Self-publishing: A quick but costly fix for aspiring writers

If you were to order a book by a first time Kenyan author, say from Nuria bookshop in Nairobi, it is likely to be the self-published work of a novice writer, and the publisher is likely to be a little-known entity.

Back in the day, established publishing houses were known more for churning out works of literary giants than today where they’re more focused in publishing academic oriented materials as that’s where quick return on investment lies.

For novice writers trying to cut their teeth in the local literature circles, chances of their works seeing the light of the day are remote. But it is a different matter altogether for the big names who can guarantee the publisher a return on investment.

Its for this reason that would-be authors resort to self-publishing their own works. With online sites that allow the author to publish and market their works, it makes it easier, and quick, to see one’s work selling. However, it is not always rosy for all.

Opting to physically self-publish can be draining. It is also costly.

Peris Siamanta, a self-published author of several books and founder of Kenya’s Reading Culture, a non-profit entity that promotes a reading culture and establishment of libraries from ward levels to prisons, says that unlike the traditional publisher, the author is on their own when it comes to self-publishing.

“Established publishing houses can do donkey work from proofreading, editorial, publishing and marketing and pay you royalties. This is not the case when it comes to self-publishing,” she says.

Usually, the self-publisher will have to pay through the process of producing their book.

“You get to have your works go through several hands from proofreading, revising or editing then you figure the number of copies at first publishing of that initial edition, the costs, and how to do own marketing.”

Kennedy Mwangi, a self-published author, knows it is not an easy undertaking as one must spend heavily producing books and do own marketing. Recouping on the investment, too, is not guaranteed. It depends on how the stock is moving.

Mr Mwangi, a teacher at St Pius X Seminary in Nkubu, Meru, is a holder of a degree in English and literature from Egerton University. His three self-published works, Blueprint Poetry, Blueprint Writing and Blueprint Oral Literature, are mainly literary themed and aimed as school aids for students.

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Strangely, even when locally established traditional publishing houses are focused on churning out educational oriented materials targeting schools, none of the publishers he had approached had shown an interest in publishing him. This is what saw him taking the risky gamble of publishing his own works.

Asked on the costs of producing a few copies of a book, he said: “There is a minimum number of copies you have to produce and the cost varies from one publisher to the next. For example, Sh80,000 can see you produce about 500 copies.”

He, too, notes authors are on their own.

“It becomes quite difficult to market one’s works as many self-published authors find it difficult to get acceptance,” he says.

To him, writing for a target audience where one’s works will resonate well is what will see the stock moving.

“My target market is schools in Kenya. I do a lot of academic talks to popularise my works and also engage more on digital platforms to reach other clients out there.”

And to widen the customer base, he liaises with some booksellers to market his works.

Though self-published stories may look impressive, the letdown is poor editing besides typographical errors that rob a good story of literary finesse.

Towards this end, the teacher employs the service of an editor besides numerous revisions until everything clicks. Hiring an editor or revisionist comes with a cost.

“Like any business venture, self-publishing needs capital if one is to produce good quality material. Nothing comes easily.”
Given time, he says, one may recoup on the investment.

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For John Kariuki, an author of a children’s story book titled, Mystery of the Red Hills (Phoenix Publishers), not every self-published works captivates. 

Some of self-published works he had read, he says, are promising literary gems, but put off a reader owing to the many mistakes replete throughout the narratives.

“It can be hard to follow the story’s plotline when the script reads like several stories jumbled into one,” he says.

He notes the use of impressive words by some self-publishers does not necessarily make stories captivating especially the employment of laborious language and words that force a reader to consult a dictionary for meanings.

“This is what will make the reader put the book down as he or she cannot comprehend what the author is trying to communicate,” he says.

Overall, he says, some local self published authors have gone to a great extent including winning literary prizes and cites works like Terrorists of Aberdares and Different Colours by journalist Nganga Mbugua.