On Monday, I received my biggest pay cheque for my books. Well, it’s actually a small amount and certainly nothing to crow about (definitely no reason to pop the champagne), but at least it’s a reassurance that it’s not a zero sum game after all. At least I can buy a lot of wine or champagne with that money.
Having said that, I have a lot more books to sell and this is just the beginning. I’ve made some changes to my site. My Paypal button is active now, so if you wish to buy a copy, you can just click on the button and order. Author signed.
Well, I know better than opinionated onlookers that staying alive in this sunset industry is not going to be easy. After much discussion with industry “experts” and potential buyers, I’ve decided to shelve my plans to write a science book for primary school kids. I’m quite sure than it won’t sell. I decided to do something crazy instead. My next book will be about tattoos.
Yao mo gao chor ah, you may be thinking. I don’t even have a sizable mole on me, let alone a tattoo. Why am I writing on something I know virtually nothing about? For the first two books, I closely followed the mantra of Write What You Know. Why am I turning my back against it in my third book? Well, I’m actually quite fascinated with tattoos. There is so much history, so much geographical diversity, so many cultural variations, so many different motives for tattooing and above all, there are many stories that go with tattoos. It’s actually a virtually inexhaustible theme.
So what is my book about? That’s is one of my most hated questions. Let me just say that for the last couple of months, I have been busy interviewing people to extract touching, bizarre and sometimes shocking stories behind their tattoos, taking pictures of their tattoos and videoing tattoo artists at work and documenting the painful process. It has been an eye-opening experience and I hope that for the public, reading this book could be a mind-opening experience. Tattoos are actually just skin deep. They can be found on almost anybody from a monk to a university professor.
Printed in full colour, this will be my most expensive project to date. Your support is greatly appreciated.
© Chan Joon Yee
