Costs of publishing a book in south africa

How to get published publishers association of south africa. And its this, to return to my initial question, that. Quickfox publishing is your professional book publishing. Cost drivers unique to the publishing industry include cost of content i. Book publishing in africa is a group for bookpublishing and bookselling professionals, as well as media professionals and authors with an interest in publishing and the book trade in africa. Depending on the software used and the time you are willing to spend in the process, the answer can be, very little. This book is uniquely african in its context and explores themes of identity, both selfimposed and individuated, and that which is placed on us externally. Once or twice a year, in arrears for sales of the previous period. There are profiles of 29 companies, including major publishers such as pearson south africa which is the largest player in the local educational publishing segment, and media24, whose book. Jonathan ball publishers is the leading publishers and distributors of english general books in south africa. There are various companies in south africa that provide selfpublishing options both online and as a printed book. For many people, writing the book is the greatest reward, and publishing is more of a formality.

Self publishing book costs how much does it cost to. The market for general trade books is small, and unlike in developed markets, where general books are sold in much larger volumes, local sales of 5,000 copies make a title a bestseller. Of course, if you just want to get your book out there, you can always format it for free and selfpublish it on amazon, where itll be available within 72 hours. At, jeremy boraine, publishing director of jonathan ball publishers, tried to answer the question why are books in south africa so expensive at the moment. Can i publish the ebook with one publisher and the print book with another. Welcome to partridge africa, a new supported selfpublishing imprint from author solutions llc. However, all production costs incurred up to that point will be for your account. Agents insight into the south africas childrens book. Academic books make up the remaining 10% of the south african book market, with around a third of academic books being imported. Printing of 100 copies, including delivery costs to a main centre in south africa. South africa is a wildly diverse nation with an equally diverse natural world.

There is a recognition that for the effective monitoring of adult literacy, direct measures of literacy are required. If youre printing only 500 copies, then this will be a much bigger proportion because youve got to spread that cost over 500 books. We specialise in south african history, politics and current affairs. Posts about book marketing written by selfpublishsouthafrica. Publish a book with penguin penguin books south africa. Starting a record label in south africa requires a good understanding of the music industry.

Or if you cant find a publisher interested in publishing your book. Pasa is the largest publishing industry body in south africa, and is committed to creativity, literacy, the free flow of ideas and encouraging a culture of reading. Stories are incredibly powerful regardless of whether we make millions writing them, whether people read them or only five, whether we give them. Book publishers in johannesburg, south africa list of. However, new writers considering selfpublishing a book for the first time have lots of questions. Factors influencing the cost of books in south africa. No, in many cases the ebook royalty is higher than the print book royalty to compensate for the absence of printing costs. Foremost, with the advent of digital printing, a small number of books, say 50 or 100, can be printed at a viably low cost per copy, and reprinted in small. Home of geko publishing publishers of hintsas ghost, bless me father, sardo dance, in time, bko mag and. Why youre paying so much for books in south africa the daily vox. If you already know how to handle every other aspect of pre. Boutique books self publishing editing publish own book layout.

Make sure you know your competitors and what music genres are in high demand. Beauty told in 3 chapters, the cape, the subtropical coast, and the desert interior. Grade attainment, selfreported ability to read and behavioural variables relating to, for instance, reading habits produce vastly different measures of adult. The cape town book fair chatted to mousehands simon nye on selfpublishing as part of independent publishing in south africa. Boutique books self publishing editing publish own. How to get published pasa publishers association of south africa. For a quick faq on getting published in south africa, read this guide from the publishers association of south africa. Now is a great time to become an author thanks to amazon, kobo ingramspark and more. In south africa s small market, where even bestsellers do not equate to huge numbers of books sold, self publishing makes financial sense. The problem lies with book distribution rather than the book publishing sector. Printing 1,000 copies of a book costs around r60 each, raise that print run to 100,000 and the cost drops to r15. In south africa there has been a surge in publicly funded adult literacy education in recent years. This book is a contribution to the second approach. The publishing of books and other publications in south africa 2019 report has been added to s offering publishing of.

Get instant prices for custom printed books and receive a free quote. As a retailer, we dont publish books, but we naturally work with the many south african publishers who do. Jeremy boraine, publishing director of jonathan ball publishers responds. Quickfox publishing is a leading custom publishing company in south africa. Quickfox publishing contact us and frequently asked questions. Opening with a joke making the rounds in sas publishing circles, how do you make a small fortune in book publishing. You start with a very big one, and noting that one does not go into book publishing to get rich. Past research on transport prices and costs 1 scope and methodology of this study 2. How many books the average south african author sells. Prepare a record label application form, licensing and production. Have you ever wondered what sa publishing looks like from the inside. Selfpublishing is an established trend that has completely changed the world of book publishing.

