After four unsuccessful attempts at winning over a publishing house, Mfundo Mpofu finally decide to take matters into his own hands and self-published a book he had written.
Dark Tales is an anthology of eight short stories in the horror, supernatural and paranormal genre. All these stories are based in and around various villages throughout SA.
Mpofu handled the entire process of publishing his book on his own, with some help from his business partner, Siviwe Moss, and is adamant that self-publishing is the future.
He encourages upcoming authors to consider it as a viable option.
“My decision to self-publish comes from four unsuccessful attempts to get traditional publishers to publish my book for me.
“One day I just decided to type it out and go to Copyworld and printed my book with a cover.
“I then got a friend of mine to help me set up my sales on Amazon. My biggest challenge now is marketing because I have to do it all myself,’ he said.
The East London writer maintains that as challenging as self-publishing can be, it is still the better option for first-time authors because there is less rejection.
The paperback version of his book is currently available on Amazon.
Mpofu has also released a smaller anthology of short stories titled Shadowy, which feature four short stories that are also found in Dark Tales.
The eight short stories include Reject, The College, Exposed, The Window, Birth, The Sleeper, Friends and Suckers. Each of these stories carries various themes including witchcraft, and supernatural happenings.
Reject is a story set in 1989, about Wendy, a young girl from Mthatha who is abducted by witches but a shocking twist results in her safe and unharmed return.
This story explores the differences between reality and the fake reality created by the dark forces.
The College is set in 1986 at a boarding school in Mthatha where 13 girls go missing. A girl named Sylvia is somehow involved, leading to more mysteries and dark secrets being unveiled.
Exposed tells the story of two friends from Mdantsane and Butterworth who discover shocking secrets about themselves when they embark on the journey of ulwaluko (initiation).
What follows is an intense journey of self-discovery.
The Window is set in Mdantsane in 1992 when friends and neighbours Philmon and Jack encounter witchraft.
Philmon witnesses as Jack is attacked and consumed by witchcraft. Philmon then joins forces with Nancy, who happens to be immune to witchraft, to help him save his friend.
The other four stories follow slightly different themes of ancestors, traditions, love and other relatable societal circumstances.
The books are available on Amazon. Contact Mpofu for more info regarding the purchase of his books at lezampofu@gmail.com
