Literary agents negotiate publishing contracts, sell subrights like foreign rights and media and electronic rights, and just plain manage your financial and business affairs so you can focus on your literary business of writing. How to write and publish a book in nigeria information. Many agents of nigerias press have been imprisoned, exiled, tortured, or murdered as a result, among them being ogoni activist and television producer ken sarowiwa, who was executed for treason by order of the sani abacha dictatorship in 1995 resulting in the expulsion of nigeria from the commonwealth of nations and sanctions from abroad. The council of management is responsible for setting the collectives strategy and for its representation in the wider book and publishing world. List of literary agents 20202021 use our free lists of book agents in our literary agencies database for all book agents near me searches. Publishing my first childrens book has been an excellent experience thanks to the friendly and caring service of dorrance publishing. Cost of publishing a book in nigeria how to publish a. Grace springs africa book publishing, business cards. The list includes defunct and mergedacquired companies, and distributors whose primary business is not books, such as comic books. Covenant books is an international christian owned and operated book publisher based in murrells inlet, south carolina. Before the tide of digital selfpublishing services, the conventional wisdom was that selfpublishing authors should not bother to pay the fees for a book publishing agent.
This research examines the early history of book publishing in nigeria using the onibonje publishers, a sole proprietor and family venture in nigeria, as a case study. For all those who want to find out how to publish a book in nigeria, we have prepared a useful guide that can help you get through the whole process with ease. Her interests are wideranging and her clients work includes literary fiction, crime and thrillers, young adult fiction, memoir, popular culture, biography, history and current affairs. Our top topics for writers addresses the most popular and pressing issues, including literary agents, mfa programs, and selfpublishing. The literary agents list includes agents and literary agencies that represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kind of books theyre interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them. There was this link to good literary agencies that someone posted here a while back. Seeking middle grade, young adult, science fiction and fantasy as well as howto and. With a focus on publishing new african writers, black letter media, which was founded by duduzile zamantungwa mabaso in 2011, produces both print books and ebooks. After representing clients in law for over 7 years, nadeen gayle brings her zeal for representation and championing voices to book publishing. Literamed publications nigeria ltd, a leading childrens book publisher in nigeria was incorporated in 1969. This time, its 10 steps to getting a literary agent, though i have to warn you, the most important steps are the novelwriting ones. For example, you can use the list to find literary agencies and publishing agents in nyc, literary agencies and book agents in california, and more.
More let the world know about your work by posting your events on our literary events calendar, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more. Book publishing companies largest listings of book. Akande, a senior lecturer and one time winner of anas prose prize, stressed that in advanced countries, literary agents hunt for good writers and pay royalties to works that are yet to be published. Macmillan nigeria publishers limited is one of the leading publishers located in abuja, that specializes on publishing of education materials for all levels for teachers, students and institution. It comprises fifteen chapters from some of the best minds on the nigerian and international publishing scenes. We have an expert in house team that can take care of every aspect of creating your book s.
Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie, things fall apart by chinua achebe, half of a yellow sun by chimamanda ngozi adichie, p. Literamed publications nigeria limited lagos, nigeria. Literary agents have the contacts in the new york publishing world and beyond to get your book sold. Though farafina continues to struggle against the limitations of publishing in nigeria, notably poor. If you want to publish a book traditionally, most writers need to find an. It was july 2010 that the idea to publish a book became more intense. Literary agents will boost book business in nigeria akande. Join us, as we discuss the steps one needs to take to release their writings into the world and consider the important details that are essential for the process to go as smooth as possible. Weve organized the list in an easily searchable table so you can quickly find the publishers that publish the type of book youre looking to get published. Its imprint, lantern books, is a household name in nigeria and west africa. Popular nigeria books meet your next favorite book. Macmillan nigeria publishers limited is one of the leading publishers located in abuja, that specializes on publishing of education materials for all levels for teachers, students. Olomtomulafe publishers is a book publishing outfi. Remember to think of the cost of selfpublishing as an investment, not a cost.
A discussion of the advantages of having a welldeveloped indigenous publishing industry follows, along with recommendations for establishing and promoting such an. Fictions global crime wave the wall street journal. Literary agent isobel dixons passions span africa and beyond. Book publishing in nigeria has gone electronic as educational books make up 60% of books that can be published in nigeria, in comparison with other books.
How to research literary agents and book publishersso youve finished a manuscriptmost likely one of your firstsand. Publishing is the activity of preparing and issuing books, journals and other materials for sale. The subjects of the papers range from the economics of publishing in nigeria and the prospects for the industry in the electronic age, through debates about government book policies, to training and the role of publishing organisations. Book publishing in nigeria has gone electronic as educational books make up 60% of books that can be published in. Air university press au press, part of the air force research institute afri, is the publishing agent for air university au. Since 1953, it has edited, published, and distributed over 1. Page 1 of 0 of all the nigerian literary agents, literary scouts and publishing agents listed in the directory of literary agents of nigeria.
Finding a literary agent dorrance publishing company. Home page nigerian publishers association nigerian. How to publish a book in nigeria information guide in. Covenant books free author packet publish your book. Nigeria shares with other developing countries a variety of problems in providing adequate numbers of highquality books. Melrose books and publishing limited was incorporated in march 2010 under the companies and allied matters act 1990. With 24 titles on its list including the work of chimamanda ngozi adichie the company is leading a revolution in the movement to publish books by africans for africans. Here are ten publishing companies in nigeria in no particular order defying that logic by producing literature of all kinds for local and. Her clients have won all the major south african literary awards, and authors on her list have, among others, won the windham campbell prize, the commonwealth prize, and pen awards, and have been shortlisted for the man booker international prize, the man asian literary prize. It took me four years to find the literary agent that ultimately sold powder necklace to its publisher. Get the list of nigeria publishers in the pubmatch publishers directory. The literary agents list includes agents and literary agencies that represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kind of. Jun 03, 2015 introduction book publishing in nigeria is essentially private and unregulated nigerian publishers association the main professional body for book publishers was established in 1965. Book publishers in lagos, nigeria list of book publishers.
In making sure that this form of art, written art, still stands, i will be sharing with you these five easy steps to publishing a book in nigeria, and im sure it will work anywhere in the world. The coming of age of book publishing and indexing in nigeria. Literary agents most often represent novelists screen writers and nonfiction writers. Printondemand services make it possible for you to offer this without the expense or headache of managing and storing a print run.
List of literary agents 20202021 book agents looking. Jan 21, 2015 how much does it cost to print a book. Membership is open to publishers registered as limited liability companies in nigeria that have published a stipulated number of books. Find the agent, not the agency, that works for you. How to find a literary agent for your book jane friedman. It is a rallying point for all book, journals, and electronic publishers in the country since its inception. For the firsttime writer, getting published can feel rather like alice in wonderland after shes been knocking. This lowcost simplicity, however, has made it a goldmine for shady scam agents and predatory publishers to deceive new authors who are trying to get their book published. What is the history of book publishing in nigeria answers. Our book printing house will work with you based on your budget, and still give your project the professional look it deserves. If you have a great book idea and can write very well, you can independently write and publish a book professionally. Problems and prospects of book publishing in nigeria.
This is a list of book distributors, companies that act as distributors for book publishers, selling primarily to the book trade. Traditional book publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract and, in turn, prints, publishes, and sells your book through booksellers and other retailers. I am passionate about empowering authors to discover the right path for each book. However, if youve written a great novel, then you can try pitching it to literary agencies abroad. Black letter media publishes authors not only in south africa, but other african nations such as zimbabwe, uganda, kenya, tanzania and nigeria, among others. Publishing can also be defined as the business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature, information, musical scores or sometimes recordings, or art eg.
It provides a wide range of mass media services including book, magazine and image publishing. Grace springs africa publishers 9 ilupeju byepass beside kfc building. Problems of the book publishing industry in nigeria. Aigboje higo enjoys a reputation as nigerias most eminent and highly respected publisher. Abc is a collective owned by its founder publishers. Lack of professional expertise in bibliographic work and marketing. The npa is the only collective voice of publishers in nigeria. It is important to find out the cost of publishing a book in nigeria before diving into publishing a book. Literamed has in its stable over 400 titles of books all widely accepted in nigerian schools.
Agentquery find the agent who will find you a publisher. Book publishing and piracy in nigeria nigerian law. Mar 30, 2014 42 thoughts on how to selfpublish a book in nigeria in five easy steps. Publishing a book today is easy with selfpublishing services that are generally offered for free online. Aigboje higo enjoys a reputation as nigeria s most eminent and highly respected publisher. Book cents literary agency is a full service literary management company. Because of the absence of predetermined qualifications or conditions to be met, book publishing. Nigeria has had a fairly robust book publishing history starting from the establishment of university college, ibadan uci in 1948. Focuses on the book publishing industry in nigeria. According to her, the agent, not only publishes the book but market and run competitive publicity for the authors unlike in the nigeria setting. With a promising academia and scholarship, which such milestone institution was bound to generate, some of the leading publishers from the united kingdom such as longman, heinemann, oxford university press, cambridge university press, etc, took steps to. The study is descriptive and data sourced from secondary sources.
