Saturday was one of those days you just want to forget because nothing is going right. From work, to interacting with people, to commuting, everything was just whack! I got home, and I just wanted to bury myself under the blankets for at least twenty-four hours. Alas, it was during the day, and sleeping with the sun up, is just hard for me. So, my mum dragged me out of the house and we went digging up the flower garden. There is nothing like sinking your fingers in dirt. Stress, all annoyed and disturbed thoughts just disappear. Our garden is right in front of the house, and the old flowers were getting boring. We decided to gut them out and decided to replant some new ones.
Separating Aloe Vera plantlets
This is the garden after we were done planting the Aloe Vera and a pretty flower called Florentine Iris. It looks pretty puny right now, but the rains are here, and they’ll shoot up fast. The Florentine Iris is especially pretty when it grows flowers.
I can’t wait to see a garden full of these↑ flowers.
This little exercise had me forgetting the seriously disturbing events of my day. It was gardening for the soul, ^_^!
On a side note, this huge tree grows outside our house too. Every year, it gets these white flowers that bloom for like a day, before they fall down to the ground covering the whole area. Pretty isn’t it.
A boy is born in the land of Leo. As the sound of the cattle horn is heard, everyone in the Kingdom celebrates the birth of not only a boy, but the Crown Prince. His name is Ustawi.
The hands that hold him foretell a prosperous future, but just like every dream has it’s valleys, so has Ustawi’s birth. One man has seen the evil that’s to befall the kingdom under the boy’s reign, his name is Ukweli. He is the Seer.
Fire begins the story of the Prince’s life and as you read through a story rich in culture and customs you can only ask yourself, can the Seer fight the gods? Can he avert the impending doom that’s to come?
Book Review
Fire is a unique literature story, that focuses on East African folklore. Ms. Okeyo names her characters using the Swahili language. Each name, symbolizing what the character should be, what they could or should stand for. For example Ukweli in Swahili means Truth. I found this characterization quite insightful.
The story is quite simple, a Crown Prince is born into the land of Leo, the heir to his father’s throne, but instead of joy, the Seer, Ukweli is tormented by dreams of doom and darkness as he foresees the worst. According to Ukweli, the land of Leo is going to face hard and dark times under the rule of Crown Prince Ustawi. Tormented by this dreams, Ukweli goes on a journey hoping to find a solution, and on his journey, he finds more questions, and proof that Prince Ustawi’s reign will cause pain to the people of Leo.
Ms. Okeyo paints a great folklore tale, weaving in East African’s own culture into her story. You’re treated to scenes of palatial huts, cloaks made with animal skin, and elders in a circle, and that just made me smile. The genre is a different approach for Ms. Okeyo, I’ve only read romance stories from her before, but this is different and she’s set herself apart with Fire.
It did take me a lot longer to read. You really need to settle down and get through each page to understand why Ukweli is moving from one place to another, and enduring so much torment. This is not a complaint, more of a judgment of my own reading capabilities, I think. I need to hone them, or something…^_^!It reminded me of reading a literature set book, you gotta keep your focus to understand what’s going on. This is not your fast romantic tale, definitely requires undivided attention. Once you get going, Fire is a captivating read!
Nairobi City during Good Friday = Empty! Lolz, everyone has gone out of town for the four-day holiday. They left little ol’ me to walk around with plenty of space to play. So, I had an impromptu book shopping day.
I found this guy who’d dumped this pile of books outside Tusky’s Pioneer Branch and was selling them at Kshs. 100 each. I spent a few minutes sifting through it all. I wanted to bring them all home, but that would have broken my bank account for sure. I ended up with three only, (moan).
My Stash –
An Attempt to be Adventurous with food ^_^
The books are old, they need work, but, they’ll look great after I get them hardcovers. I’m a huge Anne Rice fan and I’m trying to collect her books. So I buy her books when I can. I’ve never read Luanne Rice, so this is going to be a first, and of course the cookbook is to save me from the oblivion of eating the same three meals I’ve had the last few months. Here’s to Food Adventure!
No Cover! But the artwork is still there.
I ended up at Nakumatt Junction, and they also have a sale in their bookstore. At Books First, if you buy Any Three Books, you get a fourth one for free.
