The publishing industry in Pakistan is still in its nascent stages and Pakistani English fiction writers prefer Indian, British and American book publishers

In the 2000s, a rich panoply of talent emerged in the realm of Pakistani English fiction. Ironically, a vast majority of these authors were published in other countries, such as India, the United States and the United Kingdom. This is largely because Pakistan’s publishing infrastructure has struggled to measure up to global standards.

In the past, fiction writers who approached publishers in Pakistan often encountered a cold, unprofessional attitude. More often than not, publishers used to express their reluctance to publish fiction in English as there is a rather limited readership for it in the country. Other publishers would urge writers to obtain confirmed pre-publication orders for their work from distributors. Most writers who had been greeted with such requests gradually discovered that these were merely an indirect means of rejecting their work.

It would be wrong to assert that publishing houses operating in the country have done little to foster a thriving literary culture in Pakistan. The Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan, the country’s largest publishing house, has hosted the Karachi and Islamabad literary festivals, which have made notable contributions to the literary landscape. A string of small-scale publishers have also provided a platform for new fiction to be published in the country, even though many of them lack the desired infrastructure to provide editorial and marketing input.

Yet, publishers in other countries remain a popular choice among Pakistani writers as they provide a doorway to an international audience. A few years ago, copies of these books were readily imported by bookstores from India at cheaper rates and sold in Pakistan. Local writers seldom had to think about releasing Pakistani editions of their books as the Indian editions were easily available in the market.

Things took a turn for the worse in August 2019 when the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in India illegally annexed Indian-occupied Kashmir. The then Imran Khan-led government decided to ban Indian imports in a show of solidarity to the people of the occupied valley. As a result, books imported from India became collateral damage in a political crisis.

Did these developments alone fuel a resurgence in Pakistan’s publishing sector? However, the seeds of change had been sown a few years earlier and new presses had already carved out a niche for themselves in the indigenous market. For instance, Liberty Books, a major book distributor in the country, had already set up Liberty Publishing. As early as October 2018, Liberty Publishing had released a few books in collaboration with Indian publishers and they were keen on strengthening its publishing arm.

The import ban with India provided an indirect impetus to Pakistan’s publishing industry. Local writers gravitated towards home-grown publishers as either a last resort or because they finally recognised the value of publishing Pakistani editions of their work after India became an unreliable option. Publishing companies rose to the occasion and made consistent efforts to fill the vacuum. Many of them obtained rights to reprint books by Pakistani writers that had been taken on by Indian publishers before the ban. A few of them even went on to publish original fiction. With time, new players entered the industry and the publishing sector in Pakistan gained a fresh momentum.

However, we cannot forget that Pakistan’s publishing industry is still in its nascent stages. Local publishers have a long way to go as many of them still haven’t fully grasped the value of quality control – a vital ingredient that can help them compete with global trends. Many books that have been published locally are in desperate need of sound editorial input. At the same time, concrete marketing strategies need to be chalked out to find a wider audience for these titles.

The authors

These views have been echoed by various Pakistani writers who have been published in both India and the home market.

Haroon Khalid Akhtar, the award-winning author of Melody of a Tear, tells BOLD that publishing their books in India had provided Pakistani authors in English with some key advantages until 2019.

“There were once very few publishers for English fiction in Pakistan,” he says. “When I started looking for a publisher [in Pakistan] for Melody of a Tear, I could not find any, except for one in Lahore. However, they did not provide any editorial services to writers, let alone an advance.”

Akhtar’s first novel found a publisher in India mere months before the import ban was introduced.

“The novel had to be reprinted in Pakistan as the demand for it had soared but the stock was limited [owing to the import ban],” he adds.

In 2021, Akhtar decided to find a local publisher for his second novel The Liar’s Truth. Liberty Publishing, which had printed the Pakistani edition of his debut novel, eventually went on to publish his second work of fiction.

“It proved to be an efficient experience,” he says.

Akhtar believes that publishing Pakistani fiction in English is considered “a risky proposition”.

“The choices are limited for a Pakistani author,” he adds. Even so, Akhtar claims local publishers are on a journey that Indian publishers embarked upon many years ago.

