AVANTIKUMAR

In today’s world, when anyone can easily publish a work through the Internet, it still gives me a thrill to have a book accepted by a traditional book publisher.

Though I have had other writings accepted (plays for radio, TV and journalism), this is my first book: a nonfiction title called The Science of Happiness.  United States publisher Marshall Cavendish intends to publish it in 2009.

To me, having a book published by an old established firm is rather like to seeing your own child come out into the world. Moreover, to maintain tradition, there will even be a Foreword (something you do not see much of nowadays) written by renowned psychologist Dr Robert Holden, who recently appeared on the Oprah show (www.happiness.co.uk).

In the last decade, it would be apt to say that most traditional publishers would not have the interest to scan online sites for potential authors.

One writer told of the three months he spent wrangling over a contract with a traditional publisher, while his online book received 500,000 hits a day. In the end, he said he did not need the publisher.

As a writer - rather than an entrepreneur -, I take a slightly more traditional view. Then this is based on the credibility and brand power that is still attached to traditional publishing. Perhaps it is a little like the vast difference in credibility between PR and advertising.

A work accepted by an established third party as opposed to self-publishing seems to have the added weight, not to mention the enormous confidence-boost that most writers need.

By the way, my apologies: I am unable to post extracts from the book on my site due to copyright reasons, but from time to time, I’ll post some impressions of the publishing process, This may provide some interesting comparisons to e-publishing.

More later.
– Kuala Lumpur, July 11 2008

“Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice; journalism what will be grasped at once.” - Cyril Connolly

BBC correspondent Alistair Cook was an early pioneer of the podcast, of sorts . Over four decades, using more than 1,000 words, he sent a weekly Letter from America, many of them vivid recounts of key twentieth century events.

News point and news hook - two elements of the nut graph are drilled into every journalist at major media organisations. Story structure is built using words. It’s the inverted pyramid: the essential who, what, when, where is build into the first lines and the why, if it is used, comes in succeeding paragraphs.

The Internet is supposedly changing this. We need a multimedia approach to storytelling, journalists are told.

Simple structure, clear storytelling: you have to think visual.

The Associated Press is experimenting with story forms on their new site: http://asap.ap.org. Asia based technology journalists informally aired these and other topics during a three-day conference on the Indonesian island Bintan at the end of July. Whatever the issues, this was a gathering of journalists, working and playing hard.

Attenders included leading Malaysian socio-political bloggers Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin ‘Rocky’ Attan, both men of erudition and charm.

Writing is one of the toughest jobs around. To write well is almost as tough as being good. I struggle with both every day. You have to be awake and focused on both structural overview as well as the tiniest detail you are trying to tell.

- AVANTIKUMAR

29 July 2007, written in Nirwana Gardens, Bintan, an island off Indonesia

As an expatriate living “in the tropics”, I receive messages from friends in cooler parts of the world. Often, they are tinged with open envy. How lucky you are, they say. You live in a country where it’s always summer, there are beaches and palm trees waving in the breeze. And you have the Twin Towers, the LRT and all those wonderful eating places: best choice on the planet, they add as they fly from KLIA.

The perfect travel destination, a balmy vacation centre: 365 days a year.

They’re right, of course.

However, on one or two occasions, I have been put on the defensive about this often-beautiful land. I recall in April, 2002, a friend spent a few days on stop-over in Kuala Lumpur.

A renowned psychologist, Dr Gerard Hoffman (not his real name) did the tourist thing every time he came to Malaysia: Penang, Melacca, KL. He hmmed and aahed, and shared my joy over the variety of makan (Malay for food) and the Indian, Chinese and Malay ways of living and enjoying everyday life.

Hoffman viewed the gleaming towers in the capital city and asked to hear my understanding of Vision 2020, which is the country’s plan to be fully developed by the year 2020.

While at an outside food stall under a large twisted ancient tree, in view of Petronas Twin Towers, and relaxing over a nescafe tarik (coffee with condensed milk which has been poured back and forth until frothy), I explained my perceptions of the plan for Malaysia to be a first world nation by 2020. His gaze became serious as I talked of knowledge workers, cyber centres and technology adoption. I asked what was wrong.

As he talked, I wrote his points down in my PDA (which, at the time was a Psion Revo for those who like know such things). The gist included the following:

· Economic benchmarks are relatively easy to achieve; a first world nation needs to do far more.

· It is easier to measure a developed nation by the behavioural effects achieved through knowledge & education, legislature, public services, enforcement, media and the arts: how do citizens treat each other right now?

· And what needs to be changed.

He went on to detail what he saw as the considerable gaps he had noted in many fields, the above list is not exhaustive. I advised him to write a book on the subject, there was simply too much for a brief comment piece.

Some variations of Hoffman’s reflections and views have been occasionally voiced to me by others who live here, happy to find in me the listening ear of a foreign correspondent.

“A developed nation encourages its citizens to behave with simple kindness; why? - because it pays dividends,” Hoffman continued.

We do first need to clearly define what it means to be a developed nation. In today’s flattened world, the standards set must be the best possible, he ended.

Whatever the definitions, you and I have to first become the change we want. As this country reaches upward, its roots need to be weeded, clarified and wisely tended: we use past positives to build a place on a large, flat, brightly illuminated stage, where all details are magnified a thousandfold - and difficult to hide.

Yet, everything is possible. I look forward to the great things this country can achieve in coming years.

(By the way, not good journalism to hold over such information to last: Dr Gerard Hoffman is the pseudonym for a Malaysian, connected to an honourable family.)

- 7 July, 2007. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,

Greetings!

Letter from Malaysia is intended to lay before you some varied impressions of a correspondent based in this region.

This column will contain an ongoing mix of social, technology, domestic and travel experiences throughout Asia.

I have to warn you that Letter from Malaysia may not record people and events in linear time sequence; for instance, I first came to beautiful Malaysia in December of 1999 and I intend to allow myself much-needed personal latitude and wander backwards and forwards, and any which way the gods will allow me - so this should result in some fun!

By now, you’ll have surmised I’m going to offer many different things to you through this column, as delicately as possible. It’s a work in perpetual progress. Like life.

More will follow very soon. See you again very soon.

-  writing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia