Breaking Through the Publishing Industry in Kenya

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I have never been published in the school paper or magazine-not even in some of the daily newspapers to which I have submitted my pieces, and my frustration only goes to prove two things about me; I am persistent and have faith in my writing.

I know that sounds vain, but it is what every writer goes through, is it not? A friend once told me that for my work to be valued, I have to slave till the day a critic with positive comments comes by and falls in love with my work. Simply put, I would not get the recognition I yearn for as long as I am trying to wade through the Kenyan publishing industry. Our society focuses too much on the bad, and in doing so, forgets to acknowledge the good. This is where my grandmother would gladly say that it does this because, if good deeds are given too much attention then the doers tend to grow proud, while on the other hand, if a bad deed is not shunned, it could recur.

kenyan girls reading 300x216 Breaking Through the Publishing Industry in Kenya

Kenyan girls read the much-anticipated books by JK Rowling in the Harry Potter series in the capital, Nairobi.

It is frustrating to want to share your work and be turned down every time, but this is the dilemma of most writers. Those who have made it like Grace Ogot, Muthoni Garland, Ngugi wa Thion’go, Binyavanga Wainaina, to name a few, have not only published one but several pieces, which are still considered masterpieces.

Breaking through the publishing industry in Kenya is difficult because of two factors; structure and diversity.

The industry, once predicted to grow, has failed to do so as it still employs the traditional structure of publishing. With an increase in corruption, most publishers ask for a lot of money to process a book with the excuse that editors have to be paid, and this trickles down even to already edited books. The royalty rate ranges between 10% and 15%, most of which is not paid due to a delay in sales.

There is also a lack of diversity in the books published. Most publishers are seeking to make a lot of money by publishing text books and self-motivational material. Text books have a market because there are many students who will need the books to further their studies. Very few publishers are like Storymoja or Kwani, and are trying to breakthrough this tradition without much support.

Many have been heard to say that Kenya lacks a reading culture. Kenyans read newspapers daily and regardless of which end of the country you visit, the people have a political opinion, why? Politics, not books has been made the order of the day. Reading newspapers does not denote a reading culture but some “crude” level of curiosity that can be nurtured.

Reading good books means processing information, being good at spelling, and having a strong vocabulary. It means excellent communication skills in both the oral and written aspects of language, but how are Kenyans expected to know this and experience this if the publishers do not provide the books that can help the process happen?

On the other hand, publishers say that most manuscripts submitted for publication are below their standards and that they are not so promising. This could be true, if only the yardstick most traditional publishers used was relevant to what they are measuring. Most publishers expect a first-time writer to produce a manuscript that has the same style as the renowned writers of Kenya, but there is only one Grace Ogot not two or three or a million…so in their attempt to replicate masterpieces; they lose out on the promise of new writers.

I have taken a keen interest in the American and British publishing industries, and I am left in awe at how much they are willing to nurture their young and first-time writers. They get in touch with writers and follow up on their progress before and after publication and this results in an increased and strong reading culture and an awareness of many things that happen around the world. This is beneficial not just to them as countries but also to many Kenyan writers. Most of my colleagues in universities have resorted to online publication or have published their works with houses in either the UK or America-and it is sad to say that they are widely read abroad while the people in their own country know nothing of their works.

For the reading culture in Kenya to be strong, it is up to our publishers to promote creative works–different genres in areas of fiction and non-fiction–to offer affordable rates in self-publishing, and allow online publications and much more. Nurturing young writers who have raw talent will direct their attention towards writing captivating and inspiring books that may appeal to us Kenyans and the outside world.

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okeyo

I am a Psychology major at United States International University-Africa. I have published one book “A FATHER’S PORTRAIT” available on www.i-proclaimbookstore.com

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