Essentially, it lets writers and readers meet each other directly, without a middle man to take up to 90% of the profits. Selfpublishing has broken down a lot of barriers for writers and dramatically lowered the costs of publishing a book, but there are still some. And the highly coveted astrid lindgren memorial award went to praesa, the project for the study of. In this book, miriam depicts three contrasting worlds. High marketing costs may reduce the profitability of educational publishing, but are also likely to increase the end price of books. The top 5 mistakes south african authors make when selfpublishing a book. The market for general trade books is small, and unlike in developed markets, where general books are sold in much larger volumes. A few tips on getting published exclusive books blog. The first decision affecting cost for an author to make is what ebook format w. Of extreme importance for any writer who selfpublishes their book is the quality of the end product. In august 2008 random house south africa and struik publishers announced their merger to create a significant new player in the african book publishing industry. The new company, known as random house struik pty ltd, brought together two of the countrys most prominent book publishers under the. The shocking number of books the average south african.

Every year new books are published in most of the languages of south africa, in addition to the classics in languages such as isixhosa, sesotho and isizulu that have had a literary tradition dating from the 1800s. List of best book publishers in johannesburg, south africa, top book publishers in johannesburg, south africa. South africas industry for the publishing of books and. The publishing of books and other publications in south africa 2019 report has been added to s offering publishing of books and other publications. Factors influencing the cost of books in south africa south african. The cape coast, with the fynbos floral kingdom, is unlike any other place on earth, with plants seen nowhere else, influenced by the collision of the benguela and agulhas currents.

As mentioned, in south africa, most publishers will accept a manuscript directly from writers check their websites to see publishers terms and conditions. Why are books in south africa so expensive at the moment. In this section we look at the main players and the main trends in publishing in south africa and the world, explore key concepts like intellectual property, digital rights management, we consider the role of the publisher and examine the educational and economic background to publishing in sa, and explore critical. The short answer it costs no upfront money at all to selfpublish a book through amazon, either as an ebook through their adp service or paperback through their createspace service. I was asked recently by an aspiring south african author about the costs involved in converting his book to ebook friendly formats and publishing online.

Author solutions operates independently and powers partridge along with several other self. If a decision is made to publish a manuscript, penguin books south africa will make you an offer based on what we believe to be the sales potential of the book in our market. South africas industry for the publishing of books and other publications, 2019. The indigenous languages publishing programme ilpp is a sectorial priority implemented by the south african book development council sabdc. One of south africas better known online publishers is crink. If the offer is accepted, a publishing contract containing details of royalty payments and the rights and obligations of both parties will be drawn up. The small, even tiny market for locally published books. The top 5 mistakes south african authors make when selfpublishing. Im not aware of any south african book aggregators. We took a closer look at the numbers, read em and weep. But it also means that you have to take responsibility for the success of your book, and while this can seem daunting to new authors, again in our small market, individuals have relatively easy access to. Anyone individuals and publishers can publish on amazon, lulu, kobo, smashwords and ibookstore but with ibookstore, individuals can only.

Yes, i know that your book took you five years to write. In this case the author has to deliver a manuscript. Storyline studio is a fun, creative and unique design and publishing studio based in the western cape but operating nationally and internationally. Bumble books, childrens book imprint of publishing print matters, was nominated for the bologna prize for the best publishers of the year africa. Very often the answer is to publish both but it does depend on the production specifications of your book and the market you are trying to reach. Foremost, with the advent of digital printing, a small number of books, say 50 or 100, can be printed at a viably low cost per copy, and reprinted in small quantities as needed. Publishing your book yourself makes sense for a number of reasons. South africa, the drc and kenya, all drawn together by one common thread. An excerpt from the good book appreciation society august newsletter. Crink is a digital publishing space, where authors can publish, sell, market and distribute their work in an online customised environment. Stop by our site to learn how much it costs to print your book with 48 hr books. A few tips on getting published one of the most common questions were asked at exclusive books is. We offer a professional onestop book publishing service, as well as standalone editorial, graphic design, typesetting, production, printing, ebook and distribution services for authors and companies who seek professional input, highquality production, and a team who is willing to go the extra mile. Through this programme the sabdc aims to stimulate growth and development in the book sector, increase indigenous languages publishing and to support the ongoing production of south african authored.