₦airaland Forum

So, I have had people reach out to me both on Whatsapp, Email and Facebook. They usually go like "hey sis. I see you o. I want to publish my ebook(s) on Okadabooks and be like Sally. Will it sell well?".

And I'm like, "Chineke mo! Who is this again?" (Drags glasses down). All in my head sha.


Anyway, the person goes on and on about how he/she has undying passion for writing and think the piece(s) they've just completed is a hit! If dropped on any online store, Okadabooks especially, people will rush up and buy, parting with their hard earned money.

When they go on and on like that, I'm impressed. Sorry. Used to be impressed. At least until I found out that the weed they've been smoking isn't cheap at all. No pun intended.

Any way, I used to let them go on and on before asking, "what's the name of your blog?"

Well, since you believe your book should hit bestseller list, I assume you have a blog with huge traffic and dedicated readers ready to part with their hard earned money to buy your ebook(s) as soon as it goes live. So imagine the disappointment when they reply with, "I don't have a blog".

"You don't have a what?"

"Errrmmm.. well, I'm too busy. Blogs take a lot of time to manage. I don't have that time. Besides, it's stressful and time consuming".

Some others say, I have a blog. I ask for the link and when I visit, I see it was last updated a year ago. There's practically no activity on the blog, just Charlotte doing some writings with her web for Wilbur. Yeah it is as interesting as a grave yard.

Then there are those who use their blogs as news sites. Nothing about the soon to be released book can be found on the blog. Bullshit!!

I say well, what about a Facebook page. None. They don't have any. Those who have are promoting the latest gossip from Linda Ikeji's blog or Nairaland. Even your personal social media accounts are used to follow celebrities and re-tweet or repost all their updates. Nothing about you being a writer is seen in your profile. Nothing about your new book is mentioned.

Yes. Some try to promote a few times on their social handles and even extend to groups. Afterwards, they stop. Why? Because they are not getting results. No one is buying. The foundation they laid for marketing is zero. And frustration is having a good time listening to Sia's "Elastic Heart" with them and laughing.

See the entire post here http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/as-a-self-published-author-how-do-you-build-an-audience-of-die-hard-readers/488

Please, only for those who really want to learn.

Tell us what you think about the new okadabooks.com draft design. We are aiming to create a more social app, where users and authors can interact seamlessly. As with everything okadabooks, we would love your honest honest feedback:


Please follow the link to comment. We sincerly need your thoughts on the new platform design.

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/new-okadabooks-website-exclusive-sneak-peek/472

Tell us what you think about the new okadabooks.com draft design. We are aiming to create a more social app, where users and authors can interact seamlessly. As with everything okadabooks, we would love your honest honest feedback:


Please follow the link to comment. We sincerly need your thoughts on the new platform design.

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/new-okadabooks-website-exclusive-sneak-peek/472

Yes, get N700 Mtn or Etisalat credit In your phone.

To participate, see all the details in this link below

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/write-and-win-n700-credit-in-your-phone/439

Guest speakers at the workshop are:

Okadabooks founder, Okechukwu Ofili
And Social media publicity guru, Mrs. Funmi Adebayo.

Don't miss this workshop for anything, as you will be guided, step by step on how to sell more books on the platform. We will be doing more of practical than theory.

Diekola17:
I hope to attend.. But by attending the seminar, will the participants be taught how to put up their stories on e platforms like okada books. what I mean to say is that will the participants automatically be allowed to publish their stories on okada books?

Sorry for the delayed response. Yes, you can always publish on Okadabooks. You will be shown, step by step, how to publish and promote your works.

everton4life:
oga, this your soon will turn to one month , why is it when I was about to publish.

Na wa o. Being patient is not a crime na. The site is up. You can publish your ebook now. Sorry for the inconveniences.

everton4life:
na wa o. and I just completed my book today.

Please don't cry. You still get to publish your book soon.

everton4life:
okadabooks not opening

Yes. We have a technical problem. The technical team are working on it and we hope to be back online very soon.

We are really sorry for the inconveniences.

1miccza:
I'VE been trying to reach out to you on this without success . How can I reach you?

