African writers and therefore African writing (particularly fiction) has suffered due to the lack of avenues for publication. After the discontinuation of the Pacesetters and African Writers' series, self-publishing has been the only option for most West African writers, until recently. This page contains a list of publishers of African fiction and non-fiction.
To the best of my knowledge, they are not vanity publishers (i.e. they don't charge you to publish your books. They rather pay you). For those who don't know the difference, a vanity press/publisher is a publishing house that publishes books at the author's expense.
~ ANAKARA PRESS publishes easy-to-read, purse-size romantic fiction titles with African settings, storylines and characters.
~ Cassava Republic is a Nigerian-based publisher that publishes novels, short story collections, creative non-fiction and children’s books. They have submission guidelines.
~ Kwela Books specialises in South African fiction (mostly literary) fiction and unusual non-fiction (mainly autobiography and travel writing) in English and Afrikaans. They publish romance under the imprint Sapphire Press. Their submission guidelines can be found under the FAQ page of their website.
~ Nolly Books publishes chic-lit romance fiction titles with South African storylines and characters that reflect the lives and aspirations of the people who will read them. They have writing tips and an online submission form.
~ Penguin Books (South Africa) is a division of Penguin Group. They publish adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as children’s books. They are one of the largest publishing houses based in Africa. Though there’s no restriction on settings, they focus on publishing stories that are commercially viable in the South African market. They have submissions guidelines.
*The page will be populated as more publishers are discovered. If you know of any publishers who aren't listed here, send an email to fictionwritersofwestafrica@yahoo.com.
*The page will be populated as more publishers are discovered. If you know of any publishers who aren't listed here, send an email to fictionwritersofwestafrica@yahoo.com.