Between 2001 and 2020, Kima Global was my traditional publisher, and I eventually became a partner there. This experience gave me a deep understanding of the publishing world. Robin handled costs for book launches, typesetting, cover design, and shipping, making sure our titles were available on Amazon before print-on-demand was common. Payments for books sold in South African bookstores usually took about three months to be paid.

We had a professional website from 2004 to 2012. After that, I took over and managed the site myself using Dreamweaver.

Kima Global asked authors to buy about 100 printed copies to help cover costs. Printing more copies at once made each book cheaper. Starting in 2006, Robin also created e-books for every new title. Even with a lot of effort and money invested, our returns were small. We reached bestseller status only twice, for a few months each time. Money was always tight, and some bookshops did not pay us, so they were blacklisted, but we did not tell our authors about this.

After some intensive training with an instructor from Johannesburg, arranged by Robin, I took over typesetting new manuscripts. Even though I was not paid for this work, we stayed passionate and focused on making a difference. Our dedication was at the heart of what we did.
I also started designing book covers and illustrations, giving authors several cover choices and making posters for bookshops. These services were part of what authors paid for.
I actively marketed our publishing company and sold my books, frequently giving talks to promote them.

Here are some important lessons I learned:

1. Some authors expect their book to bring in a lot of money.

2. Many authors have high hopes but are not ready to help with marketing.

3. Authors often think publishers make a lot of money from their books.

I met many well-known people in book publishing at Frankfurt and learned a lot from their advice.

Robin became very ill in 2020, and I looked after him until he passed away in 2023.

After Kima Global’s US bank account was closed, I switched to self-publishing. I have not received any payments for later sales on Amazon, if there were any.

A Facebook visitor recently asked where my work could be found on Amazon.

I told them: You can search for my name, Nadine May, but sadly, the Language of Light workbook is out of print because my publisher passed away three years ago. Some of the titles you see are outdated or not actually mine. This made me decide to create my own website, where I share my blogs and plan to offer free downloads. I am still working on re-editing the workbook. Some books are still available, but I do not get any money from their sales.

Nadine May

PS I NEVER give up.

If there is one golden nugget I have learned (and trust me, I have a whole collection of them), it is this: never, ever let go of what makes your heart sing. Even when life tries to trip you up, hold on tight to your passions.

Writing, for me, is like breathing for the soul. My books and stories are not just words on a page, they are the heartbeat of my purpose. Of course, the road has not always been smooth. Losing my soul partner felt like the world had lost its color for a while. But after a year of letting my tears water the seeds of new beginnings, I dusted myself off, found my spark again, and leapt into the wild adventure of self-publishing. Reinventing myself was not just necessary, it was a little bit magical.

I have come to realise that true success is shaped from within. The joy that fills my heart as I create is, in itself, the greatest reward.