Ola El-Fouly

Different Blog

Opening up to Maktoob blogs revealed new horizons for me that I hadn’t known before. I write, and friends who are just like me, completely fond of writing but struggling to find an outlet for it, read my work. I gained friends from all over the Arab world, as well as Arab expatriates in Europe and America. I started reading in different Arabic dialects and asking the writers about the meanings of certain words. I was happy with the experience because, before that, I mostly wrote for myself, and most of those around me didn’t care about what I wrote or have an interest in literary writing.

International Center for Journalists

I read an announcement on Facebook about a scholarship for a 9-month course in citizen journalism, starting in January 2010, with practical training at a well-known newspaper. It was offered by the International Center for Journalists in collaboration with the United Nations. I applied with samples of my writing, got accepted into the course, and learned from a select group of experienced journalists. During the training, I worked at Al-Youm Al-Sabea and The Constitution newspaper published my investigation on peacekeeping forces. I also covered the elections of the Wafd Party on assignment from Al-Youm Al-Sabea.

Beginning of the end for a Maktoob website

Some sensitivities and skirmishes began to appear between some nationalities, and between Sunnis and Shiites, and some racism. I thought and still think they are fabricated problems for political reasons and goals, but unfortunately some people believe them. At first, the administration succeeded in absorbing the skirmishes until the site was sold and another administration with biases for and against took over. This caused the withdrawal of Moroccan bloggers and some other bloggers. Then the comments began to turn into evaluations, so the author of the post would get angry and withdraw until Yahoo bought the site and closed it in around 2012. Because of my extreme love for my blog, I moved it to the global blogging site WordPress, but it did not have the Arab spirit that I loved in Maktoob.

Journalism and the Book Fair

I missed Maktoob and its wonderful blogs, so I suggested to a journalist friend that I work in journalism. So I went to her director Mr. Osama Afifie at Al-Mawqif Al-Arabi newspaper, and I brought him samples of my writings which he liked. He was preparing a team to work on a new magazine issued by the General Authority for Books called Al-Majallah. Coincidentally, his friend, the editor-in-chief of the Book Fair Bulletin issued by the General Authority for Books, asked for journalists to cover the book fair activities. I was very happy. He warned me that the work is extremely exhausting. I said:
– Going to the book fair every day is an outing
– You will change your mind and we’ll see after the book fair

I loved working

to cover the book fair despite the fact that it takes a long time and effort, and writing until late hours because the printing house will not wait for anyone. The article must be submitted by 1 AM at the latest. And despite the exhaustion, fatigue and my distance from the book fair, and internet problems, I was committed and covered the book fair for 3 years from 2012: 2014. Then I moved to live in a place that was further away, so the duration of transportation reached two hours going and two hours returning. So I could not continue. During this period I covered several seminars at the Opera House, the Journalists Syndicate, and other places. But after a while I realized that working in journalism is exhausting for me and not suitable.
So I collected memories of this period for its importance and uniqueness in the book “Memory of the Book Fair” for documentation and to benefit from the experience. Then I thought about radio.

Radio

I applied for a radio course at New Egypt Radio. In 2013, I presented with them a program “Minutes in the Biography of the Beloved” – 30 episodes that were broadcasted in Ramadan. It is available on my YouTube channel. After that, a program in a poetic form “On the Forehead of the Nation”, 6 episodes of which were broadcasted on the radio. But after my new residence away from the area of New Egypt, I faced the same problem as the book fair.

Egyptian Media

I took many courses in journalism and radio through the Egyptian Media Institute. Afterwards, I was able to produce my own radio program in preparation, presentation and editing called “Lines Not Forgotten”. Facebook friends participated in it. However, radio is a collective work. It is difficult to continue this way. So I only presented 7 episodes then I stopped until I was brought back to radio by a radio drama workshop.

Radio Drama

Al-Mashreq Company announced a “Radio Drama” workshop in cooperation with the European Union. I applied for the workshop. During the several months of training, I presented a 7-minute radio segment called “The Will”. It was supervised by trainers from Egypt and from the European Union. It was screened at the Cairo International Audio Drama Festival “Waves” from June 7, 2020 to July 7, 2020 which was held online due to the Corona crisis. I also participated in reproducing an episode of the honey series “The Bitter Honey” to honor one of the pioneers of Egyptian radio, the late Youssef Az El Din Issa, may he rest in peace. It was also screened as part of the festival’s activities.

Dubbing

I took a voiceover and dubbing course with the talented trainer Marwa Al-Abiawi. Through the workshop, I presented a voiceover for the role of Jane in the famous cartoon series “Tarzan”. The video is available on my YouTube channel.

