‘How challenges led me into publishing’

Oluwatosin Olajumoke Arodudu is a lady of many parts, a publisher, lawyer, trained arbitrator, negotiator and mediator. In this interview with Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare, she speaks on the challenges of new authors and what her firm is doing differently in the literary space. Excerpts:

YOU are the founder of Hadar Creations, a publishing firm, what types of publications are you into?

Hadar Creations is a publishing company created to make publishing easier for writers who want to become published authors and have no means or wherewithal to achieve this.  We are also into publishing theraphy, where we help people break out of every form of limitations that the culture of silence has boxed them in. We are created to make the journey devoid of frustration. Many people have so much ideas, experiences and wisdom to share with the world, but the culture of silence keeps them in perpetual state of fear and doubt.

We are equally into identity coaching, where we help people discover who they are, accept who they are,  unlock their potentials and unearth their treasures.

How did you find yourself in the publishing world?

I was inspired to start writing as a result of joblessness. I had searched for jobs for years and finally, this particular job looked like it was coming through. However, I was turned down by the organisation and this really hit me hard. I passed the interview and I was already planning for my resumption, only for me to get an email that I was not the right fit for the job. I sobbed for two days, thereafter, I start blogging, despite many doubts. That was how my journey of writing, advocacy, blogging and eventually becoming a published author and a full-fledged publisher began.

How many books have you authored so far and which of these books do you like most?

I have authored and self-published three books in print, and four e-books. The books in print are available on Amazon and on our own online publishing platform. I will say all the books are impactful, but the one titled, From the Perspective of the Child, shares my personal experience as a child from a dysfunctional family.

My parents separated while I was just two, and as a result, growing up was traumatic and full of emotional pains. It was mostly a life of war, negativity and so much toxicity. That book was an outlet for me to break the bondage the culture of silence has kept me for long.

Your style of writing differs from the usual writing styles around, how will you categorise your writing style?

I write from the bottom of my soul with the intention of being the voice for the voiceless. I don’t just write to gain fans or audience. I write to put a voice to the unspoken thoughts of many people. I dislike every form of discrimination, segregation, and inequality. As an introvert, I understand the pains many people carry in their hearts without finding an outlet to let it out. In Hadar Creations, we created our own genre; it is called the Hadar genre. This means that writing in order to liberate people and make them discover and walk in their own glory.

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 Will you say your books are for everyone, or you have specific reading demographics you target?

My creative works are targeted mostly for Africans at home and in the Diaspora. However, I believe my books will touch and spark up something in everyone who reads all over the world, no matter their race or colour. My aim is to speak to the heart and soul of everyone who reads my books.

How was the experience like when you wrote your first book?

It was really tough, I must confess. I started writing my first book, Motherhood and the Society, when my second child was just a week old. I got the inclination to be an author after I had her, so I knew it was going to be a new year of writing a book. I didn’t even know I was going to write three powerful books in one year. While writing my first book, I had a toddler and a baby to deal with. However I had made up my mind that I was going to write that book, and rather than suffer another post-natal depression like I did when I had my first child, I diverted all that energy into writing my first book. However, after publishing the first book, I had the urge to write the second book. After that, I made a decision that I was going to write a third book. It was a goal after a goal for me.

Will you say book publishing is more affordable now than in the past?

Book publishing today is very affordable and within reach. Unlike before when authors had to pay through their noses or face a long wait before eventually getting selected for publishing. Now there are a lot of platforms where authors can just upload their books once they have done their due diligence and they would get published and be paid royalty on each book sold. This is also what Hadar Creations does in order to make life easier for authors.