Hello 1miccza, sorry I'm just seeing your comment. You can reach me here jadejay090@gmail.com or whatsapp 08131014028

I tell a lot of writers, having success in self-publishing is not all about the written work. It is 30% writing and 70% marketing.

So don't miss this opportunity. Follow the link below for more details

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/learn-the-secret-to-self-publishing-success-on-okadabooks/393

I tell a lot of writers, having success in self-publishing is not all about the written work. It is 30% writing and 70% marketing.

I started writing online in 2012. There was a lot to learn then, thanks to my readers who took it upon themselves to correct my mistakes. However, it wasn't until 2013 that I ventured out into self-publishing. I started with Amazon and Crestespace. The experience was a sad one as nobody bought my stories.

Later that year, I visited Mary Okeke on her blog and after a few discussions, sent her my ebook, Susan's Diary 1, for review. When the review came out, it wasn't what I expected at all. I jumped for joy. We all know Mary Okeke is blunt. If she didn't enjoy reading a book, she includes it in her review. If the storyline is bad, she includes it. If there are inconsistencies, she includes it. However, after that review, some readers started to take me more seriously. Lol. Then at the end of the year, I got an email from Okadabooks founder, Okechukwu Ofili. He wrote about seeing my review on Mary Okeke's blog and how he wanted the book published on Okadabooks.

At that time, I was at the point of giving up the idea of ever selling a copy, as there was still no sales from Amazon or Createspace. But I told myself, well, if this works, fine. If it doesn't, fine. Before then, I had drafted a storyline for someone who needed it for a movie production. Naive me, didn't get all the details of the person or ask for a down payment. I trusted too much, thinking everyone is like me. After the story was submitted, the person liked it. He then asked that I make certain adjustments, which I did and re-submitted. Unfortunately, that was the end. I never heard from the criminal again and his email seemed to have been deactivated. All messages I sent, bounced. So when I was sending Ofili my works for publishing, there was this voice in my head that said, well, how can you trust him? He might sell and keep the money for himself. Heck! He might even remove your name from the ebooks and sell as his. Hehehehee...

I pushed the thoughts aside and sent him my ebooks. Guess what? Okadabooks became the first platform I made sales of my ebooks. It gave me more readership and since then, I have stuck with the company like glue - from a self - published author on the platform to a team member.

My work with Okadabooks has given me a lot of exposure to book publicity, marketing and book sales. I started to understand why I wasn't moving forward before. And as one who assist young authors to get published on the platform, I have been asked a lot of questions. Below are a few of them:

Will Okadabooks market my ebook?

How much can I charge for an ebook?

Do you think people will buy my ebook?

Is Okadabooks a good platform to publish?

I hear people don't make sales on Okadabooks, is that so?

Why don't people like paying for ebooks on Okadabooks? I see they download only free ebooks.

Then there are those who complained bitterly about their experiences on the platform.

I published on Okadabooks. No sales

Okadabooks refused to advertise my work

I'm disappointed in Okadabooks. What I expected is not what I am getting. Besides, they choose who to promote.

Okadabooks is very poor at helping authors.

Okadabooks only advertise for celebrities. They are a celebrity platform.

I will only put my works on Okadabooks if they are willing to promote me. If not, forget them.

When these sort of complains come up, I try to explain. First, Okadabooks is not publishing house. We are not publishers. The platform is simply like a book shelf for you to showcase your works. Its like having a shade in the market place where you display your goods. After displaying them, it is then left for you to attract buyers or watch them pass you by. I go on to explain those actions that should help get readers interested in buying their ebooks. Some listen and take action, other don't.

However, there are those that keep asking for a step by step guide on how to succeed on the platform. It is for these set that my friends and I are hosting a two days workshop.

It is Themed "Learn The Secret to Self- publishing Success on Okadabooks".

Read the details of the workshop here: http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/learn-the-secret-to-self-publishing-success-on-okadabooks/393

I thought we talked about this already! I mean, we should have talked about this already... the Money! :slight_smile:

Okay, by now you should know that you'll get a notification on your email when a book is sold on Okadabooks and you get a monthly sales report on your email at the end of the month if you're a publisher. So, if you signed up with your email, then these should happen when you start publishing. Now, to the main event!

