tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post8441186431766878559..comments2024-03-29T09:17:03.691+02:00Comments on Thoughts from Botswana by Lauri Kubuitsile: Menage a Trois- Part 2Laurihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11112458658109887868noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-64795227807198856922010-12-21T01:27:41.184+02:002010-12-21T01:27:41.184+02:00Really enjoyed it. Very informative and the title ...Really enjoyed it. Very informative and the title just got me straight away. Are you sure none of you work in marketing? You know what they say - sex sells. Haha.<br /><br />Thank you all for the tips and advice. Wishing you much continued success!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-44557338064216707642010-12-18T21:15:12.629+02:002010-12-18T21:15:12.629+02:00Just popping in to say how much I am enjoying this...Just popping in to say how much I am enjoying this series, ladies! Lauri - I responded to a point you raised on Sue's blog... thanks for raising it! vxVanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09088301040602803489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-2014903193192429402010-12-17T16:43:15.309+02:002010-12-17T16:43:15.309+02:00Ooops! Meant to say: There is a market. However, t...Ooops! Meant to say: There is a market. However, there are no infrastructure to support it...Jude Dibiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11858743689152487491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-72169124501401657092010-12-17T16:40:59.719+02:002010-12-17T16:40:59.719+02:00Hi Lauri, hmmmm! A bestseller will be a book that ...Hi Lauri, hmmmm! A bestseller will be a book that sells anything from 5,000 copies and above. Established trade market!!! Lol! There is a market, however, their are no infrastructure to support it; no viable distribution structure, no book chain stores; authors published in the north may never get read in the south and vis-a-vis...the challenges are immense. But somehow, writers have been managing in the harsh climate and books are finding their way to readers hands...Jude Dibiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11858743689152487491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-41761198602338919442010-12-16T18:12:09.681+02:002010-12-16T18:12:09.681+02:00Very interesting and open discussion. As an unpubl...Very interesting and open discussion. As an unpublished author I always thought the journey ended once a publisher said yes...I'm realising that's when the really hard work starts!<br /><br />Good luck with placing your adult novel off continent Lauri!<br /><a href="http://judycroome.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Judy(South Africa)</a>Judy Croome | @judy_croomehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17455755011354905278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-38441128878547246182010-12-16T15:41:34.192+02:002010-12-16T15:41:34.192+02:00Jude- I'm curious- what is considered a best s...Jude- I'm curious- what is considered a best seller in Nigeria? Do you have a well established trade market? <br /><br />In Botswana selling to the trades there is nothing. I have a friend who self publishes children's books in a very unique way, she sells about 2000 of each title and she is by far the best selling trade market Motswana author in the country.Laurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11112458658109887868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-17604129105931950562010-12-16T14:56:25.605+02:002010-12-16T14:56:25.605+02:00Great discussion, Lauri. I find a lot of similarit...Great discussion, Lauri. I find a lot of similarities between how publishing operates in Botswana and Nigeria, only difference being that there is "supposedly" over 150 million Nigerians...This alone should be a publisher's dream. Capturing just 5% of the market will be a healthy feat!Jude Dibiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11858743689152487491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-90650907241811275402010-12-16T12:55:19.758+02:002010-12-16T12:55:19.758+02:00Yes Sue this was fun, and fascinating.
I am now ...Yes Sue this was fun, and fascinating. <br /><br />I am now back to trying to find an agent for my adult novel, I want it published off the continent if possible. It is a humbling bit of work. Got a rejection in 45 mins the day before yesterday. :( It almost makes me want to stay here in my nice little Southern African cocoon.Laurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11112458658109887868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-89949375197231900512010-12-16T12:39:29.407+02:002010-12-16T12:39:29.407+02:00This is certainly interesting and it was great to ...This is certainly interesting and it was great to hear how publishing works in South Africa.<br /><br />To comment on a couple of points, it's true that you need an agent to get into a large publishing house in the UK or US, but with profit margins being so tight for independents many smaller publishers prefer to deal directly with authors.<br /><br />I do know that authors have a good amount of contact with their editors with large publishing houses as well as small ones, so that's a difference between the UK and South Africa. I was just talking to my novelist friend Joe Treasure about this a week or so ago.<br /><br />The two-book deal with a large publisher isn't necessarily the great step authors might think. Large publishers also have trouble selling books, especially for mid-list authors, and those authors still worry that the third book won't be taken on. It's not easy for anybody (apart from bestsellers and authors the publisher has chosen to invest in with major promotion) to get into bookshops and to get their name known. They all have to really work at it and collaborate with the publisher by trying to get a following.<br /><br />As for teaching, that's also a bit different in the UK and US. It can count for or against you. I know a lot of people who will give a book a bad review if it seems to come out of academia in any way, and people will deliberately play down the fact that they have done an MA or that they teach.<br /><br />On the other hand, having a creative writing MA or a teaching post would help you at least get your submission read by some publishing houses. It's also good for me to know a book has gone through the critique of an MA workshop. It doesn't necessarily mean that book will be accepted - not all MA students achieve that, and it's only the small minority who do.<br /><br />If a teacher also has a great book, it's an advantage that they have a following. I believe a link to academia helps more in the US.Adele Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13423081842097694829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052453698252224336.post-27381963311050332872010-12-16T11:40:20.046+02:002010-12-16T11:40:20.046+02:00This was such fun, Lauri. Hey - maybe we should tu...This was such fun, Lauri. Hey - maybe we should turn it into a text book for Botswana schools? Always thinking.....:-0Sue Guineyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13556228394020314560noreply@blogger.com