Over the last few weeks, during a period my friends describe as me being ‘manic’, I made the choice to publish my debut novel by myself.
I spent all of 2024 working on this lovely piece of fiction and the first half of this year trying to figure out what the next best step would be.
Like every writer with big dreams, I was certain that only one path would be right for me. I thought going with a big publisher was the best route, but I had not yet broadened my horizons.
The world of writing has grown and expanded so much since I first had the dream of being published when I was 10. There are so many non-traditional avenues I can take and still find success.
I realise now it’s not about what labels or associations my book carries. It’s about the quality of my story and how much people can relate to it.
I read a webcomic the other day that absolutely blew my mind and played a part in me realising what I was being called to do.
I didn’t even know webcomics existed until a few weeks ago. I stumbled across this app completely by accident and saw it was essentially like a streaming service, but for digital comics of all genres.
I started reading a random one and could not put it down. The world was immersive, the storyline gripping, and the characters were layered.
This series has tens of thousands of readers. Something produced independently and published in an unconventional way has fans all over the world.
I think I needed to get out of my 90s brain. It’s sometimes so hard to see how far we’ve come and what the possibilities truly are.
I think also, and I mean this in the nicest way, coming from Namibia gives you a bit of a limited view of what is truly possible.
We are a little city off from the rest of the world for some reason. We hold on to the past quite a bit. We like doing things the way we’ve always done them. So we pass down this knowledge to the younger generation and tell them many things are not possible because of the economy, or because of our low population, or because of some other problem.
But truthfully, anything is possible. You can literally do anything with your life and there are more ways to earn a living and be fulfilled than what we’ve been told.
That’s why publishing my own book feels exciting. Because I was up at 04h00 a few weeks ago learning a couple of things, and I became aware, quite suddenly, that I have free will.
I’ve always known this, of course, but it occurred to me that I can truly do whatever the hell I want. Like seriously, I can do anything I want to.
So I’m publishing my own book. I’m very excited. And cannot wait for a copy in my hands. I should mention that I’m starting this journey with no money, an 80 000-word manuscript and lots of faith in the power of manifestation.
I’m kind of having to learn a lot of project management skills all at once while I do this, and I’m also panicking at the thought that I’ll actually have to speak to people and tell them about my book so they can buy it.
Like I have to use my mouth to speak to people? I’m honestly horrified at the thought. Why can’t I just telepathically let everyone know it’s ready and then the book materialises in front of them?
I’m counting on the fact that I’m an overthinker and I love organising things to keep me going – even when it seems like the process will drive me mad.
I’m looking forward to learning a whole bunch of new skills I can hopefully use to help others publish their own books in future.
I’m extremely thrilled about adding my own work to our national catalogue, but it’s always been really important to me that I also give back and do what I can to grow the whole industry. I want everyone who wants to write a book to be able to do so easily.
I want the list of Namibian fiction authors to quadruple, I want to see our names on best-seller lists, I want us to have globally recognised pen names because we are filled to the brim with compelling stories.
I honestly don’t know what to expect going forward, but I’ll be taking it day by day.
I just got my manuscript back from my editor, so I need to make a whole bunch of changes and hopefully not have a mental breakdown-fuelled existential crisis (again).
– Anne Hambuda is a writer, social commentator and poet. Follow her online or email her at
annehambuda@gmail.com for more.
