Briefly who are you?
I go by the name Thabang Modiro a 22 year old young man born, bred and buttered in Molepolole. I grew up in Molepolole and went to Neale Primary School, did my Junior at Sedumedi Junior and my Senior at Kgari Sechele Senior School.
2) What inspired you to write?
I realised that there is a gap in the market and it needed to be filled, and that gap was young people in foreign countries start running their companies while in school and I want the same for black people because even they are no less than the Black.
3) Do books yield money?
Books do yield money if you do them right that is if you do advertising, marketing and putting them in front of the customer’s eyes. I believe this because there is a good market for authors it is just that people aren’t willing to make use of it.
4) Literacy in Africa, do people read in general?
Batswana aren’t readers because they are lazy to look for information forgetting that the future lies in the knowledge. The future is going to be governed by only one thing “what you know”
5) What can one do to increase sales in Africa?
It’s very simple I believe that as long as you can get customers, keep them and give them enough reason to keep following you back that is how sales now. Do branding, advertising using billboards, be featured in magazines, go for live videos on Facebook because nowadays everything is easy ask help from influential people.
6) Do you feel fulfilled when people buy your books?
I definitely do feel fulfilled I mean what can be better than someone doing something that brings him a peace of mind and a legacy that continues to live even after on is gone to be with the maker I believe that makes one love, fulfilled and get a kick of life.
7) Can you encourage upcoming authors to write? Do you see a future for authors?
Work hard, believe in your dreams and whatever happens whether people take time to support you just are patient to run your business and it will gradually Excel. Remember people clap hands for champions and because you haven’t been a champion don’t be disappointed by that.
I believe that there is a future for authors on account there can’t be a world run without knowledge. Wherever we go we are going to be in need of authors and they are sure up for the rescue
8) Any movement and toast masters how did they help in promoting your work?
As of now there is no movement that has helped in my work but I am sure there will be one if I approach them. I have only be featured in kweneng chronicles, khuluma Africa a South African based magazine, potter’s hand magazine, minds magazine and they have indeed helped increase my sales and recognition in and outside Botswana.
9) Do you have any endorsement? What’s the importance of networking in book world?
One don’t need to wait for yourself to be 35 years rather you need to know what a 35 year old know implement and succeed.
Networking is vital because it gets you what you didn’t know, people of different standard, who know a lot. If there is a tool that can get you where your qualifications can’t is networking
10) ebooks vs hard copy do you think technology has come to kill traditional hard copy or ebooks are simply continuation of the reading culture
Personally I think technology has not come to kill hard copies rather it has come to improve, fasten, and make it convenient for the reading culture. In a way we should be glad for the technology as one can just take out a phone, in a line for ATM, till and read without having to carry the hard copy moreover ebooks are good because wherever your phone is you have them.
11) You parting short
“Living tomorrow today is a book by Thabang Modiro which advise young people to look for wealth while they are still schooling as that ulis the best time to build general wealth.
Mt Kenya Times