Why more Kenyan authors opt to self-publish their work
Eunniah Mbabazi made her first million-selling books; her books. All her books – two poetry collections and two short stories collections – are self-published. Such is the amazing run she has had with her books that she swapped her engineering job to focus on writing and editing on a full-time basis. Ms Mbabazi’s experience points to a growing trend among young Kenyan writers, who are determined not to let the lack of publishing opportunities, deter their determination to tell their stories.
Traditional publishers in Kenya, still recovering from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 shutdowns, have their hands full with developing reading materials for the new Competency Curriculum, which is being rolled out in Kenyan schools. These publishers have little time to spare for creative works. With opportunities of getting published effectively shut on their faces, these young writers decided to take matters into their own hands, as it were, and have resorted to self-publishing their books.
Ms Mbabazi was in touch with a publisher, who had promised to publish her book, but soon went quiet on her. That is when she decided that she would publish herself. With her mind made up; she plunged headlong into the deep end. It was not easy. “I had numerous challenges as a first-timer,” she explains. “First of all, self-publishing is very capital intensive. Secondly, I had no one to take me through the paces of producing a book, like registering the ISBN code and getting a copyright. I also did not have contacts for designers or even printers.” Still, she was determined to brave it. “I felt that I had written a very important book that people needed to read and nothing was going to stop me from publishing it. My book contained several graphic violence scenes. I knew no publisher would take it as it was. I didn’t want my voice silenced,” explains Ms Mbabazi 28.
That was in 2019. Today, four books down the line and having played a role in the birthing of other self-published books, as an editor, Ms Mbabazi is an old hand in the game. The community of self-published writers has grown, and so has the entire ecosystem. “Nowadays I feel if you throw a stone in Nairobi, it will likely hit a self-published author,” she says with a smile. “That to me is a huge thing; it means we are getting more writing into the market, getting fresh voices into the market, and getting confident about it. With time it will be very hard to ignore self-published authors in this country.”
This community of self-publishers has a lot to be grateful for the support they have received at the Alliance Française, which offers them free space to launch their books. Denis Mucheru, the chief librarian at Alliance Française, traces the institution's collaboration with self-published writers, to 2019, when a young author who would not take no for an answer, knocked at his office.
The author, Haroun Risa, requested that the library host the launch of his book Mombasa Raha My Foot. “He told me that he did not have a venue and neither did he have the funds to rent out a space in the Nairobi CBD,” recalls Mr Mucheru. Risa got quite persistent and because the library had not done such a thing before, Mr Mucheru sought out his seniors, who gave the go-ahead. On the day of the launch, Mr Mucheru was in for a surprise. “Risa brought in an audience of around 100 people, who filled up our space; they also bought copies of the book.”
Impressed by the commitment and turn-out, the management of Alliance Française decided to make the book launches a regular feature at the library. Five years later, the program is so popular with the self-published writers that one needs to make a booking, many months in advance. In early March, during the launch of yet another self-published book, Mr. Mucheru announced that in 2023, the library hosted 58 book events at the venue. "This year, the library is fully booked until November,” he said, adding that the demand is indicative of the number of new self-published books entering the market.
In further recognition of the need, Alliance Française decided to establish the Nyrobi Book Fest, an annual three-day event, where self-published authors exhibit their books, again, without paying a dime. This year’s Nyrobi Book Fest will take place in June. Another revelation in the self-publishing ecosystem has been Nuria Bookstore. Ever since they started operations, Nuria has maintained an open-door policy to self-published authors. Unlike other booksellers who place insurmountable hurdles to stock books, this does not happen with Nuria.
Abdilahi Bulle, the proprietor of Nuria, explains that Nuria has stood with self-published authors since 2016 and ‘relentlessly supported them’. “No other bookshop did that. Other players are purporting to stand with them now but I think their intention is not to support but rather ride on the growing numbers of both authors and readers,” says Mr Bulle.
He attributes the rise of self-publishing to increased accessibility of technology, and the growing number of authors “who want to tell their own stories without the constraints of traditional publishing.” “Nuria Bookstore Kenya is a magnet for self-published authors because we offer them a platform to showcase and sell their books to a wider audience. We are committed to supporting local authors and providing them with the resources they need to succeed,” adds Mr. Bulle.
Ultimately, with the proliferation of self-published books, questions about quality started to emerge. Are there industry standards and are they adhered to Ms. Mbabazi acknowledges that the quality of editing has been wanting, but adds that things are gradually getting better. “Now, I can confidently say that we have improved,” she says. “We are getting there. We however need to improve on the designs.”
Vincent de Paul, who runs Mystery Publishers, an indie publishing outfit, is more forthcoming. “Sadly, most DIY self-published books are of poor quality, not well-structured, the plot has gaping holes, and lack critical evaluation; things that you get from a structured publishing process,” explains Mr Paul. “Many a writer in DIY self-publishing do it for vanity, but not all of them.”
However, adds Mr. Paul, some writers invest in professional services like editing, cover design, book design, and layout, “Such book can compete favorably with whatever is offered by established mainstream publishers.” So, what is the future of self-publishing in Kenya? “I feel we are headed in the right direction,” says Ms Mbabazi. “With time it will be very hard to ignore self-published authors in this country. It will reach a time when traditional publishers will be the ones approaching us, not us approaching them.”
