Words of advice

> Five authors shared their experiences and tips with aspiring writers on how to get their work published at the MPH Writers’ Circle event

EVERY aspiring writer wishes to see his/her book get published and displayed on bookshelves for sale. But not many know how to go about realising that dream.

That was why publishing company MPH formed the MPH Writers’ Circle in 2006 with the objective of providing a platform for aspiring writers to learn how to pitch their work to publishers and get them published successfully. The MPH Writers’ Circle was active till 2009.

In April this year, the group was revived with plans to meet once every two months at the MPH outlet in NU Sentral.

Each session will see different sets of authors sharing tips and stories of their publishing journeys.

Earlier this month, the MPH Writers’ Circle showcased a panel comprising five published authors who shared their personal experience.

Here are some of the highlights of what each author had to convey to those aspiring writers attending the event that day.

Anuar Shah is a lawyer who

wrote 40 Questions You Should Ask Your Lawyer Before Buying a Residential Property in Malaysia.

He also wrote fiction such as

Pinjam and Pentas under the Fixi’s banner.

“I write as a hobby,” he says. “I need to get something off my chest.”

One of his biggest challenges as a writer is facing constant distractions from Facebook and Twitter when he is writing.

“I do not have any children but I have many cats that are always seeking my attention,” he says with a laugh.

Being a lawyer, he cautions young writers on the importance of reading their contract with their publisher properly and making sure the contract benefits both parties.

Khaw Choon Ean is the author of various books such as Asian Grandmother Stories, Guide to

Rhythmic Gymnastics and Thinking Smart. She spent 26 years as a teacher, curriculum planner and project manager in the Ministry of Education.

The former gymnast and gymnastic coach said: “I write because I do not want the knowledge that I have to die with me.”

She believes one effective way for budding authors to get notice is to enter many short stories competitions.

Khaw usually writes from night to early morning and will only sleep at 5am. She feels the quiet of the night and lack of distractions allow her to put 100% in her work.

Jojo Struys is a TV and radio personality, international emcee, model, wellness guru and speaker. She is the author of Guide to Wellness.

Struys does her writing very early in the morning because she believes one is more active then.

She admits to suffering from writer’s block often where she ends up staring at an empty page for hours.

“Writing a book is no joke,” Jojo says. “You have to really organise your thoughts before writing.

“And I never expected a writer to make so little from writing!”

Marina Mustafa is a wellknown cookbook author and host of the cook show, Dari Dapur Marina, on Astro Awani.

Marina believes that a cookbook writer should invest in a good photographer in order to get decent pictures to accompany the recipes.

“Sometimes, a picture can tell a thousand words,” she says.

She remembers once when she had to use bamboo in her cooking. She could not find any bamboo near her place. So she sent her husband all the way to the outskirts of Johor to get the bamboo.

“I’m glad that I took the trouble to go that extra mile because, in the end, the bamboo looked fantastic in the picture.”

Umie Nadzimah is a wellknown Malay romance novelist whose novels include Dia ... Isteri Luar Biasa and Cinta Paling Agung.

Umie says one cannot expect instant success in writing.

“I did not become famous with my first book,” says Umie. “It was only in my third book that I got some recognition.”

Now, three of her novels have been turned into TV series and this had given her greater exposure as a writer.

She emphasises that getting a novel published should not be the end goal for a writer.

“A writer needs to promote his or her work,” she says, adding that she believes word of mouth is the most effective way to gain readers’ attention.