The study has five objectives, namely: to find out the contributions that indigenous publishers are making towards the development of the Nigerian economy, to identify the various ways Literamed Publications market their books, to explore the challenges facing the book industry in general and Literamed in particular as well as the prospects available for Literamed Publications.
Five research questions were also generated for which the study sought to answer. In carrying out the study several relevant literatures were reviewed including communication texts, past studies, online and offline articles, journals as well as papers presented at different fora that have bearing on the subject. The theoretical framework for the study is the libertarian theory of the press. The study being a survey utilized the questionnaire as instrument for data collection. A survey was conducted among the staff of Literamed publications limited by administering the questionnaire to a sample of 190 staff drawn through a simple random sampling. The findings indicate that publishers are contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy (96.2%). The major challenges confronting the publishing industry include book piracy (39.3%) and inadequate infrastructure such as electricity (25.1%) while the prospects include the ever expanding population of schools enrolment and the policy of compulsory education coupled with government bulk purchases. The findings also indicate that the company uses a multi-sectoral approach in marketing their books such as institutional sales, supply to distributors, bookshops and more importantly to schools and end users. The study recommends, among othert things, a synergistic approach in fighting copyright violations involving all stakeholders: authors, printers, publishers, booksellers, Nigerian Copyright Commission and other law enforcement agencies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 AN OVERVIEW OF THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY’S LANDSCAPE
2.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF LITERAMED PUBLICATIONS NIGERIA LIMITED
2.3 HISTORY OF PUBLISHING
2.4 NIGERIAN PUBLISHING JOURNEY
2.5 PARTNERS IN PUBLISHING
2.5.1 THE WRITER
2.5.2 THE PUBLISHER
2.5.3 THE PRINTER
2.6 BOOK PUBLISHING AS A MASS COMMUNICATION MEDIUM
2.7 THE PUBLISHING PROCESS
2.8 CATEGORIES/BRANCHES OF BOOK PUBLISHING
2.9 MAJOR DEPARTMENTS IN A PUBLISHING COMPANY
2.9.1 THE EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
2.9.2 THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT
2.9.3 MARKETING DEPARTMENT
2.9.4 THE ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT
2.10 BOOK PUBLISHING AND THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION OF NIGERIA
2.11 FACTORS MILITATING AGAINST BOOK PUBLISHING
2.11.1 POOR READERSHIP/BOOK BUYING CULTURE
2.11.2 COST OF PUBLISHING
2.11.3 PIRACY
2.11.4 WEAK DISTRIBUTION FRAMEWORK
2.12 PROSPECTS IN BOOK PUBLISHING
2.13 GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS IN THE NIGERIAN BOOK INDUSTRY
2.14 BOOK MARKETING IN NIGERIA
2.15.1 DISTRIBUTOR/WHOLESALER
2.14.2 BOOKSHOPS
2.14.3 DISTRIBUTION BY DIRECT SALE
2.15 BOOK MARKETING IN LITERAMED PUBLICATIONS LIMITED
2.15.1 Company Sales Representatives
2.15.2 Distributors and Stockists:
2.15.3 Retailers
2.15.4 Institutional Sales:
2.15.5 Teachers Workshops
2.16 EMPIRICAL STUDIES
2.16.1 Electronic publishing
2.16.2 The Impact of Internet on Book Publishing and Readership
2.17 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.2 POPULATION OF STUDY
3.3 SAMPLING PROCEDURE
3.4 SAMPLE SIZE
3.5 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT
3.6 PRETEST AND VALIDATION OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
3.7 DATA COLLECTION
3.8 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1 ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS
4.2 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
5.2 CONCLUSION
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
5.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES
5.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
REFERENCES
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1 Number of Questionnaire Distributed and Returned
Table 4.2 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents
Table 4.3 Frequency Distribution of Respondents’ Age
Table 4.4 Frequency distribution on capacity to meet book need of Nigerians
Table 4.5 Frequency distribution on constraints to book publishing
Table 4.6 Frequency distribution on constraints to book publishing in Literamed publications
Table 4.7 Frequency distribution on the surmountability of publishers’ problems
Table 4.8 Frequency distribution on government role towards publishing
Table 4.9 Frequency distribution on what government can do to encourage publishers
Table 4.10 Frequency distribution on the justification of book prices
Table 4.11 Frequency distribution on factors that encourage book piracy
Table 4.12 Frequency distribution on market adequacy for book publications
Table 4.13 Frequency distribution on how books are marketed
Table 4.14 Frequency distribution on whether publishers are contribution to Nigeria’s Development
Table 4.15 Frequency distribution on publishers’ contribution to the growth of the Nigerian economy
Table 4.16 Frequency distribution on whether publishing is a profitable venture
Table 4.17 Frequency distribution on the opportunities for Literamed Publications
Table 4.18 Frequency distribution on preparedness to continue in the publishing industry
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I sincerely express my gratitude to the school of post graduate studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University especially the department of mass communication that opened its doors to me to run this graduate programme.
