PEARLIN SIOW - Singapore

WHY WRITING. WHAT WERE THE CHOICES YOU MADE THAT LED YOU DOWN THIS ROAD?
I have a love affair with words and grew up with my nose buried in between pages and my head lost in the fantasy world of make-believe. Add to that mix, a fertile imagination and a writer was born.

I did a work attachment stint with Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) during my mass communication study days, and was offered a job as a journalist upon graduation. Greener pastures beckoned and I left SPH after three years to dally with technology, stretch myself with Pilates and have now returned to my first love, writing.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK AND THE PEOPLE YOU’VE MET WHILE DOING IT.
Boss of Me! was started out of selfish reasons. I’ve always been a big fan of biographies and realise that there are none on our local talents so I decided to round up 20 outstanding individuals in different fields and tell their amazing stories.

Doing the book let me delve into the psyche of some of Singapore’s most successful entrepreneurs, like Zouk founder, Lincoln Cheng, who validated my belief that you can make tonnes of money while having fun, and Stamford Tyre’s head honcho, Mr Wee Kok Wah, who overcame cancer twice to steer his business to the top.

Lessons taken away:

1. Successful people are very generous, not in the material sense but in terms of time and help. My interviewees willingly endorsed my book and took time out of their busy schedules to share their life stories.

2. Luck is preparation combined with opportunity. My interviewees look like they lead blessed lives but beneath their success lies years of determination, hard work and grit.

3. Impossible is possible - as long as you genuinely love what you do and go about doing it with your own set of rules.

WHAT’S YOUR SCENE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO GIVE IT A JOLT?
I'm a big believer of self-help. Some people see that as a dirty word but to me it simply means life long learning, and I want to write motivational books about business that will inspire people.

Success, passion and entrepreneurialism – I intend to make these buzzwords relatable to everyone by unearthing fine examples of people who have followed their dreams as role models for my readers.

WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING A WRITER IN ASIA?
Writing in Asia is still rather infantile, compared to the US. Singapore has been busy courting authors and illustrators in recent months. The process started back in 2003 with the establishment of the Media Development Authority (MDA), heralding a new page in Singapore's Media 21 vision of a global media city. However, given the emphasis on academic and industry excellence in this rather straitlaced society, plenty needs to be done to unleash our creativity and hidden talents.



WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE?
I’m all about short-term goals and my immediate plan is to finish all work by end of this year and take the whole of next year off to travel, party around the world and sit around, contemplating my belly button lint…that is, until the next money-making idea hits me square on my head.

HOW DO YOU PROMOTE YOURSELF?
Mark Bennett, a self-published author who sold five million books to companies, says that selling books in mass quantities is the way to go. I agree with him that distributing to the book stores and waiting for individuals to buy your books is pittance. The big moolah is to go direct to the companies.

I am following his example and have taken the first steps by offering to contribute articles to newsletters of business associations which go out to thousands of corporate eyeballs, and am in discussions with trainers of entrepreneurialism to promote my book.

WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF WRITING IN ASIA?
Digital book publishing or E-books are fast catching on for authors who want to enjoy the ease and economy of putting their content on computer display rather than the messy, expensive approach of printing on paper. It can be a huge task to get your book published by adhering to traditional methods and thousands of manuscripts are rejected every day by traditional publishers. The costs involved in traditional publishing methods are comparatively high that’s why publishers are very selective.
Electronic publishing has removed much of the cost and risk involved in print publishing. Since the cost of electronic publishing is significantly low, an author can expect a higher income from the sale of an E-book ($$). Publishers are also catching on with a select few offering E-publishing services for budding authors.

DESCRIBE YOUR GENERATION IN REFERENCE TO YOUR BOOK.
My peers are getting shifty in their jobs and itching to be vagabonders and have mini-retirements. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss exemplifies their desired lifestyles.

Entrepreneurialism is alive and kicking and readers of Boss of Me! have told me that my stories have motivated them to keep on truckin’ or start their business ventures. All heartening stuff!

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
A chronic workaholic, I am midway through my second book which promises to deliver a swift kick to the butt and teach you how to make money while you sleep! Goodbye rat race, hello financial freedom!

Walking the talk, I am carving a lucrative passive income pie for myself by publishing, together with my sister, an e-book on post-pregnancy diet and fitness www.exercisepostpregnancy.com, which is going on sale next month. Working on the e-book and learning how Internet marketing works has been a trip and I am now the proud possessor of a new lingo filled with intriguing words like SEO, PPC, Autoresponders, affiliates and Google Adwords.



CONTACT ARTISTS: AWE5OME

BLOG: BOSS OF ME SINGAPORE