Despite some initial setbacks, Un Sio San, a Macao-born poet, has successfully published her first poetry collection, Exile in the Blossom Time, in Hong Kong in 2008.
At the beginning, Un relied on mainstream channels in Macao to get her book published, but her efforts went unrewarded. She applied for government funding, but unfortunately her application was not favoured vis-à-vis other organisations that have submitted meticulous, annual publication projects. In the process, she was frustrated: “I do not understand why the sponsor has the right to share royalties with the author, even though it is unsure whether or how much the funding might be. Back then, most of the people in Macao were not so conscious of their publishing rights, but I think that such rights should be respected.”
Taking this into account, Un decided to approach publishers in Macao directly “I have also approached Pin-to Livros to explore publishing possibilities, but in the end, I find out that the collaboration is more akin to the work of a distribution agent, given the limited resources they have. Moreover, the bookshop is not a specialist in publishing and book distribution, so in a way it is not very different from self-publishing.”
Having encountered these difficulties, she turned to the Hong Kong publisher, kubrick, instead. She said: “Being non-mainstream literature, poetry does not fetch good sales. I was lucky in the sense that kubrick was very interested in my book project, and our phone discussion went on for an hour. I am glad to find them a very committed publisher.” After her first publication, Un went on to publish five more books in regions covering Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao and Mainland China. Such geographical reach for a Macao writer is almost unheard of inside the city.
Based on her own experience in getting her works published in the region, Un conceded: “In Hong Kong, the publishers are faced with considerable market competition, and tend to be more commercially-oriented. In Taiwan, the presence of intellectuals offers a more positive atmosphere for publishing, and the competition among publishers is less hostile. They are also more supportive of emerging writers. In the mainland, there is a strong demand for knowledge, but the publishing processes there are far more intricate, and there is the concern over censorship. Nevertheless, compared with Macao, the mainland publishers are more professional in their editing work, and can offer the authors more insights on editing the contents.”
In Macao, book-lovers are sadly lacking. Un pointed out: “Getting a book published here is seen as an entertaining act for both the publisher and the writer, and lacks marketing strategies. With a large number of publications being funded by the government, publishing is merely a gesture of publicity. In this way, it deepens the vicious cycle of the book trade, since it makes readers less willing to spend their money on books.”
In the English language publishing market, a literary agent plays a significant role, acting as the author’s manager, and serves as a mediator between the author and the publisher. In other words, the agent is responsible for copyright negotiations and matters on book transactions. For example, the Asia-based Peony Literary Agency, which manages leading writers including Chan Koon Chung, Han Han and Mo Yan, helps the authors deal with the foreign language rights of their books. Nonetheless, such a role is not yet firmly established in the Chinese language book market. Un felt that promoting her work abroad relied heavily on her own initiatives. She said: “Regardless of how the government offers to help local writers to get published, it depends on the authors themselves to make themselves known to the outside world. Nowadays, there are various ways to get published. My Wonderland is also published in ebook format. Some people would even use online channels to do fundraising for their books, offering to share the book sales revenue with sponsors. The Internet has created a very different publishing environment for all of us.”
The author of The Last Cluster Amaryllis: Anita Mui’s Art and Life, Lei Chin Pang, is another successful example of writers making use of digital channels to promote their books. A cultural commentator in Macao, Lee has spent three years writing the book. He said: “At first, my articles on Anita Mui were only published online. Some fans of Anita Mui have picked these up, and very soon the articles went viral. The popularity of these writings caught the attention of the Hong Kong publisher, Joint Publishing, and they decided to publish them as a book, including a Simplified Chinese edition targeting the mainland.”
What’s more, this book deal brought him more opportunities, with his second manuscript accepted by Joint Publishing, and is due to appear in this year’s Hong Kong Book Fair. Lei said: “Since we know that the publishing scene in Macao is not yet ready, Macao writers should explore the use of digital platforms instead of limiting themselves to the traditional publishing channels inside their own city. As long as you have a good piece of work, you can always find a home for it. Nowadays, geographical boundaries are no longer an issue.” In recent years, he is also a columnist for Tencent Dajia in the mainland, The New Lens in Taiwan and Pentoy in Hong Kong, in order to broaden his readership base.
In his opinion, the Macao government should give more priority in nurturing talented writers, as they seek to promote local cultural development and creativity. “Nowadays, the government injects far more resources into funding other industries, such as the film industry. Actually, it is much easier to nurture a writer than a director, since writing and publishing do not require so much technological input nor do they involve so many technical processes. The government can consider introducing some leading homegrown writers to overseas publishers, and once their works get published abroad and reach an international readership, it will also stir up interest in their works inside Macao.”