Indeed, it was a great privilege to have been under the tutelage of these great minds, namely: Professor Onuorah Nwuneli, Professor Ikechechukwu Ndolo, Prof. Kate Omenugha, Dr. Sunny Udeze. I also recognize the great roles of Dr. Ifeoma Dunu-the Head of the Department, Dr. Allen Adum, Dr. Chinwe Uzochukwu, Dr. Okafor, Dr. Mgbemena and others who are contributing to the development of the department.
I especially recognize the fatherly role of my supervisor who incidentally supervised me during my undergraduate days, a man with a large heart, Dr. Sunny Udeze. I must confess he was more concerned about my completing this study on time much more than I was. Thank you again and again.
My colleagues and school mates while the programme lasted, you were people of great courage, love and vision. I wish to mention our class captain Julius Nwosu, I believe the trouble we gave him would have made him a better person. Thanks to others like the hardworking Henry and Chinonye. My travelling friends from Enugu, the likes of Libra and Joel, thanks a lot.
Great regards to my one and only, mon amie, wife and companion, Pat Anthony, and our children, Oluebube Chukwu and Chukwuemerie. You supported me all the way right from the time I was coming from Benin till the time we relocated to the Coal City, yet you did not relent. It is great to have you all around me. I believe I’m becoming a better person.
And finally, to my Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, my source, helper and savior, I indeed cannot thank you enough.
ABSTRACT
The business of publishing is communication. The book at present is one of the most important tools for that purpose. However, much seems to be unknown about book publishing especially in a developing economy such as ours. It is in this regard therefore that this study explores the prospects and challenges of book publishing and marketing in Nigeria by focusing on an indigenous publishing company, Literamed publications Nigeria limited which has been in operation in Nigeria since 1969. The study has five objectives, namely: to find out the contributions that indigenous publishers are making towards the development of the Nigerian economy, to identify the various ways Literamed Publications market their books, to explore the challenges facing the book industry in general and Literamed in particular as well as the prospects available for Literamed Publications. Five research questions were also generated for which the study sought to answer. In carrying out the study several relevant literatures were reviewed including communication texts, past studies, online and off line articles, journals as well as papers presented at different fora that have bearing on the subject matter. The theoretical framework for the study is the libertarian theory of the press. The study being a survey utilized the questionnaire as instrument for data collection. A survey was conducted among the staff of Literamed publications limited by administering the questionnaire to a sample of 190 staff drawn through a simple random sampling. The findings indicate that publishers are contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy (96.2%). The major challenges confronting the publishing industry include book piracy (39.3%) and inadequate infrastructure such as electricity (25.1%) while the prospects include the ever expanding population of schools enrolment and the policy of compulsory education coupled with government bulk purchases. The findings also indicate that the company uses a multi-sectoral approach in marketing their books such as institutional sales, supply to distributors, bookshops and more importantly to schools and end users. The study recommends among others, a synergistic approach in fighting copyright violations involving all stakeholders: authors, printers, publishers, booksellers, Nigerian Copyright Commission and other law enforcement agencies.
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
On 23rd April 2014, Port-Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State Nigeria became the World Book Capital. This no mean feat was celebrated not just in Nigeria but all over the world by book lovers including writers, publishers and book marketers as well as educational institutions. This event indicates the pride of place book occupies in human civilization. However, most people, including daily book users are ignorant of the processes of producing books let alone the opportunities that exist for book publishing.
Although Port-Harcourt City is the UNESCO World Book Capital, Nigeria cannot be said to be a haven for publishing in spite of its importance as articulated by Valdehuesa (1985, p. 710) that book publishing promotes learning, advances knowledge, and connects divers sectors of the population: technocrats with lay persons, scholars with students, leaders with followers, storytellers with their publics. It also bridges the gap between academia and the market place, between school and community and nations, between past and present and present and future.
