FAQs

Long story

I have always felt our public sector and governance in general was poorly structured. The set of institutions and lines of responsibilities seemed often messy, overlapping, broad yet poorly defined etc.. I don't have specific examples at this time but it has been a long held observation (for more than a decade by 2023). On top of this poor organisation is the fact that many doctrines and practices in governance tend to contradict themselves; like the idea of separation of powers whereas ministers are appointed from parliament.

Back in university (KNUST, 2010-2014) I had already begun to piece together ideas for a National Administrative Restructure Plan as a project under a research and development organisation I had been planning (and had made minor efforts since 2012) on establishing since I was in secondary school (St. Peter's SHS, 2006-2009). I would also occasionally post some of these ideas and issues identified on Facebook, from university days to the time of writing (early 2023).

In fact, I tried to make the topic for my final year (undergraduate) special study something close, although I must admit it wasn't too clearly defined at the time, having captured it as somewhat a study of the progress on decentralisation (considering I couldn't also propose my original/full plan), and that topic was rightfully rejected; I ended up doing a study on Mobile Clinics.

The main (research and planning) project, and many others, were shelved even after graduating, while I struggled to build up as an entrepreneur, in order to properly set up the research and development organisation I mentioned early on; which would encapsulate (and thus felt like a prerequisite for) delivering such research work and development proposals (like a think tank).

Again, besides the notes I often pen down on PC for future use, all this while the only other place to think out loud occasionally or hint at a few ideas or problems or even vent on them would be on Facebook. Through these media (PC and social media) the ideas had built up around our approach to democracy and governance (among others), and what our clear problems are, although I did not have all the answers yet in terms of solutions to a few remaining puzzles. Between 2018 and 2022 or early 2023, the final pieces to the puzzles had been figured out; mostly randomly thinking to myself as and when, considering I wasn't working on it as a project yet. 

By 2022 my frustrations with our (Ghana) government had crossed its final line.

By early 2023, after taking a hiatus (a couple of months it was) from my normal engagements to write a few articles for a website (including one on publishing), coupled with a number of other pressing personal factors and the fact that all pieces to the puzzle were now apparent to me, I decided I could not wait until conditions were perfect (i.e. to have my research and development organisation) before intervening in public policy and governance. I'd been writing (articles) for the past couple of months, I might as well just write this one (book) for now, I thought; I'd have to sacrifice only a few (say 4 months) I figured, since I already had the answers, pieces and fragments of what I wanted to piece together here and there, and would only have to arrange and flesh them out.

Those were the conditions that culminated in the writing of the book.

Of course, the urgency to solve the innumerable tragic problems identified in the book, it goes without saying, were in themselves motivations for writing the book; that would be the short answer to the question above.

Writing "started" properly on March 21^st and ended on October 28^th, and indexing and editing pushed it to November 17^th. Intermittent minor edits continued while working out publishing and marketing until December 14^th; so, 7-9 months depending on what you are looking at.

As mentioned in response to the previous question, many of the main ideas and points were already noted down over several years; at least a decade prior to actually sitting down to write full-time, but these were mostly small notes or bullet points on key proposals or approaches; a lot more ideas and angles came up while fleshing them out.

Most of the work and time really went into the one chapter on History of Democratic Governance (around the world) since that was an actual study (through several books as one will discover). This took most of the time up to September 5^th (about 5 months). The remaining 7 chapters took a combined period of 2 months of main writing. No aspect of the book was rushed however; every single line was given as much time as it needed (and more to be sure), proceeding calmly and painstakingly throughout. The other 7 chapters proceeded more quickly because they were based on and relating or expanding ideas already well-formed.

Firstly, I did not approach this project as an academic; a book was simply the means to get the message across; the only medium capable of holding the volume of things to be said. As a result, the focus, starting out, was not to follow strictly any established formats for academic writing (except to the extent that was necessary for reading). Academics should therefore not read it with such lenses; indeed, the book is not intended primarily for academia but for the consumption of the general public, like an open letter.

Secondly, if you refer above to the motivations for writing the book, you might understand when I say I did not have the luxury under the circumstances to look for and work with reviewers. In my experience (here in Ghana at least) most people are not even available under normal circumstances; even for a student pursuing an academic degree, getting a supervisor or recommendation letter from busy lecturers can be challenging and take forever. For an individual neither working as a student nor under an organisation for this purpose, it would only jeopardise the project or needlessly prolong it to rely on finding and working with reviewers and other parties.

To make the above certain is the fact that it was being undertaken without any funding or support whatsoever, which would make it not only impossible to compensate any reviewers or other hands involved for the many long months it took, even if such individuals were found (which is also impossible), under crushing personal financial and other pressures it would have made writing too challenging if not impossible for the author if it had to extend past a year due to review processes.

