Where I stare at my e-mail willing my Malaysian ISBN approval to appear

The columnist discusses the complexities of self-publishing, highlighting the unexpected challenges beyond writing, such as acquiring an ISBN for the paperback version.

While obtaining an ISBN is free from the National Library Depository, the process is fraught with issues, including an unresponsive application website and bureaucratic hurdles.

Despite frustrations, the author remains committed to the endeavor, motivated by a desire to repay kindness and fulfill a childhood dream of having their book in the national library.

The columnist humorously reflects on the learning curve of desktop publishing, with a hopeful tone toward overcoming these obstacles.

NOVEMBER 4 — I thought self-publishing a book would just be about writing a book, uploading it to the internet and then forgetting about it enough to write another book.

Writing a book is apparently the easiest part of the process.

My current frustration is trying to get an ISBN number for the paperback version of the book.

The good news is that it’s free from the National Library Depository (apparently it’s very expensive in the US and the UK) but the bad news is that the website to apply for one likes to flop over and play dead every two business weeks.

At first I couldn’t even register for it properly but mysteriously after I sent in an enquiry with my work email account it suddenly worked.

The whole process is, on paper, easy.

You fill in the details, then upload PDFs of various sections. I had to upload my title page, copyright page, table of contents and cover (in JPG).

Probably they were just making sure I wasn’t, heaven forbid, publishing erotica.

After a whole week passed, I got an email saying I needed to amend my submission as apparently my copyright page needed to have my full name, the city I was in as well as the postcode.

Thus I amended said page and uploaded it; now I just stare at my email inbox willing my ISBN approval to appear.

In the past I was told all you needed was to fill some Google Docs and be done within a couple of days.

My friend whose colleague often had to deal with the depository once upon a time told me this: “Do you know they don’t answer calls? Or emails? He had to go in person all the time to get the ISBN sorted.”

I have no idea if it’s true but please pray for the staff if by this Thursday I still haven’t gotten my ISBN.

An ISBN is not required by law but if I want the book in our national library (of course I want that, it’s a childhood dream) then I can’t do without one.

Another self-published author said that in the old days it would only take two days but her latest book took 22 days and counting, just when she had a book fair she needed to attend.

My friends have been supportive and my overseas ex-classmates from school are excitedly asking how to order copies and, being Malaysian, asking how they can do it in a way I make the most profit.

I laughed and told them that outside Malaysia, they should just get it from Amazon. With Kindle Direct Publishing they can get paperbacks without paying ruinous shipping and I don’t need to stock inventory.

Instead, books will be printed on-demand but that would also mean I would need to format my book and the cover properly.

Having to learn desktop publishing overnight has made me wring my hands a lot while apologising (internally) to all the graphic designers I terrorised over the years.

As to profit, the book was never about making money. If I make a few ringgit that would be a nice bonus (please don’t penalise me Mr Taxman) but my intention is best expressed in a Chinese saying 滴水之恩，涌泉相报.

Literally: A drop of water shall be returned with a burst of spring. Meaning: That even the smallest kindness should be repaid with the fullest extent of your capabilities.

Through the combined kindness of so many people I get to sit here writing this column instead of being, well, dead, so the least I could do is write a book for the people who I think would need it the most.

Find out next week if they finally give me my ISBN and if I win my next battle — with my book printer.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

Your Halloween binge sorted: From found footage to nightmare children’s TV and slow-burn creature features

GE16 Election Night promises surprises wrapped in surprises

So I wrote a book. Now I have to publish it

Working or retired? Here is what Budget 2027 offers Malaysians over 60

Private universities steal the spotlight as Malaysia sets a historic record in QS Asia 2027

