Ife Olujuyigbe’s final draft would have been her just telling herself the story but for her personal resolve.
She had been at the receiving end of a publishing deal gone wrong. You know those publishing houses who promise heaven and dish out hell when you finally qualify? The ones whose house aren’t actually in order. Those ones that just do it for the PR stunt and bail out when it matters. What better person to hear it from than her?
In a post culled from her Facebook account, she made the following revelations and celebrated the birth of her book.
“In 2016, while I was very focused on being one of the best prose writers to walk the earth, I won two major writing competitions. One of them promised me a juicy book deal worth millions. I mean, they really added the ‘worth millions’ part and the Nigerian writing community was stoked.
2017, I was to spend a bulk of the year writing my book. I had collected the first bit of my prize when the hosts came to Port Harcourt, where I lived at the time, and the book deal was the other. I quit my job as an editor of a lifestyle magazine just so I could focus on this million-bringing deal, and write a fitting book.
Then the stories started to come.
I had many ideas for a novel and kicked off about two, but the pressure to finish in good time by these same people was so overwhelming, I decided to go for a collection of short stories. The novels would come later. December 2017, I was done. They asked me to give an editor. They would pay later for my troubles. I did. March 2018, I was done. Can we publish now?
The stories intensified.
Email after email after email, I began to realise there wasn’t going to be any book deal. There wasn’t even a plan. I mean, these guys had boasted of making movies with the winning story and had me all thanksgiving-y. Lol. It was a big loss as, as you can imagine, I had already toured the world on my imaginary millions, bought 2 cars, slapped my landlord and thrown his keys to his face, gone to a restaurant and ordered every coloured thing on the menu, you know warraimean.
Well that was not to happen, not by the book deal guys anyway.
It’s been over a year now, and that book, the proverbial stone the ‘builders’ rejected because they couldn’t see past the end of their noses, is here! In spite of the dashed hopes, we are liiive on Amazon, and I cannot even keep calm.
I am a freaking author, guys!!!
*insert zanku legwork and thirty gbeses here*
So go right on and buy my book, OF CHILDREN BORN TO US on Amazon. It goes for $4/£3.05.
It will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions, and if you are Nigerian, you’ll probably relate even more. I enjoyed writing and I hope you enjoy reading.
Nah, I’m certain you’ll have a blast!”
Enter the CFW Biannual Literary Magazine.
While we are happy for her and celebrate with her; we are still accepting submissions. Enter Here.
We have a track record of sticking to all our publishing contracts and we do not bail out when it matters. You’d never have to send tons of email and chase us with manuscripts that need our finished touches.
