You can say he has managed to get in the last word.

Back in Secondary 1, young Low Kay Hwa had a sci-fi story to write. He submitted a manuscript to 10 local publishers but was rejected by all of them.

'I was very demoralised. Nobody seemed to be able to appreciate my work,' said the 23-year-old who is doing his national service.

Undeterred, he set up his own publishing company, Goody Books, in 2005. He is now the author of five novels, with the sixth title, To Forget You, due next month.

But it was not easy to get the first book, Destiny's Cries, published. He was 18 then and had to work as a part-time waiter and a retail assistant to pay monthly instalments of $250 over 18 months to a printing company.

Mr Low, a building and property management graduate from Singapore Polytechnic, said he did not mind spending less on food and neglecting his social life to fulfil his dream.

His books, which are sold online, have logged 10,000 sales in all. His second book, I Believe You, is headed for a third reprint. His books share themes like identity and romance.

He takes about nine months to write each book. 'I like to create and imagine things,' said Mr Low, the younger son of a factory operator and a newspaper vendor. 'My ideas are always out of the box. Sometimes, my friends even ask me not to think so much.

'Even if I don't make a career out of it, writing is something I love and will continue to do in the future.'

Esther Teo

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Aug 24, 2008.