Writing has always been a weapon for entertainment journalist Yugel Losorata whether in quickly delivering articles to meet deadlines or seeking inner peace under the stress of a forced lockdown.
The Manila-based musician-scribe turned to e-book writing while in lockdown and produced three e-books with the guidance and support of ePublish Book Hub. The first one, titled How To Survive The New Normal (New World, Old World Legacy), is already making rounds worldwide via popular online retailers Amazon Kindle and Kobo.
“This book seeks to inspire readers about how the human spirit can hurdle the toughest challenge to human safety and sanity. It shows how fruits can spring forth from human survival instinct and the passion to give glory to the legacy of the past when life was much, much better,” said the book’s editor Millie Vera whom the author considers as his writing mentor.
The e-book is a collection of essays written last summer when ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) was implemented Luzon-wide, and cities in Metro Manila were practically closed down as an antidote to the spread of COVID-19. Losorata opened with an essay about his experience adjusting to home life under quarantine. Then wrote about topics close to his heart, including tribute pieces to the late Pinoy Rock icon Pepe Smith (“Red Hot Chili Pepe”) and basketball icon Robert Jaworski’s popular mantra (“Yesterday’s Never-Say-Die Spirit of Legends”). He also reflected on episodes from his youth (“Flashback from a Fly”) and historical subjects (“The Most Despicable Genocide of All Time,” “Forever Sleeping Beauty”)
“I committed myself to writing books in early April when I realized we’re likely to be in this situation for the long haul. The writing process actually helped me go through the adjustments and allowed me to dig deeper into myself and my thoughts which I think were healthy,” the author explained.
ePublish Book Hub, represented by operations manager Edgar Portento, made it possible for Losorata to realize this wholesome rapid turnaround from the shackles of the New Normal. It took the author and the team as short as 45 days to get Book 1 off the ground! The next two books, a flash fiction collection and a tribute account on the author’s favorite band, will be up within this quarter or the next, as both are still in the production stage.
Illustrations included in the books were done by the author’s brother Rockefeller Losorata who currently works in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. His involvement proved personally uplifting as it enabled him to re-practice his craft. He drew the images while in lockdown.
Yugel Losorata began writing for broadsheets in the early 2000s and currently writes a weekly music column. He is also a professional musician-songwriter, with his composition “Sandalan” released as the debut single of teenage belter and The Voice Kids alumnus Angel Andal last February. Another composition “Next Big Thing” was released last summer by his band The Pub Forties where he plays bass.
Losorata further commented, “I found both songwriting and writing therapeutic and they have made me survive in my run before and while there’s pandemic. I dreamed of being a book author and not even a globally catastrophic virus could stop it from happening.”