By: Paula .O.M Otukile
- Who is Tshepang?
Tshepang Yolandah Motlhankana is a middle aged mother and an author. She writes fiction novels as well as writes for Resurrect Magazine. The founder of Writers Forum Botswana, a platform for writers to come together and share experiences, challenges, to create relationships and collaborations as well as celebrate milestones. Apart from being a writer, she is an independent event coordinator i.e she conceptualized and plans events that are education and fun, she has by fair hosted the Parenting Seminar, Mother’s Day brunch and Writers’ Meet & Greet. She has published two books so far, a cocktail recipe book called Cocktail Details, the first of its kind locally and a young adult novel called Best Friends Never. The sequel for the novel will be released on the 1st December 2024.
- Where are you from?
She is from Itsoseng, a quite ward in Moshupa, both parents hail from Moshupa, with her mother originally from Phuting, and her father from Kgosing.
- Where did you publish?
Yolandah is self published. Her passion for writing drove her to involve a self publishing agent in the publication of her first book, but due to financial disadvantage, the journey ended quickly. That’s when she learnt from scratch how to publish books. She asked the relevant bodies involved such as Botswana Library and took graphic design lessons until she could do it on her own. The only process she outsourced was editing and proof reading. She has up to today assisted other authors with interest or financial difficulty learn how to acquire things like the ISBN, and other things associated with self publishing.
4. What do you do to promote your work?
She uses mainly social media to make post and share information related to the novels. To mix her passions for events and writing, she usually host book reading sessions, where she invited the public to join her in reading and discussing her novels. This helps with sales as usually readers buy the book. She also have merchandize along side the book suck as key holders and scrunchies that are doing well (sometimes even better in sales than the actual book).
5. Who is your sponsor?
Yolandah has sponsored the publication of her books. With this upcoming novel, Happily Never After, she is selling them through pre-order so as to accumulate the funds to print a larger batch of books. Her printers, have been generous throughout their relationship.
- How did you get you Isbn ? Locally or international!
Locally, and it took a really short time. She had to submit a few documents such as certified ID as the author, the book covers, acknowledgement pages etc and given an ISBN, in which she had to submit 2 copies of the novel (authors debt), within 30 days after receiving the ISBN. The process is quite quick.
7.What is your book about?
Modern YA novel series are a series of novels about modern young adults navigating everyday life, about the challenges they face and how they over come them. The first novel is called Best Friends Never and is about Mikayla, a young adult surviving in a new school, experiencing the complexities of friendships, handling age appropriate relationship and dealing with changing family dynamics.
It’s sequel Happily Never After continues her journey of her and her friends/family. It tackles more young adult issues such as bullying, abandonment, future planning etc.
The mandate of modern YA novel series is to tackle issues that otherwise we fear tackling but in an age appropriate and relaxed way. Young adults love reading the series as they have commented that it helps them reminisce the old school and young adults love it as it create some sort of a “community” for them.
- Where can one get it?
The books are on an order and delivery by far. You contact her business contacts +267 72694313 or yolandah.motlhankana@gmail.com to arrange delivery within Gaborone. For orders outside Gaborone, courier arrangements are made.
9. Have you won any award before?
Not yet, although she has been shortlisted in the 2023 iReason Publishers Debut Authors’ Prize.
10. What are the perks of being an author?
Self expression. Yolandah explain how she loves the freedom of expression that comes with writing, the ability to start conceptualizing an idea until it is a beautiful piece of art ready for consumption. Also she loved the freedom of being her own boss as an author, she literally reaps what she sores, if she puts in little effort, she makes less, ,but when she puts in her maximum effort, she believes literature can be a fulltime job even.
- What can you change about book industry locally?
We should take the book industry as a business and not just a hobby to express ourselves and tackle issues. Publishing a book is just the beginning of it, authors should keep proper records of costs and revenue, be disciplined with the money and grow just as any business grows. We must focus on the quality of our books and not just celebrate the number of books we have published. Also, author supporting bodies are too many, I think we should come together and become one large body, that way we can actually carry power in decisions concerning u.
12. Your word to the aspiring authors?
Do not let financial difficulties stop you, the internet is everything, you can learn almost any skill with the Orange night surfers worth P10, and help is available, just ask. Also volunteer your services even when you are not asked, I joined Resurrect Magazine as a volunteer in admin work because I wanted learn all I could about writing in a magazine, now I have written a couple of articles for the magazine. Like Nike said, “Just Do It”.
Mt Kenya Times