E-books Open New Avenues For Aspiring Writers

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- The growing popularity of e-books and self-publishing is opening new avenues for aspiring Malaysian writers by lowering traditional publishing barriers, particularly printing costs, while giving authors greater control over their work, says Intellectual Authors Club (IAC) president S. Nahanthiran.

He said digital publishing also offered authors the potential to reach wider audiences and earn better returns, while making reading materials more accessible, particularly to students.

“E-book publishing is increasingly relevant for new writers because it eliminates traditional industry barriers, allowing authors to avoid printing costs, with a higher profit margin,” he told Bernama.

Nahanthiran, who has authored over 18 e-books across various genres, said the growing interest in self-publishing was also driven by writers seeking greater control over their content, presentation and ownership rights.

“Publishing is becoming very competitive and quite expensive. When you publish with a publishing house, authors may receive only a small fraction as commission and have less control over their work.

“So, the other alternative is self-publishing, where the author decides on the content, style and look of the book, with a higher profit margin,” he said, adding that aspiring independent authors, however, still faced challenges, including identifying suitable publishing platforms and ensuring their works reached a wider audience.

On the use of artificial intelligence (AI), Nahanthiran said the technology could assist writers in overcoming writer’s block, developing chapter outlines and exploring different narrative directions more quickly.

However, he cautioned writers against relying on AI to produce the actual storytelling and writing of an e-book, saying this could undermine an author's credibility and raise ethical questions over authorship.

“I always tell my students never to use AI to write e-books. It is unethical to proclaim yourself as the writer when the text is essentially borrowed.

“Rather, use it to check the articulation of words and proper sentences. This is where the power of writing comes in,” he said.

Nahanthiran said writing an e-book required a different approach from writing a physical book, particularly in terms of structure, pacing and the use of simpler language suited to digital readers.

He said new writers needed to understand these differences before embarking on their writing journey, as a lack of familiarity with the digital format could result in manuscripts taking months or even years to complete.

To help aspiring writers overcome these challenges, IAC has adopted a structured training and mentorship approach to guide participants in completing their first e-book draft within 24 hours, followed by assistance in refining, formatting and navigating the publishing process.

The club's latest e-book launch at the University of Wollongong Malaysia in Shah Alam on Aug 15 featured works by five members -- Nahanthiran, Rajvin Kaur, Dr Dee Duriati, Dr Eva Wong and Farra Hashim.

The event, officiated by HELP University Senior Director of Student Life and Wellness Dhanesh Balakrishnan, also highlighted the growing interest in digital publishing as a platform for Malaysians to share their knowledge, experiences and perspectives.

IAC conducts writing workshops, retreats, talks, networking activities and community service programmes related to writing and publishing.

-- BERNAMA