By Victor Ochieng’
At a book fair at the Village Market, I was privileged to meet Lucas Wafula, an editor and writer with a pleasant personality, one of the finest in the sphere of publishing.
Convened by Moto Books and Arts Festival 2022 and powered by Half-priced Books, the workshop focused on African literature and revolved around activities like book exhibitions, dinner, Moto Prize, Moto Book Club, charity work and a masterclass themed: How to write a book.
I was particularly keen to know more about publishing.
Lucas Wafula, with a cache of expertise, experience and exposure talked about a lot of things worth writing about.
“Real writers just sit and write right. There is no magic wand, elixir or philosopher’s stone which a writer can rely on in order to master the mechanics of weaving words,” he said, adding that writers are avid readers.
One thing: he never admonished us to look for books and read voraciously; the environment alone was an inspiration. It was replete with books which acted as a silent curriculum to all and sundry.
The fantastic facilitator also laced his impeccable presentation with copious quotations from classics. So, it is true what a certain sage said: reading is breathing in, writing is breathing out.
Wafula drew a dichotomy between traditional and self-publishing. From his submissions, he had a soft spot for traditional publishing, where authors develop manuscripts then submits them to publishing firms. This is the best way to go because quality is guaranteed. The publishing firm helps in marketing, distribution and sales, as the author earns royalties spelt out in the contract initially signed.
In essence, people who trade in words mind how they write. They know that words are currency. Words welded well attract bountiful benefits. They can make the writer become famous and wealthy. More so, the writer is able to cut an imperishable niche in a particular area.
Consequently, it behooves the writer to decide the genre to stick to, and define clearly who to write for – the audience. Writing is never easy; more so if the writer is oblivious of what to do, and how to do it.
In the whole scheme of things, writing is rife with stiff competition. And nobody cares. We see that in the call for entries into writing prizes. Meritocracy outshines mediocrity. When you publish a book, those who buy your books want the best. They look forward to interacting with a great text.
Serious readers buy books that make sense. This calls for writers to evince excellence when they decide to put pen on paper, which is achieved when the writer brings out originality, ingenuity and creativity. It calls for high standards, clock-like precision and meticulous attention to details.
Lastly, writing is making music with words. When the rhyme and rhythm is arousing intense interest, the editor(s) will get the beat without a tinge of struggle. In order to churn out work that can withstand the test of time, it is imperative that writers learn to edit and proofread their work of art before they submit.
This can be done through what in research lingo is known as ‘space rehearsal’. Editors gravitate towards manuscripts that are well-written. Failure to adhere to that golden rule, the writer will always get rejected.
