How To Thrive Digitally as an African Writer

Online publications are more popular and have become a go-to route for old and new writers. Before the internet, authors had to rely on book publications through an organization or with the right sponsorships, which were both difficult to attain. At that time, digital publication was more suited for African writers who had personal websites or publications available online for purely academic purposes, because many writers still feared the possibility of their works being stolen online. 

DIgital publications became popular in 2017-2020 with the rise of online prizes and the covid 19‘s global disruption. That period led to the prominence of platforms that amplified African voices. For example, Poets In Nigeria(PIN) initiatives that host annual prizes, receive online submissions, and have the winning poems published as anthologies, Kalahari Review, African Writers, Shallow Tales Review, Agbowo magazine, etc. In the publications above, readers could digitally access the works of emerging and established writers. 

How To Get Your Voice The World

Here are a few tips to help you thrive in the digital world of writing: 

1. Embrace Rejections 

Digital writing helps you get your voice into unreached places and opens doors for your growth and opportunities to learn as a writer. Many writers learn from reviews and persistence amid rejection, uncertainties, or delays. Understand that rejections are a natural part of the process and not purely a reflection of your work’s value or utility. Rejection, if well harnessed, can be a catalyst for growth, experimentation, or simply submitting where a certain work fits. 

2. Apply for literary contests

In applying to literary contests, it is important to read their rules and check their instructions for submissions so you do not submit the wrong theme or misunderstand the prize’s philosophy. Literary contests give you the thrills and help you sharpen your writing in a way that deeply engages any mind on a surreal level. Prizes like the Nwamaka Okoye Literary Prize, the Eriata Oribhabor Literary Prize, and prizes from Western magazines — both free and paid, depending on your preferences- are all periodically available for digital submissions. 

3. Participate in the Literary Community

The literary community on Twitter for African fiction, poetry, and musings, also on Facebook and Twitter, is one of the best ways to connect with literary minds you admire. Take the initiative to reach out to better writers and learn directly from them, if necessary. Nevertheless, you can also participate passively, observe anything creative that piques your interest, and study the principles of good writing.

4.  Learn to Evolve with your stories 

The good stories told, whether through art or poetry, leave strong impressions on people. The growth should be cultivated by life-long learning, adaptability, intensive focus, and extensive experimentation that will give you a direction of what works and how best to “show,” not tell. Read books, unrelated and related genes, to create a rich web of literary imaginings in you. Every good story told by a good writer leaves an impression on souls. 

5. Stick to a long-term discipline 

In any profession or hobby, discipline is necessary for commitment or fulfillment of a long-term vision. Many talented writers started and could not continue due to systemic or economic realities. Writing should amplify your voice in a world of crowded voices. Those who stay in the long term are those who make a generational impact and create the hidden and unwritten cultural codes that will guide our systems in the next century. 

In general, writing is not a conclusive work or one with finite rewards; it shapes the future as it shapes the thoughts of men and contributes to the ecosystem of thoughts and reality men have created over periods and millennia. The new age has brought an unprecedented level of opportunities, yet it also carries hurdles you must cross; the ocean of information, the hordes, and new voices, and the trigger for comparison or self-doubt. Always remember that your voice is unique and fundamental to the general existence of humanity.