31/08/2025
đź’Ż
HOW I LOST MY TENS OF THOUSANDS IN DEAL-SIGNING:
Reflection 8.
Not long ago, I shared how I lost close to 60k in a publishing contract with a certain firm. If you followed that story, I hinted that there was another deal I wanted to talk about. Well, here it is.
Before I continue, let me remind you: these reflections are drawn from my true life stories. They are meant to educate fellow authors about the challenges I went through and, hopefully, help them avoid the same mistakes. We can’t completely escape making errors, but at least we shouldn’t repeat the ones we’ve already been warned about.
Back to the story.
After publishing two books, with Nairobbery and Other Stories gaining the recognition I mentioned earlier, a certain publisher took keen interest in me. He approached me and said:
“Sylvester, I’ve seen your books. Very few writers can write like you. But if you’re not careful, you’ll end up selling only to a handful of people.”
I’ve since realized that such people rarely tell you what you should hear. They tell you only what you want to hear. He continued:
“I want you to give me full rights to reproduce your books and sell them across the country. I have one of the strongest marketing teams.”
Then came the clincher:
“You’ll be making around 100k every month.”
At that moment, my brain went blank 🤣. Instead of asking the right questions, I let myself drown in the sweetness of his words. But honestly, who doesn’t want to earn 100k a month?
“Do you have a bank account?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, but I hardly use it. I mostly rely on Mpesa.”
“Why?”
“Because every time I leave money in the bank, it somehow reduces. So I don’t like it,” I said.
“Okay. But you’ll need a bank account. The kind of money you’ll be receiving won’t work with Mpesa.”
“I’ll check on that, sir.”
And just like that, the deal was sealed. He gave me a contract to sign, and without a second thought, I signed away full control of my books. All I was dreaming of was the promised 100k per month. I even imagined myself quietly making money at home while people wondered what magic I was up to.
Soon after, he asked me to register the books under his company and send him money for printing. The truth is, I had some cash sitting idle in my M-Shwari account. I thought, Why not invest it in this messianic company and watch it multiply?
So, with blind faith, I drained my account and sent the money. True to his word, the publisher printed a few copies, sent me pictures, and asked me to wait for the results.
A few months later, towards December, he excitedly told me:
“Schools love your books! Two have already picked Nairobbery for their reading. We’re now just waiting for bulk orders before we go into mass printing. Be ready for massive sales come January.”
I was overjoyed. January couldn’t come fast enough.
Well, January came, and with it, excuses. He told me everything was fine but that he was waiting for sales reports from his team. Weeks turned into months, and still no report. Eventually, he stopped responding to my messages altogether about the sales reports.
I didn’t need rocket science to figure it out: I had been conned.
The end.
I’ve made grave mistakes in this journey, but I thank God that, in greater portions, I’ve since recovered all the money I lost while finding my way in the literary space. And the journey continues...
I’m Sylvester Ochieng Juma, a Kenyan writer, publisher, and professional editor.
For my services, reach me on: +254743065059 / [email protected]
Follow my page for more reflections and stories.
© Sylvester Ochieng Juma
