Making a start on a PNG book catalogue

By BAKA BINA - PNG Attitude 

PORT MORESBY - Writings about Papua New Guinea and books by Papua New Guinean authors are multiplying but scattered all across the country.

There has never been a central reservoir of information about them. And there should be.

Most of these books are self-published by the authors, sometimes assisted by experienced people like Francis Nii and Jordan Dean, and produced using the Amazon hard copy and Kindle Direct Publishing ebook platforms.

Libraries For All has helped several authors including Caroline Evari while others like Ms Solien does her own publishing.  I am also doing my own.  A few others are engaged with commercial publishing companies.

But we do need a central information data place to list all these books. I’ve made a rough start at a catalogue which you can download here.

Download Catalogue of books by PNG authors as at January 2020

Not mentioned? So how about you get your title and name on the list? Just email me here with a short description and cover shot of the book.

And include this information:

Book title
Author
Category of book (see my note at the end of the catalogue)
Year published
Number of pages
Publisher

Go to this link for more: https://www.pngattitude.com/2020/01/making-a-start-on-a-png-book-catalogue.html

National Book Week should stimulate tangible benefits

By FRANCIS NII - PNG Attitude

KUNDIAWA - It is high time the meaningless and vain annual National Book Week was changed to make it become the vehicle for stimulating tangible benefits to writers and readers.

Every August features National Book Week. In Papua New Guinea gaudy banners of all sizes rustle in the dusty wind. Written on them is an ostensibly witty theme that nobody cares about.

Empty-minded school children in colourful uniforms fill the city arena for the annual event.

For them, it is one of those playtimes. Their predecessors have celebrated it and so will those who come after them.

Whether there is gain for them or not, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, they will go home without a locally-authored book. That they knew. They had experienced it before.

High ranking government officials and distinguished dignitaries mingle at the overly draped grand podium. It’s their day to showcase their oratory eloquence.

Pompous speeches of vanity ring out in crescendo. Blind ovation reverberates into emptiness in the scorching atmosphere.

No national author is present for the event. No locally-authored book is on exhibition. It is supposed to be a National Book Week celebration of locally-authored books, isn’t it? Who knows why? Who knows what kind of books they celebrate?

A meaningless and derisory celebration that should not be called National Book Week. A slap in the face to the multitude of national authors in this country.

No one even knows or cares to how many national authors there are in the country. Nor what kind of books they produce. Nor what their books look like. Nor how good their stories are. They don’t know and they don’t care to know the importance and value of the books that have been written.

So what is the meaning of the annual National Book Week? What is its purpose? What kind of benefits are there and for whom?

The children go home without seeing a locally-authored book. They don’t embrace a copy on their way home, let alone read one. Is it because Papua New Guineans don’t write books?

No. There are many national authors publishing all kinds of books from non-fiction to fiction, as well as collections.

There is no meaning when national authors are ignored. There is no purpose when nationally authored books are neglected and cannot be read. It is absurdly unfair when the younger generation cannot read books about their own history and culture.

Yet it is called National Book Week and is celebrated year after year with all the pompous grandeur without locally-authored books. Sad vanity, isn’t it?

It’s time to reconsider. Make the occasion more meaningful. Recognise local authors. Make available their books. Stimulate opportunities for tangible benefits everyone – authors and readers alike.

The PNG government and the National Library and Archives need to make a drastic policy shift.

Local authors and their books must be given recognition. Their books must be made available at such important occasions, including National Literacy Week, for school children and the general public to take these books home and to read them.

Revive the provincial public library network throughout the country and stock them with locally-authored books.

Make National Book Week an occasion of celebrating and promoting our own books. It should be the vehicle for nurturing readership for locally-authored books.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/09/national-book-week-should-stimulate-tangible-benefits.html

An extraordinary book that goes beyond the headlines

An extraordinary book that goes beyond the headlines

SUSAN FRANCIS | Good Reads

My Walk to Equality: Essays, Stories and Poetry by Papua New Guinean Women, edited by Rashmii Amoah Bell, Pukpuk Publications 2017, paperback, 278 pages. ISBN-10: 1542429242. Available from Amazon, paper US$10.53, Kindle US$0.93

MAYFIELD, NSW - First let me say this is an extraordinary book. I learnt so much.

Sometimes I was confronted, most dreadfully, by choices demanded of the individuals depicted, and at other times my heart swelled with hope.

