Book publishing in Nigeria plays an important role in the development of the country. It foster cultural integration, create avenues for self-expression. Through publishing facts and figures and properly and information accurately disseminated.
If you are an aspiring authors or a beginner that is yet to fully gain ground in the field of book publishing, you have to grab your seat and read through this article.Professionals in the business of book publishing can affirm to the notion that only few writers have the knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes when they summit their work for publications.
However, when you have a great understanding of the process of what needs to be done the better your chance of making your dreams become a reality.
To speed up the process of your book publications there tons of resources for you get knowledge that will help you publish a book, and many of them are really good and worth cost but what if you don’t have the money to pay for a premium resource.
That’s why I’ve put together this guide, so you know you have the knowledge of what it takes when publishing a book and can avoid the lapses that might likely occurs.
What is Book Publishing?
Book publishing in Nigeria has to do with the process of bringing a written work that has be carefully research and edited from its initial stages as a manuscript to a finished physical book or digital format available for purchase by the public. The act of getting a book ready for consumption encompasses diverse stages with several inputs from different players in the industry.
In sum, publishing involves producing literacy and information available for use by the individuals or group in the society. It cuts across all various forms of information in different format and media, including print, textual, graphical, audio, audio-visual and digital platforms.
Before now, the concept of publishing was mainly focus on books, thereby excluding other nature of information schools across the universe. Be that at it may, the content of this article is manly focus on publishing book.
Types Of Publishing
As an author having a good understanding of the different types and stages in book publishing in Nigeria is important in scaling through the complex tasks that are associated in having to get a book ready.
The publishing industry is a very dynamic one and it offer authors various paths to bring their work to readers.
Let take a look at the three primary types of publishing—traditional publishing, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing
Here are the three various types of book publishing:
- Traditional Publishing
- Self Publishing
- Hybrid Publishing
Traditional Publishing
Traditional book publishing in Nigeria has long been the route adopted by various authors that are seeking a wider reading audience and professional support. This process involves going into partnership with an established publishing house, this company will handles the entire publishing process, from editing and designing to marketing and distribution.
Self Publishing
With the rise of digital technological tools and online platforms, lots of authors are turning into self-publishings this method has emerge as a viable option for authors that wants to take full ownership and control over their publishing journey.
Self book publishing in Nigeria gives authors the liberty to retain full creative control over their work, including cover design, formatting, pricing, and release dates. The authors have the final decision everything that has to do with their book.
It is important to know that as a self-published author, you take responsibility for marketing and promoting your book. This involves adopting effective marketing strategies such as building an online presence, utilizing social media to reach your target audience.
Hybrid Publishing
Hybrid publishing adopt part of the of traditional and self-publishing, this approach authors a middle ground that caters to their individual needs. This publishers offers their professional services starting from editorial services, design assistance, and production support similar to traditional publishing.
They do everything to ensures that the final product meets industry standards and stands out in the market.
Also,this kind of publishers offer various distribution channels, including bookstores, and libraries, to ensure wider availability.
How Long Does it Take to Publish a Book
The publication timeline for a book can vary significantly depending on several factors. This is often as a result of the process that is involved delivering quality work.
Here is the book publishing the process that every quality book must have to pass through:
- Acquisitions
- Editing
- Structural editing
- Content editing
- Technical editing
- Design, Typesetting, Printing, and Proofreading
Acquisition
The first steps of a book publishing process is the acquisition stage. This step involves the authors sending their work manuscript or a proposal to multiple publishers or a particular publisher of interest. If a publisher picks interest in your work, the company will schedule a meeting with their acquisitions team to discuss the term and conditions of the work .
Editing Phrase
Once you have agreed to the term and conditions of the publisher and then signed the contractual agreement, your manuscript will be subjected to the editing process. The editing process can be broadly summarized in three steps: structural editing, content editing, and technical editing.
The structural editing of your work will generally focuses on the way your manuscript is organized and whether it is up to standard. The publishing company editors will make suggestions in places that the notice discrepancies, which you will be asked to review and accept or reject.
When a decision is taken on the way your manuscript is organized, the process moves on to content editing. This process involves the reviewing of your work for factual accuracy as well as flow, transitions, wording, and so on.
Once the major changes has been made to meet the requirement that has been set, a technical editor will review your work to ensure it is free of grammatical errors, punctuation, and spelling errors. Once you have reviewed and accepted the changes,the work now proceeds to another stage.
Design, Typesetting, Printing, and Proofreading
At this point, you will collaborate with the publisher or their internal publication support services to ensure that your book looks professional when it is printed. To ensure the book looks amazing, you will select a typeface and cover design. A typesetter will then create the book.
To make sure there are no hidden errors that the editing process missed, a test print will be made and then proofread. It’s time to go to the latter stages of the publishing process after you and the publisher have collaborated to get a stunning manuscript of your book into print.
Sales, Marketing and Publicity
No matter how a book is written it require marketing service to ensure that the book are not just dump at the publishing house that it reach the targeted who will be interested in them. Many book publishing in Nigeria engage in marketing and publicity of newly published books to ensure that they generate high sales and your can’t be an exception to that.
Having seen the process that it takes to process the publication of a single book, it can now be said that publishing a quality book can take up to 4- 6 months or even a year. It all depends on how long it takes to find an agent that us if you are making use of an agent, secure a publishing deal, and complete the editorial process (developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading).
Book Publishers to Avoid
When you are sending out mails and letters to publishing companies,there are a few types of publishing companies you should steer clear of, especially if you’re an aspiring author. Although as an author, your are eager to get your work publish by all means and you might seems desperate especially if you have face rejections before.
Be it as it may, it is important to exercise caution to avoid regretting in the future. These book publishers to avoid are more interested in your wallet than your writing, and they won’t help you achieve your literary goals.
Also,if you are someone that does not have the time to find out which book publishing company in Nigeria is the genuine one then we are had to help you.
We are Favourite books and we are a legacy book publishing firm with years of experience in the Nigerian publishing industry, contact us to deliver quality service to you.
Here are some of the red flags to watch out for when on the negotiation table with publishers :
Vanity Publishing Houses that Pretends to be Traditional Publishers
In the field of book publishing in Nigeria, there is no legal traditional book publisher that will demand an author to foot the publishing bill. To put it in clear terms, when a company acquires your book, they are suppose to pay you an advance. If a book publisher demands that you make payment for the publication, such a company is likely a vanity press.
Literary Agents’ promising Big Book Deals
Another kind of scammer that you are mostly like to encounter in your journey of book publication are agent scam. This agents will act as middle men to link you to top publishers They always by soliciting for fees that are very unrealistic. Most times the will present to you deals that are mouth watering just to extort from you.
In order for you to know the rightful agents to work with, it is important to note that literary agents will never contact you directly — unless you are author that have earn your mark.
If you belong to the category of authors that are still upcoming, the only verifiable way to get an agent to pick interest in your book to send them a query letter.
Grossly Overpriced Self-publishing Services
Self-publishing, is an act where an author decides to publish his or book all alone. Nevertheless, there are companies out there that can render other services such editing and designing services to make sure your book is of top quality.
However, if you are not smart, it is easy to fall a victim for predators that are interested in billing you for their services — many of which are tasks you could accomplish on your own. Here are some such ‘services’ to avoid.
Marketing packages that sound essential
Regardless of how well-written the book is, many authors have trouble selling it. It follows that those who offer to handle your marketing issues for a pittance should come as no surprise. Let’s examine a some of the amazing “marketing solutions” that writers are frequently pitched:
Every time a business has a significant new “story” to share, it releases a press release and posts it online for the media to read. Scammers will try to convince you that your tale could be picked up by Newsweek, Good Morning America, or the New York Times, but there is very little likelihood of that occurring.
Writing contests and awards that is very unknown
Entering writing contests is a terrific opportunity to get your work in front of readers, establish your writing career, and potentially earn some cash in the form of rewards. Nonetheless, some competitions are hardly more than lucrative businesses. And the fact that their prizes aren’t actually prizes usually lets you know when to avoid them.
It’s wonderful that certain competitions publish winning contributions in a magazine or anthology. However, it is not ideal when “winning” authors are required to pay a “editing fee” in order to enjoy that privilege. So you have to be careful when you see such offers coming up.
Conclusion
In sum, before you submit your work to any book publishing company, do well to research the company either online or by asking from other authors and make sure the company is reputable. Try as much as possible to avoid unsolicited offers. A legitimate publisher will not contact you out from nowhere asking to publish your book.
Also, before you sign any contracts, make sure you understand all of the terms and conditions. If something feels off about a publisher, don’t be afraid to walk away. There are plenty of other that will happily work with you to make your book a reality. By following these tips, you can avoid publishing scams and find a reputable publisher who will help you get your book into the hands of readers.
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