A young self-published author from Mitchells Plain is pursuing his dream of having his books on the shelves locally and internationally but the only thing standing in his way is funding.
Kyle Jantjies, 26, began writing in 2013 and says his first novel was rejected over 30 times by publishers and literary agents. But this didn’t break his spirit.
Finally in 2020 his book, The Tuloc Triangle, was accepted by Malherbe Uitgewers, a publishing company in KwaZulu-Natal.
“You get very little money from sales when you go through a publisher because I only get 30%, plus I need to pay money for printing, that is why I tried self-publishing,” says Kyle.
“I get a lot more profit but need to be willing to take the risk that comes with publishing.”
He is currently completing his MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology at the University of the Western Cape and holds a black belt in Ninjitsu.
Kyle says he loves writing fantasy and adventure stories and dreams of international fame: “I want to be a New York Times bestseller, not just in South Africa.”
He has 13 published novels, some were self-published.
In 2021, his book The G.L.O.A.T. was one of the top five finalists in the Author Elite Awards for Best General Fiction novel.
He recently released his newest work, Journey of Soul, about a young soldier in search of his unique gift in a world where everyone is born with one.
The young author has launched a crowdfunding campaign and hopes to raise R100 000 to cover the costs to publish the series.
“If you love my books, would love to see them on the shelves, love my story or simply want to help this boy reach his goals, then I’m asking you to pledge to my cause,” he concludes.
Donate at https://jumpstarter.co.za/projects/journey-of-soul-boxsets.