How did you come up with the idea?
Publishizer began as an ebook publishing platform I built on Squarespace. Authors could post chapters and get feedback on their book before publishing it. Over time, I saw the potential of crowd-funding for the industry, so Publishizer became a pre-order platform for books.
Why did you decide to start the business here?
Singapore is a dynamic, innovative and creative city, and the start-up hub of Asia. There is a lot of support here for start-ups,and I know many people working on exciting book projects.
What do you think of local Singapore writers?
There is a huge amount of talent among local Singaporean writers. I was fortunate to work with Yen Yen Woo and Colin Goh on Dim Sum Warriors—an innovative comic book app in English and Chinese. Currently, I’m working with Suffian Hakim on a Singaporean-flavored Harry Potter parody called Harris bin Potter, and local illustrator Joshua Chiang and storyteller Jeffrey Lawrence Omar on The Chronicles of Oujo. The talent exists here in Singapore—the next step is to bring that talent to international publishing markets.
How do you hook up with the authors who use the service?
The authors I’m working with have come mostly through colleagues, contacts and friends. We haven’t even started marketing yet, but authors are finding us. They are increasingly looking to crowd-fund their books, so we are a natural fit.
What kinds of topics usually pique the most interest?
Books which are unique and original—especially in non-fiction categories—pique our interest.
How do you hope to grow the business in the next few years?
Starting in December, I’ll be running Startup Writer Workshop, teaching a hands-on approach for authors to use start-up techniques to publish their book. Topics include lean publishing, beta readers, crowd-sourcing covers, DIY press, offset vs. POD and ebooks.
