How to publish a book in Singapore

This is one of the most common questions people ask me (after where can I buy your book and how much is your pay cheque?). It's great to know that there are many storytellers amongst us, and heartwarming when they share their book ideas with me.

Below are my tips and resources:

1. Write a book synopsis. It should include:

- Theme of book: A brief summary of your book topic.
- Introduction: Background information on your book topic.
- Market research: Are there any books similar? Do your research on them and how yours is different.
- Benefits for the audience: What will you readers take away and what do you hope to achieve.
- Your credentials: Your work bio. It will be good if it is relevant to your book topic or demonstrates your ability.
- Include a draft of your first chapter: This will be a good review of your writing skills and ideas.

2. Find a publisher

- Make sure you pick a suitable one who will be interested in your book theme. No point sending a non-fiction book summary to a publisher that does primarily children storybooks.

- You can check local book councils for a comprehensive list of publishers.

- Do your research from their websites and check their book titles. Then find the contact email and send your synopsis. It's better to send to a few short-listed publishers.

3. You may want to go with a smaller outfit as they may respond faster and be more easy-going. Most importantly, you must feel comfortable with your publisher and see eye-to-eye on the book direction.

Apart from the immense joy of seeing your words come to live and sitting pretty in major bookstores, being an author has the below benefits:

1. Authority - Notice how the word "author" is in Authority? That's right, being an author makes you look like an expert in the topic that you are writing about. People will look to you for answers and even quote you for related topics. Develop a name for yourself as an expert in your field. Over time, you will develop a reputation and may be sought out by others for your expertise.

2. Satisfaction - It is incredibly gratifying to birth a book. From being impregnated with ideas to the end result of holding your "baby" in your hands, the journey may have ups and downs but is nothing short of exhilarating!

3. Passive income - The rewards extend to the monetary. You work hard for a while and get paid for the rest of your life. Your book royalty is like an annual bonus from a generous company...year after year.

4. Springboard - You are able to branch out to different avenues - you can organise seminars related to writing or your expert topic, be a consultant or sought-after speaker.

5. Boost business - Link your book to your personal or business website where you sell your products or services. This will increase business and is an effective promotion of your services.
 

Pearlin Siow is an Author at Boss Of Me, a boutique book-writing agency that specialises in biographies of entrepreneurs and companies. She has written four books, including Boss Of Me, which was a bestseller at Popular Bookstore. You can contact her at www.pearlinsiow.com