{"id":5283,"date":"2025-06-19T00:01:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T00:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/masobebooks.com\/ng\/?p=5283"},"modified":"2025-06-19T20:56:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T20:56:27","slug":"i-was-told-books-dont-sell-here-i-knew-that-wasnt-true-the-english-teacher-shaking-up-nigerias-publishing-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/masobebooks.com\/ng\/i-was-told-books-dont-sell-here-i-knew-that-wasnt-true-the-english-teacher-shaking-up-nigerias-publishing-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I was told books don\u2019t sell here. I knew that wasn\u2019t true\u2019: the English teacher shaking up Nigeria\u2019s publishing scene"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p><em>After a brush with death pushed Othuke Ominiabohs to self-publish his novels, he realised there was a gap in the market for fresh African writing<\/em><\/p>\n<aside class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\" data-gu-name=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<aside class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\" data-gu-name=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\" dcr-1v9sla6\">\n<div class=\"dcr-5oiine\">\n<div class=\"dcr-9dgpdq\" data-print-layout=\"hide\">\n<div class=\" dcr-1csot3r\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14baf59\">\n<div><span class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">I<\/span>n a hospital bed fearing his death was imminent, English teacher Othuke Ominiabohs thought ruefully of his four unpublished novels. \u201cMy biggest regret was I was going to die, and no one would see my work,\u201d says Ominiabohs. \u201cWhen I got better, I decided to self-publish and put those books out there for the rest of the world to read.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"dcr-1cxruqk\" data-gu-name=\"body\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1bwys2b\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1q6n3e0\">\n<figure id=\"7cccc0e9-928b-4897-90a8-d7c6edfc5778\" class=\" dcr-13rnsx0\" data-spacefinder-role=\"thumbnail\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\">\n<picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/42ed03a2e0c0c70f403efcbb2c4501ae4eef8fa3\/0_0_999_1500\/master\/999.jpg?width=140&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 740px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 740px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/42ed03a2e0c0c70f403efcbb2c4501ae4eef8fa3\/0_0_999_1500\/master\/999.jpg?width=140&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 740px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/42ed03a2e0c0c70f403efcbb2c4501ae4eef8fa3\/0_0_999_1500\/master\/999.jpg?width=120&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/42ed03a2e0c0c70f403efcbb2c4501ae4eef8fa3\/0_0_999_1500\/master\/999.jpg?width=120&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><\/picture>\n<figure style=\"width: 294px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/42ed03a2e0c0c70f403efcbb2c4501ae4eef8fa3\/0_0_999_1500\/master\/999.jpg?width=120&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"Book cover of Odufa: a Lover\u2019s Tale by Othuke Ominiabohs showing an illustration of a woman\u2019s head on a green background with flowers. \" width=\"294\" height=\"441\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Odufa: a Lover\u2019s Tale by Othuke Ominiabohs.Photograph: Handout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">His kidney failure was later cured by a transplant, and his literary ambitions led him to found Masobe Books, one of Nigeria\u2019s fastest-growing independent publishers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Initially he spent two months driving across Nigeria, his car boot full of his novels, visiting bookshops he found on Google, begging them to stock copies, and organising readings. Within a year his first book, Odufa, had sold 2,000 copies and he was receiving requests for more.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"34ae1972-a289-4476-be3b-372f55ddbc70\" class=\" dcr-a2pvoh\" data-spacefinder-role=\"supporting\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\">\n<picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=380&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 1300px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 1300px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=380&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 1300px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=300&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 980px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 980px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=300&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 980px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=620&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=620&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=605&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=605&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><\/picture>\n<figure style=\"width: 445px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f26a71b9783d386e9eade35fa4d6fd81222ea746\/0_0_3024_4032\/master\/3024.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"A stack of books by African writers\" width=\"445\" height=\"1654\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Masobe Books publishes titles by emerging Nigerian writers and is finding demand for new African voices. Photograph: Fred Harter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Ominiabohs was also getting calls from other writers, seeking advice on self-publishing. \u201cI came across some very solid manuscripts and it dawned on me there was a gap in the market,\u201d he says. The established publishers \u201cwere looking outwards, not inwards\u201d, reprinting books already published in the west, \u201cwhich left local writers struggling to get their voices heard\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Ominiabohs started Masobe \u2013 which means \u201clet us read\u201d in the Isoko language \u2013 in 2018 with a $7,000 (\u00a35,600) loan from his sister. In doing so, he joined a wave of new independent African publishers nurturing emerging African writers and getting fresh, exciting literature to African readers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Masobe Books has achieved impressive growth. In 2024, it sold nearly 60,000 copies of 41 titles, up from 28,000 copies of 28 titles in 2023. This year Ominiabohs expects to shift at least 80,000 copies and build on revenues of more than $1m over the past four years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">The sales reflect a thirst for literature among Nigerians, who for a long time had limited options, says Ominiabohs. \u201cWhen we started our first print run, other publishers advised to print a small run \u2013 not more than 200 copies, \u2018because books don\u2019t sell here\u2019,\u201d he says. \u201cI knew that wasn\u2019t true from my own experience. So we printed 1,000 copies of several books, and they sold out in six months.