South Africa support thread

[Lysmata Debelius]

I need a complete step-by-step guide. I don't want to do them all and then find they're incorrect . Do I put your code after the = sign?


ETA Yay  I seem to have done it. But I've had to murder two of my babies . Why only 9 books?

Hey! Nice to see you here. We should start a South African writers' support thread just for the two of us!

[Jeff Tanyard]

I need a complete step-by-step guide. I don't want to do them all and then find they're incorrect . Do I put your code after the = sign?


ETA Yay  I seem to have done it. But I've had to murder two of my babies . Why only 9 books?

Hey! Nice to see you here. We should start a South African writers' support thread just for the two of us!

Can I post in it, too?  I've been to Cape Town and found it absolutely wonderful.  When I stood on the deck of the Cape Point lighthouse and faced south, it was kind of surreal, you know?  Thinking that the next land over the horizon was Antarctica, I mean.  Wild stuff.  It was really like being at the edge of the world.

[Lysmata Debelius]

Can I post in it, too?  I've been to Cape Town and found it absolutely wonderful.  When I stood on the deck of the Cape Point lighthouse and faced south, it was kind of surreal, you know?  Thinking that the next land over the horizon was Antarctica, I mean.  Wild stuff.  It was really like being at the edge of the world.

Of course! All are welcome in this so-far-non-existent-south-african-writers-support-thread! Cape Point is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been too. Slightly intimidated by the baboons, though

[Jeff Tanyard]

Slightly intimidated by the baboons, though

The baboons are just plain creepy.     Exciting to watch, sure, but I can happily go the rest of my life without any more baboon encounters.

The penguins were cute, but a little boring.  They just lay there on the beach.   

The ostriches were cool.     And tasty, too.  I had an ostrich burger at the Two Oceans Restaurant.   :icon_wink:

[Lysmata Debelius]

Ha ha! We got split off. Getting off topic, I guess. Sorry, Tim! Seriously, I doubt there are enough of us to justify a thread


But maybe that will change

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Ok. I'll join to bump the tread. We can discuss our postal problems  .

[Lysmata Debelius]

Oh  gosh. So true.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Oh  gosh. So true.

I've been sent a new payment card by 'regular' post from the US. Expected to arrive by Nov 5th. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

If you take the ? out of the thread title we can ask for this to be an official SA thread and have it stickied like the Australian and Canadian one 

[Lysmata Debelius]

I could drum up some more writers to join

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I could drum up some more writers to join

Might be a good idea. We have some unique problems here. An editor has just told me he is sending me a cheque from the UK  . Had to send a quick reply and ask for a PayPal payment instead. He is consulting their finance dept. Imagine a 'Phew' emoticon here. 

[Lysmata Debelius]

Jan, on that topic, are you aware of this thing of becoming an "importer or record" if you buy more than three things per year from Amazon or similar sites. It's a new thing that SARS has started doing this year.

"According to reports from TimesLive, SARS confirmed that citizens who bring in more than three import consignments per year will need to apply for an importer’s code.

The regulations have been in place since 2013, but are reportedly only now being enforced – with the reports of the crackdown starting in April 2018.

According to the SARS website, to register as an importer you must provide several personal and identifying documents, along with a certified copy of a close corporation registration or a company registration.

....

One of the ways to buy goods from international markets such as the US and not cut into your import quota is to use an import service from a local ecommerce store.

This sees a local retailer bring your order into the country under its own importer’s code, delivering it to you as if you had purchased it in South Africa."

See more about this here:

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/273281-you-are-the-importer-of-record-when-buying-from-amazon.html

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Jan, on that topic, are you aware of this thing of becoming an "importer or record" if you buy more than three things per year from Amazon or similar sites. It's a new thing that SARS has started doing this year.

"According to reports from TimesLive, SARS confirmed that citizens who bring in more than three import consignments per year will need to apply for an importer’s code.

The regulations have been in place since 2013, but are reportedly only now being enforced – with the reports of the crackdown starting in April 2018.

According to the SARS website, to register as an importer you must provide several personal and identifying documents, along with a certified copy of a close corporation registration or a company registration.

....

One of the ways to buy goods from international markets such as the US and not cut into your import quota is to use an import service from a local ecommerce store.

This sees a local retailer bring your order into the country under its own importer’s code, delivering it to you as if you had purchased it in South Africa."

See more about this here:

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/273281-you-are-the-importer-of-record-when-buying-from-amazon.html

I haven't heard about this  . Sounds like a bit of a nightmare if we need to order proof copies. I wonder what Amazon thinks about this if their customers can no longer buy freely from them.
I've found that I sometimes get charged customs duty on my books and other times I don't. Makes it difficult to decide how much to quote if someone wants to buy your print book. I've given up buying copies to re-sell. 

