From Author to Publisher: How Dhira Vidhea Built Indonesia’s First Digital Literary Agency

Growing up, Dhira Vidhea loved to read and write. She’d devour John Green’s books as a teenager, and eventually wrote her own book titled “The Boy Who Broke In My Window” at age 13. “I always wanted to be an author,” she says. “That was my dream.” But publishing manuscript wasn’t as easy as she first anticipated: None of the literary agents she sent her book to wanted to work with her.

From one challenge, a business opportunity arose. Dhira went on to start TinLit, which first started as Indonesia’s Wattpad-like online writing platform, and later evolved to connect the platform’s top authors to traditional publishers. Through TinLit, she’s created a community of over 10,000 active users and realized the dreams of so many independent writers. On the Build to Last podcast, she and Ethan discuss how the publishing industry is evolving, the latest book trends, and the importance of being “delulu” to achieve your dreams.