Most Indonesians probably wouldn’t label themselves as readers. Even when there’s research that shows otherwise, the study was met with skepticism.

 

 

Another work of research published by UNESCO found that in terms of literacy, Indonesia ranks the second lowest among all countries. It’s pretty embarrassing, but it is what it is.

 

Admittedly, I haven’t picked up a book and finished it for a year. Or two. 

It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.

 

However, I’d like to invite us to look at the findings through a different lens. For instance, how should we define literacy rate? Is it merely the ability to read? In Indonesia’s remote areas where infrastructure is largely underdeveloped, it would be unsurprising to find people who can’t read or write. As of 2024, several websites are still quoting the UNESCO research, despite the findings being published in 2016. Meanwhile, in 2024, Indonesia’s literacy rate ranks at #100 out of 195. Not great, but not bad either. 

 

The research also mentions that there’s only 1 avid reader out of 1000 Indonesians. Well, if we consider books the sole parameter for “reading interest”, the research makes sense. But in a world that’s becoming more and more digital, I would argue that people nowadays still read. What the younger generation has turned to, however, is bite-sized online content.

 

It’s probably a bit far-fetched to launder doom-scrolling as “reading”, so I wouldn’t use that as an example. Instead, I’d like to invite us to take a look at online fiction: a mostly overlooked realm of words where people actually get hooked on writings. 

 

Did you know that romance saw a 17% sales increase during the pandemic?

 

Websites like KaryaKarsa host thousands of online writers who have generated billions (in IDR), thanks to its 1.8 million active users (per August 2023, quoted from LinkedIn). These writers publish romance, horror, or even sci-fi works. As someone who works a corporate job while dreaming of making a living from my passion, I can’t help but wonder, “How do they achieve this?” 

 

Commercial Guilty Pleasure

A cultural researcher says that romance is “hopelessly commercial”. And it’s true in Indonesia, where love stories rank among the most popular genres, according to a Licorice survey. Like many Asian countries, the country is arguably conservative in terms of morality, to the point that some societal groups prohibit dating. But online romance offers a safe space for readers to take a peek at topics such as love, dating, or even sex.

 

Writing (and Sales?) Finesse

I hate to break it to you: online fiction writers aren’t Shakespeare. And some platforms don’t have an editor. So their works may contain grammatical errors, typos, and other linguistic problems.

 

But it doesn’t mean their works aren’t impactful. They just write for a specific niche of audience. And they do it effectively. First, they hook you with the first few chapters, which are usually free. Then there’s the cliffhanger as the story gets to a point where you’re high and dry. Wanna read more? Pay to unlock the next chapters.

 

Avid Readers

It’s not always about the writing. Online fiction writers owe a lot to their fans. Similar to the webtoon community, online fiction readers in Indonesia are really outspoken. Once you take a look at the comments of the platforms, you’ll see what I mean. Fans are thinking out loud, expressing their thoughts about what they’ve read.

 

 

When they’re not discussing how they feel about the story/characters, they demand the author to release another chapter.

 

 

But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows

Due to the lack of censorship on these platforms, the line between adult romance and pornographic content has become blurred. While some established authors can maintain appropriate boundaries, smaller authors sometimes publish inappropriate stories. Platform managers have worked tirelessly to ban these writers, but they keep coming back.

 

There’s also a matter of plagiarism. Some authors have reported their works being plagiarized and sold. Surprisingly, some readers still buy the ripoff versions. And the only thing that the platform managers can do is to ban. Yet plagiarized works keep on spawning.

 

What are we gonna do?

While the online writing platform can't be fixed overnight, readers can contribute by being more responsible in choosing the works they read.

 

Furthermore, let’s keep supporting legit writers (and artists, too!). Thanks to fans’ support, some writers could turn their fate around. After publishing her work online, a math teacher could build a house for her family. A stay-at-home housewife could reach financial empowerment and independence. Some other writers regularly donate a portion of their earnings to remote villages. 

 

It’s a good thing, and it’s really inspirational. These findings only point to one thing: that making a living out of a hobby in a Southeast Asian country is possible—as long as people still read. But social media is developing rapidly, and people nowadays shift to reading short copy in short videos. Will online fiction prevail? Will we develop a new reading preference? How will our reading habits change over the next 5 years?

 

I still believe that readers will keep on reading, and wordsmiths will always be helplessly bound to their hobbies. They’ll keep on writing things we will remember and talk about for years to come. But how will our reading habits change over the next 5 years? 

Only time will tell.