First Proof Copy, and that New Book Smell

In early December 2024, our printer began work on Max & Pax: ABC of Singapore. Today, right between Christmas and New Year, our first proof copy arrived.

I've been (still am!) a lifelong reader, and my favorite part of going to any bookstore has always been that new book smell — ink on fresh paper. Today, for the first time, that new book smell was coming from a book I had written.

Holding the book still feels surreal. As I turn each page, I am looking at years of walks, questions, and small discoveries with my son, now printed and bound (checking print quality is for tomorrow!). Max & Pax began as an idea from my wife, and at its heart, it's a chronicle of our family's journeys through Singapore, going all the way back to when our son was still an infant.

My wife and son are just as thrilled. She and I are delighted to see how delighted he is, flipping through the pages of a book that's essentially about his own childhood. This was never my book — it will always be our book.

This one proof copy represents almost a year of work, from writing to self-publishing. This family project is no longer just an idea — it's real!