Summary of "Writing The Other And Self-Publishing in South Africa With Aisling McCarthy"
Podcast Information:
- Title: The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
- Host/Author: Joanna Penn
- Description: Writing Craft and Creative Business
- Episode: Writing The Other And Self-Publishing in South Africa With Aisling McCarthy
- Release Date: December 2, 2024
Introduction
In Episode 783 of The Creative Penn Podcast, Joanna Penn delves into the intricacies of writing diverse perspectives and the self-publishing landscape in South Africa through an engaging conversation with South African author and anthropologist, Aisling McCarthy. The episode, released on Friday, November 29, 2024, promises a rich exploration of cross-cultural storytelling and the unique challenges faced by authors outside the traditional Western publishing hubs.
Joanna Penn’s Updates and Insights
Before transitioning to the interview, Joanna shares several updates pertinent to authors and the broader creative community:
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Spotify’s New Author Portal: Joanna discusses Spotify's recently launched portal and landing page, authors.Spotify.com, highlighting features such as audience growth tools, personalized author profiles, and promotional opportunities through redemption codes. She mentions the ongoing rollout and its potential benefits for Findaway Voices authors.
“You can grow your audience, personalize your presence with a bio and social links and an author profile.” [04:50]
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Interview with Katie Cross: Joanna reflects on an article featuring Katie Cross, who overcame her fears to narrate her own fiction. She emphasizes the importance of mindset in audiobook production, sharing her own experiences with voice training and the benefits it has brought to her work.
“Consistency is the name of the game.” [03:20]
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Basics of Self-Publishing: Emphasizing foundational strategies, Joanna reiterates the importance of producing quality ebooks and maintaining an active email list as the backbone of an author’s business.
“The same thing is what still does work.” [05:15]
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AI Tools for Writers: Joanna explores Claude AI’s new feature allowing authors to customize AI responses to match their unique writing styles, enhancing productivity and maintaining personal voice in their work.
“You can now tailor it to your style.” [09:45]
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Personal Announcements: Joanna shares updates on her own projects, including the forthcoming second edition of How to Write Non-Fiction, plans for a new workshop in Bath, and adjustments to her publishing schedule to accommodate personal well-being.
Main Interview: Aisling McCarthy
Background and Journey into Writing
Aisling McCarthy recounts her unconventional path to authorship, transitioning from a graphic designer to an anthropologist and non-profit founder before penning her debut crime series, Poacher’s Moon.
“Writing a book kind of came out of running the nonprofit.” [18:30]
She highlights her motivation to create literature that reflects the lives of young women in rural South African communities, addressing the lack of representation in donated books.
Crafting Diverse Perspectives
A central theme of the discussion is "Writing the Other"—authentic portrayal of characters from different cultural and social backgrounds. Aisling attributes her success in this area to her anthropological training, which instills empathy and deep research practices.
“Empathy is probably the biggest thing that I learned from Anthro.” [26:20]
She explains how her background in anthropology aids in understanding complex motivations behind actions such as rhino poaching, enabling her to create nuanced characters rather than one-dimensional villains.
The South African Publishing Ecosystem
Aisling provides an overview of the publishing landscape in South Africa, noting the popularity of both ebooks and physical books. Kindle and Audible are prominent platforms, with Amazon being a significant distributor.
“Kindle is definitely big here. Both are used widely.” [33:30]
She discusses the challenges of print-on-demand due to high costs and limited local options, emphasizing the reliance on distributors like IngramSpark to access major bookstores across sub-Saharan Africa.
Self-Publishing Challenges and Strategies
Navigating self-publishing in South Africa comes with specific hurdles:
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Distribution: Securing placement in big bookstores requires working through local distributors, who handle distribution but also take substantial cuts, affecting profit margins.
“Big chains want to work through the distributor.” [35:07]
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Payment Systems: Previously, authors had to route payments through American bank accounts, but recent changes now allow direct payments from platforms like Amazon, simplifying financial transactions.
“You can be paid directly from Amazon, which is fantastic.” [37:46]
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Bulk Sales to Schools and Organizations: Aisling emphasizes her strategy of selling books in bulk to schools and conservation organizations, which not only provides steady income but also serves her mission of fostering empathy and awareness among students.
“Books in schools and then the services that can kind of benefit kids in terms of writing.” [43:50]
She shares success stories of securing bulk orders from educational and conservation institutions, highlighting how this approach offers better cash flow and avoids the pitfalls of relying solely on individual sales.
Marketing Approaches
Given her discomfort with traditional marketing, Aisling focuses on:
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Direct Outreach to Schools: Building relationships with educational institutions to integrate her books into curricula.
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Leveraging Art Exhibitions: Utilizing her background as an artist to promote her books at art shows and exhibitions, though she notes the necessity to streamline her focus to prevent burnout.
“I have very much had an approach of trying to run three or four things at one time. And now in my 40s, realize it creates extreme burnout.” [49:10]
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Social Media Presence: Primarily using Instagram and Facebook to reach audiences, while acknowledging the potential of expanding into platforms like TikTok.
“I use mainly Instagram, Facebook, I have an author page.” [48:17]
Future Projects and Audiobook Plans
Aisling discusses her plans to expand into audiobooks, contemplating recording herself to maintain authenticity, especially since her protagonist is a Black female character.
“I think I might just do that [record herself].” [51:32]
She also mentions upcoming workshops aimed at high school students, focusing on creative writing and narrative development, further integrating her books into educational settings.
Notable Quotes
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Joanna Penn on Email Marketing:
“It's my bread and butter, she says, in terms of what makes me money.” [03:20]
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Aisling McCarthy on Empathy in Writing:
“Empathy is just sitting with somebody else's life experience.” [26:20]
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Aisling McCarthy on Book Sales vs. Personal Value:
“You are not your book sales and repeat.” [12:50]
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Joanna Penn on Revisiting Basics:
“But to be fair, the same thing is what still does work.” [06:00]
Conclusion
Joanna wraps up the episode by underscoring the invaluable insights shared by Aisling McCarthy on writing diverse perspectives and navigating the self-publishing terrain in South Africa. She highlights the importance of empathy, thorough research, and strategic bulk sales as key takeaways for authors aiming to broaden their reach and impact.
Looking ahead, Joanna teases the next episode featuring Michael Bungay Stanier discussing building business ecosystems around non-fiction books. She encourages listeners to engage via comments, emails, and social media, emphasizing the community-driven nature of the podcast.
“As ever, I love to hear your thoughts about the interview or anything I talk about in the introduction.” [53:00]
Listeners are invited to access backlist episodes, show notes, and complimentary resources like the free author blueprint at thecreativepenn.com.
Key Takeaways:
- Writing "the Other" requires deep empathy and extensive research, especially in culturally diverse settings.
- Self-publishing in non-Western countries involves unique challenges, including distribution and payment systems.
- Bulk sales to schools and organizations can provide reliable income streams and enhance an author's impact.
- Balancing multiple creative pursuits can lead to burnout; focusing on core strengths is essential.
- Utilizing AI tools and embracing foundational marketing strategies remain crucial for sustained success.
For authors worldwide, Aisling’s experience underscores the importance of adapting strategies to local contexts while maintaining universal principles of authenticity and connection.