My Book Writing Journey 2020


What did you do during Movement Control Order / Lock Down period in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic?

I decided to make full use of my time at home to tick off one of my life's bucket list: writing a book.

Yes, you have heard it right. I have always wanted to write a book. 

Despite my poor English command and Chinese school educated background, I still wanted to give it a try so that I will not regret living this life!

I have kept this book writing journey under wrap from everyone because I was worried I might not be able to complete it. Even after I managed to complete writing it, I was also worried my friends might ridicule me.

When I shared with a few close friends that I completed writing a book and I wanted to publish it, a few close friends were pleasantly surprised at what I managed to come out with from the MCO by taking full advantage of staying at home period. 


But one of them asked me,
"Will there be any picture or illustration in your book? If not, I will use it as a stool because I won't read it."
I thought this friend of mine was not ridiculing me but he was being very truthful. 

Nowadays, people don't read anymore, especially long articles or a book. People prefer to read short online news or article, browsing from one to another. People love Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. 

Who would still want to read a book nowadays, especially in Malaysia? 

Anyway, I thought I should be thick-skinned enough to pursue it so that I can tick it off from my life's bucket list. 

I have captured my book writing journey in 2020 below so that I can look back one day and be proud of myself! 

This was my first and last book writing attempt!


Book Writing Journey 2020

1. Book writing (10 March - 10 June 2020)

Version                                                                  : First draft

Start / end date                                                       : 10 March 2020 - 10 June 2020

Movement Control Order MCO Start Date           : 18 March

Writing software                                                   : TYPORA

Total days                                                              : 93 days

Total non-writing days (Sundays)                         ：13 days

Total writing days (Mondays - Fridays)               : 80 days

Total word count                                                  : 111,995 words

Average words per day                                        :  1,400 words per day

80 writing days
111,995 words
Written in Typora



2. Short Break (11 - 28 June 2020)

After writing about 5-6 hours a day for 3+ months, I have decided to take a short break from writing.

3. Edit / Revision #1 (29 June 2020 - 16 August 2020)

I copied chapter by chapter from TYPORA to MS Word for the edit.

I then used a 6" by 9" book layout template with Font Garamond, Size 11 for the book edit in MS Word.


Version                                                                  : Edit / Revision #1

Start / end date                                                       : 29 June 2020 2020 - 16 August 2020

Writing software                                                   : MS Word

Total days                                                              : 49 days

Total words (excluding foreword, TOC, about author, etc): 125,260 words

Total pages on 6” by 9” book layout, Font Garamond, Size 11: 365 pages


Below are snapshots of the book content:

 

CONTENTS

 

 

Acknowledgments

Foreword

 

i

 

SECTION 1

About Financial Independence

1

 

 

 

1

Hong long do you think you’ll need to work?

2

2

What does money really mean to you?

13

3

Why financial independence is important?

18

4

What is F.I.L.L. (Financial Independence, Live Life)?

21

5

How much money do you need to retire?

26

6

How much money can you spend after retirement?

34

 

SECTION 2

Investing in Yourself and Your Career

41

 

 

 

7

What’s your entry ticket to a flying start?

42

8

Can you achieve financial independence and retire early with a nine-to-five job?

55

9

Your career choices affect your salaries

64

10

What are your sources of income from your nine-to-five job?

77

11

Should you choose personal growth and mentorship over salary?

96

12

8 invaluable personal growth tips to a financially rewarding career

104

13

8 problem-solving tips that will make you shine at your 9-to-5 job 

119

14 

Be a 360-degree leader in your organization

126

 

SECTION 3

Saving through Frugal Living

138

 

 

 

15

Saving rate – the true secret to financial independence

139

16 

6 good money saving habits that help you save more and spend less

146

17

How to save money on transportation, shopping, travel, food, entertainment and lifestyle, family and friends, health, beauty, education, home, work, banking, credit and debt

156

 

SECTION 4

Make Your Money Work for You

215

 

 

 

18

What is devaluing your hard-earned money?

216

19

How do you make your hard-earned money work harder for you in all situations?

220

20

How should you adjust your investment portfolio?

228

21

How did I build my investment portfolio to achieve financial independence and time freedom before 50?

235

 

SECTION 5

Life after Retirement (Health, Happiness, Gratitude, Being Significant)

269

 

 

 

22

Steve Jobs’ last words about life, health, happiness and love

270

23

Is your life all about work?

