Swipe the screen or turn the page: E-books in the spotlight

Even before guest writer Ify Asia Chiemeziem arrived at Booksellers bookshop for the book chat event organised by ORPHEUS Literary Foundation, the room was already abuzz with talks on her kind of writing, which, Salamatu Sule, book reviewer and Secretary Abuja Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors, described as daring. A full-time erotica writer […]

Even before guest writer Ify Asia Chiemeziem arrived at Booksellers bookshop for the book chat event organised by ORPHEUS Literary Foundation, the room was already abuzz with talks on her kind of writing, which, Salamatu Sule, book reviewer and Secretary Abuja Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors, described as daring.
A full-time erotica writer who lets readers wet their taste buds with her free electronic books and then makes a reasonable sum from paid downloads; Chiemeziem is fast on her way to becoming a famous writer.
The author who has written eight novellas so far, and boasts of over 20 unpublished works – including ‘My Ghost Lover’, ‘Kidnap Me’, ‘Naughty Wife Series’ and more – read from ‘The Cattle Rearer’. This is a story about a married woman who had an affair with a herdsman. Stories like these have earned Chiemeziem thousands of downloads. “But they are mostly from people abroad,’ she reveals, adding that Nigerians seem to have a problem with e-commerce or are simply sceptical.”
The audience had questions to ask. Some wanted to know what message she intended to pass across through erotic literature, what it’s like to publish only in electronic format, how she thrives as a full-time writer and much more, which also led to a discourse on the importance of sex education in schools. 
Chiemeziem revealed that she wanted to disabuse the misconception that talking about sex ‘is taboo’. “My motive is to break the ice on that subject,” she said, adding that while people are shy to talk about it, “it’s killing us.” She gave an example with ‘The Cattle Rearer’ where she attempted to show how the married woman who engaged in extra-marital affair with a herdsman was found out. “The moral is that she should have found a proper way of solving her marital problems,” Chiemeziem explained.
Denja Abdullahi, president of ANA, added that pre-colonial Africa was open to matters of sexuality where people knew their roles and place in the society.
But is it true that Nigerians do not read? Chiemeziem disagreed. She explained that the fault partly lies with authors who package hard copies in intimidating ways and make them expensive. “The size and prize of books discourage buyers,” she said, adding that she sells her books at the rate of N400 and that writers need to understand their target market. “We don’t read what doesn’t affect us directly.”
Another important highlight of the discourse was the lack of bridges between the author and readers in the form of literary agents and marketers. It was agreed that a writer cannot be both the architect and builder, hence the need for agents, marketers, and in addition good editors.
Affording and getting good editors was a challenge. Chiemeziem said her husband edited her work because paying editors was not easy. Then she got volunteers. Still, she noticed errors here and there until she got a better editor. 
Recently, Chiemeziem accused Nollwood producer, Reginald Ebere, of intellectual property theft, having purportedly stolen the story in one of her e-books for a film he recently produced. Giving an update on the matter, she said “when I get an expert witness we are going to court” and the discussion soon led to how movie script writers are undermined in Nollywood where they are paid peanuts by filmmakers.
Not many writers take the risk of becoming full time authors in Nigeria. Chiemeziem revealed that it took dedication and hard work, marketing and advertising her work before she began to reap dividends for her labour. “I studied the Nigerian market, interviewed people, and attended literary events like ANA and Abuja Literary Society,” she intimated. “This year I am going into massive promotion of my books.”
But does she intend to publish physical copies? Yes, she revealed, adding that she still believes e-copy is king because it promotes works that are later published in hard copy format.