Shalen holt, colors of zaki to talk to a publishing services consultant about publishing your work call. The founder publishers elect a fivemember council of management which meets annually. This is the publication of your book without the involvement of any publishing company or media. Our literary agent lists have information about both new and established author representatives seeking. If you are an author and have any intention of publishing your book, i will advise you to patronize any of the following publishing companies. Heres our list of reputable book publishing companies you might consider working with. If youre trying to publish the book in nigeria, your chances of finding a traditional and honest publisher are very slim. Even in a digital age, readers will still ask for a print copy of your book. Get the book issues in book publishing in nigeria putting the necessary infrastructure in place is a challenge to publishing.
Thousands of wannabe writers flood agents and publishers with proposals. Literary agents open the door to selfpublished writers. Book publishing in nigeria is one of the oldest businesses in the history of the nation. She is the publisher of the hot sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named publishing commentator of the year by digital book world in 2019. Global plus publishing ltd is a print shop situated in lagos, offering services on book publishing, magazine printing, promotional material and excellent delivery. University press plc in place of oxford university press. From the smallest detail of the next book idea, to the big picture of the writers lifelong dreams, we work strategically to help each author reach his or her writing and publishing goals. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties from the sales. Black tower publishers nig ltd could be your answer. Usborn ghanaian novelist nana ekua brewhammonds first novel. Book publishing in nigeria is essentially a private sector affair. The most important thing is to know your options, so. Detective novels from japan, nigeria, germany and korea are pouring.
Submit up to 6 poems on any subject of 60 lines or less, or. The association provides a forum through which publishers come together and deliberate on various issues affecting the publishing industry and the book trade at large. In traditional publishing, literary agents are supposed to help writers find. A country with authors like prof chinua achebe, prof wole soyinka, chimamanda adichie, the art of publishing in nigeria still has need to find its feet. List of literary agents 20202021 book agents looking for. Opportunities, challenges of book publishing in nigeria in.
Apr 14, 2015 isobel dixon is a director of the blake friedmann literary agency, where she represents writers from around the world. The study examines the problems of book publishing industry in nigeria as books are effective medium of communication for intellectualism. Just because you have a good book, doesnt mean agents will be. Before the 1914 amalgamation of the diverse peoples on the geographical entity named nigeria, publishing. Initially the publisher under the british, he oversaw the periods of indigenisation of editorial policy and transition to majority local ownership. Its imprint lantern books is now a household name in nigeria and west africa. Black tower global enterprise is a company, which runs the mainline online selfpublishing organization. Furthermore, literary agents did not traditionally work with selfpublishing authors, since their role was generally focused on brokering books to major publishing houses. Nigerian writer and scholar, pius adesanmi recently talked about. Advantages of indigenous publishing in promoting nigerian history, culture, language and social and economic life. We will make it our mission to work hard and be diligent, and to keep the lines of. Founder of the nigerian publishers association, his long association was with heinemann in nigeria. Problems in providing adequate numbers of highquality books.
It is our goal not only to assist our clients in selling their creative work s, but to also assist them with growing their writing careers and helping them reach their targeted audiences. Inadequacy of indigenous publishing in the country. Aug 20, 2010 established in 2004, farafina books has become one of nigerias leading independent literary publishers. Submit up to 6 poems on any subject of 60 lines or less, or a long poem up to 200 lines plus 2 shorter poems. The below list of 19 new literary agents aims to facilitate a conversation.
Book publishers in nigeria nigeria publishers directory. It took onibonoje publishers, which marked its 50th anniversary in publishing in 2009, a long, tasking journey to arrive its present status. Book publishers in nigeria list of book publishers nigeria. And its free not because theres a catch, but simply because not enough things in this world are free. The companys head office is situated in lagos, nigeria with ten 10 depots across the country and a west african office in accra, ghana. Why i chose an african publisher over a western one. Bourret in 2017 as the assistant to michael bourret in the west coast office. The time you have to write the book, the type of book you are writing and the processes involved in the publication are different factors that affect the order. Using the swot analysis, the research looks at some of the strengths, challenges, basic problems and opportunities associated with the book publishing in nigeria. Unqualified authorpublishers, poor production, inadequate distribution, and lack of capital are all evident.
Prior to graduating from hofstra law school, nadeen majored in english with a mass communications minor at clark atlanta university and was a very active participant in the. The new gong is a publishing media company based in nigeria. It is also important to note that there is no a straightforward answer to the cost of publishing a book in nigeria. Our staff includes graphic artists, typeset specialists, publicity agents, staff editors, chief editors, distribution coordinators, wholesale marketers, web designers, social media managers, and customer service specialists. List of best book publishers in lagos, nigeria, top book publishers in lagos, nigeria, book publishers near me, best book publishers. The onibonje publishers experience after 50 years iwu juliana james iwu juliana james is a librarian at covenant university, in canaanland, ota, ogun state, nigeria.
103 127 532 531 273 581 1267 182 1400 433 696 25 215 819 924 176 545 1250 102 1075 36 44 790 133 1301 369 919 1059 1041 329 527