Be an International Publishing Mentor – Join the WIPO-APNET Mentorship Programme

Be an International Publishing Mentor – Join the WIPO-APNET Mentorship Programme

By Gabrielle Etcheverry Date: January 12, 2022

Are you looking for ways to share your knowledge and skills with emerging publishers? The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) needs you!

Under its Publisher’s Circle Programme, WIPO is undertaking a new initiative in partnership with the African Publishers Network (APNET) to provide a mentorship programme for African publishers from French-speaking African countries. The programme seeks to upskill publishers across Africa to achieve their full potential.

WIPO and APNET are seeking publishers (predominantly Educational, General Trade and Children’s publishers) from around the world who would be willing to volunteer their services for 3 to 4 weeks for 1 to 2 hours per week to work with a small group of African publishers on their development plan objectives.

Mentors are being sought to assist with the following aspects:

  • Digital publishing and e-learning (including converting print books to ebooks)
  • Publishing finance
  • Model development e.g., subscription
  • Marketing techniques e.g., website development and social media presence
  • Design
  • Editorial / working with authors
  • Buying and selling rights
  • Workflow management
  • Sales strategies (including internationally)
  • Ecommerce

Why should you give up your time?

Working closely with a small group of African publishers (or an individual publisher) will give you a unique insight into this vibrant emerging market.

You will be sharing what you have learned with publishers who have little access to publishing training and mentoring, and you will be contributing to the promotion of book publishing in Africa through capacity building.

Further, you will be contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals which are underpinning the WIPO Publishers Circle.

And having fun to boot!

To volunteer as a Publishing Mentor

Please email wipotrainingprogramme@gmail.com by Friday, January 28, 2022, stating the areas of publishing you can assist with.

To learn more about book publishing in French-language and English-langue book markets in Africa, check out our market guides: