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Bookselling in ... Ethiopia

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       In The Reporter Neamin Ashenafi reports on Reading in to the Addis book market -- where one disgruntled consumer:
is not satisfied with the current output, saying most of the books focus on commercial purpose rather than conveying a message. The writers aim to maximize profit, neglecting to address the current social, political and economic issues, Moges argues.
       Apparently:
Currently many books are published with a high price but reduced quality, lacking coherence on the issues they raise.
       Authors are blamed to some extent (and rather unfairly, surely):
Formerly writers focused on social issues and did not bother about the money, but now some authors get deals before they've even started to write; the market leads them. Publishers will tell the writers or translators to focus on a specific issue, then the deal is made and the work reaches the public. As a result the price of these books is high, due to their basic nature of profit making.
       As in many places, pricing is apparently a big issue -- and:
Tesfaye is saddened by the issue of the price tag, talking about it with great emotion. Those who create new prices by erasing the original ones are criminals -- greedy and immoral. According to his view they are seeking unlawful enrichment, which is illegal. In some cases the vendors are earning more than both the publisher and author.
       And:
It is undeniable that there is an increase in the cost of printing, but the amounts requested by publishers and authors have also skyrocketed. Many readers comment that as the prices rise the substance falls.
       Ah, yes, the problem of 'substance falling' -- a widely heard (if often slightly differently expressed) complaint, not just in Ethiopia .....

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