I was here for other business, so I didn’t get any books, but it was great checking out their book list. If you’re looking for Fifty Shades of Grey, they have it in stock. ^_^!!!!Buy Three copies and get one for free…lolz, that is if you haven’t watched the movie yet..
So That’s my Good Friday out on the town, I hope you have a wonderful Easter, and stay safe out there.
From the river Nile to the teeming streets of Cairo, from the indigenous, pre-Islamic Egyptian Coptic civilization to an America struggling with its fear of the Arab world, Shenoda’s poems recall the sacred traditions of an ancient, enduring culture as they widen the political conversation surrounding ethnicity, pan-Africanism and pan-Arabism. This notable collection spans generational, political and cultural divides, providing a nuanced perspective virtually unknown in the West.
...
There will come a day when they say:
who do you think you are
and another day will come
for you to tell.
On that day the story will appear
but do not tell of yourself
tell the story of the staff that blossomed in the desert
or the one about your enemy’s greatest victory
tell the story of somewhere else...Read This Poem
Excerpt of New Cairo
…I stand on the balcony, staring
Withdrawn from this poverty by a mere Generation,
Then I remember
Great Grandmother used to say:
“If you throw salt away
God will make you
Pick it up
One grain at a time
with your eyelashes”
Take a moment and just imagine what it would take to actually collect salt one grain at a time with your eyelashes. Yes, there would be tears, what an impossible task, you’d say. At first, I laughed at the idea of Great Grandmother’s statement, but then you think about it and it’s eye opening. If you’re desperate you’ll do it, right? You’ll find a way to collect that salt with your eyes, but what a painful process that would be. So, don’t throw away a good thing…hmm…
Mathew Shenoda writes poetry with a deep love for heritage and culture. There is always that sense of go back, think about where you come from, how it has shaped you, why you are this person today. I think this book reminds me to remember where am from and where I belong. Where is home? What does that word mean really?
Time changes, as it must, we all change, but even with change, stop and embrace what your past is, how you’ve gotten here. What were your ancestors’ hopes, one day you’ll be the one they’ll call ancestor.
Smashwords is a global ebook distributor serving authors, publishers, readers and major ebook retailers. Smashwords is ideal for publishing novels, personal memoirs, poetry chapbooks, short and long-form fiction, and non-fiction. If you’ve written it, we want to help you share it and sell it! We distribute books to Apple iBooks (51 countries), Barnes & Noble, Kobo (which powers the bookstores of multiple other retailers such as FNAC in France and WH Smith in the U.K.), Flipkart, Oyster, txtr, Baker & Taylor (Blio.com and the Axis360 library platform), and others.
Smashwords.com is an e-book self publishing site. Smashwords distributes e-books to a wide network of online retailers, mobile app platforms and affiliates. They have 3 catalogs:
1. Premium Catalog – Every author aspires to get their e-book in the premium catalog in smashwords. This means that your e-book is distributed to major global online retailers. These are:
Apple – Ibook stores available in 51 Countries
Barnes & Nobles – US and UK market
Kobo Bookseller
Page Foundry – (Inktera.com, Versant.Com as well as Android e-book store apps for Cricket wireless & Asus)
Baker & Taylor Blio
Txtr
Flipkart
Oyster
Scribd
Amazon – (Limited distribution for books that reach over $2,000 in sales)
To get books in the premium catalog, your e-book needs to have a quality book cover image, a proper copyright notice, and an ISBN no. The author should also format their book according to theSmashwords Style Guide. Smashwords have a program that runs your document and if any errors are found then the book doesn’t pass to the premium catalog. Some of the errors include, having multiple font sizes, inconsistent line spacing, lines overlapping one another, multiple successive paragraph returns to arrange text…etc…All these can be fixed if you go through the Guide.
2. Standard Catalog – This is the Smashwords catalog. Your e-book should satisfy the copyright and content requirements found in the Smashwords terms of service. Your book is available on this catalog the moment you upload and publish it to the site.
