I interrupt my normally scheduled book review postings to give way to my ramblings about the epicness that happened two days ago.
I had the privileged to be invited to the first Filipino Book Bloggers meet-up. I was a bit reluctant at first to go for I am just neophyte when it comes to book blogging. But then, Chachic, the mastermind, told me that it’s okay to come as long as you are willing to talk and talk about books for hours. Talk and talk about books for hours? How can I resist that kind of temptation?
First Filipino Book Bloggers Meet-up
I’m happy to see again those bookish who I met before from the previous book events and meet some new ones. The number of people who attended the event is a proof that, contrary to the popular belief, we are not a nation of non-readers. The bloggers who attended can be seen on the Filipino Book Bloggers blogroll on my sidebar. Forgive my laziness to name everyone. Our number, the venue and the noise that surrounds it prevented everyone to discuss openly so we end up having our own small group discussions. I was on one end of the table discussing with some people the awesomeness of zombies. How unfair it is for them to be constantly compared to vampires for vampire books is all about romance and lust while zombie books, on the other hand, is about survival and the difference of life and death. But I digress.
I am glad I came, not only because I was able to talk about books and meet people but I also had the opportunity to hear some insightful information and current issues in local publishing scene courtesy of Honey, Tarie, Kenneth, Paolo — sorry if I’m missing anyone.
I always had the impression that the books being published here in the Philippines are just the same melodramatic rich-in-hammering-values books I was required to read back in Highschool. This is the reason why there is not a single locally published book in my bookshelf. As much as I want to take the gunshot that ingrate people deserved, I could not put all the blame on myself. How could I know that the tide has turned and there are now books published here that defy that kind of stereotypical books which I nonchalantly avoid? I am system developer and I had no connection to any of the local publishers. I only got ol’ Trusty Internet as my guide to what are the books out there and ol’ Trusty Internet possess only minimal references to those things.
From what I’ve learned from people I mentioned above, local publishers don’t believe and apparently neglecting the power of the new marketing methods used by some international publishers. If this kind of delusions continue, the future of local publishing isn’t much of a future at all. The online presence of foreign authors and publishers, sponsored book giveaways, request for review, etc., may seem to be just some marketing mojos but basing from the hype that even debut authors gets, these things are quite effective. 
Why on earth not apply the same strategies here?
Nonetheless, since I am now aware of the existence of some locally published books that is on my comfort zone, I will start reading them. I am already eyeing a certain book that piqued my interest which is A Time of Dragons, an anthology about, as the title implies, dragons. I will read this out of interest and not because I thought it is my responsibility to do so.
I am also willing to participate in whatever plans the group decided to do for us to be able to influence the already dated mindset of our local publishers. I am keeping my fingers cross that through our efforts they will finally acknowledge the current tide in the reading community. I hope they will start to consider not only the new marketing methods that exists but also the kind of books being read these days. I am more than happy to read those books if that happens.
And of course, I am on the lookout for the first Pinoy dystopian novel. 
Photo Credits: Chachic’s Book Nook
For less ranty accounts of the event:
Chachic’s Book Nook | Taking a Break | Polysyllabic Spree |
ArtSeblis | Philippine Genre Stories | Coffeespoons
vampires are a kind of zombies, aren’t they? only they take care of themselves better. zombies let themselves rot. and they don’t wipe the brains off their faces after eating. most vampires don’t like to munch, just sip. but both zombies and vampires like humans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. the real difference I can think of between them is that it’s pretty difficult to hold a conversation with zombies. how can you get to know them? much less like them? but I admit i know very little about zombies and can keep an open mind about them.
about your recap of and thoughts about the book blogging meetup – i think of all those who blogged, you hit the nail on the head. Most young people don’t read newspapers and magazines anymore for book updates. they rely on the net! there’s Amazon, Shelfari, and Goodreads.
On shelfari, i look for Filipino books to put on my virtual shelf and I don’t find any. I have to upload, edit, and tag the entries myself. What a drag. What happens is books by Filipino authors end up modeled by our Shitzu, Kokey Dogzilla. Check this out: http://www.shelfari.com/books/15071050/284-Common-Mistakes-in-English-Made-by-Pinoys?uid=548477
i have to defend the zombies! hehe.
they’re brainless–figuratively speaking. they aren’t undead. they’re dead. the walking dead. they don’t have the brain capacity to clean up after themselves. and the rotting part? totally out of their control. as soon as they were buried, before they reanimate, the rotting process would’ve already begun.
they’re like wild animals. except for the fact that they’re dead. and they’re really not that fast. running away from zombies is easy. until you get surrounded.
Well put. They are fragile monsters but their real power lies on their number.
Have you read Jonathan Mashberry’s interesting article about Zombie fiction? Read that one, it’s pretty something.
The Z’s > The V’s
Hey! That’s a good idea for a T-shirt print.
And another Zombie Defense argument:
In Zombie fiction, the living is where the story is, not the dead… orundead for that matter. Vampire fiction is mostly centralized on the creature and that, I think, is too indulgent. V books makes people appreciate the creature while Z books makes people appreciate themselves.