274

24

The happiness of pursuit

284

25

Being significant

300

26

Gratitude: Give thanks to everything with a grateful heart

306

27

Health is more important than money

310

28

Eat healthy, feel healthy, be healthy!

319

29

Exercise and move your body

332

30

Use your brain to learn, discover and explore

340

31

Prepare for rainy days

345

 

 

 

 

SECTION 6

Every Ending is a New Beginning

361

 

 

 

32

A new beginning

362

 

 

 

 

About Author

 

 


4. Researched for local book publishers (17 August 2020)

I went to Mid Valley's MPH and Popular Bookstore, flipped through some books with local authors to find out the contact of local book publishers. Then I came back home to do some googling to find out more information about the local publishers.

Below are what I have found: 

Book publishers in Malaysia

  • MPH Group Publishing Sdn Bhd
  • Seashore Publishing (M) Sdn. Bhd. (A member of Popular Holdings Limited)
  • Kanyin Publications Sdn Bhd
  • Snappars Publishing (#1 Asia Book Expert)
  • Monopoly Publications
  • Somo Publishing
  • Anggun Publishing
  • Semai Maju Sdn Bhd

5. Wrote to local book publishers (18 August 2020)

I created a PDF version of cover letter, book title, table of content, 4 sample chapters totalling 32 pages.

I then wrote an email to selected local publishers with the PDF attachment:
  1. MPH Group Publishing
  2. Seashore Publishing
  3. Kanyin Publications


Below is my cover letter:


18 August, 2020

 

Vincent Khor Ying Cheng

44, Jalan 4/149J,

Sri Petaling

57000 Kuala Lumpur

Mobile: +6019 223 8685

Email: vincent.khor@gmail.com

 

 

MPH Group Publishing Sdn Bhd

Lot 1, 1st Floor, Bangunan TH,

No. 5 Jalan Bersatu 13/4,

46200 Petaling Jaya, 

Selangor, Malaysia

Email: mphpublishing@mph.com.my

 

Dear Sir / Mdm,

 

Subject: First attempt at publishing a book tentatively titled “FILL – Financial Independence, Live Life: achieving financial independence from 9-to-5 job before 50”

 

I am writing in regards to my recently completed 125,260-word manuscript, tentatively titled, “FILL - Financial Independence, Live Life: achieving financial independence from 9-to-5 job before 50”. 

 

I am pleased to submit a synopsis, table of content and four sample chapters of my 365-page original manuscript on 6” by 9” book layout with size-11 Garamond font for your kind reference. 

 

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the University of California at Berkeley in America. I’d worked for 7 companies including Jobstreet.com and Seagate. I’d held various positions from engineer, sales consultant, special project manager, head of field sales, country sales manager, regional sales operations manager, country manager, and regional sales operations director. 

 

When I was at the peak of my career as regional sales operations director with Jobstreet.com, I left the corporate world at age 49 in 2017 to be a full-time care giver to my now 96-year-old father and to live life fully true to myself. 

 

“FILL - Financial Independence, Live Life: achieving financial independence from 9-to-5 job before 50” is about my own personal journey on personal growth, career, frugal living, personal finance, investment and early retirement life. 

 

This book covers 5 key areas I have personally walked through in my life:

 

·      About financial independence

·      Invest in yourself and your career

·      Savings through frugal living

·      Make your money work for you

·      Life after retirement (health, happiness, gratitude, being significant)

 

This book is geared towards readers from all income group in Malaysia, who work hard at their respective 9-to-5 jobs trying to achieve their financial independence.

 

Through this book, I’m inspired to share with them that they don’t have to be an entrepreneur or being born in a rich family to achieve their own financial independence. With time freedom, they too can one day live the happy, healthy and meaningful life true to themselves. If I can do it through a 9-to-5 job, so can they. 

 

Although this is my first attempt at publishing a full book, I have started blogging about my running and travel journeys at www.vincentkhor.blogspot.com since 2015. I have 2 English articles published at The Star and 1 Chinese article published at Sin Chew previously.

 

I am extremely excited about this book writing journey that I’m embarking on. I hope that MPH Group Publishing will be a great home to my first book. 

 

I would greatly appreciate your reply in regards to any questions or concerns you may have. 

 

Thank you so much for your consideration. 