Given this scenario, this study sought to investigate the opportunities and challenges that confront book publishing and marketing in Nigeria with a special focus on an indigenous publishing firm— Literamed Publications Nigeria limited.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Book publishing is an essential enterprise in every nation. It affects every sector of the economy. Nigeria has a number of publishing firms; some are indigenous while a few are foreign in origin. Among the few foreign ones which of course have also become indigenous (owing to the indigenization policy of 1978) include Longman Plc, now Learn Africa Plc, Macmillan Publishers Limited, Evans Brothers Publishers Limited, Spectrum Books Publishers Limited, Heinemann Educational Books Plc and University Press Plc. The 1978 Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decree provided that at least 60% equity participation in book publishing must be by Nigerian nationals. Although the number of indigenous publishers has risen in recent times, the former are still the most prominent in the country (Ike, 2004, p.1).
Bankole (2005, p. 229) posits that a remarkable achievement of the first generation of Nigerian publishers is that they had a good relationship with their authors and that it could be said that this early set of publishers was instrumental to the discovery of the early geniuses of Nigerian literature—Amos Tutuola, John Pepper Clark, Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka.
Book publishing in Nigeria tends to be an all-comers affair. The essential requirement seems to be the ability to secure an office space with sign post indicating that you are a publisher. This has resulted to a number of printers presenting themselves as publishers. This to a great extent gave rise to the setting up of Nigeria Publishers Association (NPA) to regulate the affairs of its members. Book publishing unlike its sister media (newspapers, magazine and journals) is generally a private sector affair. Professor Chukwuemeka Ike adduces reason for this situation; publishing in Nigeria is essentially a private sector affair. Because of the absence of pre-determined qualifications or conditions to be met, book publishing is one of the most unregulated industries in Nigeria. All you require to become a publisher is to erect a signpost outside your office or residence (Ike, 2004, p. 2). Government seems to leave publishing to individuals and groups. Although government still has parastatals or departments that carter for its printing needs, professional book publishing is handled or contracted to known publishers.
The import of books is well recognized. Books, like other vehicles of information and sources of entertainment, can change, influence, elevate, demean, exalt, or depress those who expose themselves to them. What books are and can be depends heavily on the judgment, integrity, taste, and acumen of those who select and produce them—publishers. Thus, publishers play a vital role, not only in the marketplace, but within the culture and civilization of which they are a part, and what makes books publishing a profession as well as a business is the conscious pursuit of publishers of their responsibilities (Dessauer, 1981, p. xi).
Any nation that toys with book publishing is a nation that is bound to backwardness and obscurity because such a nation does not recognize the importance of books. Okoro (1990) agrees that the place of books in national and educational development cannot be over-emphasized. Books have a special position in the history of mankind. The literature, history, music, human achievements and cultural heritage of a nation are all recorded and preserved in books. Without books, the education of the people and the communication of ideas from one generation to the other would be difficult (Okoro, 1990, p. 199).
According to Hiebert, Ungurait, and Bohn (1991, p. 387) Books probably have the most long-term power and influence among the mass media. The book is still the mass medium used to communicate the most important thoughts of a society, the medium most used to stimulate change, and the medium most used to educate—from preschool to post doctoral and adult education programs. And without publishing, there would be no books.
The place of book publishing to national development is recognized by experts (Valdehuesa, 1985; Smith, 1989; Okoro, 1990; Ike, 2004; and Christopher, 2010). A full-fledged publishing firm can boast of over three hundred staff as the case in Literamed publications Nigeria limited; thus, creating employment for the population especially young graduates which in turn boosts the economy of the country.
Book publishing promotes learning, advances knowledge, and connects divers sectors of the population: technocrats with lay persons, scholars with students, leaders with followers, storytellers with their publics. It also bridges the gap between academia and the market place, between school and community and nations, between past and present and present and future (Valdehuesa, 1985, p. 710).
The process of making book is a specialized one and such has its fair share of challenges cutting across writers, printers, publishers and booksellers. The challenges range from sellable ideas, book commissioning, pre-press and post press issues, lack of adequate infrastructure such as electricity and good roads, royalty payment, access to credit facility, poor readership, poverty, piracy among others.