Thirdly, considering some of the issues discussed, I imagine an academic might be inclined to push for a more academic language where we cannot entertain such. In discussing some of the problems identified, it's important that we lose the "diplomatic" language and say things as they are; an approach most academics and people really would not want to be part of; working alone allowed some freedom in that regard.

This is all not to even slightly question the importance of reviewers to such projects; I make it a must to find "extra eyes" on much less projects all the time and very much appreciate the need for other perspectives or critic reviews on any project; it is invaluable to shaping good work and spotting blind sides of the author, which can come from fatigue and many other things. On this project, however, it was a necessary cost to forgo it. To compensate, the entire project went through an uncountable number of re-reading and editing, during and after writing.

The reasons for not working with a publisher are similar to those of not working with a technical reviewer.

To add to the above, however, even when the book was almost done or done and:

1. I reached out to a couple of organisations dedicated to the issue of democracy in Ghana to partner with them to help launch the book and lead discussions, considering the gravity of issues involved and the implications for the wider society, CDD did not respond. IDEG responded to an email and promised on phone to forward my request and get in touch (multiple times); never did.
2. I reached out to many printing presses and publishers to get a QUOTE! As a potential customer! Most publishers and print presses did not respond; TYPE Company Ltd. (which I was most looking forward to work with some day for several years) unfortunately practically snubbed me, twice, another promised to get back and never did; the rest, more 10 publishers and presses contacted, were either inaccessible or did not respond. The worst experience was with KNUST's University Press, where some staff would rather have conversations with themselves than attend to a waiting client (besides the typical tone of customer service in Kumasi which lacks any cordiality, patience or grasp), and where I only lost valuable time and money commuting to and fro for a week for a simple sample order they still failed and had trouble refunding me for (an order I got fulfilled at 25% the price in 2 hours at a small print shop right outside campus). Only University of Ghana Press and Buck Press (and one other small print shop) out of more than 10 entities contacted responded positively, professionally and cordially.
3. With a sample of the book and a quote in hand, I tried reaching out to a few major bookstores to try to get the first copies printed by getting them to order directly from the press (so they pay them instead of me for copies to be printed directly for them) in exchange for an exclusive retail/distribution deal for them. My call with EPP Books ended at my request for an email to send a sample of the book with a proposal. That is, request not even made yet, they would not even give out an email, because it required permission! For Kingdom Books, I arranged a trip (one I had to borrow money for) to the head office (after confirming multiple times on phone if I could come), only to be told at their doorstep by a long succession of other secretaries a meeting would not be possible (after confirming on phone it would), and even after insisting and getting permission to take it upstairs, the sample was rejected by the final secretary on the spot without even reading. A few other smaller bookshops whom I contacted from their own ads on social media either did not respond to enquiries or to any messages at all (after paying for ads to receive messages)!

Make no mistake, it had nothing to do with my approach or appearance in either case; this is just business and customer service in Ghana as usual.

I had already anticipated such things and knew, before I started the project, looking for a publisher would as well be a terrible idea if not futile; the above instance was with a solid book and a quote in hand, how much more as a nobody only with an "idea" at the start.

And finding a publisher is one hurdle, working with one is another when you have to deal with their own limitations in terms of being able to grasp what you are trying to achieve; I have had my experience trying to find and work with angel investors on another project prior.

Before starting this project, I had also done a quick study on the ins and outs of publishing and did not like the typical rates between publishers and authors and what it might cost in terms of creative freedom, convenience (quite critical at the time) and ultimately control.

These reasons combined, I decided to approach this as a self-publisher.

Note: this is not to recommend self-publishing to anyone; working with a publisher has its many benefits, it just was not a good fit for me at this time.

A different artwork was actually originally planned for the cover of the book, which was more intricate and artistic. Unfortunately, I could not find the means and time to paint or draw it properly prior to publishing. Hopefully that work will be done separately later on and perhaps placed on a subsequent edition of the book if there is one.

The present artwork is however a piece on its own in spite of how minimalist it is.

On the left side we have a figure that resembles:

1. A couple of trees with no leaves or fruits. This represents a system or authority (the trunk) with no people or results.
2. A drowning person, representing a failing system; how the people feel.
3. A pair of hands; readers would understand what it represents.

The above also implies the curvature can be seen as the sea or land.

On the right obviously is the Sun.

The sky is deliberately dark while the land is light coloured; this represents a reversal of what is and what should be.

The lit region of the "hands" is reaching into and thus replacing the dark area (old system).

And in the background of all that? That's your guess.

I thought the simpler piece could do with an explanation, but the original piece if done will be left to the full interpretation of the viewer; that's the beauty of art, for one to find their own meaning or identify their own elements in it.