If you are selling on Okadabooks and would like to withdraw your... wait! haven't you seen this on Okadabook's FAQ page?

HOW DO WE GET PAID?

To withdraw funds press the withdraw button in your author portal page. If that button is disabled for you, forward your monthly report to okada@okadabooks.com with your bank account number for Nigerian accounts or paypal email address for international users.... ETC.

Don't ignore that. I'll explain better here: http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/where-do-i-put-my-bank-details-and-how-does-okadabooks-pay-authors/399

Hugo award winner, author of Binti, Nnedi Okorafor announced earlier today that her short story, Hello Moto, written in 2011 will soon be adapted to screen. She wrote:

"The Nigerian film company, Fiery Films, has optioned my science meets witchcraft short story, "Hello, Moto". Can't wait to see what they do with it. :smiley:!"

Hello Moto is a short story she did in 2011 and is published on tor.com. The story is about three friends, Rain; the scientist and witch, Philo and Coco, her friends.


Read the full gist here:

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/nnedi-okorafor-set-to-hit-the-screen-soon/356

Tuesday morning came with all its demands. Oluchi rushed to the office and so did Ajiri. At Fred's Garments, final preparations for the upcoming investors dinner party were being carried out. Oluchi was in charge, overseeing the whole preparation and decoration of the hall they were going to use. While that was on going, she placed calls to the caterers and vendors just to be sure they had not forgotten about the party and were getting ready to deliver.

The party was to be held on Friday but due to reasons best known to her boss, it was brought backward to Wednesday. Her boss had already told her the day before, that she was to meet with his brother during the party. Oluchi didn't mind. She already had something stored up for her boss' so called brother.

At Global Connect, Ajiri was in a closed door meeting along with other marketers in the company. The senior marketing manager briefed them on new developments in their mobile and other electronic products and services. They were also taught new ways to market the products and attract customers.

After the meeting, they all moved out and got ready for the day's job. Each marketer had a car and driver assigned to them. That way, no one had to struggle for mobility.

Not wanting to waste any time, Ajiri quickly put her documents together in her briefcase and went out to the car parking lot. She had written down a list of top companies she wanted to visit for the day. She knew that not meeting her target meant no bonus pay at the end of the month. Life is definitely not a bed of roses. So therefore, she knew she couldn't leave the amount on her pay cheque to chance.

A short distance away from the car assigned to her, Ajiri frowned. The elderly man that used to drive her around town was nowhere to be found. In his place, was a young man wearing dark shades. He was casually dressed in white t-shirt and black jeans pant. His tight, fitted shirt revealed his athletic physique. His skin was a smooth chocolate brown. He had well shaved side beards that went a little below his ears. In height, he was about 6ft. Overall, he looked ruggedly handsome as he rested carelessly against the car.

Frowning at the development, Ajiri walked up to him quickly. She wasted no time snatching his sun glasses and staring straight into his brown eyes. "Who are you and what are you doing by my car?" She questioned.



Read the complete post here

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/book-excerpt-night-love/335

Thepasserby:
My smartphone with office suite does the magic. It's like movng around with my jotter

We are in the same boat

My favourite writing tool is my BlackBerry Q5.

I could never put longform thoughts down on paper because my thoughts moved faster than my hands did.

But then phones with QWERTY keypads came along and I began to type as fast as my mind moved and one day, I wrote a 600 word piece on my phone (a BlackBerry Curve 2 at the time).

My phone became my favourite writing tool.

I often wonder if I would have discovered my affinity for writing I had not owned that BlackBerry when I did.

Some people prefer to write with pen on paper, but that never worked for me. Others write on their touchcreen phones like no man's business, but for me, its either a real, physical keyboard, or it just doesn't feel right.

So Writers, whats your favourite writing tool?


Hit the link below, let's discuss.
http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/asking-all-writers-what-is-are-your-preferred-writing-tool/338

Wrecked is the story of man’s inhumanity to man. A tale of abuse, terror, raw anger, love, lust, betrayal, murder and revenge and at its white-hot centre is Anaya Rufai, a strong, exciting woman who dares to take chances – and always win. It’s a story of: Anaya, hurt, scared and scarred by one incident in her childhood.

