[Contains whining of some sort – please avoid if you 1)do not like hear about me complaining about the lack of international support for Southeast Asian SFF and 2)like to toe the status quo and not rock the book]
It’s November now. We get rainy days, stormy days and in-between days when the rain intermingles with the sun. Some days blaze with vengeance. Some days remind me of misty moors and wet pavements.
My books are finally out in the wild. I mean, my urban fantasy books published under Lyrical Press and under my pen-name. The reviews are coming in and so far, they are good-to-average. So, yes, people are telling me that they are enjoying the stories.
Wait. They are ebooks? Not print? Well, I am not apologizing for having my novels in ebook format.
Unfortunately, the scene has not changed much. People still like print books. The SFF community, on the whole, still likes print books. The mindset is still there, entrenched, deep-seated and stubborn. Add to the fact that I am some obscure Southeast Asian author who would probably remain obscure.
Yes. Writer doubt. I have it. Writer frustration. I have it loads.
And diversity usually means approved international authors, selected by (white) people and (white-run) publishers. I am not seeing change. People keep on telling me that there is change. Glacier-slow, creeping along with the speed of … a snail.
Sometimes, when the doubt/frustration gets really under my skin, I really want to give up. What’s the point of trying to talk to people who, ultimately, will ignore your words and invalidate them as “complaints” or “whining”? Beside, we have the Internet, right? Greatest vehicle for promotion?
Bzzzt. Wrong.
The status quo is still there. The “don’t rock the boat” mentality is still there. Over here, minds are still colonized and dominated by things that are good and white. I hate to say it, but Singaporeans are stuck in a post-colonial bind where they still think white authors are good and local authors are shit(e), therefore destined to be writers of local literature and nothing else. I am not going to say much about local publishing either.
The same goes for international publishing.
Tell you what. I keep on writing. Because this is what I do. And I will keep on talking about this issue, even if it kills me at the end of the day.
There concludes my rant and ruminations.
Have a good day ahead.
A Wolf's Tale 
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