(How Internet Based Print-On-Demand [POD]Companies Enable Africans Publish PHYSICAL BOOKS At ZERO COST, And Earn Foreign Currency From Their Sales (A Real-Life Example)

<<DOWNLOAD This Article PLUS Pixs Of A Physical Book Published By Tayo At ZERO COST >>

 PROBLEMS FACED BY NIGERIAN/AFRICAN WRITERS

On page 36 of the Daily Sun(Nigerian Tabloid) of Tuesday June 21, 2005, a report was published titled “Our System can’t produce millionaire writers”. It was written by Amaka Adetula based on an interview with Nduka Otiono – a Poet and Secretary of Association of Nigerian Writers(ANA). Nduka’s commentary on the state of writing in Nigeria was indeed illuminating. He explained that :

1. “Remuneration is very discouraging”. This is due mainly to a bad reading culture amongst the people. It is further compounded by socioeconomic constraints such as poverty, which, for instance, forces many people to live together, whereby a person who wishes to keep the lights on at night to read would encounter difficulties with room mates wanting to get some sleep.

2. “Publishing in Nigeria is almost comatose”. In a bid to perpetuate their passion, many Nigerian writers are settling for self-publishing using traditional printing techniques i.e. the writers do their own editing and publishing without engaging professional establishments. It was especially intriguing to read his added comment that “At times the ones published by the authors are of even better (quality) than those published by publishing houses”!

3. “Some of the publishers do not want to invest their money on creative writers, rather they want to publish textbooks and school texts.” This may not be unconnected with the publishers’ desire to ensure continuous patronage for their publications, since educational institutions will always need to purchase textbooks.

4. “Sometimes when you read reviews, you will not find the book anywhere to buy” i.e. Books quickly go out of print or are unavailable in adequate numbers often due to lack of funds to produce as many copies as necessary.

 A VIABLE SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS EXISTS!

The good news is that a viable, practical, and affordable alternative option exists for African writers to profitably pursue their passion. I have written this article to reveal to practicing/aspiring(and potential) writers, as well as their associates, HOW today’s Computer and Internet Technology have made it unbelievably easy for them to become and/or remain writers who earn a good living from their published works. What I describe here are based on my personal experiences acquired from using the solution I advocate – so you can be sure it works. I provide detailed evidence to support my claims - including relevant web URLs - as the article progresses.

Let me start by explaining HOW the solution(which ironically, has been available for over five[5] years) FULLY addresses all the problems identified by Nduka Otiono:

Regarding Nduka’s Point 1: The solution enables ANY African writer become a real-life self-published author who earns income in foreign currency. S/he would maintain an internet bookstore from where physical (and “Electronic” if the author so desires) book(s) can be purchased and shipped to paying customers worldwide. In addition, each writer will have special access to purchase his/her own book from the online store at huge discounts, so s/he can distribute physical copies within his/her local environment. The author would be able to do all this without having to incur ANY publishing costs(i.e. FREE). Recall I have stated that the above is not based on conjecture. I am living proof that it works – details provided below.

Regarding Nduka’s Points 2 – 4: The solution ensures that EVERY single copy of a writer’s book(regardless of the writer’s status or pedigree) is of impeccable international quality. And the writer even gets to choose book sizes, and binding formats etc – which are automatically effected online, real-time. Most importantly, the solution ensures that :

(i). Your book NEVER goes out of print;

(ii). You can always revise and edit your manuscript anytime, and instantly have ALL your changes reflected in the very next copy of your book that is purchased;

(iii). Anyone, from housewife, to school leavers, unemployed graduates, retirees - even cybercafé 419 e-mail scam artists aka “Yahuu! Boys”! - can use it. In fact, I believe it could make many “Yahuu! Boys” adopt writing careers, which would redeem Nigeria’s image “as per” Internet Scams!

(iv). Anyone who wants to use it only needs to acquire some new knowledge and skills. And they can do this at ZERO cost if they are willing to do the learning themselves!

 THE SOLUTION IS: “SELF-PUBLISHING USING INTERNET BASED POD COMPANIES”

The solution I advocate in this article for adoption by African Writers is what I call “Self-Publishing Using Internet Based Print On Demand(POD) Companies”.

1. What THE SOLUTION IS NOT:

I must emphasise here that what I propose is very different from Self-Publishing done using traditional print publishing techniques. In the USA for instance there are people who Self-Publish using Non-Internet Based POD Companies – which is more expensive than the Internet based Version, and often cannot be accessed FREE. My research into this subject over the past three years, reveals that a typical self-published book by a non-Internet Based POD company usually requires initial capital expenditure to cover editing, cover design, typesetting, distribution, print costs, publicity costs etc – see http://www.authorspublishing.com for details of typical fees required by a non-Internet Based POD Service Provider in the USA.

I believe the Self-Publishing which Nduka Otiono says Nigerian writers do, falls into the “Non-Internet” category – but is not POD - else he would not complain of the problems he mentioned. Some of the writers who use Nduka’s method, may struggle to go beyond typing/editing their own manuscripts. There will likely also be many who lack the know-how to do typesetting, or the skills to design their own book covers(I designed my book’s front and back covers in Adobe Photoshop, simply by following instructions provided on my POD publisher’s website) to meet professional standards among other things.

2. What THE SOLUTION IS:

Even if you engaged individuals/freelancers to handle the different aspects of your book publishing project, it would still cost you a decent amount of money(that you could well do other things with) using traditional self-publishing methods. That’s why I advocate becoming a self-taught POD Self-Publishing Writer.