Goodreads also have the same problem. It’s just yesterday that Tina have to add Kobayashi Maru on the database. It’s a clear sign that our publishers don’t honor this kind of stuffs cause if they do, they would be the one to add these books on the database just like what international publishers do.
And that’s a cute shitzu, btw. Nice name, too.
‘V books make people appreciate the creature while Z books make people appreciate themselves. ” — interesting. Yes, Zs don’t make good love interests.
@ Jason – “(zombies) they’re brainless–figuratively speaking.” right, while Vs make fangirls mindless.
Kokey Godzilla, terror of rats, small rats only. He has left us three or four offerings already in the past three years. http://bit.ly/9gG9cy
hahaha, I don’t think all girls go mindless around Vs. at least, not the girls I know. then again, no one goes gaga-in-love for zombies. =D
And of course, I am on the lookout for the first Pinoy dystopian novel.
I’ll make sure to let my writers on November know about that. Or maybe someone else has written one already, it just needs to be refined.
Or maybe I’m supposed to write one. Hm. That’s an idea.
Hey, don’t forget to include me on your acknowledgement page when that book gets published!
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It’s good to know that there are several Filipino speculative fiction books for us to explore. Now that FBB is more active, I have a feeling we’re going to learn more about local books. Sorry I grabbed Paolo’s copy of A Time for Dragons
I’ll let you know what of think when I’m done!
Oh and you should totally buy copies of Howl’s Moving Castle and the Queen’s Thief series.
I know! I wish they would print more. They just don’t have any idea how big the market is for YA novels. People seriously needs to stop looking down to YA books.
It’s alright. Atleast now, I am forced to buy one and finally have a Filipino published book in my shelf.
And regarding your heavily pimped books, yeah I’ll buy them. I just need to finish my YA dystopia splurge.
with regards to finding Filipino books, I usually find myself perusing the shelves at Fully Booked and National Bookstore. While Fully Booked doesn’t have that many, and when they do get new books, you don’t really notice; National Bookstore has an ever changing couple of shelves that are filled to the brim with Filipino books.
Not the type we’d read, but who knows if we’ll like it until we try it, right?
And Filipino Dystopian? Check out our newspapers! Isn’t the country dystopian enough? Kidding. That’s actually an interesting genre to explore for our Speculative Fiction authors.
I go straight ahead at the YA books sections/platform whenever I go to bookstores. Perhaps they have to put more books on that section so readers like me will notice them?
Yeah, I just realized that. Pretty sad. I guess the most obvious kind of apocalypse our country can get is apocalypse by flood. We’ll just get drowned and wouldn’t even have mutant powers that nuclear apocalypse might ensue. Gah.
… I’m going to try and write my own dystopian fiction. I’ve actually plotted one before, I just never went around to writing it. So maybe I will now.
Interesting. Go, write it! You already have a reader and I will book push it to all my friends who are also dystopian fans!
Every now and then, I go over to the Filipiniana section of bookstores to see what I can read. The problem is, it’s very difficult to choose. Nothing stands out. The covers look bland and textbook-like. I rely on recommendations for what’s good for my reading palate. And I know we’re not suppose to judge the book by the cover, but, really the covers help let us know what’s inside.
At the Book Bloggers meet, Paolo lent several books by Filipino authors. I borrowed Waking the Dead and other horror stories by Yvette Tan because I like to read horror. On my own I wouldn’t have picked it up, and I would have missed a lot because the stories were very good. Isang upuan, tapos ko na.
Tina and Maan of Tabbed Books recommended Smaller and Smaller Circles, crime fiction novel by F. H. Batacan. I look forward to reading this. Beside YA, I wish we also produce more Filipino mysteries and urban fantasies.
Yes, I endorse Waking the Dead to everyone. I actually had it circulate my former office–but it has yet to get back to me. =/
And I agree with your book cover assessment. We have loads of great graphic artists, and I’m sure a lot of them would be great cover artists. So I don’t know why we can’t have good designs.
As for looking like a textbook–well, one part of college thesis/practicum was to publish a book with my coursemates. the design was great–but it still looked like a textbook. so maybe it’s the printing?
@Jason, maybe. binding, too? let’s ask blooey (sumthinblue.blogspot.com/) and ajie (mentalwayfarer.blogspot.com), the most OC book people i know. they’re also artists.
it could also be because they’re printed on newsprint paper? most of them anway. or doesn’t that count? :/
Hello.
My favorite case example is Fullmetal Alchemist. It has NO Japanese characters, NO Japanese setting, NO native Japanese magic system, NO Japanese concepts beyond moral issues about war…just typical Japanese manga quirks and a Japanese author. And yet it’s a hit in Japan and around the world.
WHY OH WHY is that case not possible, at all, in this country?
If the publishers remove that stigma, that books have to be about Filipinos exclusively, they will open up a playing field for a new batch of writers. Granted, ones who grew up on western and eastern comics, who grew up on Harry Potter and Naruto both, but will branch out from those to make their own unique material.
Hi!
That’s a good point you raised there. It has to do with the “culture-sensitivity” pretentiousness yadda yadda. Probably the big men of the local publishing scene are just plain egomaniac or they really just have a passed and now irrelevant ideals? It’s just either of those.