Nigerian poet, Abegunde Sunday Olaoluwa, fondly called ‘Speaking Pen’ is the winner of World Union of Poets Prize 2016. He is the principal director of Speaking Pen International Concept (SPIC). The author of bestselling self-help book, ‘Unleash Your Potential: Beyond Just Motivation’, in this interview with ABDULHAFEEZ T. OYEWOLE speaks about his unflinching commitment to the writing, publishing and spoken words.
What was your background like?
My background is a beautiful one though all we got was incessant love as a family that goes through thick and thin together. I learnt and mastered street scrabble, which wet my unquenchable appetite for words and subsequently for the aesthetics of language use.
How did you start writing and subsequently became an author, publisher and public speaker?
To start with, I commend your ratiocination in chronologically listing what I do. I deflowered the actualisation of my potential with writing. I started writing poetry for school children.
In 2010, I got the impress to write a self-help book on my mind. I did, which made me an author. After the release of my first print book; copies were taken to the National Library for submission to have it listed in the books-in-print for the year.
Then came a shocker of my life! Guess… The ISBN Number I paid for was rejected. I learnt the hard way. The good thing about this was that it propelled me to set up my own publishing outfit, duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and recognised by the National Library of Nigeria.
That is, the birth of Speaking Pen International Concept. The initial objective was to rescue the writers from falling victim of buying invalid ISBN. I even attended a number of publishing master classes and enrolled as a printer’s part-time apprentice.
How did you come about your sobriquet: Speaking Pen?
The night before the name registration of my firm in Alausa, I read the scripture, Psalm 45:1b and had ‘Speaking Pen’ impressed in my heart. Hence, Speaking Pen International Concept (SPIC). The brand grew strong enough that writing circles and friends call me ‘Speaking Pen’.
What is the greatest influence on your creative, speaking and publishing endeavours?
The greatest influence is my passion for good of others. That prompted my poetry works in advocate for social justice and also the propelling force for me to write an inspiring motivational book to better their lives, ‘Unleash Your Potential Beyond Just Motivation’, a book that is geared at helping people convert their potentials into their monetary equivalent and make them feel fulfilled.
Same reason is why speaking engagement makes me joyous. Also, my earlier explanation of how my publishing firm started points to my passion for others.
What are the themes and target public of your maiden poetry collection, In His Realm?
In His Realm is the first fruit of my pen, it’s my first published work (Chap book). It was released on Amazon both as Kindle (ebook) and Paperback.
However, ‘Unleash Your Potential’ was my first commercially printed book in Nigeria, UK, USA and Canada. ‘In His Realm’ is a collection of poetry with scriptural allusions. I am considering reviewing it since my penning craft had since improved a thousand times from then.
What can you say about the Nigeria’s writing and publishing industries?
This is a unique industry. It functions like the kidneys in the human body. That’s this industry like the unseen kidney, is doing a lot but not getting the deserved attention from investors and in my opinion, the government. The on-going industrial action by the National Library of Nigeria for about three months now is an epitome of the haemorrhaging suffering of this industry.
The economic situation of the country and the poor reading culture have been the undertakers burying traditional publishers in Nigeria. The few surviving ones concentrate more on publishing school books for primary and secondary schools leaving writers of other categories of books at the mercy of self-publishing.
What is your take on writers self-publishing their works?
Sequel to my response to the last question, it is a ridiculously herculean task to get a traditional publishing deal due to high competition for the very few slots of the very few traditional publishers.
Also, the microscopic few that get the said traditional publishing deal are faced and fazed by obnoxious terms of contract, which is no fault of the traditional publisher too since he is in business to earn excess profits.
Studies have revealed that most books published in Nigeria in recent years are self-published. Our firm offers services to self-publishers like cover designing, editing services and processing of ISBN and some even have us print and publish their works.
How has writing, publishing and speaking rewarded you?
I am a business man and have my entrepreneurial structures to convert my God-given gifts and acquired skills into the monetary equivalent.
I earn money from ghost-writing for people, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora. I have done a number of copy writing for clients. I earn from publishing books for people and I have also won a number of writing contests with prizes.
There are also occasions like that one I wrote a poem as I was contacted for this service and performed it at the birthday of Professor Cyril Ajayi of Obafemi Awolowo University in 2017. After the performance, a good Samaritan (Mr Joshua Adams) took the mic and promised to pay my school fees. Isn’t that encouraging? However, about the glamour on and off campus, online and offline, it’s been rewarding to a laudable degree.
Tell us about your achievements as a writer, an author, a publisher and a motivational speaker?
I wouldn’t start with the awards and prizes that I have won. I felt fulfilled as a writer when I started getting feedbacks in-boxed to me. Two of such that glued to my mind include a Facebook message by a girl touched to tears after reading my poem: ‘The Once Worthless Me’ and another by Mr Soyombo, a Nigerian in the diaspora, who came across my book ‘Unleash Your Potential Beyond Just Motivation’ in the UK and sent me message to appreciate it. I really felt appreciated.
I have won a number of awards, got a number of nominations, honourable mentions, featured in anthologies, newspapers, magazines, blogs, eZines, websites and won several prizes including the World Union of Poets Prize 2016.
Who are the people you look up to?
In Public Speaking, I look up to God and I appreciate the likes of Fela Durotoye, Jimi Tewe, Gbenga Samson, Seun Fakorede, TMO Speak among a host of other veterans.
In writing and publishing, I only look up to God.
Do you belong to any professional institution or body and have they been helpful?
I belong to YALI Network. They offer a range of courses that are beneficial. I also benefited from PDF Academy. I am a member of CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and also ASPOB (Association of Potential Broadcasters).
What are your challenges?
There is need for more financing. It takes money to make money.
How do you balance your role as writer, student and principal director of Speaking Pen?
I found marrying these time-demanding tasks so difficult back then but over the years, I found my balance. To the glory of God, I am doing fine in the Estate Management program that I am running at Obafemi Awolowo University and every other aspect is doing impressively fine too. I have got used to doing them all. I set my priorities right.
What are you working on?
I am presently ghost-writing a script for a lecturer and editing the works my team did ghost-write for one of our clients.
What do you do at your leisure time?
Social Media. I spend time creating content for my massive audience @SpeakingPen on Instagram and other social media platforms. I write quotes or poetry.
Recently, I draw and paint at my leisure time. One more thing, I watch National Geo Wild and Ted videos.
What is your advice to multi-tasking young Nigerians like you?
People may call you ‘Jack of all trades, master of none,’ but they are blind to the fact that one can be Jack of more than one trade and yet be master of all.
The most successful people in the world have more than one stream of income. Diversification is key to financial survival especially in a country like mine.
A scholar once told us an average human doesn’t use up to 10 per cent of their brain power. How then wouldn’t people see you as crazy when you dare to fully explore all your capabilities and capacities for great exploit! The Bible has an account of a servant given one talent and also of servant given five.
