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One on One with Agatha Verdadero: Founder CAN-DO! Magazine
Date Published: Sunday March 01, 2009
Agatha Verdadero, Managing Director, the CAN-DO! Company and Editor Can-Do! Magazine has a special appreciation and affinity for the written word. With over 17 years experience in publishing and now a keen observer of the local business trends, she has dedicated her life to bringing the much needed practical knowledge and information to entrepreneurs in Kenya and thus the Can-Do! Magazine. She talks to Nairobist about her job and Can-DO!.
PROFILE SUMMARY
Name: Agatha Verdadero
Title: Managing Director
Field of Study: Creative Writing/Humanities (Pre-law)
Where: De La Salle University Manila/University of the Philippines Diliman
Previous Occupation: Tenured assistant professor
Duration: six years
Age: 39
Civil Status: single
What makes your magazine, CAN-DO! different from others on the market?
It doesn't deal with business news, commentaries, or analyses. Rather, it provides practical knowledge and information for anyone in business, especially SMEs, or wants to engage in business. It's well researched, well written, well edited, and well designed specific to the Kenyan/African context. It is written in a language, tone, and style that even non-business graduates can read, understand, and appreciate.
What is the mission of the CAN-DO! magazine?
Provide accessible and appropriate practical knowledge and information to African entrepreneurs or to those aspiring to be entrepreneurs. Vision is to be the authoritative publication for SMEs and business in general, in Africa.
Where do you get article ideas?
I observe everything around me, research information, and see where there is a need for more information and knowledge.
Do you have a theme for each issue?
Yes.
Are you looking for any particular articles?
Yes and no. Yes because I want to make sure that articles that come to print are appropriate for the theme. No because I'm open to whoever has a well-written article to publish.
Tell us about The CAN-DO! Company? When was it established? What kind of publications does it handle?
The CAN-DO! Company started out as Master Publishing (MP) in August 2007. It was an offshoot of my missionary conviction that the way out for developing countries is not in the propagation of a culture of handouts but in the creation of private enterprises, which provide decent employment to people. At that time, MP assisted in the prepress work of individuals and organizations. It also provided training and consultancy to them, in all forms of written communication. MP remains as a sole proprietorship, while CAN-DO! now handles magazine publication and special trainings for SMEs.
How did you get into the field of publishing? What is your professional background?
I was already literate before I ever went to kindergarten. So you can say I've always had a special appreciation and affinity for the printed word. I have accumulated 17 years of experience in publishing from writing and editing to design and liaison work with printers.
What's your day like as a publisher?
It always starts with some quiet time with the Lord, before I start going through my list of things-to-do. I try to fit in my daily walk before I start work. If it's not possible, it comes just before dusk. I run a home office and all my staff requirements are outsourced, so I can begin quite early with phone calls, emails, etc., just to follow up on my people who are all in their respective offices. I try to finish up with all my administrative work, including meetings, before I finally sit down to do some prepress work: writing, editing, or review of some designs. Publishing is very intense work for me, so I need to make sure everything is tidy and in order before I commence. My day can start as early as 3AM and go all the way to 12MN. It depends on how heavy my workload is for the day and/or week.
When editing, what are you editing for? Clarity, Structure, voice, impact, etc.?
All that and more. I aim for best practices in my work.
Apart from editing, do you write too? If yes, what have you written lately?
Yes. I just wrote a case study for the second issue of CAN-DO!
What is most rewarding about your job as a publisher? The most challenging?
I am able to do what I love and get paid for it. I can impact the lives of other people through the printed word. I am able to teach others about business, teaching being another big passion of mine. The most challenging is how resource-intensive publishing is, in terms of financial capital, human resources, time, etc.
Are you a harsh publisher? Are you editing this questions as you read? What would you change?
As you may have already noticed, yes, I have edited this questionnaire. I am not a harsh editor but a demanding one. Ultimately, the Bible teaches us to excel in our work, hence, my commitment to high standards, which I especially apply to myself. What to change? Nothing. I am who I am by the grace of God. If there's anything that needs to be changed, He alone is able to do so as my Creator.
How would a person go about breaking into the field of magazine publishing?
First, they must do a thorough research of the industry and understand it. Second, they must have a passion for the written word and all that it requires. Third, they must be ready to shell out a lot of money, before they can start seeing profits. Publishing is a long-term endeavour and not for the fainthearted (no hyphen for this word).
How would you suggest a writer breaking in to your magazine?
I'm not one impressed by paper credentials (read: CVs and diplomas). The writer's work must speak for itself. So if he or she wants to be published in my magazine, the article must be well researched, well written, and well edited. And under no circumstances should that person even attempt to submit a plagiarized piece. As much as possible, I'd like to see my writers walk their talk, meaning, live up to whatever business practice they discuss in their contributions.
What's the best advice you've heard on writing/publication?
Not so much the best advice as a good quotation from Richard Branson: "I wanted to be an editor or a journalist. I wasn't really interested in being an entrepreneur, but I soon found I had to become an entrepreneur in order to keep my magazine going."
How much marketing have you done for your magazine?
It's still all low-key and not as widespread as Id like it to be at this point. But one thing I'm happy about is that it's been strategic. With my limited resources, I try to keep my efforts focused in order not to waste anything.
What's your final advice to writers? Parting words?
Writing can be as legitimate and lucrative a profession as any other profession, but you need to know and practice your craft well. You have to read good books and observe how words are used, how sentences are constructed, how a structure manifests in a well-ordered article.
Don't depend on most local publications, especially daily newspapers, for the art of writing or even of journalism. They don't present the best examples. Try to experience the world a bit more, so you can gain a very good perspective of life and its many possibilities. Your experiences become the raw materials for what you write.
Contact Info
Agatha Verdadero
Managing Director, The CAN-DO! Company
P.O. Box 25445-00603 Lavington, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254 (0)20 2369108, (0)722 612906, (0)735 375905
Email: publisher@masterpublishing.co.ke
Website: http://www.masterpublishing.co.ke
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