“Since 2020, improved editing facilities and author coordination services are being put in place,” he says. “Our local publishers have a lot to learn in terms of marketing a book internationally and through influencers [on Instagram]. But our industry has slowly and finally started to move in the right direction.”

Awais Khan, another Pakistani novelist, shares similar concerns. His debut novel In the Company of Strangers was published locally because his Indian publisher wasn’t able to send copies of the book to Pakistan. “While publishing with a local press has made the novel very accessible, there have also been plenty of challenges,” says Khan.

“Publishers in Pakistan have very poor distribution that affects sales.”

Khan is of the view that the fault lies in part with bookshops as well. “They are just not that keen on stocking locally published books.” Many book stores also have their own publishing divisions and give priority to their own imprints in their respective shops, he adds.

“A lot of work is yet to be done,” he says. “The Pakistani publishing industry would do well to follow the British and American publishing industries.”

According to Khan, there also needs to be “greater transparency about royalties” that are paid to authors.

However, the author believes local publishers ought to be commended for “rising to the occasion when the trade ban with India so ruthlessly brought the book industry to a standstill”.

The publishers

After the import ban was imposed, publishers in Pakistan have found themselves busier than ever, but have had to reckon with copious challenges.

Sara Danial, a publishing professional, tells BOLD that the country’s publishing sector was already in its infancy and was “unequipped, unstructured, and marred by low profit margins”. Despite these challenges, the industry had to find “novel ways” to continue to remain in business, she added.

Danial claims the import ban has led to “the sharing of literature in a unique way” as Pakistani publishers have now acquired reprinting rights from India to ensure that books are available for readers in Pakistan.

She adds that Pakistan publishers have in recent years provided opportunities to authors who had not been picked up by their Indian counterparts.

“Of course, economics dictates most businesses and publishing is no different as it is all about the numbers,” she says. “Having said that, Pakistan has a long way to go. We need better editors, an ecosystem of literary agents, marketing channels, distribution networks and larger print runs to capitalise on cost savings and build economies of scale. The fact remains that publishing is not a money-minting business.”

Danial believes that if the ban persists and books continue to be printed locally, publishers will have to find ways of selling more books. “To sell more, we must build a culture of reading,” she adds. “Pakistan, tragically, remains a nation of dying readers.”

Liberty Books director Sameer Saleem tells BOLD that authors have benefited considerably after local presses decided to publish their books. “Indian publishers usually have a long queue when it comes to publishing and Pakistani authors would often have to wait for their book to be given priority,” he said. “Local publishers, however, give priority to Pakistani authors.”

Even so, Saleem believes that publishing has become a difficult undertaking in the local market. More immediately, paper prices have skyrocketed owing to the increase in the dollar rate, which has affected the quality of paper that is used in books. “At this stage, local publishers have received no support from the government,” he adds.

Safinah Danish Elahi, who heads Reverie Publishers, is of the view that her publishing venture is merely “a drop in the ocean” and hopes it can continue to make a ripple over time.

“Reverie has published 10 titles so far,” she says. “All of them have been well-received while three more are in the pipeline for this year.”

While Elahi remains optimistic about the future of publishing in Pakistan, she points towards a few “roadblocks” that have caused problems for local presses.

“People don’t buy enough,” she says. “In addition, a lot of readers critique Pakistani writing and believe it will never meet international standards as English is our second language. However, I don’t agree with this. We have immense potential and have been able to produce excellent literature in the past and present.”

She believes that sustainable solutions can be found within our existing publishing infrastructure. Elahi also plans to collaborate with small American presses by obtaining reprinting rights to their titles.

The challenges within

Pakistan’s publishing sector has also been battered by global pandemic and the crippling economic crises that have gripped the nation.

“Covid-19 brought things to a standstill in the publishing sector,” says Raheela Baqai, OUP’s marketing director. “The currency devaluation and inflation have also made things difficult. The prices of books now have to be adjusted in relation to the rise in paper prices.”

Baqai asserts that at a time when people are struggling to purchase basic amenities, it is difficult to expect people to buy books.

Pakistan’s publishing industry may have gained the necessary impetus, but a concerted effort needs to be made to overhaul infrastructural facilities and bring them at par with international standards.