 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Vincent Khor



6. Waiting Period (19 August - 20 October 2020)


I waited for 2 months, in the hope that I would hear from at least one of the local book publishers I have contacted.


To my disappointment, my email to them was like falling into a black hole. It was total silence with no response at all.


I wasn't surprised though with the no response. lol!


Who would want to publish a book for a person who is a nobody and who can't write well? What if after publishing the book, there is not even a single book sale? No book publishers would want to make a loss in their business! 


Oh well, at least I have tried to approach them! 



7. Thought of self-publication (20 October 2020 - 30 November 2020)

After the attempt of having a local book publisher to help publish my book failed miserably, I was thinking of self-publication. 


Self publication means I need to pay someone to edit the book, pay for the book design, pay for the book printing, pay for the book distribution, and any other costs involved in getting the book to be published. 


After that, in order for the book to be sold, I need to spend on marketing, etc.


I approached a local book editor for a quote. I was quoted RM10,000 to edit my book!


Yes you have heard it right: RM10,000 for book edit alone!


How about book printing (minimum 1,000 copies) and other costs and expenses?


In order to fulfil my dream of publishing a book, I need to fork out at least RM15,000 to RM20,000 out of my own pocket. 


Even if I don't want to print physical book and just publish and e-book which I can DIY myself, it's still going to cost me at least RM10,000 for editing.


And I wonder - after the book is published, can I even sell even a single copy?


Or I will resort to giving out all those 1,000 copies for free?


And even so, will those 1,000 people with free copies read it at all? 


Or they will just be like one of my friends asking the same question:


"Will there be any picture or illustration in your book? If not, I will use it as a stool because I won't read it."


I think most of them will either use the book I give to them as a stool to sit on or to stand, or put it on the book shelf collecting dust, or giveaway to a local library. 


There goes my self-publication attempt! 



It's rather heart broken to face the cold hard truth of today's world. 


Oh well, I'm a nobody. What to do? 


Besides, nowadays Malaysians don't like to read books anymore.


I can't blame them. 


I can't blame the world.


From that moment onwards, I have given up on my dream to publish a physical / electronic book - either through a local book book publisher or self-publication!


No one is interested anyway. 


And I decided to keep the soft copy of this 125,260-word manuscript inside my MacBook Air without having it to see the world! 


I'm at peace with it. 


And I officially ticked "book writing" off from my life's bucket list. 





8. Sharing book content on my blog (Project 2021)

On the last day of 2020 (31 Dec 2020), a close friend asked me about my book writing progress. 

I frankly told him that book writing is all over for me. Soft copy is sitting nicely and pretty in my MacBook Air for my eyes only. 

Period.

I'm ready to move on to other things, especially photography. 

Then he looked at me intensely and said, 
After you spent the last 9 months writing and editing the 125,260-word manuscript, you decided to keep it for your eyes only? You have put in so much effort and time into it. Don't you want to benefit those who might be interested to learn from your personal journey on how to achieve financial freedom and retire early from a 9-to-5 job? Since no book publisher is going to publish for you, why don't you share the book content on your own blog? Who knows? There might be some people out there who may benefit from your sharing. 


What a great awakening! 

What a brilliant idea! 

Suddenly, the strong fire in me is reignited! It's starting to burn again!

No book publisher is willing to publish for me - never mind!

I can't afford to fork out RM10,000 to RM20,000 to publish my own book - never mind!

My dream shall live on.

Since I have written it, even if I can't publish it as a book now, I can still share it with the world on my blog. Whether people want to read or not, it's entirely up to them. 

At least when I reach 75 years old, I can resist my blog and read through what I have written back in 2020. And I can look back into my life and say, "I do what makes me happy. I live life with no regrets! I wrote a book and it's on my blog! And here it's..."

Therefore, I have decided to make it into one of my resolutions in 2021: 

To share my 125,260 manuscript with the latest revision on my personal blog in byte-size blog article format over a one-year period in 2021!


With that in mind, I will be sharing with you the entire manuscript on my blog. 

If you find what I share are craps, please move on and skip all these upcoming articles all together yeah. lol! And my apology if the articles make your eye sore! It's meant to help fulfil one of my life's bucket list! :) 

But if you are wondering how I managed to retire early at the age of 49+ from a 9-5 job, then perhaps you may find some my personal journeys and lessons learned may be useful for you.

Thank you! 

Happy 2021

Best regards,

Vincent