She wants it all. She requires just as much power as any man. And power, for Anaya, means the ability to rule her home, or the heart of a man, on her terms. Hauwa, a teenager forced to wed a man in his thirties, a man who sees marriage as a means to act like a depraved animal. Laraba, abducted and abused by Jihadists, escaped from captivity but is fighting another war and bearing her pain with dignity.

She is a haunting reminder that most of ‘our’ girls are still missing. Kuku, yearns endlessly and in vain for her father’s love.

Read Uchenna Ekweremadu's review of WRECKED here: https://uchennamadu./2017/02/12/arts-for-social-change-wrecked/?iframe=true&theme_preview=true

And when you are done, don't forget to get your copy of the ebook here.
http://okadabooks.com/book/about/wrecked_/12977



http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/arts-as-atool-for-social-change-review-of-dumebi-ezar-ehigiator-s-wrecked/339

Happy Sunday and happy new week everyone.

So here it is. Our Sunday Contest. Yes, the winner will be credited with N500 Okadabooks credit to buy any book of his/her choice.

To participate, follow the link and drop your entry.

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/sunday-contest-write-funny-and-win-okadabooks-credit/296

Cheers!

Great News!!

Okadabooks is about to launch our referral program for Android users so they can get FREE credit to read more books.

We love our IOS users but this one is for Android first. You already just got a shiny new app, so let Android enjoy.

But on a serious note, do let us know your thoughts on the program before it launches.

Also, the amount has not yet been decided. We would like to get your feedback on that as well.


Preview the referral program here and please drop your feedbacks.
http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/preview-the-new-okadabooks-referral-program/280


Cheers!!

There can be times when men fall into the stereotypical trope of wanting a woman who is a "damsel in distress" -- someone they can save and ride off with into the sunset.

The problem is, these women end up being more than they bargained for -- overly dependent, needy and insecure. And men quickly realize this isn't actually what they want in a lasting relationship.

There is a lot to be said about a woman who has goals, a career, is adventurous and can be happy on her own -- the type of woman who knows who she is and what she wants.

Marrying a sheboss will be the best thing you ever do. Dirim's man is a story of a #SheBoss.

The Author Of Dirim's Man, Dumebi Ezar Ehigiator posted the below message in her instagram page.

'What's better than buying an awesome new book? Winning a free copy of that same book!


Need to win a copy of the book? Follow the link for more details.

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/buy-the-e-copy-and-win-a-hardcopy/285

Okadabooks offers four types of marketing services. Among them is the Push Notification.

The push notification is simply an app notice sent to all users on the platform. So in other words, 100,000 plus users are alerted, In a juicy way, about your ebook(s). The beautiful thing about this is that, as soon as users click on the notification, it takes them directly to your tab where all your ebooks are listed.

You not only have more people knowing about your book, you also have some of them actually buying/downloading it. People appreciate references. And the push notification is like a reference and at the same time, a prompting for readers to get their own copies of your ebook(s).

I've come to understand that the push notification makes it perfectly easy to make sales on the platform and acquire new readership. So if you're a self published or traditionally published author on Okadabooks platform, I advice that you take advantage of the push notification. It is one way, out of many, that leads you closer to your dreams.

Cheera!


Follow the discussion here
http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/what-okadabooks-push-notifications-does-for-your-book-publicity-sales/251

For authors/writers, facebook is a platform where you can socialize, make friends and connect with new readers so as to grow your audience as well as book sales.

If you have a fan page and an ATM card, then you're set to use Facebook boosting to reach your audience. However, do not expect immediate likes to your post or page. Also, do not expect lots of brilliant comments. You might not even get any. Plus, if you're selling something, do not expect immediate sales.

In as much as your post reaches a lot of people, you have to do something to keep them and eventually make them buy your book. And one of the ways to do this is by giving away something for free and asking for their email addresses in exchange. In other words, they should subscribe to your listing so that you can reach them again without needing a Facebook boost.

From my experience with Nigerian Writer's Hub, I got to understand that only a few people will respond. But also, the more someone sees something, the more curious he/she gets and wants to try it out. So if you had plans for a 1, 2 or 3 days ad boost, scrap it. I advise that you spread your ad boosting to at least a period of 1, 2,3 or 4 weeks.