Publishing alone is not enough if the books do not get to the consumers (readers), hence the timely advice of Christopher (2010, p. 206) that “book publishing will constitute a wasted effort if worthy books are not placed in the hands of readers. The signs are that Nigeria is under-served and the potential book market largely untapped. Book publishing in Nigeria resembles that in other countries in some respects, but must need advance in many others in order to serve a nation grappling with illiteracy and low-level advancement in socio-economic variables, politics, science, technology and general well-being of the people.
It is therefore the researcher’s desire to explore the Nigerian publishing landscape with a view to identifying the processes of book publishing and marketing as well as the challenges and prospects that prompted the study of Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited—an indigenous publishing company that has been in operation since 1969.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
It has been generally noted that when publishing is mentioned, what readily comes to mind is the issuing of newspapers, magazines and other periodicals, thus leaving books which are essential aspect of publishing. Book publishing therefore seems to be taking the back seat in the “comity” of mass media especially in a developing economy like Nigeria. Quoting Eva-Maria Rathgeber, Okoro (1990, p. 200) wrote: “…book publishing is a relatively little-known occupation in many African countries. Among the general populace, in many African countries, there is even greater vagueness about book publishing.”
The above view is also corroborated by Smith (1989, p. 3) who posits that the import of book publishing “is not always understood and appreciated by people outside the book field.”
Nigeria as a developing economy is experiencing a lot of challenges in her bid to become one of the developed economies of the world. Experts point out that education is very crucial to achieve this lofty goal. However, there has been a general outcry against the dwindling fortunes of the education sector. Examination bodies such as WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and JAMB have reported consistent poor performance of students in their various examinations. One therefore wonders if there will ever be light at the end of the tunnel.
Several factors have also been identified by experts to be responsible for this ugly incidence of poor performance in external examinations. One of such is lack of access to essential text books. White (1946, p. 58) points out that “An examination of the publishing industry in any country must inevitably concern itself, not merely with the economics of the production and distribution of books, but also with the educational and social implications of their supply and use.” To stem the tide, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, through the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC has in recent times released funds for the purchase of some text-books in selected subject areas. One therefore wonders whether the indigenous publishers have the capacity to produce the needed text books and in the quantity required.
The publishing industry is bedeviled by a lot of challenges. It is a common phenomenon to hear publishers accuse printers and booksellers of piracy; authors accuse publishers of cheating them by nonpayment or underpayment of royalty. Even the end users themselves-readers accuse booksellers of exorbitant pricing while the booksellers in turn point to the publishers as being responsible for the high price of books. Publishers deny it by stating that they give generous discounts to the booksellers whose greed would not allow them sell at official price. Publishers also try to justify their high price on the cost of doing business in the country because of Government’s inability to provide the needed infrastructure and good investment environment and policy. Students of tertiary institutions who constitute the major reading public try to play it smart by engaging in massive and unrestrained photocopying of any published material they borrow from the library while the librarians try to maintain seemingly dignified neutrality.
What therefore are the constraints to book publishing in the country? Is publishing a profitable venture in the face of several challenges? It is the need to find answers to these and some other issues that informed this study.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study has the following objectives:
- To find out the contributions of indigenous publishers to the development of the Nigerian economy
- To find out the challenges facing the publishing industry in Nigeria
- To identify the various ways Literamed publications promote and market their books
- To identify the challenges faced by Literamed Publications Limited
- To find out the prospects available for Literamed Publications Limited
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to investigate the research problem, the following research questions were posed:
- What are the contributions of indigenous publishers to the development of the Nigerian economy?
- What are the challenges faced by the publishing industry in Nigeria?
- What strategies do Literamed Publications adopt in the promotion and marketing of their books?
- What are the challenges faced by Literamed Publications Limited?
- What are the prospects that are available for Literamed Publications Limited?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
There can be no education without books. And there can be no books without publishing. This study is unique because of the importance of publishing in the educational development in the country which holds the key to national growth and development. Smith (1989, p. 3) opines that “the grand strategy of book development in any country is to explain to the general public, or at least to the people in charge of national planning, the way in which book publishing is the key to educational and social and economic development and hence to true nationhood.”
The above quote succinctly captures the essence and significance of this study. This study therefore will enable stakeholders in the education sector to be abreast with the challenges confronting book publishing which is the source of materials for quality education especially now that statistics indicates poor performance in external examinations in subject areas like English language studies and mathematics.