No one taught me how to do any of the things I did to get my book published. By using the online resources provided by the Internet Based POD Service Provider I discovered, I have learnt so much about book layout, pagination, sizes etc. All I had to do was dedicate some time and effort to reading about and learning to use the various software/resources, over a period of time. It was not easy, but then anything worthwhile and long lasting never is.

Let me elaborate a bit. For every purchase of my book made in one of my online stores(I have two stores located at http://www.lulu.com/sdaproducts and http://www.cafepress.com/sdaproducts) , I get $4.24 USD. Yet, after converting my one-hour talk, delivered across many organizations in 2002, into a 113 page self-help manual in MS Word, I had to go through a turbulent, frequently disrupted, learning phase covering nearly three years, before finally being able to - in May 2005 - set up the online store where it is now on sale. Read my story in the box at the end of this article.

Right now, I have in my possession, two(2) physical copies of my 113 page glossy front/back cover self-help manual (titled “Ten Ways You Can Use Self-Development To Create The Future You Want”). They were delivered to me from the USA just last Saturday 22nd October 2005 – courtesy of a family friend based in the USA who used his credit card to purchase them from my online store - and brought them with him to Nigeria (he’s here till Friday 4th November 2005). It cost him $35.00(including shipping/handling). I would be glad to meet with/show you the physical books. For now, click HERE to view evidence of the approx. $9.00 book sales royalty payments now due to be paid to me by the POD publisher. You can also click HERE To View Photos Showing Physical Copies of the Self-Help Manual.

 YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE’S LOCATION CAN DETERMINE YOUR REMUNERATION

After giving the matter of writers remuneration a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion, that an increased focus of African writers towards writing about African History/Folk Tales, Biographies, Culture and Tradition, Tourism etc for audiences in developed societies can guarantee individual writers access to good/lasting remuneration(royalties) in foreign currency. This would ultimately benefit the individual writers’ countries. I therefore recommend that writer(s) who adopt this solution write MORE on areas/subjects relevant those I have mentioned, so as to ensure the greatest chances of “remuneration” success.

Taking it further, established authors can earn additional income – this time without paying huge amounts to publishers, while at the same time gaining access to an international buying audience. Imagine if an online store like mine were to be built for Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”? Then let’s say foreign educational institutions, libraries and other organizations interested in African literature/studies were informed about the book’s availability for sale on the net? I believe the point I’m making here is clear.

 INTENDING POD SELF-PUBLISHING WRITERS WILL NEED TO ACQUIRE NEW SKILLS

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write. They will be those who cannot learn, un-learn and re-learn" - Alain Tofle

To get maximum benefits from using Self-Publishing via Internet Based POD companies, especially for the long term, every writer that chooses to adopt it, MUST commit to acquiring the skills needed to do most, if not all of it him/herself – so as to avoid spending as much as possible. This is important because, in any business endeavour(by an individual or organization), the less of your revenue you spend, the more income you will be able to retain as profits. In my case, I designed my book’s front and back covers, did the manuscript typing/editing/ typesetting, and also set up the online store.

I also built(and will continue to build) ALL my own websites, each of which I make sure, announces the fact that I have a book on sale and provides links to the online store etc. So you see, I did not have to part with ANY money(other than that to pay for website hosting, and to purchase copies of the printed book). All I did was spend some extra hours doing what I loved doing! That’s why the tagline I use for my company is “Acquire Self-Development Skills. Create The Future You Want™”.

Every true writer, who feels the way I feel about writing will have no problems doing what I have mentioned here, and enjoying every minute of it. Incidentally, I believe Nduka Otiono also shares this passion for writing. This is because he was quoted in the Daily Sun interview report as having said: “The moment one realizes that one writes to live, nothing will stop you”. But for those who cannot spare the time, they will probably find it worthwhile to take advantage of freelance self-publishing support services provided by people like Otiono - and myself.

 AFRICA’S FUTURE PROSPERITY DEPENDS ON INTERNET BASED POD SELF-PUBLISHING

"..the biggest challenge facing most African nations is to creatively adapt ideas to their unique environment." - Mr. Patrick Boateng, Adviser for Africa, US Federal Communications Commission"

It is my strong conviction that empowerment of individuals to be multi-skilled, independent minded creatives, who are able to leverage technology and the Internet in ways that require little or no capital, for the purpose of offering value adding products and services for which they will paid, is the most realistic, and viable solution for Africans living in Africa. Adopting POD Self-Publishing as proposed in this article is one way individual Africans can easily adapt foreign ideas to achieve financial independence – and prosperity for their countries.

 NOW THAT YOU KNOW, IT’S UP TO YOU!

I now end this article with a personal challenge to the reader. You now know, for a FACT, that it is possible for you to take your book idea and bring it into tangible form that your readers can relate to – AT ZERO COST. I therefore urge you to take ACTION. I recommend you start by visiting http://www.lulu.com and http://www.cafepress.com. Why not make this the last year you ever have to say: “lack of time or money is keeping me from publishing my book”? No one is keeping you from becoming a published author BUT YOU! Take that first step - You have it within your power to start this very day!!

"I want to be part of a South Africa and Africa sending out a new message to the world, of taking responsibility for our own challenges. The world has got used to a picture of Africa asking for support, with cupped hands. It's time we create a new image of Africa. It's time that we ourselves start giving and assert our sense of dignity. We deserve respect. It is time we stop apologizing for ourselves and acknowledge our achievements".

- Graça Machel -Mandela