Wela Kabane

She's here! I will dub her ROTE! The second book in The Kenryk Series is finally here. It was released in August 2022. You're probably wondering, 'Girl, that was ages ago? What is with the old post?'. Well. because this book took my blood, sweat and tears to make. This book was never meant to happen. The Avaris was supposed to be a standalone, but Korin and the others refused to let me desert them. So, I wrote this one, way back in 2016. I don't know how many revisions to this book I have made. I have never been satisfied with it, but I think that's just that inner critic in me.   Anyway, I had challenges with this book right from the beginning! The funds to get it out were depleted before I could even print the paperbacks. Former high schoolmates rallied around me and raised enough funds for me to print the book. I managed to print 100.   Silly me, I thought that was it. Nope, I now had to print The Avaris because people who hadn't read it and saw

I have had my first book, the fantasy fiction The Kenryk Series: The Avaris #1 out for a few months now. When I published the book for me it was for the "I did it" feeling. Then I started getting caught up with the numbers, the rankings, and the endless need for reviews. I was desperate. I wanted to be recognised.  It took the writer's block I've finally overcome to realise, that "I did it!" I published my book all by myself. I sourced the illustrator, the book cover designers, the formatter, the printer, and the distributor. I made it into bookshelves. Granted, I have not yet seen my book on shelves, but they are available in other provinces in the country. However, I did get reviews. A teen who has been badgering her father about when I will release the second book and my primary school friend who cannot get enough of Korin.  These are people in South Africa who want to read the next book. I got so caught up in gaining external validation, I forgot why I h

Day something of me a self-published author... All right. It has been three months. I've sold a few books online and physically. I got my first royalties, though they are under $20. I still have zero reviews on Amazon on Goodreads. Disclaimer, I have a sprained wrist. I am typing with a brace on and cannot guarantee a typo-free experience. So, here I am, 3 months later. Having sold over 45 books and no reviews. I thought maybe my blurb wasn't catchy enough, so I reviewed that. I re-reread my story. Oh, the horror! There were so many typos I had missed during the editing process. So, maybe that turned people off? Is the story not engaging enough? Is it too long? Is it this or that? My teeth have been ground so finely from clenching my jaw with anxiety, I question my ability to chew right now.  I have decided to review my manuscript. I am not changing the story itself. I am giving it... a cosmetic uplift along with the cover. Remember, this is book one and understanding the chara

 I am in the middle of a grueling exam period and I needed a break. What that break turned into was me writing and publishing an anthology. Only 29 pages. Only three short stories. It came out of nowhere? Why the name The Furball Life? When you read the book you will understand.   Here is a short blurb The Diary of the Hotel Room If these walls could talk... Read the diary of a hotel room as it gets a brief insight into the lives of its guests.   Yours in Delusion, Ophelia Delusional or self-unaware. Ophelia keeps getting herself in trouble in this hilarious office story. Moments with Phindi Remember when you thought you had the whole world figured out after your graduated from University and you suddenly find yourself stuck in a dead end job? That's Phindi. You can get your copy of the book on  Amazon.com

I can no longer claim to be an introvert. Some extrovert from somewhere took over my body last week. This past week, on the 30th of September 2021, I had my first exhibition at a fair. First the bad news. It rained, horribly. It was wet, we were all cold, and I had a stand next to the door. However, I am a pre-planner, so I had my heater with me 😁. Second bad news, because of the rain, I could barely see, so, I ended up scratching someone's car by mistake at the parking lot. Oh, the anxiety, the panic, the fear. Turned out, the victim was a colleague so the exchange of insurance details was seamless, and she ended up having to calm me down because I would not stop apologising. Now for the event. There I was in my stall. All I had were books, a few plants, a banner, and my personality! Oh, did that personality come to my rescue! I walked into that room with many exhibitors, and I knew, if I was going to sell any paperbacks that day, I had to rely on my personality.   My p

So, it turns out getting reviews is harder than Frodo's journey to Mordor. You need a horcrux, the blood of  a unicorn, Voldermort's nose and a nonexistent Gandalf the Purple.  Despite selling a number of books, I still have no reviews. I have deduced this could be for a number of reasons: 1) People have bought the book, but have not had the time to read it. 2) Creating an Amazon or Goodreads account to leave a review might be a bit of an extra mile for others. 3) They liked it so much, they were overwhelmed with the need to give it 6 stars, but the maximum is only 5 stars😉. It has only been a month. I will patiently wait for that first review. I have mentally prepared myself for the good and the bad. Hopefully, one day, I will see myself on some best-seller list somewhere.  Accio reviews! Still nothing? Oh well. I'll wait. In the meantime... how cute are my bookmarks?

So, it has been a month since I published my first book. On the 6th of August, I released my book on Amazon in Ebook and paperback format. Sounds easy. It isn't. There are so many rules. The tags. The categories. I ran to Youtube, it confused me even more. I eventually figured it out and published!  Yay! I was officially an author.  It has been a month and I am exhausted. Mostly because there is so much to learn and to do when you're self publishing. Not to mention the Matrix bending skills you need to acquire to dodge those scammers! I purchased 25 paperback to sell in my home country. I left the rest to Amazon. You know what? I have to admit. I didn't do so bad. It's a marathon not a sprint. I managed to sell 16 of the 25 paperbacks  I ordered locally through aggressive Facebook marketing - because getting into bookstores is like a trip to Mordor. I grew my new  Facebook page  and hit 180 likes.  On Amazon , my Ebook started getting sales sporadically. Someone bought

I was 10 when I wrote my first book. I'd read everything in the school library. However, I kept thinking "why didn't they do this instead"? Eventually, I decided, I am going to write my own book. Which I did. I still have the tattered old book. My classmates read my books, constantly pestering me for chapters. It was the validation I needed. As I grew older, I thought "Why not send my book to a publisher?" Oh, the rejection! I was dejected, felt unworthy, and suffered from imposter syndrome. How dare I think I'm worthy? I continued to write, but more for me than anyone. I must say, it led to my enviable penmanship. Eventually, I decided this year to finally self publish my book. Not for validation, but more for the "I did it " part. For that 10 year old girl who imagined herself an author. On Friday 06 August 2021, I released the first book in my trilogy- The Kenryk Series: The Avaris on Amazon. It is a dream come true for me. I never imagined