3. ATOM/OPDS Catalog – This catalog is for all major mobile app platforms. Your book is available to millions reading on their phones. Sample distributors include Stanza on the iPhone and Aldiko on the Android mobile device platform
How to get started:
2024 Updates: Please Note: Smashwords.com has been acquired by Draft2Digital.com. All new authors now need to register into Draft2Digitital.com to sell their books on the smashwords.com shop. So, if you're hoping to get your books on smashwords.com, please check out Draft2Digital.com.
Firstly, Register for an account with Smashwords.Com. Go through the set up process, as well as the payment registration. This means you need a Paypal account too if you’re planning on selling the books. If you don’t want to sell the books and only want to share them, then finish your Smashwords registration. There are 3 Smashwords Accounts
– An Author Account – This is for an author self-publishing his/her books
7 Things to Know Before Publishing on Smashwords in Kenya
1. A Finished Story – Polish your story, until you’re satisfied it can be read by others. Download the Smashwords Style Guide and make sure your document is formatted according to the instructions in the book. This is really important as your .doc is then turned into different types of e-book formats. If it’s formatted wrong from the start, your book won’ t make it to the Premium Catalog.
2. A Title for your story – Make it unique, and eye-catching.
3. A Book Cover – Smashwords needs a good quality cover, usually a cover with a 1,600 width and 2,560 height. The minimum width should be 1,400. Make a pleasing cover.
– A Description of your story – This is the synopsis of your story. That short paragraph behind a book makes you want to read it. Write one that fits your story.
4. Smashwords Categories – Smashwords classifies their books into the following categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Essay, Plays, and Screenplays. These categories are then broken down into different genres. So if you’ve written Fiction, you should choose a category of fiction, that is, Romance, Mystery, Thriller, etc.
5. E-Book Formats – This is the part you must understand to get your book into the premium catalog. It’s also why you need to download the Smashwords Style Guide. Smashwords allows you to turn your book into different formats. They are:
E-pub – Widely used by readers on Apple Ibookstore, Sony, Kobo, Barnes & Nobles, and Aldiko. It’s the most popular format, and if your .doc fails to pass through the Smashwords check, you get autovetters because it failed the e-pub check. The Smashwords guide can help you sort out autovetter errors. If you have issues, check the Smashwords FAQs and you’ll find your answers.
Sony Reader – LRF Format
Kindle’s .Mobi
Palm Doc (PDB) – Used by readers on palm pilot devices, Windows Mobile Pocket PC/Smartphones, Symbian OS, and Palm OS.
PDF Format
RTF Format – Rich Text Format
Plain Text
You can choose all formats, or choose certain formats. The file you upload should be a Word Document with a .doc extension. Trust me, this makes it easy for you.
6. ISBN No. – To get your book in the Premium Catalog, you need an ISBN. Now, Smashwords offers FREE ISBN Nos. You can assign a Smashwords ISBN no. to your book. If your book previously has an ISBN, Smashwords allows you to assign it to your book.
Write a Book, Publish It
7. Pricing and Sampling – So, you’re in Kenya, and you’re wondering how to deal with pricing your e-book. After all, Smashwords only does Dollars. Yikes! This was a challenge two years ago, but PayPal and Equity Bank recently made a deal that is making life easier for all of us online business people. ^_^ So, whatever the content of your book, if you can market it, then, by all means, price it and make extra money. The minimum price you can set in Smashwords is .99 cents. (Edited) If you manage sales of more than $10 a month, Smashwords pays the money into your PayPal account at the end of the month. As for you accessing your money in Kenya, Paypal works with Equity Bank…read more here.
2024 PayPal Updates: It is now easier than ever to access your PayPal funds. You can withdraw to Equity Bank, or use Mpesa. Get your royalties easier from smashwords.com or Draft2Digital.com.
If you have all of the above, you can hit Publish after agreeing to the Smashwords publishing agreement.
You can pursue this avenue if you’re thinking about writing books. The best part is that once you publish the book, leave it to circulate in the different online stores that Smashwords ships to for years. Don’t unpublish it because then the book loses momentum. You can publish Fiction or Non-Fiction books. Don’t forget to market the books offline and online.
It is a fiction classification based on content, setting, and mood of the story. A book may fit more than one genres but most times a story leans to one type of genre.
Make a Choice of Genre
Why is it important to choose a genre when you write Fiction?