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Although Masobe Books acquires rights to distribute international hits by Nigerian authors in Nigeria, its main focus is publishing original work. The themes vary. Novels from northern Nigeria, beset by Islamist insurgency, are more fantastical, whereas the west produces more historical and romantic fiction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cNigeria is a very unique country. There\u2019s a lot going on in the economy, politics. Our daily lives can be tough, and this is reflected in the stories we get. It\u2019s possible those northern authors, in their writing, are looking for escape.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Among Masobe Books\u2019 most popular titles are The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus, a story about a quest for an obscure book, by Umar Abubakar Sidi, and Michael Afenfia\u2019s The Mechanics of Yenagoa, a humorous tale about the daily struggles of working-class people in a provincial city.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">These titles illuminate overlooked aspects of daily life in Nigeria, says Ominiabohs. \u201cPeople were tired of reading stories about Africans migrating and living abroad. These stories were timely, they were new.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">Masobe Books has struck deals to distribute titles in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. In 2023, A Broken People\u2019s Playlist by Chimeka Garricks was acquired by an imprint of HarperCollins in the US. Film studios have <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Option_(filmmaking)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">optioned<\/a> the rights for two works by the author Abubakar Adam Ibrahim.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"8c05f0db-d707-4d1f-a991-31dd09f80eaa\" class=\" dcr-173mewl\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\">\n<picture class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7de734c6c3d9aa30941649a82d38739d68d72b5b\/0_0_4928_3280\/master\/4928.jpg?width=620&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7de734c6c3d9aa30941649a82d38739d68d72b5b\/0_0_4928_3280\/master\/4928.jpg?width=620&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7de734c6c3d9aa30941649a82d38739d68d72b5b\/0_0_4928_3280\/master\/4928.jpg?width=605&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7de734c6c3d9aa30941649a82d38739d68d72b5b\/0_0_4928_3280\/master\/4928.jpg?width=605&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7de734c6c3d9aa30941649a82d38739d68d72b5b\/0_0_4928_3280\/master\/4928.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7de734c6c3d9aa30941649a82d38739d68d72b5b\/0_0_4928_3280\/master\/4928.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><\/picture>\n<figure style=\"width: 504px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/7de734c6c3d9aa30941649a82d38739d68d72b5b\/0_0_4928_3280\/master\/4928.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" alt=\"Two women browsing in a bookshop\" width=\"504\" height=\"335\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Books on sale at the Ak\u00e9 Arts and Book festival in Abeokuta, south-west Nigeria. Photograph: Pius Utomi Ekpei\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"dcr-1tx6u99\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-container-3 offset-right ad-slot--offset-right ad-slot-container--offset-right\">The relationships Ominiabohs formed with bookshops during that cross-country road trip have been key to Masobe Books\u2019 success. The publisher has also partnered with a national pharmacy chain, helping it reach deep into Nigeria. Masobe Books puts resources into producing striking cover art and works with influencers to promote novels on social media, but the biggest selling point, says the proud founder, is the quality.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-container-3 offset-right ad-slot--offset-right ad-slot-container--offset-right\">\u201cThe best way to market a book is word-of-mouth, and if a reader is going to recommend it to a friend, it has to be a good book \u2013 interesting and unputdownable,\u201d says Ominiabohs, who was selected as Literary Person of the Year in 2024 by <a href=\"https:\/\/brittlepaper.com\/2024\/12\/othuke-ominiabohs-is-transforming-independent-publishing-in-africa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Brittle Paper, an African literature website<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">His success is the result of \u201ctrial and error\u201d. The biggest challenge has been building a skilled team of editors, designers and marketers, he says, as well as securing funding and logistics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cI remember one author I approached in the beginning,\u201d Ominiabohs recalls. \u201cI told her I wanted to acquire her book. She asked me, \u2018What is your plan, how are you going to sell it?\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-s3ycb2\">\u201cI told her I wasn\u2019t exactly sure, but I would learn as I went along. There is a saying: a path is created by walking. It doesn\u2019t just appear. You have to move.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-9\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<p>Review written by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/fred-harter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"author noopener\" data-link-name=\"auto tag link\">Fred Harter<\/a><time class=\"article-info__timestamp o-date\" title=\"June 6 2024 12:00 pm\" datetime=\"2024-06-06T11:00:46.872Z\" data-o-component=\"o-date\" data-o-date-js=\"\"> JANUARY 29, 2025 (Culled from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2025\/jan\/29\/new-nigerian-writers-othuke-ominiabohs-novels-masobe-books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Guardian<\/a>)<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After a brush with death pushed Othuke Ominiabohs to self-publish his novels, he realised there was a gap in the market for fresh African writing In a hospital bed fearing his death was imminent, English teacher Othuke Ominiabohs thought ruefully of his four unpublished novels. \u201cMy biggest regret was I was going to die, and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[334],"tags":[523,521,522,524],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-5283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-africa","tag-global-development","tag-nigeria","tag-publishing","thb-post-share-style1"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.1 (Yoast SEO v26.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u2018I was told books don\u2019t sell here. 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