I have been selling books for about 6years now and one of my biggest challenge has been how to sell a Nigerian Author’s book.
It’s really not difficult to sell books written by an American or anyone whoms skin is white but when it comes to selling a book written by a Nigerian, it almost seem like you have brought the work of a brainless individual to the table. You as the marketer now have to labor twice the way you labor from selling a book written by a foreigner.
Two weeks ago, I had gone to Condios bookshop to ask that they display a book and sell at their shop, the sales person still mentioned same struggle. “They don’t buy books written by Nigerians. Take a look at those books, (pointing at some old dirty books written by Nigerians) it’s covered with dust.”
Though we have exceptions especially if the author is well known like Sam Adeyemi or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ben Okri , we are still far from trusting and reading books written by Nigerians.
But we must know we have great minds filled with treasures we have to dig. Their books should not be ignored because they live here and understand our situations better.
While we know that no country has it all, we must also acknowledge that we have what we and the world need here.
Let’s transfer our made in Nigeria drive to books and authors too or do you have reasons not to?
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