Yes, you'll get some sales. Yes, you'll get some subscribers (remember, this here is the main deal).

For those experienced in book ads, no matter the social platform, please share your advise here with us.

Thanks

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/facebook-boosting-and-book-sales/258

To join the contest, you can login with your Okadabooks login details to comment. Or register a new account if you don't have one.

Follow the discussion here. http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/weekend-contest-write-and-win-okadabooks-credit/260

"I swore to earn at least N150, 000 every month this year from writing. On my table now are two writing contracts ending by March. Value: N408,000. A poor start but, income from writing gives me a certain kind of satisfaction—a sense of getting ‘free money’ from something I enjoy doing, something I would ordinarily do anyway—like being paid to have sex with a woman you completely adore. Where performance finds help in both money and lust".

The above is the first paragraph from Immanuel James Ibe-Anyanwu's Facebook post.

As writers, we seek two things, exposure and the pay.

I have heard a lot of people say, don't write for the money, just do it because you love it. AND DO IT WELL. The money and exposure will come.

From where?

I have taken that advise. In fact, apart from writing, I have done a lot for free, not putting money first. Truth is, it is frustrating when you are doing something that helps keep a lot of people entertained but making nothing, money wise, from it. You know if you ask for pay, they will say 'ah, you too like money."

Question: Who doesn't like money?

When I see people who do what I do but get paid for it, I am forced to ask myself if I am on the right or wrong path. Hence I've told myself, this year will be different. I won't be doing free reviews, free promos, free posting, free book covers, free advise or free anything again.

It is one of my goals for 2017. As regards writing, what is your goal?


http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/this-is-2017-isnt-it-time-we-get-paid-for-our-writing/254

I came up with this topic because a lot of authors have at one time or the other, faced this annoying disease. A lot are still facing it and more will.

You write a wonderful story or article, post it online before going to bed. You wake up to see 5 or 10 comments/likes. But you soon realize another person has copied your post and has over a 100 likes/comments. When you complain of theft, his/her readers will bash you and there after ask, who are you? Who dash you post?

I have experienced it. A lot of other top authors have. Because of this, I stopped posting my most treasured stories on my blog. I simply publish, thanks to the DRM, it cannot be copied, and ask my readers to go and download it.

So what can you do to not find yourself waging war with thieves(plagarists)?


Read the full article here http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/how-to-deal-with-plagarism-online/250

Rewarding excellence has always been the best way to appreciate hard work and consistency. That is why Okadabooks.com has decided to come together to recognize the outstanding and awesome books published on its platform.

Thus, we are glad to announce that Nominations for the First Ever "Okadabooks Readers Choice Award" for 2016, is now open for the following categories:

Best Designed Cover: speaks for itself, actually it can’t speak but basically it is the best designed book cover.

Funniest Book: Book you read on the platform that made you laugh till you cried.

Most Romantic book: Book that made you cry till you fell in love, then broke your heart again and made you fall in love with the antagonist before the protagonist rescued you with love.

Fan Favorite: that book that you couldn't help but read over and over and over again. It is a combination of all 3 plus lots more.

So please, we call all users on the Okadabooks platform to pick nominees for the above. Each category winner will win an official and rare OkadaBooks Yellow Jacket!


HOW TO NOMINATE
Visit this thread, http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/okadabooks-readers-choice-award-for-2016/117, register or login with your okadabooks.com login details, reply below with the okadabooks link of the book you are voting for in each category. You are only allowed to vote once per category. Nomimation ends December 31st, 2016.


SELECTION OF WINNERS:
There will be all round screening of all nominees. Also, the votes from the Judges, readers and as well as other authors, will be used to determine the winning list. For more inquiries, please send an email to okada@okadabooks.com



Are you ready? Now let the nominations begin!

http://discuss.okadabooks.com/t/okadabooks-readers-choice-award-for-2016/117

Great story you have here @Oludare007. Can we have it published on Okadabooks.com?

Now you can Download and read Toke Makinwa's controversial new book on your phone today via the free OKADABOOKS reading app at http://okadabooks.com/app . Once app is downloaded click on Toke's book to start reading.