No happy ending for local authors
By Sunaryono Basuki Ks
DENPASAR (JP): Carlos Baker, in his book Ernest Hemingway: A Life History (Penguin, 1972) writes about an old short story written by Hemingway, republished in a magazine and bought for US$5,000.
Among the most expensive Indonesian short story writers are perhaps Kecuk Suharyanto and Ahmadun Y. Herfanda. They received Rp 2.5 million (then US$1,275) for each of their stories as the winners of a short story writing competition held in 1992.
Zawami Imron received Rp 7.5 million for one of his poems in a poetry writing competition held by the ANteve private television station.
Years ago renown poet Sapardi Djoko Damono received Rp 6 million from Malaysia for one book of poetry.
Hemingway became one of the few rich authors who could make a living by writing short stories and novels. In a reading society, this could happen; in Indonesia, it is most unlikely.
Indonesian novelists and short story writers make writing their second profession. They normally have permanent jobs as journalists, magazine and newspaper editors, teachers and university lecturers, and even in business, such as Bachrawi Sanusi.
Even most financially successful writers have other jobs. Arswendo Atmowiloto works in the publishing business, Marga T. and Mira W. are doctors.
Prominent literary writers such as NH Dini, Umar Kayam, YB Mangunwijaya, or WS Rendra have never enjoyed financial riches for their writings.
During The First Indonesia Art Congress in 1995, NH Dini told the writer that she receives Rp 1.2 million as the annual royalty for her books, numbering about 10 titles. This means, should she live on writing, she would have to be satisfied with only Rp 100,000 a month.
A novelist who has his work published here normally receives a royalty of 10 percent of the market price of his book multiplied by the number of copies published, which is normally only 3,000.
This means, if his book sells for Rp 10,000 he will receive Rp 3 million if all the copies sell. He may have to wait five years before this happens.
If one publishes a novel in the newspaper, the writer will probably receive between Rp 2 million and Rp 3 million, depending on the length of the novel and which newspaper publishes it.
TV
Only financially strong and 'generous' newspapers like Kompas and Republika pay Rp 6 million or more. And only exceptionally productive and lucky novelists such as Suparto Brata from Surabaya, who is now over 60, enjoys an income of more than Rp 10 million in one year, but this does not happen every year.
The poor financial status of Indonesian literary figures is mostly caused by the nation's underdeveloped reading culture.
Both rural and urban societies have instead developed a talking and watching culture. People spend more time talking, watching TV or listening to the radio. Reading is considered an expensive activity and so book sales are always low.
Knowing that people like watching TV rather than reading books, some short story writers and novelists have changed to TV scriptwriting, which pays more money.
Putu Wijaya, a prominent essayist, short story writer, novelist and playwright spends much of his time writing TV scripts, and in the past, film scripts, which generated him enough money to establish his own production house.
But, of course, not all novelists have the skill or interest to write TV scripts although they know that it is financially lucrative. They are faithful to writing a text for reading, not to see it transformed into pictures.
And this is a choice in life, as Robert Frost writes in his poem The Road not Taken: 'I took the one less traveled by/And that has made all the difference'.
The writer has published several his stories. His latest this year is Topeng Jero Ketut.