Why more Kenyan authors opt to self-publish their work
Eunniah Mbabazi made her first million-selling books; her books. All her books – two poetry collections and two short stories collections – are self-published. Such is the amazing run she has had with her books that she swapped her engineering job to focus on writing and editing on a full-time basis. Ms Mbabazi’s experience points to a growing trend among young Kenyan writers, who are determined not to let the lack of publishing opportunities, deter their determination to tell their stories.
Traditional publishers in Kenya, still recovering from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 shutdowns, have their hands full with developing reading materials for the new Competency Curriculum, which is being rolled out in Kenyan schools. These publishers have little time to spare for creative works. With opportunities of getting published effectively shut on their faces, these young writers decided to take matters into their own hands, as it were, and have resorted to self-publishing their books.
Ms Mbabazi was in touch with a publisher, who had promised to publish her book, but soon went quiet on her. That is when she decided that she would publish herself. With her mind made up; she plunged headlong into the deep end. It was not easy. “I had numerous challenges as a first-timer,” she explains. “First of all, self-publishing is very capital intensive. Secondly, I had no one to take me through the paces of producing a book, like registering the ISBN code and getting a copyright. I also did not have contacts for designers or even printers.” Still, she was determined to brave it. “I felt that I had written a very important book that people needed to read and nothing was going to stop me from publishing it. My book contained several graphic violence scenes. I knew no publisher would take it as it was. I didn’t want my voice silenced,” explains Ms Mbabazi 28.
That was in 2019. Today, four books down the line and having played a role in the birthing of other self-published books, as an editor, Ms Mbabazi is an old hand in the game. The community of self-published writers has grown, and so has the entire ecosystem. “Nowadays I feel if you throw a stone in Nairobi, it will likely hit a self-published author,” she says with a smile. “That to me is a huge thing; it means we are getting more writing into the market, getting fresh voices into the market, and getting confident about it. With time it will be very hard to ignore self-published authors in this country.”
This community of self-publishers has a lot to be grateful for the support they have received at the Alliance Française, which offers them free space to launch their books. Denis Mucheru, the chief librarian at Alliance Française, traces the institution's collaboration with self-published writers, to 2019, when a young author who would not take no for an answer, knocked at his office.
The author, Haroun Risa, requested that the library host the launch of his book Mombasa Raha My Foot. “He told me that he did not have a venue and neither did he have the funds to rent out a space in the Nairobi CBD,” recalls Mr Mucheru. Risa got quite persistent and because the library had not done such a thing before, Mr Mucheru sought out his seniors, who gave the go-ahead. On the day of the launch, Mr Mucheru was in for a surprise. “Risa brought in an audience of around 100 people, who filled up our space; they also bought copies of the book.”
Impressed by the commitment and turn-out, the management of Alliance Française decided to make the book launches a regular feature at the library. Five years later, the program is so popular with the self-published writers that one needs to make a booking, many months in advance. In early March, during the launch of yet another self-published book, Mr. Mucheru announced that in 2023, the library hosted 58 book events at the venue. "This year, the library is fully booked until November,” he said, adding that the demand is indicative of the number of new self-published books entering the market.
In further recognition of the need, Alliance Française decided to establish the Nyrobi Book Fest, an annual three-day event, where self-published authors exhibit their books, again, without paying a dime. This year’s Nyrobi Book Fest will take place in June. Another revelation in the self-publishing ecosystem has been Nuria Bookstore. Ever since they started operations, Nuria has maintained an open-door policy to self-published authors. Unlike other booksellers who place insurmountable hurdles to stock books, this does not happen with Nuria.
Abdilahi Bulle, the proprietor of Nuria, explains that Nuria has stood with self-published authors since 2016 and ‘relentlessly supported them’. “No other bookshop did that. Other players are purporting to stand with them now but I think their intention is not to support but rather ride on the growing numbers of both authors and readers,” says Mr Bulle.
He attributes the rise of self-publishing to increased accessibility of technology, and the growing number of authors “who want to tell their own stories without the constraints of traditional publishing.” “Nuria Bookstore Kenya is a magnet for self-published authors because we offer them a platform to showcase and sell their books to a wider audience. We are committed to supporting local authors and providing them with the resources they need to succeed,” adds Mr. Bulle.
Ultimately, with the proliferation of self-published books, questions about quality started to emerge. Are there industry standards and are they adhered to Ms. Mbabazi acknowledges that the quality of editing has been wanting, but adds that things are gradually getting better. “Now, I can confidently say that we have improved,” she says. “We are getting there. We however need to improve on the designs.”
Vincent de Paul, who runs Mystery Publishers, an indie publishing outfit, is more forthcoming. “Sadly, most DIY self-published books are of poor quality, not well-structured, the plot has gaping holes, and lack critical evaluation; things that you get from a structured publishing process,” explains Mr Paul. “Many a writer in DIY self-publishing do it for vanity, but not all of them.”
However, adds Mr. Paul, some writers invest in professional services like editing, cover design, book design, and layout, “Such book can compete favorably with whatever is offered by established mainstream publishers.” So, what is the future of self-publishing in Kenya? “I feel we are headed in the right direction,” says Ms Mbabazi. “With time it will be very hard to ignore self-published authors in this country. It will reach a time when traditional publishers will be the ones approaching us, not us approaching them.”
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