Local Entrepreneurs: The How and Why of Self

Written by EJ Asare

E.J. Asare is an English teacher at a public elementary school in Suncheon. It has not been long since E.J. self-published a children’s picture book, Johnny and Joshua Coming to Korea. The Gwangju News asked her to describe the experience. — Ed.

Johnny and Joshua Coming to Korea (JJCK) is a story based on my son and his pet bird, Johnny. This beautiful picture book tells the story of a Ghanaian-American boy who lives in Ghana with his father and bird. The boy eventually has to move to South Korea and leave Johnny behind. JJCK highlights vibrant aspects of South Korean society and emphasizes the similarities between the Ghanaian and Korean cultures, for instance, the use of drums and dance during celebrations. JJCK is about celebrating the humanity of different cultures. It is the first in a book series that will explore different countries, languages, and food through the eyes of a child.

The idea for this book came from the experiences I’ve had as an expat in Korea.Two years ago, one of my thirdgrade students told me she used to be afraid of me when I became her English teacher. She had never seen a Black person before and was scared of my physical differences. My long braids, dark brown skin, and height frightened her. Eventually she warmed up to me and became my “best friend” at the school. The older students were curious and also in awe of me. A sixth-grade student once asked me, “Why are you so Black?” I explained to his class the absolute beauty of possessing so much melanin, but that was not enough.

I realized I had to do something to counter the negative narrative of people of African descent in Asia. South Korea has a great need for English books with diverse and international characters. It was important to me to create a young Black character that was the age of my elementary students. The young readers would see a diverse character doing familiar things, such as playing soccer, having a pet, and traveling.

The only images of Blacks and people of African descent that the students (and adults) here in Korea see are rappers and musicians, or poor and needy images of Africans in the international and domestic media. Negative aspects of the African continent are always highlighted. Africans are shown as diseased, poor, and always needing to be

saved. Blackface is also still used in entertainment in South Korea. Blackface is a caricature of Black people that exaggerates physical appearances and shows the Black character as a buff oon. It is a popular comedy gag in South Korean entertainment. Th ere is a cycle of blackface shown as comedy, an uproar from Black expats, an insincere apology from the Korean entertainer, then blackface again a few months later. Th is cycle is rinsed and repeated each year.

I wanted to create a positive image of a young GhanaianAmerican boy and his family to counter the negative stereotypes of Blacks and people of African descent. At the end of the book, there are questions for parents and teachers to initiate discussions with young readers. Representation matters, and if the younger generation is exposed to positive images, then they’ll be more open to accepting people who are from other countries and look diff erent.

Writing the book and creating the storyboard was not diffi cult because the story was drawn from my son’s real life experiences. Transitioning to South Korea was not easy for my son who was used to familiar surroundings and friends in Ghana. Leaving his pet bird behind was particularly devastating.

I found a great editor and illustrator on Upwork.com, a consultant site. Th is site allows you to create a contract, specify your skill and English-level requirements and payment amount. Th e best part about the site is a candidate’s portfolio can be previewed online prior to hiring. My illustrator formatted the text and artwork of this book.

At the time, I had a helpful co-teacher who assisted in the search for a publisher. Th e Korean publishers were either not interested or did not have an English division. We then decided to search for a printing company and found Yeolim Printing. Th is company provided their printing standards, reviewed our fi les, and provided pricing based on paper quality and quantity requested. Th eir pricing was reasonable and the quality was good. Th e colors on the pages are vibrant and eye-catching for a young reader. Th e price for each unit was reduced by quantity purchased.

Financing this book project was 100% from my savings. Initially I printed twenty books and requested feedback from my coworkers and friends. Th en the larger order was submitted. Th ere was no fee for uploading the book onto the Amazon platform.

I made so many mistakes as a new author! Please remember to edit, edit, and then edit again! Join author groups to learn from others’ mistakes. Be careful when choosing your illustrator. Be very specifi c with your artist and provide image samples so their work matches your story. Order a draft printed copy of your book to preview how the words and drawings fi t on the pages. Always have your book professionally edited. Research how to market your book once it is available online.

Marketing the book is more important than writing it. Use giveaways to promote your book. Reach out to local schools, churches, and libraries to off er free readings to generate interest and increase sales. If you can, provide an e-book version to reach a larger audience. Allow your book to be sold in many countries to expand visibility and profi ts. Create various social media platforms to market the book project. Don’t order too many printed copies because you will have to store the units before sales. Review any contracts very thoroughly. Calculate your fi nancial return on all joint ventures. Remember to copyright your intellectual property.

I eventually want Joshua and his family to visit many diff erent countries and share their experiences with young readers. Each book will explore a new country. Johnny and Joshua will explore Japan, Brazil, Ethiopia, Australia, and Alaska in their future adventures. I would love for this to become an animated series and to be available in schools around the world. My wish for this book series is to connect with a major book publishing company that shares my vision.

Johnny and Joshua Coming to Korea teaches children not to be afraid of other people but to recognize and embrace our similarities. My hope is for young readers to become interested in one day traveling to other countries and exploring new languages, food, and cultures. Only through exploration of diff erent cultures and languages will they come to understand that we are all the same, one human race.

E.J. Asare is a graduate of Rutgers University and has an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. E.J. previously worked in the securities industry specializing in retirement plans. She is currently an assistant teacher at a public elementary school in Suncheon. Instagram @johnnyandjoshuadventures.