Choosing a genre helps you focus your writing. It gives you a niche to concentrate on, instead of writing for everyone, you write for a specific target market and it helps you market your book easier after publishing.
Types of Book Genres
There are many different types of genres. When you choose one, learn all you can about about that genre, read other authors who excel in the genre, then get to work.
Book Genre List
1. General – This is a book with no particular theme.
2. Action and Adventure (For kids and teenagers)
3. Anthologies – Stories compiled in one book without any particular theme
4. Biographical – If you have a stunning life story that must be told, this is your genre
5. Religious – Your story may have a strong religious theme, maybe focused on faith, or morals. Basically, an exploration of a life with religion. Your imagination, your story. This genre can have the following sub- genres:-
General
Fantasy
Futuristic
Historical
Romance
Suspense
Cultural
6. Coming of Age – These stories are about finding yourself, leaving home, or finding out what you want to do.
7. Contemporary Women – Stories about women, think Maeve Binchy
8. Cultural Heritage – These stories are mostly about culture, tribes, once again let your imagination go wild
9. Dystopian – Usually these stories feature an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it theme. Think the movie I Am Legend with Will Smith, the Host by Stephanie Meyer
10. Fairy Tales/ Folk Tales/ Legends/ Mythology – My grandmother used to tell us stories about ogres who ate children when they did bad things when we visited her in her rural home. She’d scare us that if we did something bad, that ogre would come get us when we slept. Terrifying but that’s enough fodder for this genre. Other ideas are like Cinderella, Maleficent…create your own.
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter
11. Fantasy – If you love Harry Potter, this is where those books lie. This genre has different sub genres as follows:
Contemporary
General
Dark Fantasy
Historical
Paranormal
Urban
Collections/Anthologies – These should have a specific theme
Photo courtesy of the iiYahikoDarkii from Deviant
12. Graphic Novels – (Comics) If you love drawing and don’t know what to do with it, this is a good idea. Make a character, and story. They’re very fun to read. I love them. Most popular graphic novels are Bleach and Naruto.
13. Holidays – Stories about Christmas time, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day and so forth…
14. Horror – Think Stephen King Novels. Scary stories that won’t let readers sleep at night.
15. Humorous – If you have a great sense of humor, translate it on paper, write a funny story.
16. Legal – I think the person who’s done this the best is John Grisham.
17. Literary – For the more serious writer, Moby Dick/ Chinua Achebe/ e.t.c. such great minds. Are you up to it?
Iris Johansen’s Eight Days to Live
18. Mystery/Detective – Who-Done-it theme. These stories have sub-genres that give them such a diverse range.
General
Collection & Anthologies – These must have a theme related to the main genre
Historical
International
Police Procedures
Private Investigators
Women Detectives
Nora Robert’s The Villa – A mixture of romance and a family saga
19. Romance – I’m partial to this genre. You don’t have to go for the soppy romance story, you can add a sub-plot to add to the story’s texture. Sub- Genres are as follows:
General
Collections & Anthologies – These must have a theme to them e.g. lost love, Nairobi romance, e.t.c.
Contemporary
Military
Fantasy
Multi-Cultural / Interracial
New Adult
Paranormal
Romantic Comedy
Science Fiction
Mystery – Suspense
Historical – Think those rebellion days before Kenya’s independence, or even further in times of the chiefs, so much fun to be had here, spark your imagination.
20. Thrillers – Bring your readers to the edge of their seats with chilling stories, adventures across the country that leave you shivering. Sub-Genres include:
General
Crime
Espionage
Historical
Legal
Medical
Military
Political
Supernatural
Suspense
Technology
How do you choose a Genre?
Your interests rule your decision, don’t tackle a genre you don’t understand or dislike. If you are partial to horror stories, then learn all you can about that genre and bring your take on the topic to the table. If it’s romance, learn all you can about the different sub-genres, and find where you’re most comfortable. There are people who are great at creating the intricate plots found in a Thriller novel, and those who can sustain the emotional suspense found in a romance novel. Explore your interests, and find what genre captures your imagination.
Do you have to choose a Genre?
