Author Meshack Bevhula thrilled as book sells 1,000 copies

Meshack Mathe Bevhula took to the streets of Vosloorus to plead for help to get his book published. Just over a year later, he is thrilled to have sold 1,000 copies..  

He managed to get his novel Drowning In Own Tears, published after the chief editor of Classic Age Publishers, Vukulu Maphindani, saw the widely shared picture of him standing with a placard, Sowetan reported last year.

The 29-year-old, from Giyani in Limpopo, said he was overwhelmed by the support he'd received since then. 

"When I was writing the book, I had a vision and a dream that my book sells, to see people buying it and give nice reviews. It is really a dream come true," he told TimesLIVE on Monday. 

Bevhula said several publishers had either turned him down or wanted him to write in a particular style, which informed his decision to stand on the street corner.

"Entering the market as a young, first-time writer was difficult because I think a lot of publishers prefer people who write in a particular way, or authors who have previously written books and that way are guaranteed to make money.

"I was hurt that no one wanted to publish my work but I was also determined to get my story published in a way that suited me. I decided to stand by the robots and ask for help, and that's where I found my publisher," said the business administration graduate.

Role model

"Growing up in a poor village was tough but I was determined to make something out of my life. I grew up in an area where there were few or no role models at all. So writing this book really means a lot, not only to me, but to the people in my village, the ones growing up, to show that nothing is impossible," said Bhevhula.   

His novel is about socio-economic issues prevalent in many black communities. Bevhula said his book had sold more than 1,000 copies since last May.. 

"I've reached a big milestone, my ultimate goal is to sell 5,000 copies. Some have already been bought by readers in countries like the US, UK, and Nigeria."

While the market was not easy to penetrate, Bevhula said he encouraged young people to write their own stories and not be deterred by personal challenges.

The novel, Drowning In Own Tears, is selling for $10 on Amazon.