'It's a real battle': African authors fight for publishing independence

Francophone African books are still very often published by French imprints, which can make them hard to get at home. But there is a growing push for changeWhen Cameroonian author Daniel Alain Nsegbe first saw his debut novel for sale in his home city of Douala, the price was so high “you would have to ask someone to stop eating for two days in order to buy the book”. It was around 16,000 CFA francs (£20); the average monthly salary in Douala is £150. The book, Ceux qui sortent dans la nuit (Those Who Go Out at Night) was published by Grasset, a French imprint.This is not uncommon: Francophone African authors, whether classic or contemporary, are often published by French, not African presses. This arrangement began in colonial times, but continues because of a number of factors that are particular to France. Publishers frequently push for world rights for all books written in French. Many African writers operate without agents, who would usually divide up rights territories on their behalf. Agents are still a new feature on the African literary landscape, meaning that many classics, such as 1953’s L’enfant noir (The African Child) by Guinean author Camara Laye, and Algerian writer Kateb Yacine’s 1956 novel Nedjma, are owned by publishers in France (Plon and Éditions du Seuil respectively). As French publishers continue to control distribution and pricing, classic authors go missing from bookshelves while contemporary authors struggle to get their books in the hands of... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-14 09:59:14 UTC ]
News tagged with: #rights territories #local readers #sub-saharan africa #books written #world rights #debut novel

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Chinese publishing: full of Eastern promise

The Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) 2015 took place in the last week of August under a storm cloud of a slightly weakened Chinese economy and a tumbling stock market. Yet at BIBF, Chinese and foreign publishers were talking of a bright and sunny future: a book trade that is solid... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tuskar Rock to publish Kraus' feminist novel

Tuskar Rock Press will publish I Love Dick, the autobiographical-novel by American writer Chris Kraus. The book was originally published in 1997 by Kraus’s own Semiotext(e) Press. This is the first time it will be available as a UK edition. I Love Dick merges fiction and memoir to tell the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers bring Radium Girls play to West End

Two publishing professionals have brought a production of Melanie Marnich’s 'These Shining Lives' to the Pleasance Theatre in London. Kate Moore, a former PRH editorial director who now works as a freelance writer and editor, is directing the play, while Anna Marx, commissioning editor at John... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Andersen Press to publish Caldecott and Newbery winners

Andersen Press is set to publish the winners of this year’s US Caldecott and Newbery medals, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat and The Crossover by Kwame Alexander The Crossover, which won the Newbery Medal for fiction, tells the story of brothers who are rivals on... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Thomas Merton and the Creation of Religious Trade Publishing

Kevin DiCamillo explains how monk and author Thomas Merton's influence on Catholic and Christian publishing still resonates today. The post Thomas Merton and the Creation of Religious Trade Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Freight Books buys Cargo Publishing

Scottish publisher Freight Books has acquired fellow Glasgow-based independent publisher Cargo Publishing. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, was completed last week, with authors informed this week. Gill Tasker and Helen Sedgwick, the directors of Cargo, will work for Frieght on a consultancy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Start Publishing Strikes Deal for 16 Titles

Start Publishing has acquired North American ebook and, where available, audio rights to 16 titles published by the U.K’s. Accent Press. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Guild Survey Reveals Majority of Authors Earn Below Poverty Line

In its first study on author income since 2009, the Authors Guild delivers some jarring, if unsurprising, data. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pavilion to publish Soup for Syria

Pavilion Books is to publish a cookbook to raise money for Syrian relief efforts, with recipes donated by chefs including Yotam Ottolenghi, Claudia Roden and Anthony Bourdain. Author Barbara Abdeni Massaad and Michel Moushabeck at US publisher Interlink Books came up with the idea of Soup for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers’ distributed-content headaches

Publishers are firmly in the era of distributed content. By pushing stories straight to platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, without trying to get readers back to their sites, publishers want to go where the readers are, and hopefully, build new revenue streams. There's no shortage of... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A manifesto for trade publishing

"Trade publishing seems mostly to have forgotten it even has a neighbour," says Alastair Horne in his #FutureBook15 manifesto. "Unlike the music and trade publishing industries, scholarly publishing went digital of its own volition, and kept control of its routes to market." Horne admonishes,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Milton to lead expanded Harlequin publishing business

Lisa Milton is to join HarperCollins as executive publisher of its Harlequin UK publishing division, with Tim Cooper, UK managing director, departing. The development follows the relocation of the company from its Richmond base to HarperCollins’ office at London Bridge over the summer with the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How 4 publishers are approaching the Apple News app

Some publishers took a cautious approach to posting straight to Facebook, but many are going all in with Apple News, with plans to post their full online content offering to the app when it launches Sept. 16. The approach reflects a growing acceptance by publishers that they need to go where the... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Auction Set For Turnkey Facilities of Bankrupt Southern California Advertising Publishing Company

By order of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Tiger Capital Group’s Remarketing Services Division, Hilco Industrial, The Branford Group, andNortheast Printing Machinery will conduct a two-day live webcast auction on S ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Religion Publishing News From Around the Web: September 9, 2015

Are adult coloring books a new spiritual practice? What can Christians can learn from Confucius? These are a few of the questions answered in popular news items today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Austin Buetner: Los Angeles Times publisher fired abruptly

‘I am not departing by choice’ – former investment banker hired a year ago by Tribune Publishing announces departure on Facebook, saying email was cut off Tribune Publishing Company has fired the publisher of the Los Angeles Times after little more than a year on the job.Tribune gave no public... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Are So Many Women Perfectionists? Christian Author Blames Social Media

Amy Carroll examines perfectionism and encourages readers to question their motives in her book 'Breaking Up with Perfect.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Icelandic Author Prompts Global Campaigns to Take in Syrian Refugees

Icelandic author Bryndis Bjorgvinsdottir's Facebook initiative urging Iceland to accept Syrian refugees has prompted similar campaigns across the globe. The post Icelandic Author Prompts Global Campaigns to Take in Syrian Refugees appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media General to Buy Magazine Publisher, TV Broadcaster Meredith

Media General Inc said it would buy diversified media company Meredith Corp for about $2.34 billion to create the third-largest local TV station owner in the United States.   The deal marks Media General's return to the print business, after ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cully Named Publisher at Kensington

Lynn Cully has been appointed publisher at Kensington Publishing Corp., replacing Laurie Parkin, who left Kensington in May 2014. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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