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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... (-_-)

Comics: Changing Rooms in Japan

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I always dislike to try clothes during winter time because of the many layers of clothes you have to remove as well as the boots. PS. I did not sit down to try the clothes...

Comics: Kids in Trains

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I always think they are like monkeys, stepping on the seats, swinging around with the hangers, running around and making lots of noises... On the other hand, Japanese kids are very well-behaved and their parents would scold them if they disturb others.

Comics: The Real Kitty

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I was at Sanrio Puroland last year and saw a trio of girls getting super excited when they saw My Melody mascot. They hugged and kissed the mascot while taking photos... so I was wondering... what if it's a guy beneath the mascot... will they still hug? HMMM....

Comics: Pokemon Go

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Pokemon Go was finally released in Singapore last Saturday (6th Aug) but I haven't catch anything yet... Maybe I should light up some incenses and use some lures too. But maybe I will become tanned and muscular after a month. After all, I had never walked so much continuously in Singapore before... I walked a lot in Japan because the weather was cool, but no... not in Singapore... until this game... While everybody caught normal pokemons, I caught this... on my desktop, HA~ Happy Birthday Singapore! Since my Telco will be providing free data tomorrow, guess what I'd be doing :P

Comics: Convenient Stores

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I often go to convenient stores to buy bento, snacks, cakes or vegetables when I was in Japan. Sometimes I will pass by their adult magazine section and wonder if I should play prank by browsing through it and see the reaction of customers and staff. But I wasn't brave enough and abandoned the idea...