Hafidz Othman appointed new Prisons Department chief, takes office on Nov 5

专栏作家探讨了自助出版的复杂性，重点介绍了写作之外的意想不到的挑战，例如为平装版获取 ISBN。

虽然从国家图书馆获取 ISBN 是免费的，但该过程充满了各种问题，包括申请网站无响应和官僚主义障碍。

尽管遭遇挫折，作者仍然致力于这项工作，其动力源于想要报答恩情并实现儿时梦想——让自己的书被国家图书馆收藏。

专栏作家以幽默的口吻反思了桌面出版的学习曲线，并充满希望地展望了克服这些障碍的前景。

11 月 4 日——我原以为自出版一本书就是写完书，把它上传到互联网，然后就可以把它忘得一干二净，去写另一本书了。

写书似乎是整个过程中最简单的部分。

我现在遇到的难题是，我找不到这本书平装版的ISBN编号。

好消息是，从国家图书馆馆藏库获取是免费的（显然在美国和英国获取非常昂贵），但坏消息是，申请馆藏库的网站每隔两周就会崩溃一次。

一开始我甚至都无法正常注册，但奇怪的是，在我用工作邮箱发送了一封咨询邮件后，它突然就成功了。

整个过程，从理论上讲，很简单。

您需要填写详细信息，然后上传各个部分的PDF文件。我需要上传标题页、版权页、目录和封面（JPG格式）。

他们大概只是想确认我没有，天哪，出版色情作品。

一周后，我收到一封电子邮件，说我需要修改我的提交内容，因为我的版权页需要包含我的全名、我所在的城市以及邮政编码。

于是我修改了该页面并上传；现在我只能盯着我的电子邮件收件箱，盼望着我的 ISBN 批准函出现。

过去我听说，你只需要填写一些谷歌文档，几天之内就能完成。

我的朋友的同事以前经常要和ISBN档案馆打交道，他告诉我：“你知道他们不接电话吗？也不回邮件？他每次都得亲自去办理ISBN手续。”

我不知道这是不是真的，但如果到本周四我还没收到ISBN号，请为工作人员祈祷。

法律没有规定必须有 ISBN，但如果我想把书放在我们的国家图书馆里（我当然想，这是我儿时的梦想），那么我就离不开 ISBN。

另一位自出版作家表示，以前只需要两天就能完成一本书的出版，但她的最新一本书已经花了 22 天时间，而且还在继续，而她恰好要参加一个书展。

我的朋友们都很支持我，我以前在海外的同学们也兴奋地问我如何订购，而且，作为马来西亚人，他们还问我怎样才能以最有利可图的方式订购。

我笑着告诉他们，马来西亚以外的人可以直接从亚马逊买。有了 Kindle Direct Publishing，他们就能买到平装本，不用支付高昂的运费，我也不用囤货。

相反，书籍将按需印刷，但这同时也意味着我需要正确地排版书籍和封面。

一夜之间学会桌面出版让我感到非常懊恼，同时也在（内心）向多年来被我折磨过的所有平面设计师道歉。

至于盈利，这本书从来都不是为了赚钱。如果能赚点钱当然是锦上添花（税务官先生，请不要处罚我），但我的初衷最好用一句中国谚语来表达：滴水之恩，涌泉相报。

字面意思：滴水换春。寓意：即使是最小的善意，也应该尽你所能地回报。

感谢这么多人的善意，我才能坐在这里写这篇专栏文章，而不是已经死了，所以我至少可以做一件事，那就是为那些我认为最需要它的人写一本书。

下周看看他们是否最终会给我ISBN号，以及我是否能赢得下一场战斗——与我的图书印刷商的战斗。

* 这是专栏作家的个人观点。

万圣节观影指南：从伪纪录片到噩梦般的儿童电视节目，再到慢节奏的怪兽电影，应有尽有。

第16届全国大选之夜，惊喜层出不穷

所以我写了一本书。现在我得把它出版。

在职还是退休？以下是2027年财政预算案为60岁以上马来西亚人提供的福利。

马来西亚在2027年QS亚洲排名中创下历史新高，私立大学成为焦点。

哈菲兹·奥斯曼被任命为新任监狱部门负责人，将于11月5日就职。