umSinsi Press was founded by Felicity Keats- Morrison in 1995. At the time she was teaching private creative writing courses and established umSinsi in order to give her students a platform from which to be “heard”.
umSinsi Press cc is a niche publisher, and does not accept manuscripts from the public. Dancing Pencils unearths, nurtures and grows talent in a writer. Umsinsi Press is the vehicle for printing the works of students and the selected products of the Dancing Pencils’ Literacy Project. Stories are sent to Umsinsi, which have been edited, typed and are on CD, along with the handwritten original. Here they are type-set, including illustrations, and published. A short resume about the author and photo appears on the back cover.
All books are given an official “launch”. Authors often get exposure in newspaper articles, and on radio and television. Official, teachers, friends and parents all come to recognise and affirm the authors.
Print runs of books are sponsored by funders, clubs themselves and umSinsi Press itself. The entire operation of Dancing Pencils is dependent on these sponsorships.
Royalties: After signing their contracts, cnce a year, depending on the number of books sold, authors receive “royalties”. (Monies paid to them). This is tremendously exciting and motivating to get youngsters writing! Royalties are often very little but it is nonetheless exciting for authors!
