'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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[Sponsored Content] What Adobe isn't telling you. The post 5 Ways to Improve Your Digital Publishing appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Weigh the return': Publishers chime in on controversial Facebook ploy

The controversial news that media outlets including The New York Times and BuzzFeed may publish straight into Facebook’s ecosystem was a hot topic at Digiday’s Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado, where hundreds of digital publishing executives are gathering this week to hash out the issues... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Watch the Digiday Publishing Summit live

The Digiday Publishing Summit will stream live today from Vail, Colorado, starting at 6:30 p.m. EST. Sessions will cover how publishers adapt to technological change. Today's sessions focus in particular on the shift to mobile. Neil Vogel, CEO of About.com, will speak to how it is making mobile... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Median author advance under £6,600

The median advance for traditionally published authors is “well under £6,600”, according to early findings of a survey into authors’ attitudes towards their publisher. The survey also found that bigger publishers pay more. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Politicians vie for author votes at lively hustings

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IPA Congress: publishers urged to join subscription

There is "an enormous business to be built in the book subscription space," similar to that in music and film, but more titles need to be made available by publishers, Scribd c.e.o. Trip Adler told the IPA Congress in Bangkok yesterday (24th March). Meanwhile HarperCollins chief digital officer... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What brands and publishers need to know about Facebook’s developer conference

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[ Digiday | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What Happens When Platforms Turn Into Publishers?

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Salon du Livre Paris: Indie Intros a Success, Authors Continue Protests

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Controversy Courts Several Australian Cookbook Publishers

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Digiday | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Now Marriott is a magazine publisher, too

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[ Digiday | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Short Takes: News on Spirituality and Religion Publishing, March 25, 2015

New books coming from Templeton Prize laureate; awards for books on preaching; CBA moves to new offices. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The case for publishing directly to Facebook

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[ Digiday | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook and Publishers Take Cautious Approach to Content Tie-Up

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[ Advertising Age | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Mac to publish Nelson Mandela sequel

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ BBC News | 2015-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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