EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE MARKET Philosopher John Ruskin once said: “If a book’s worth reading, it’s worth buying.” The publishing industry has been founded over centuries by writers, editors and publishers with this principle in mind. Yet on our own shores, according to an article published in the Mail & Guardian last year: “It’s generally estimated that between 2 to 5% of the South African population regularly buy books.” Based on an estimated population of 47 million, that’s a maximum of just less than 2,5 million people.
THE CHALLENGE The future of SA’s publishing industry depends on opening up reading opportunities to a more general public and increasing the levels of literacy across the country. Women writers in SA are rising to this challenge, producing appealing books in various genres and styles – and they’re having fun doing it.
To read the full version of this story, go to page 90 of the May issue.

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PUBLISHING IN SA: THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
We look at how the South African publishing industry measures up against overseas markets and reveal some major disparities.
BY GILLIAN BLOCH

DESTINY chatted to Amanda Patterson, CEO of The Write Company, who runs creative and business writing courses and is set to launch Heart of Africa, a romance novel imprint. Patterson revealed eight surprising facts about the South African publishing industry.

1. In South Africa, 2 000 fiction books have to be sold for the novel to be considered a bestseller. In the USA approximately 50 000 copies must be sold, whereas in the UK bestsellers are named when between 20 000 to 50 000 copies of a book are sold.
2. Around 5 000 copies of a non-fiction book must be sold to make the bestseller list in SA. Non-fiction books often hit the SA bestseller lists more frequently than works of fiction. This is a global trend. 
3. The earning potential of writers is very limited. Only 10% to 15% of the cover price of each book sold is given to the author. This is standard across the worldwide publishing industry.
4. South African publishing houses each only publish one or two local fiction books a year.
5. Only two to three first-time-authors are published annually in SA.
6. While authors can approach South African publishing houses directly, anyone that wishes to get published by an overseas publisher must go through an agent. Internationally, only Mills and Boon take unsolicited manuscripts.
7. Once a book is commissioned by a publishing house, it usually takes between 12 and 18 months to be published.
8. Although overseas publishing houses are looking to publish fiction genres like chick-lit, lad-lit, romance and crime, South African publishing houses often ignore these genres and publish tales of Apartheid-related suffering. However, Penguin has made forward strides by publishing humour.