In a collection of short stories, poetry and essays edited by Rashmii Amoah Bell, women describe and discuss their relationships, complicated gender issues and the idea of legacy in contemporary Papua New Guinea.

Reading the texts, I was profoundly moved by the significance education holds for the individual writers and the importance attached to a sense of place, faith and family.

However, what affected me most was the recognition that the women writers all shared a strong, unbreakable ethical framework.

Their values- resilience, patience, determination and purity of action were highlighted consistently across the collection - despite the sometimes tragic boundaries life imposes on women in PNG.

The stark reality of separateness between men and women - there was a tactile sense of it practically rubbing off the pages onto my fingertips - certainly should not have surprised me, nor the violence.

But because most of the stories were written in first person and the experiences expressed clearly and honestly, the challenges existing between genders confronted me at a visceral level.

I knew it. I’d watched it. But the narratives provided me with a fresh, individual perspective.

Finally, the overwhelming take away for me was the strength forged in PNG women.

I recommend this small, modest, very special book if you want to read beyond the headlines and be reminded of what is important in life.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/07/an-extraordinary-book-that-goes-beyond-the-headlines.html

My journey as a writer – Part I

By CAROLINE EVARI - PNG  Attitude

PORT MORESBY - Not knowing where my journey in writing would take me, I kept brushing away the idea of getting my long overdue collection of poems published. One reason: Fear.

Fear that people may not like my poems. Fear that I may not have the money to pay for publication. Fear of what other people would say about me.

I had a colleague who discovered my talent in writing and introduced me to the Crocodile Prize literary competition in 2013.  The journey from then gave me a whole new perception.

When I realised that people liked my writing, I became so determined to improve.

As I told in my recent interview with Betty Wakia, ‘Choose to rise above every circumstance,’ I tried networking with other writers.

It wasn’t easy because I had a demanding job, but I made every opportunity count. I wrote for websites, blogs, participated in writing prompts and created my own blog.

One of my favourite poems I submitted to the Spillwords website, ‘Slow Down’, is targeted at workaholics and busy-bees who stress themselves day in and day out as if their trying to save the world. I used to be like that too.

Through the Crocodile Prize and Keith Jackson, I was introduced to Rashmii Amoa Bell and ‘My Walk to Equality’, the first ever collection of PNG women’s writing.

My story of how I was once a village girl, ‘Run hard - & don't look back until you achieve your goal’, inspired a good number of readers and that was another wake up call for me.

I wanted to inspire more people, especially young girls and people who travel to city in search of education and better life. I wanted to show them that you don’t have to follow the crowd all the time.

You can step aside, choose your own path, take your own journey, and write your own story.

The publication of my poetry collection, ‘Nanu Sina: My Words’, is by far my greatest achievement in my writing journey.

Apart from the publication of children’s story books I authored for Library for All, ‘Nanu Sina’ is very much my sweat and toil. If you ask me how I feel about it, my response would be, ‘it’s like I am living in my dreams’.

I want the same experience to be felt by more and more young people. I want them to know that you don’t necessarily have to be so smart and intelligent to be able to achieve something in your life. It takes courage and determination to pursue your dreams.

The little steps you take each day get bigger and bigger. And, for anyone who has a passion for writing, do develop it.

There is a great need for Papua New Guinean writers. School libraries need books that tell stories about our cultures, traditions, legends, myths, values and beliefs. Becoming a writer should be one of your dreams.

I had the privilege of sharing my stories with the kids at Koro International School at the school library last Wednesday. The response from the students was impressive and they wanted to know if there are other Papua New Guinean writers.

I will be reaching out to school principals in the coming weeks to do a similar presentation to all schools in Port Moresby.

You never know where your passion can take you until you start paying attention to it. Find it, embrace it, take the risk and run with it.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/06/my-journey-as-a-writer-part-i.html

How to make a bit of money as a book author in PNG

Jordan Dean provides some good practical advice on how to publish your book in Papua New Guinea

JORDAN DEAN - PNG Attitude

PORT MORESBY - Self-publishing is a blessing for Papua New Guinean writers. But, while CreateSpace and Amazon Kindle have eased our publishing woes, there are some downsides.

Many PNG authors lack the business acumen and haven’t sold a single copy of their books on Amazon.

Writing tends to be a solitary endeavour, but marketing (selling) and communicating with potential readers, is a social process.

It requires you to put your book out there for the world to see - and hopefully buy.