This study would be of benefit to business, marketing and communication scholars. Entrepreneurs may decide to venture into book business. Communication scholars may do more studies in this field and as such book publishing may become one of the approved courses of study in Nigerian universities. The data generated by it would prove valuable in advancing knowledge in the area of book publishing and marketing.
Government and its agencies such as Nigerian Education Research and Development Council, NERDC and Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC will benefit from the findings of the study as it will enable them tackle more effectively those problems confronting indigenous publishers.
Stakeholders in the publishing industry such as authors, booksellers, printers, librarians, publishers and readers will gain more insight into what indigenous publishing is all about, the challenges, prospects as well as its contributions to the Nigerian economy.
Embarking on this study has proved to the researcher that there are few studies in this very important subsector and worst still few institutions offering courses in the field of publishing, this study therefore will help in providing the much needed materials for teaching the course and serve as a reference material for further studies in the field of publishing thus contributing to the expansion of knowledge.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study restricts itself to book publishing and marketing in Nigeria. It explores the challenges facing the industry and unveils the prospects as can be found in an indigenous publishing firm like Literamed publications Nigeria limited.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
To enhance the understanding of this study, the researcher therefore defines the terms used in the subject matter.
Prospects: : refer to the opportunities that exist for Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited for its survival and profitability.
Challenges : refer to those factors that may constitute a hindrance to smooth operation of Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited.
Book: this refers to any bound printed matter of a reasonable size from the stables of Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited.
Publishing : this is an act and process of producing books by Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited.
Marketing: : this refers to all the efforts by Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited to make known to the public the existence of their titles (books) with a view to influencing them to buy.
Nigeria: this is a country in West Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea south of Niger. It gained its political Independence in 1960. It is the most populous country in the African continent. It has a population of over 150 million. It is the major operational base for Literamed Publications Limited.
Literamed Publications: this is an indigenous publishing firm incorporated in Federal Republic of Nigeria in the year 1969. It is the company that publishes Lantern Books, Living Scroll and Cowrie Comics and Medipharm. It has its corporate head office in Ikeja Lagos at Plot 45 Morison Crescent, off Kudirat Abiola Way.
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter reviewed literature existing on the subject of study. Materials reviewed were relevant texts on book publishing, publishing journals, periodicals, the Nigerian Book Fair Trust publications, media and communication journals as well as the internet. However, the blogsites and websites of Literamed publications–publishers of Lantern Books and other sites that have bearing on book publishing were also explored.
2.1 AN OVERVIEW OF THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY’S LANDSCAPE
Publishing is a very vast enterprise. The industry seems to be misunderstood in several quarters so much so that Eva-Maria Rathgeber, cited by Okoro (1990, p. 200) posits: “book publishing is a relatively little-known occupation in many African countries. Among the general populace, in many African countries, there is even greater vagueness about book publishing.”
Many government officers do not know the difference between a printer, a publishing house and a printing press. They regard and treat all of them as the same. Be that as it may, publishers make a great contribution to the society in which they operate, and to humanity at large (Okoro, 1990, p. 204). While commenting on the state of book industry in Nigeria in the past thirty years Echebiri (2005, p. 197) opines: “…publishing remained, regrettably one of the least known, recognized or appreciated industries in the Nigerian economy throughout the period. To virtually everyone outside the industry—i.e government officials at all levels, as well as the public at large—book publishing was essentially a non-descript business whose concern began and ended with “printing books and selling them for a huge profit, “an all-comers” area of endeavour in which no authorial or other consideration had any part to play.
The importance of book publishing is not always understood and appreciated by people outside the book field. One of the important factors in the grand strategy of book development in any country is to explain to the general public, or at least to the people in charge of national planning, the way in which book publishing is the key to educational and social and economic development and hence to true nationhood” (Smith, 1989, p. 3). The book publishing industry employs labour, producers, and distributes materials and wealth and, what is more important, is strategic to education, the knowledge-based industries, politics, economy, science and culture of the country (Okafor, 2006, p. 96).
At present there are no less than 140 publishing companies in Nigeria. However, the level of their development still leaves much to be desired, little wonder Nwosu (1990, p. 26) declares that the situations in the Book Publishing and Library sub-sectors are no exceptions to the general rule of gross media underdevelopment in Nigeria. Publishing in Nigeria today has its main focus on educational publishing because of the need to produce books to meet the curriculum requirements of pre-school, basic education, senior secondary, intermediate, professional and tertiary institutions (Obidiegwu, 2009, p. 13).