When you go to the supermarket to buy baking flour, you find different aisles, each with a specific product. There is the sugar aisle, the bread aisle. e.t.c…since you don’t want any of that, you go straight to the flour aisle. There are different companies selling baking flour, but you have that one particular brand you like. So, you walk up to it, and take it with you. If you have time, you might browse the other aisles, and choose a different item. If not, you go on to the check out aisle and go back to your business.
Fiction writers should equate the book industry to a supermarket. Choosing a genre is important because no matter what, readers have different tastes. You cannot write for every one. You’ll find people who only read thrillers, and nothing else. You’ll find those who mix different genres. When Readers walk in to a bookshop, or browse books on amazon, they are most likely to seek a book in the genre they like most. If it’s romance, they’ll explore all the sub-genres in that category and never move anywhere else. If it’s mystery, they’ll look for the different types of mysteries offered out there. If you don’t choose a genre, readers might never stumble on your book.
Elly in Nairobi Thoughts:
You might have to explore a few genres before you find the one that fits best. Don’t get discouraged, and make it a fun exercise. If you choose a genre, find out who the big hitters are, read their books, find out why readers love their stories, and then get to work on your own interpretation of that genre. Don’t copy a particular author’s style, because you’ll burn out very fast. If you find a genre you like, at first you might tailor your stories like your favorite author’s style, but please, work at finding your own style. Then your muse won’t stop talking to you.
Learn your Genre, Love Books
The purpose of this list is to show a budding writer the diversity of fiction. I hope Nairobi Fiction Writers will jump in and write in some of these genres, to add more titles on the shelves.
You’re a writer if you fill notebooks with stories and random thoughts that could be stories.
If your laptop/PC is full of files of stories you’ve written.
You wonder why publishing can’t get easier in Kenya.
You get jealous every time you see that Saturday story running on the dailies and wonder why it’s not your story and how you can be that person….^_^ You know you do.
So, now we’ve established you’re a writer. (So that we’re all on the same page, the writer I’m talking about is one who writes Fiction)
The second question is, Are you any good?
The word ‘good’ is relative. Readers have different tastes. The world of fiction has different genres. There are those who are partial to a particular genre, and those who can read from each genre. Wherever your story fits, you’ll find readers who think its good, and those who don’t. If you get readers who love your stories, celebrate! You’re entertaining someone. If you get readers who criticize your work, take it with a grain of salt then shake it off. Grow a thick skin and don’t stop writing.
Bad editing, however, does not make your story attractive. No one wants to read a story with glaring mistakes on every page. Work hard, spend extra time reading your story aloud and fix those grammatical errors. You may also ask a friend to check them for you, if you’re anything like me, if I read a page repeatedly; my brain starts auto-correcting errors. That means you’ll have a sentence that says knead, when you meant need, but you can’t see it. Pester the people next to you so they can read your work and catch those problems.
The third question is, How do you get published?
Traditional Routes are tough to follow in Kenya. Publishing companies have strict criteria when choosing manuscripts. Most times, you’ll feel like giving up when you send in manuscripts and you get no response.
Hey, that’s life. So, buck up! There are many avenues to follow. Get online and start publishing, the entire world is online, and there are no more excuses about how no one will read your work.
The fourth Question, How can I get an Audience?
Publishing online made simple. – You’re in Kenya, you’re thinking I want an audience, and I don’t know how to reach them. Maybe, you do have an audience, and want to expand it. The first step is to establish your identity online.
Start a Blog
I was in a meeting recently where someone mentioned that blogs are taking over the world. There are so many blogs out there, and that’s how most people get their voices heard. So, you, my dear budding writer, why don’t you have one?
Get started right now.
You can use WordPress, Blogspot, Tumblr, Flicker, and other platforms that allow you to Blog without cost. The goal here is to create your space. It will be a space filled with your words. It’s also a place where people give you feedback on your writing. Get noticed.
Don’t just write three posts and stop because no one has commented. I’ve seen people who quit writing their blogs. Please don’t quit. Commit to that Blog, and don’t stop.
Talk about your Blog, share your posts, get others talking about it too, through social media, also through your friends, and family.
Build a brand around your writing. If you’re confident in your work, others will be too.
