Whether you want your next read or a place to publish your own book, this guide covers buying, reading and self-publishing eBooks on Sọna in Nigeria.
Buying and reading · Self-publishing
For Readers in Nigeria
How to Buy an eBook
- Create a free account at readsona.com and choose Nigeria as your account country.
- Browse the catalogue, open a book page, and check its description, price and age rating. Read a sample if one is available.
- Add the book to your cart. You can add more than one book before checking out.
- Go to checkout and choose from the payment options shown for your account. Check the full total, including the payment fee, before paying.
- Complete payment. Once Sọna confirms it, the purchased book is added to your library.
Payment Options
Books are priced in naira. Nigerian readers can pay by Nigerian card or bank transfer. Checkout also offers International Card and USDT / USDC where available for your account. Compare the totals shown before choosing a method.
How to Read Your Books
Buy on the Sọna website, then sign in to the Sọna Reader app for iOS or Android with the same account to read your books. Where the author has enabled browser reading, you can also read through your web library.
Start With a Free Book
To try Sọna with a free book, choose a free title in the catalogue and select Get on its book page. No payment is needed.
If Your Book Does Not Appear
If a paid book does not appear, refresh your library and check Account > Purchase History. If checkout shows Retry Verification, use it to check the payment again. For more help, select Report a Problem in your account settings.
See the full buying guide and reading guide for more details.
For Authors and Publishers in Nigeria
You can self-publish an eBook in Nigeria without a publisher, an agent or a print run. You do need to make a set of decisions in the right order. This guide takes you through them.
Step 1: Finish and Edit the Manuscript
Before you think about platforms, finish the manuscript and have at least one other person read it.
If you can afford an editor, use one. If you cannot, ask two or three careful readers to mark every place where they were confused or stopped reading.
Step 2: Get a Cover That Works Small
In an online store, your cover appears as a small image. The title must be readable at that size.
Check the size rules of the platform you choose. On Sọna, a cover for a text book must be a JPG, PNG or WebP of at least 800 by 1200 pixels and no larger than 2 MB.
Step 3: Choose the Right File Format
For a novel or any text-led book, use EPUB. The text adapts to the reader's screen. If you wrote in Microsoft Word, some platforms convert the file for you. Sọna accepts DOCX and converts it to EPUB.
For a picture book, comic or magazine, use PDF so that each page keeps its design. We explain the difference in EPUB or PDF: Which File Should You Publish Your eBook In?
Step 4: Decide About an ISBN
An ISBN is a number that identifies one edition of a book. In Nigeria, ISBNs are issued by the National Library of Nigeria. Check with the National Library for the current process and cost.
Not every platform requires an ISBN for an eBook. On Sọna it is optional.
Step 5: Write Your Book Page
Your blurb, genres and age rating do the selling when you are not there.
- Write a blurb that says who the story is about, what they want and what stands in the way.
- Choose genres that match what the reader will find inside.
- Set the age rating honestly. A book with explicit content needs an adult rating.
Step 6: Choose Where to Sell
Compare platforms on the full path from upload to payout. Ask these questions.
- Can your readers pay with the methods they already use?
- What share of each sale do you keep?
- How and when are you paid, and is there a minimum?
- Is your file protected, or can a buyer download and forward it?
We compare the main options in Where Nigerian Authors Can Sell eBooks.
On Sọna, you set your price in naira and earn 80% of it on every sale. Nigerian readers can pay by card or bank transfer. Payouts in Nigeria go to your bank account, monthly by default, with no minimum on the monthly schedule.
Step 7: Set Your Price
Look at what similar books in your genre cost on the platform you chose, and use those prices as your guide.
A free short story or a discounted first book in a series is one way to introduce readers to the rest of your work.
Step 8: Submit and Wait for Review
Most platforms check a book before it goes live. On Sọna, the review covers the file, the cover, the book details and the content rules. You get the decision by email.
Sọna does not judge your writing style or your story. The review is about whether the book is legal, safe, correctly rated and technically sound.
Step 9: Find Your First Readers
A live book page does not bring readers alone. Plan your first month.
- Share the book link where your readers already are.
- Send review copies before launch. See Where to Get Book Reviewers for Your Book Launch.
- Follow a simple launch plan. See How to Sell More eBooks Online.
Publish on Sọna
When your manuscript and cover are ready, create an account at readsona.com/publish. These guides cover each stage:
