It is a harsh reality of the literary world that almost no one survives solely on writing books. I learned this firsthand during my years as a freelancer. To pay the bills, I taught workshops and took on copywriting gigs, but I quickly realized that burning through my creative energy for clients left my own writing brain completely exhausted.
Today, my day job is completely separate: I work full-time as a strategic foresight researcher in Singapore. Ironically, securing a stable corporate salary is what actually unlocked my creative freedom. With the pressure to monetize my own writing removed, I finally had the breathing room to launch a passion project with a singular, unorthodox goal: prove that a creative venture can spotlight emerging talent without bleeding money.
Identifying the Gap for New Writers
The inspiration for my project, Paper Jam, came from noticing a massive barrier to entry for local, emerging writers. If you are a new writer looking to showcase your voice, your options are frustratingly limited:
The Journal Route: You publish a single piece in a crowded anthology alongside dozens of other voices, making it hard to truly stand out.
The Manuscript Route: You wait years to amass enough cohesive work for a full-length book. This requires clearing a massive editorial bar and taking on the financial risk of printing a standard 1,000-copy first run—a logistical nightmare for inventory and budgeting.
Looking around, I noticed Singapore lacked the thriving, independent zine culture found in other global literary hubs. I wanted to bridge that gap. Backed by initial funding from Sing Lit Station (a local nonprofit supporting writers), I launched Paper Jam in 2024 to publish independent, bite-sized literary pamphlets.
Cultivating Exclusivity and Creative Tension
The blueprint for Paper Jam is deliberate and constrained. Every November, I put out an open call on Instagram to select three writers. Each writer gets their own standalone, 28-page, A5-sized pamphlet to showcase their work.
My editorial style is highly collaborative, bordering on intense. I tend to over-suggest edits, but I actively encourage my writers to push back. I don't want compliance; I want creative tension where we debate until we find a perfect middle ground.
Once the edits are finalized, we print exactly 100 copies per pamphlet. If they sell out, we do not reprint.
The philosophy is simple: a pamphlet isn’t meant to last forever. Its magic lies in its ephemerality. It is a limited-edition artifact.
Every September, we launch the collection, selling it through local Singaporean bookstores and at indie literary events.
The Economics of the Passion Project
From day one, I set a strict financial boundary for myself: Paper Jam does not need to make me rich, but it absolutely cannot cost me out-of-pocket money.
So far, the math has worked beautifully:
| Year | Price per Pamphlet | Total Production Cost (Excl. labor/design) | Financial Outcome |
| 2024 | SG$16 | ~SG$2,000 – SG$3,000 | Broke even |
| 2025 | SG$18 | ~SG$2,000 – SG$3,000 | Small profit (reinvested into an intern) |
If you evaluate Paper Jam strictly as a financial side hustle, it’s a terrible investment. There are a million easier ways to make extra money. But as a sustainable creative model, it is an undeniable success. It avoids the trap of the self-indulgent "vanity project" that racks up massive debt for zero readership.
By simply breaking even, Paper Jam successfully brings voices into the world that otherwise would have never seen the light of day. And in the literary world, that is the highest return on investment you can ask for.