Regrettably, a comparative study of the duties performed by people in the communications fields—newspapers, magazines, books, television, and radio revealed that publishing has the lowest public visibility of the lot (Tebbel, 1980, p. 2).
2.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF LITERAMED PUBLICATIONS NIGERIA LIMITED
Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited was incorporated in April 1969 primarily for the publication of Medipharm, a medical index of pharmaceutical specialties in Nigeria. Medipharm formed the name Literamed, which means literary and medical publication. Otunba Yinka Lawal Solarin is the Chairman while Olori Bjorg Solarin is the Executive Director. The corporate headquarters which also houses the printing press is located on two acres of land at plot 45, Morison Crescent, off Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja. In August 1972, Medipharm was successfully printed and delivered on the commissioning day of the printing press by Prof. Oritsejolomi Thomas, the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. That was the beginning of Literamed Publications taking on its own life. Lantern Books which is an imprint of Literamed Publications Limited started with the publication of Steps to Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning. The success recorded informed the publication of other educational books which started with Comprehensive Social Studies. The first edition was published in 1992. Literamed had sustained itself on the publication of Medipharm, pre-primary books and Happi Product before the advent of primary school titles. In 2004, Literamed floated Comics Hut, a subsidiary for the publication of Comic books which tell indigenous African stories with good moral values while Living scrolls are Bible stories in pictures. The Comics Hut churns out educative, colourful and very entertaining cartoons to further boost the reading culture of the Nigerian child and make reading less of a boring activity.
Lantern Books, with over 300 titles; school books, storybooks and comics has become the companion of every nursery and primary school pupil. All Lantern school books are written by seasoned authors and teachers in line with the approved curriculum, the story book section was set up to promote indigenous writers. From two series of Reading is Fun and Readers, Lantern Story books is now expanded into seven series namely: Adventure, Folk-tales, Fairy Tales, Health, Heroes, Bible Story and Literary. Each of these series is further divided into age categories of 4 - 7years, 8 - 12years, 13 - 16years and 17years and above. Most of these titles apart from being leisure reading also serve as literature texts in Nigerian Schools. The series are carefully graded, culture relevant and moral teaching stories for children. They help in developing their vocabulary and ultimately their communication skills.
Literamed is one of the few publishers in Nigeria with its own press, so the organization exercises full control of the production process, from manuscript to book, thus ensuring the availability of high-quality books.
In 2008, Literamed opened another office in Ghana, West Africa which is being managed by a country manager. The strength of their books is best captured by the slogan: lantern books enlighten.
2.3 WHAT THEN IS BOOK PUBLISHING?
Microsoft Encarta (2009) defines Book Publishing as the manufacture, publication, and distribution of books. The process involves the selection of a manuscript, the editing of it, the designing of the book’s final appearance, the actual manufacture into book form, the distribution of the book to booksellers, and the book’s ultimate purchase by readers. Valdehuesa (1985, p. 709) posits that book publishing is the art and craft of cultivating the best minds in society so that what knowledge, wit, or charm they possess may be communicated and shared and thus bring about greater sophistication or intellectual development among people.
According to Dessauer (1981, p.11) we speak of book publishing as an industry and as a profession. Both designations are most certainly appropriate. Book publishing is a business conducted, for the most part, for profit. But its practitioners—at least those who do it honour—have motivations that transcend their profit interest.
Leaning on Grannis (1967), Oshiotse Okwilagwe opines that when the term publishing is applied to book publishing, it is a formidable succession of activities no one of which can by itself be called publishing. It is only when a manuscript has been transformed into a book and then distributed to its intended market place, that the process of publishing is complete. To perform an editorial service alone, whether as a risk or for a fee is not to publish. Book publishing is all of these things put together, an integrated process, whether carried out by a single firm or by several. It is the whole intellectual and business procedure of selecting and arranging to make a book and of promoting its ultimate use (Okwilagwe, 2001, p. 2).
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- Anthony Uche (Autor:in), 2014, Prospects and Challenges of Book Publishing and Marketing in Nigeria, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1129258
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Laden Sie Ihre eigenen Arbeiten hoch! Geld verdienen und iPhone X gewinnen. -
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