After selling over 500 copies of my five books (including donating copies to book drives and libraries around the country), I am far from been a New York Times best seller, so I am not claiming to be a publishing expert.

But there are some insights I’ve learnt over the years. I’ll share a few of them here.

Edit your book several times and have one or two of your friends read and critique it. (You’ll know what good friends they are when they do this.) Then take their comments on board and review what you’ve written.

Next, find a good publisher who will proofread and format your book to give it a professional look. (You might even think of using my publishing company, JDT Publications – see here and here.)

You’ll also need a beautiful book cover so people will notice your book, pick it up, open it and buy it. Then read your book and recommend it to others.

I am fortunate to have friends who are artists, photographers, illustrators and models who are more than happy to grace my book covers.

I just buy them lunch or give them a few bucks and complimentary copies in return for their photographs or illustrations. Of course, it takes a fair amount of work and money to publish a professional looking book but it’s worth the effort if you want it to sell.

My own Wantok Publishing Package costs K350 which includes copy editing, proofreading and publishing with five complimentary copies for the author. How much do I earn from that? From the K350, I order five copies for the author which costs around K250. I am left with less than K100 for my buai and cigarettes.

So for sitting up late at night for a week or two (sometimes even a month) working on a 200-page book, I am paid only K100! I can understand why Pukpuk Publications stopped publishing.

The first form of marketing for self-published authors is to have a book review. Getting an honest review of your book will help your book be seen by readers who may be interested to read it.

Thank you PNG Attitude for reviewing a lot of our books. However, having a beautiful review done by Keith Jackson, Phil Fitzpatrick, Ed Brumby or Michael Dom doesn’t equate to selling a hundred books on Amazon instantly!

Truth is we’re not Wilbur Smith or Danielle Steele to sell millions of copies. We’re self-published authors. That means that we’ll be self-promoting and self-marketing.

Social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) is to a large extent free, so utilise it to promote your books. It’s helpful when you have a lot of fans and followers on social media. There’s no dedicated bookshop that sells books by local authors in PNG. So you’ll have to market and distribute your own books.

Now, the million dollar question asked by a lot of authors. How much in royalties will I earn?

Truth is you can’t earn a living through writing in PNG. Profit has never been my motive for writing and publishing books. I do it because I love writing and would like to see our literature grow. So if you’re after money, find another publisher.

Francis Nii has already explained in PNG Attitude about royalties from Amazon.

Kindle Direct Publishing offers a fixed 60% royalty rate on paperbacks sold on Amazon marketplaces. Your royalty is 60% of your list price (royalty rate x list price - printing costs = royalty).

For example, if your book is a 150-page paperback with black and white interior its list price is $5 on Amazon might be about $US5. The printing cost would be $2.65 and your royalty for selling a copy is (0.60 x $5) - $2.65 = $0.35.

Amazon pays royalties when you reach $100. That means you’ll have to sell 286 copies of your book to reach $100. I set my list prices below $5 so readers in PNG with visa cards can afford a copy. Not all Papua New Guineans have visa cards so selling on Amazon is not the best option.

On the other hand, if you increase your list price to $10 on Amazon, then your royalty per copy sold will be $3.35. You only need to sell 30 copies before Amazon sends you a cheque or does an electronic transfer of $100 (K300).

I have a sales report of the more than 20 books I’ve published since 2016. None of the authors have sold over five copies on Amazon. I’ve managed to sell about 20 copies of my books on Amazon.

I refer people to Amazon to purchase my books but they don’t purchase online. However, when I order copies of my own books at the author’s price and post about it on Facebook, it sells out within a week. I hope to sell over a thousand copies by the end of this year.

So my advice to authors is not to waste your time relying on Amazon. Unless you have financial backing from corporate sponsors like the Crocodile Prize or My Walk to Equality anthologies, then you’ll be lucky to sell over a thousand copies.

Order your own books at the author’s price, which is only the printing cost ($2.65) and resell with a mark-up. Note, when you order at author’s price, it doesn’t count as a sale on Amazon.

If you order 100 copies of your book, it will you cost around K2,000. Then, you sell for K40 per copy, you’ll make K4,000 which is a profit of K2,000. That’s a 100% mark-up!

It’s really up to you. Waste your time referring people to Amazon for a lousy K300 royalty or make a K2,000 profit. I’ll leave that to the authors to decide.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/05/how-to-make-a-bit-of-money-as-a-book-author-in-png.html