be work in sync with the writer.
I am more familiar with traditional publishing houses, which they can tell if you are a good writer, as the editors have reviews thousands of works and could help you in the editing process. New writers would not worry much about marketing as well, as they have connections to ensure your work can have a spot on the bookstore shelf. It is considered as a good starting point for writers who need reviews and a guideline. The problem with conventional publishing is that publishers tend to have extremely high expectations of your works and expect you to make changes to fit in the market. It is also very easy for your works to get rejected, or put is as a backup or an unpublished archive. You are not also in full control of the quality of your work and the revenue from the sales.
Another option would be self-publishing, which is more suitable for people who produce artworks, poetries, or doujin (fan-made) works. The author has full creative autonomy on the book cover design, the quality of the paper, the font, and the illustrations. However, it is extremely time-consuming in terms of designing and compiling work, as well as having enough budget for the publishing fee. Marketing is also a challenge for self-published authors. They could hire someone to do the marketing, but chances for people who willingly buy their products is quite low. Nonetheless, the satisfactory level on the final product is higher than traditionally-published authors.
I love how one of the panelists employs the baby-caring metaphor for this context. If you leave a baby to a day-care, it would be treated with professional care, but they would not fully understand the condition of the baby and its needs. In contrast, taking care of the baby by yourself can drain your energy and consume most of your time, but you understand your child more than anyone else and you have full control over your baby's needs. Publishing a book is just like taking care of a baby, it is a product made with love. The outcome could be different, depends on which authority is in charge of it and whether the creator is comfortable with the method.
There is a common view on writing as an isolated process, which a writer can work without being bothered by the surroundings. Moreover, the stereotype of writers having an aloof personality that is often portrayed in media, giving a sense to the public that they are hard to communicate with. In reality, writers can have an outgoing and friendly disposition. The writing community is always ready to help writers who wish to have their work published and reach out to people who are interested in writing. This type of support is what most young and inexperienced Malaysian writers need due to the lack of funding and encouragement from the local society and the government.
In short, this panel had covered questions that most beginner writers would be curious about in terms of the writing process and the publishing process. The information provided is extremely useful for me as a Creative Writing student who wishes to have a group of readers who can relate to my works as well as finding the right publisher that can agree with my views and schedule. I would definitely attend another author panel if possible, but mostly from the perspective of bestsellers or award-winning writers.
Event date: 20th Nov 2019
Finished on 21st Nov 2019