Print Publication

I started thinking about publishing. I have poems that can be collected in a book, articles suitable for more than one book, a novel and short stories. I started following publishing houses. Then I asked a Facebook friend who recommended a publishing house to me that shares printing costs between the author and the publisher. I published my first book “The Biography of a Lost Country” which is a popular biography telling the story of Palestine from the beginning. It is available in the store as a gift for visitors.

Paper prices increased

after publishing my book within months to more than double. And I knew that I would not profit from the book, but I wanted to know several things I did not know at the time, including:

–      How many copies were sold?

–      Why isn’t the book available in all bookstores?

–      What is the fate of the copies that were not sold?

E-Publishing

I coincidentally found a course about e-publishing called Nashr. So I contacted the course instructor and bought the course. Through it I learned how to format the paper and electronic book, methods of making the cover, and publishing on Amazon. Although publishing on Amazon is free, the problem with the Amazon site is that it does not support Arabic books, i.e. it does not print them or allow marketing for them. Therefore, not even famous books are sold through it. I also learned about e-publishing through a Facebook group or creating a WordPress site. But keeping the book from theft is very difficult.

Publishing Course

I decided afterwards not to publish anything until I understand how things work in the publishing market. Then Corona came with what it carries. I found a course that teaches the basics of novel writing, and it has a part about publishing presented by Nashr. So I enrolled, and the publishing part was really remarkable. I realized how things work, and what are the roles of the publisher and the writer from the publisher’s point of view:
– The writer bears the printing costs
– He has to market his book on social media
– He has to market his name as a writer
– The publisher takes the deposit number and international numbering by authorization from the writer
– He bears the fees for entering book fairs, and displaying the book in bookstores
– He bears the costs of the signing ceremony
I realized after the course several things that were missing for me – that for the publisher the book is one of his products, but for the writer it is a part of himself, his creativity that he put his feelings, effort and time into. Whether the book is good or not good, the writer will not get income from it unless he deals with a major publishing house, which is very difficult given the huge numbers applying to publishing houses. But there is another way which is independent publishing – since I will bear printing costs why don’t I print myself and document the book at the Documentation House.

Kimmo and Corona

At that time, my relative Kamal El Folly asked me to document her experience of being infected with Corona, her suffering and quarantine period until she recovered, thank God. She sent me audio recordings in her voice and I wrote them. She asked me to print copies at her own expense. So this was the second book: Kimmo and Corona.

Independent Publishing

I asked the publisher with whom I took the course to publish the book, but he was not excited about the idea. So I told her there is only one way left which is to try independent publishing, but I know nothing about it. She said let’s discover it together. I searched for a printing press and asked on Facebook groups. The suggestion was that we print at digital libraries. I started asking until I reached one owned by an acquaintance of my husband. He advised me to go to a printing press because it is cheaper.

The Beginning

I decided to analyze the novel into its basic elements and research each element as one unit with its components and origins of writing. And I started writing down notes from my experiences in writing, and researching many Arabic novels for suitable examples of the element I am writing about to make it a complete study of the novel. I discovered the flaw that existed in my novel, which was that I introduced a completely new idea that had nothing to do with the main idea. So it went on a parallel line that refused to meet the original line smoothly and without contrivance. So it was as if I was writing two novels at the same time.

The Workshop

I started thinking about this huge amount of information – how can I benefit others from it as I have benefited from it. I announced a workshop “How to Trust Your Talent and Write Freely”. During it I presented 13 writing workshops and reading workshops to discuss important novels. 237 trainees participated. I also supervised practical workshops for writing training including a Ramadan writing challenge. The trainees published outstanding topics that I collected in one book called “Ramadan Writing Challenge” and after that I presented a description skill training challenge and collected the participations in another book. The two books are available in the store as a gift for reading lovers.

The Website

Through the workshop’s activities, I got to know great talents. And I loved training. But the nature of social media makes benefiting from the workshops limited. So I started thinking about building a website to offer full programs, courses and workshops for those who want to benefit from them. And to have on it a store for selling books, a forum for discussion and a blog to display literary articles. It would allow me to provide useful consultations for talented people who want to develop their skills and practice their passion for writing, and learn how to manage their talent and ways to turn it into a profitable work that generates decent income.

Awards

I was showered with love by the trainees which some of them expressed in different ways including a certificate of appreciation and designs for advertisements and the logo. And others expressed by words of thanks and gratitude. I was also honored by the Literary Retreat at the 2023 book fair.