[Lysmata Debelius]

I've found a local print on demand business here in Cape Town to do my print books. Ordering them from Amazon or Creatspace simply does not make sense anymore.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I've found a local print on demand business here in Cape Town to do my print books. Ordering them from Amazon or Creatspace simply does not make sense anymore.

I've been getting print copies of Something to Read on the Plane printed locally from 2006. I sell to Exclusive books. I have to get 1000 copies at a time to make it worthwhile (quite an expensive outlay!). I investigated POD copies from the same firm, but for re-sale to a bookshop it wasn't viable. I also did some calculations on my other books just for buying to re-sell to friends and at book signings etc, but CreateSpace was still cheaper, or about the same, even with the shipping costs.  Perhaps your printer is cheaper (imagine a 'wondering' emoticon here) 

[Lysmata Debelius]

I don't print such big numbers! My printer is http://www.digital-action.co.za/ contact person Sean Heydenrych sean@digitalactionsa.co.za
So far they've been very reliable,  excellent quality.

I've not tried to get my book into local bookshops. I hear good things about Blue Weaver distributors. https://www.blueweaver.co.za/  I don't know if they'll be useful if you're not in Cape Town.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I don't print such big numbers! My printer is http://www.digital-action.co.za/ contact person Sean Heydenrych sean@digitalactionsa.co.za
So far they've been very reliable,  excellent quality.

I've not tried to get my book into local bookshops. I hear good things about Blue Weaver distributors. https://www.blueweaver.co.za/  I don't know if they'll be useful if you're not in Cape Town.

Thanks.
My Leon children's books were trad published by a small publisher. The distributors took 65% and we went through several of them - all mostly useless. I sell my Something to Read on the Plane directly to Exclusive Books. Have virtually given up trying to sell elsewhere, except for a gallery that takes a few now and again.

[CharH]

Hello,

I'm South African! I'm a full-time PNR author from Johannesburg.  Good to meet you both. I don't normally post on these types of forums but how could I not?

I haven't ordered print copies of my books for the longest time because my last two batches never made it to me 

[Lysmata Debelius]

Hello,

I'm South African! I'm a full-time PNR author from Johannesburg.  Good to meet you both. I don't normally post on these types of forums but how could I not?

I haven't ordered print copies of my books for the longest time because my last two batches never made it to me 

Hi there!

 Yes. I've heard lots of stories about missing mail. So frustrating. Or it takes so looooooooooong to reach you , you pretty much give up.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Hello,

I'm South African! I'm a full-time PNR author from Johannesburg.  Good to meet you both. I don't normally post on these types of forums but how could I not?

I haven't ordered print copies of my books for the longest time because my last two batches never made it to me 

Who did you order them from? I've had copies from CreateSpace go missing, but when I informed them they sent replacements via courier. 

[CharH]

Yes, from CreateSpace. Never thought to notify them. It's been over a year since my last order, so too late now. Going to give KDP a bash, hopefully, I have better luck. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Yes, from CreateSpace. Never thought to notify them. It's been over a year since my last order, so too late now. Going to give KDP a bash, hopefully, I have better luck. 

What a pity you didn't tell them  . They can trace whether you received the order. They've couriered a couple of my orders.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Has anyone started using Amazon.co.za yet? Not sure how it affects us as sellers. My paperbacks all say 'currently not available'. Can't find Kindle books 

[TimothyEllis]

Has anyone started using Amazon.co.za yet? Not sure how it affects us as sellers. My paperbacks all say 'currently not available'. Can't find Kindle books 

They wont in that store until Amazon locks in a local printer.

Took years before they started printing in the Australian store.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Has anyone started using Amazon.co.za yet? Not sure how it affects us as sellers. My paperbacks all say 'currently not available'. Can't find Kindle books 

They wont in that store until Amazon locks in a local printer.

Took years before they started printing in the Australian store.

I expected the paperbacks to not be available, but I can't find the kindle books. 

[TimothyEllis]

I expected the paperbacks to not be available, but I can't find the kindle books. 

I just checked on my last one, and it's not there.

That probably means they need to populate the store, and it might take time.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I expected the paperbacks to not be available, but I can't find the kindle books. 

I just checked on my last one, and it's not there.

That probably means they need to populate the store, and it might take time.

I think that's why they had a 'soft' launch. I've only seen it mentioned in the business news section.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Has anyone ordered a print proof or author's copy of their book? I am about to launch a print version of one of my books and I'm wondering if a courier is the only option