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Showing posts from September, 2016

Book Talk and Signing at Kinokuniya, Takashimaya (24 Sep 2016)

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I was very happy to return to Kinokuniya again after 2 years at its new location! I reached there early to display my prize giveaway: Matcha cat cushion and sticker sheets. Some of my friends reached there early so I asked them to help me take some photos and do FB Live video broadcast later.

Comics: Haircut

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Seriously it's really difficult to maintain a neat hairdo with natural curls. It always look nice after a haircut but it will totally mess up the next day...

Comics: Seven Wonders of Japanese

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1. Spend 2 hours on Natural Makeup. The end result usually looks effortless, from makeup to neat curls on the hair... I wonder what time they have to wake up to do all that before going to work or shop... 2. Not appear sweaty in suits during summer. Maybe that's why they are likely to get heat stroke during summer because they sweat less? You never hear people from South East Asia fainting or dying from heat in Japan. 3. Drink lots of beer but not look fat. Maybe because they need to climb a lot of stairs at the train station? Or it could be the small servings or less oil in cooking? Hmm... 4. Look like 30s in their 40s. Must be something in the skincare and UV protection suit gear. 5. Means "No" even when they said "Yes". Based on true story from an air stewardess fan who tried to get a Japanese girl's phone number. In the end she did not answer his calls or said she's busy all the time. 6. Always in orderly manner. Even during disaste

Should you self-publish or sign on with a publisher

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(Left: My first book that I self-published, right: my second book with a publisher) Many budding authors feedback to me that they found my article: " 9 Important Lessons learnt on self-publishing in Singapore " very useful, so I am writing another one for authors who are wondering if they should self-publish or sign a contract with a publisher. After experiencing both sides, I would like to put together the pro and con of each side and share with you what I went through so you can decide for yourself which path to take. Self Publishing Pro: You can control everything from the content to the pricing of your book. Higher profit margin if your book cost is low. Retain full copyright to sell to other publishers in various countries, including selling on Amazon.com and publish in any eBook format. Con: You bear the cost of all production, including reprints. You have to store the rest of the books that your distributor did not take and try your blardy best to

Eva Goes Solo book signing trip to KL 10-11 Sep 2016

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Day One:  Cooler Lumpur Festival I was honoured to be invited to this independent literature festival for a panel discussion with famous Malaysian comic artist and doodler Chee Ming Boey. I also got to meet my publisher and editor for the first time!

Comics: Travel Woes

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I'm one of those who cannot sleep well on another bed so it's quite a torture at night when I'm on a holiday or work trip... But I never have any problems with passing motion every morning unlike whoever was sharing room with me... XD How about you, do you have any difficulties that only happen when you travel?

Designing the book cover

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After a few rounds of brainstorming for the title, my publisher narrowed down to this one: "EVA GOES SOLO". No, not the Solo in Indonesia but solo as in alone because this book contains short stories about me adapting to life in Japan a few years ago when the pets were not born yet. They liked idea no.4. So the next step was to ink and colour it. So here were some ideas on how to treat the plain white background. Ali from my Patreon (now it's like my mini fan club) suggested to have a table and my publisher liked the idea initially... Yes, I meant "initially" because after speaking to retailers, they changed their mind and wanted a white background so the cover can pop up from the shelves. It looked rather plain to me like a novel instead of a comic book, so I suggested 2 different treatments: drawings in the background or spot UV the bamboos. Spot UV is a special treatment whereby the surface is coated with a glossy finish. I preferred spot U

Comics: SLR and photography skill

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When I travel and want to ask someone to help me take a photo, I always target those who are holding a SLR camera because I believed they have very good photography skill. Unfortunately, that's not the case now because SLR cameras are getting more portable and lighter, so anybody with extra cash can buy without knowing how to frame the composition and adjust the settings... My family seldom travel together especially with my Dad's weak legs now. Sadly, a photo of all of us at Disneyland 4 years ago was ruined because the guy couldn't aim properly... And yes, he was holding a SLR... (-_-)