Self-Publishing Your Stories
If you have written stories and they are typed up neatly, complete and ready for other people to read, think about self-publishing. First, ask yourself why you’re thinking of self-publishing.
Is it to make money? – This takes time, it’s doable, but it takes time. So, don’t quit your day job just yet. Making money through self-publishing means, you’re marketing your book daily, getting people to talk about it, and buy it. If you’re determined, you’ll get this done.
Is it for name recognition while you try to get a publishing house to pick your book? – Well, this takes work too. Time and work.
Whatever the reason, the first rule is not to stop at publishing one e-book.
The best marketing is publishing constantly. Don’t stop with just one title. Otherwise, you end up as the one none-hit wonder.
Be creative. A good story will sell itself.
Don’t stop learning. Research what other authors have done, teach yourself grammar, and spelling rules, learn what genres are, find your niche, and explore it. Don’t stop learning. When you think you’ve mastered writing, hit the books some more.
You’re in Kenya, there is loads of inspiration– The best part about our culture is that it’s so full of color. Don’t be afraid to explore it. Include the characters in your life, and you know they’re many who leave you wondering and asking questions. Turn them into fun characters in your stories, and highlight your culture.
My Humble Advice is Don’t stop, no matter what. This part is important, so important; I had to write it in red. ^_^. Don’t stop writing. Most budding writers encounter a lot of challenges that make them shy away from writing. It could be the pressures of life, and making money. You know what, that’s understandable, make sure your life is going well. But, don’t shelf the idea of writing. Carry around a notebook, and that spare moment you have waiting for the bus, or taking a break, jot down a few thoughts. It will turn into something more, and before you know it, you’ll have a bunch of stories.
Others stop when someone reads their work and they get negative feedback. Oh, this is not good. Oh, I didn’t like it. Don’t let such words stop you. I’ve had someone tell me that, and I made them tell me what they didn’t like. Was it the characters? Was it the story plot? Why didn’t you like it? Ask why, think it over, and then find a way to fix it. If the answers given don’t sound reasonable, then find a second opinion and a third. Just don’t quit.
In fact, when you get that negative feedback, it’s time to write even harder. Hit the books, research what others have done, and then get back to your writing desk, and challenge yourself to do better. Go to seminars, seek out fellow writers, join platforms and learn more about the writing industry. You’ll slowly find your voice and your niche.
So, are you interested yet? Get to it then! Start writing already!
This is the garden after we were done planting the Aloe Vera and a pretty flower called Florentine Iris. It looks pretty puny right now, but the rains are here, and they’ll shoot up fast. The Florentine Iris is especially pretty when it grows flowers. 
Nairobi City during Good Friday = Empty! Lolz, everyone has gone out of town for the four-day holiday. They left little ol’ me to walk around with plenty of space to play. So, I had an impromptu book shopping day. 
I ended up at Nakumatt Junction, and they also have a sale in their bookstore. At Books First, if you buy Any Three Books, you get a fourth one for free.
Fifty Shades of Grey, they have it in stock. ^_^!!!! Buy Three copies and get one for free…lolz, that is if you haven’t watched the movie yet..
Somewhere Else
20. Thrillers – Bring your readers to the edge of their seats with chilling stories, adventures across the country that leave you shivering. Sub-Genres include:
The word ‘good’ is relative. Readers have different tastes. The world of fiction has different genres. There are those who are partial to a particular genre, and those who can read from each genre. Wherever your story fits, you’ll find readers who think its good, and those who don’t. If you get readers who love your stories, celebrate! You’re entertaining someone. If you get readers who criticize your work, take it with a grain of salt then shake it off. Grow a thick skin and don’t stop writing.
Start a Blog
about self-publishing. First, ask yourself why you’re thinking of self-publishing.
This part is important, so important; I had to write it in red. ^_^. Don’t stop writing. Most budding writers encounter a lot of challenges that make them shy away from writing. It could be the pressures of life, and making money. You know what, that’s understandable, make sure your life is going well. But, don’t shelf the idea of writing. Carry around a notebook, and that spare moment you have waiting for the bus, or taking a break, jot down a few thoughts. It will turn into something more, and before you know it, you’ll have a bunch of stories.
Stories and Book Talk 