Book News
We have got good news and bad news as far as books go in Johannesburg. As supporters of independent book shops we were saddened by the closure of Boekehuis, a wonderful bookstore to browse, peopled by knowledgable and helpful staff. We believe it to be a short-sighted decision. Boekehuis, in Auckland Park, has been a haven for … Read more
Donate a Dictionary
Thembi Majombozi, a Soweto teacher, was very generously funded by MNET to send a batch of her students to our very first Junior Writers Course – and we’ve kept in pretty constant touch since then. Last year, we, together with Wesley Thopmson who ran the course, decided to donate the proceeds of our self -publishing … Read more
Do judge a book by its cover
Henrietta Rose-Innes on the art of publishing – the book cover. The Heartstoppingly Gorgeous Front Cover: it’s one of the most compelling daydreams for an unpublished author. I know writers who’ve lovingly designed book jackets in their minds – complete with blurbs, endorsements and their own name gold-embossed – long before the book is written … Read more
The Publishing Merry-go-round
On a hot summer day in 2006 my Dutch publisher Nijgh & Van Ditmar proudly presented my book Club Risiko in a trendy place on the Amsterdam canals. It was a great occasion, with lots of beer and lots of friends. There were several speeches, and when it was my turn, I said something that … Read more
From blog to book
Q and A with Marianne Talbot who published Keeping Mum: Caring for Someone With Dementia in April 2011. It was serialised in the Daily Mail (circulation circa 2 million, readership c. 4 million), Marianne was offered spots on national radio (BBC’s Midweek and Woman’s Hour) and did a ‘round robin’ of many local radio and TV … Read more
Publishing Rocket Science
David Chislett offers up five rules for successful publishing. It’s really hard to tell what will sell and what won’t isn’t it? If there was a formula, there would be plenty more successful books and fewer obscurities. However, don’t let that put you off pursuing your dreams. You can still make significant moves that will help put … Read more
The Jazzhole – Lagos, Nigeria
Margaret Renn stumbles upon a sanctuary while on a whirlwind trip to Lagos. The Jazzhole, oasis of calm in the crazy, crazy city that is Lagos. This is a music shop, book shop and cafe and distinctly good at all three. The music collection is vast, concentrating as the name suggests on jazz. It has … Read more
The road to publishing
Arja Salafranca reflects on studying literature, becoming a writer, publishing and editing. I swung into Wits University’s Senate House in February a few years ago. It was a hot summer’s day. Clutching books, a bag, sunglasses looped around my fingers, the university was teeming with students, noise, life, there was a palpable energy to the place. I’d been … Read more
A BLOODY AGENT
Michele Rowe gives us all the tactics needed to find and secure an agent. These days publishing a book is all about getting a bloody agent. But the chances of landing one are about as remote as finding an honest tax return in Juju’s sock drawer. That’s because agents make an art of being unattainable. … Read more
Porcupine Press
David Robbins of Porcupine Press on the importance of marketing and distribution to the publishing process. After less than two years of operation, Porcupine Press is ahead of the independent publishing pack in South Africa. This dynamic publishing house has achieved such pre-eminence by concentrating its efforts into those areas of independent publishing that have been traditionally weak. … Read more
