Publish or Perish in the Provinces
The publishing business in the regions outside of Java is a struggling concern. Good writers are rare and when there is a potential gem of a book, it is often rejected by major publishers. Their market is seen as too small to be commercially viable, although the general public appear to be starving for locally-oriented stories about their daily lives. A few enterprising publishers have noted the gap in the supply of home-grown books and articles, and taken up the challenge of publishing literary works rejected by big publishers. The result has been astounding. The trend has led to a wave of talented new writers. Tempo English reports from the provinces of Lampung, West Kalimantan and East Nusa Tenggara on the occasion of National Book Day on May 17.
May 20, 2014
Lampung Writers' Dreams
A publishing company in Lampung helps junior writers publish their books. The authors are marketing their works themselves.
A red and yellow book with the picture of a middle-aged man on the cover sits on the shelf at Indepth Publishing. The title: Alienated in Their Own Homeland. Indepth, an independent publisher, is based in Bandar Lampung, capital of Lampung. Tri Purna Jaya, Indepth's managing director, pointed proudly
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