
Inspiring author shares his story
AUTHOR, director and founder of a company are only but a few titles held by Overport resident Naushad Khan who is building an empire that is effecting change in the literary world.
At the age of 31, Khan runs the publishing wing of his umbrella company, Multi-Marketing, which he established after publishing his debut piece. The author said he decided to start this new chapter of his life after 'eight long years of struggling to get published'. 'The book was hand-written; my first objective was to get it typed and after two years of working, I managed to get a smartphone which I then used to type out the first part of the story – Race Champ – Part I: The Oval Tar. From there, I went from pillar to post for the next few years, from publisher to publisher, getting rejected left, right and centre, but I never gave up hope,' said Khan.
At one point he recalls being almost scammed twice, as well as being strung along by two publishers with no end in sight, and even encountering a publisher who wanted to change his entire story. Khan said he envisioned the cover design, but he refused to let his vision be overtaken by another entity. 'At this point, I was in full-time employment, with a few part-time gigs, a side hustle as a freelancer (where he was self-taught on creating websites and logos) and even selling Cape Cookies on the side to save up for publishing. After eight years of hustle and grind, pushing and never giving up, my goal was reached and I published my book,' said Khan.
Also Read: Glenwood Book Fair attracts scores of visitors
Determined to succeed and inspire other young people with his story, Khan launched his book at his old primary school where he used to spend his free periods writing stories on any scrap pieces of paper he could get his hands on. 'I was in the library from the age of five and inspired to write stories after getting hooked on reading books like the The Adventures of Tin Tin series; Roald Dahl's Matilda and Dr Seuss' The Cat In The Hat. As I matured, so did my writing. At the age of 17, I wrote the story called Race Champ. It was one full story, but after realising its enormous length, I decided to break it up into three parts, essentially creating a trilogy,' said Khan.
Soon after publishing his book, Khan was approached by other authors who aspired to be published. He established the publishing wing of his company, Multi-Marketing Publishing, and through this division he has assisted over 75 authors and has published, marketed and distributed over 45 titles to date. Multi-Marketing has worked with authors from Durban to Cape Town and Turkey, Australia, the UAE and other destinations, showing that in a digital age, one needs not a brick and mortar office, but rather a 'sky is the limit' mentality and use of the resources at their disposal to reach for their dreams.
All these books (published, marketed and/or distributed) can be found on www.mmstore.co.za.
For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Inspiring author shares his story
AUTHOR, director and founder of a company are only but a few titles held by Overport resident Naushad Khan who is building an empire that is effecting change in the literary world. At the age of 31, Khan runs the publishing wing of his umbrella company, Multi-Marketing, which he established after publishing his debut piece. The author said he decided to start this new chapter of his life after 'eight long years of struggling to get published'. 'The book was hand-written; my first objective was to get it typed and after two years of working, I managed to get a smartphone which I then used to type out the first part of the story – Race Champ – Part I: The Oval Tar. From there, I went from pillar to post for the next few years, from publisher to publisher, getting rejected left, right and centre, but I never gave up hope,' said Khan. At one point he recalls being almost scammed twice, as well as being strung along by two publishers with no end in sight, and even encountering a publisher who wanted to change his entire story. Khan said he envisioned the cover design, but he refused to let his vision be overtaken by another entity. 'At this point, I was in full-time employment, with a few part-time gigs, a side hustle as a freelancer (where he was self-taught on creating websites and logos) and even selling Cape Cookies on the side to save up for publishing. After eight years of hustle and grind, pushing and never giving up, my goal was reached and I published my book,' said Khan. Also Read: Glenwood Book Fair attracts scores of visitors Determined to succeed and inspire other young people with his story, Khan launched his book at his old primary school where he used to spend his free periods writing stories on any scrap pieces of paper he could get his hands on. 'I was in the library from the age of five and inspired to write stories after getting hooked on reading books like the The Adventures of Tin Tin series; Roald Dahl's Matilda and Dr Seuss' The Cat In The Hat. As I matured, so did my writing. At the age of 17, I wrote the story called Race Champ. It was one full story, but after realising its enormous length, I decided to break it up into three parts, essentially creating a trilogy,' said Khan. Soon after publishing his book, Khan was approached by other authors who aspired to be published. He established the publishing wing of his company, Multi-Marketing Publishing, and through this division he has assisted over 75 authors and has published, marketed and distributed over 45 titles to date. Multi-Marketing has worked with authors from Durban to Cape Town and Turkey, Australia, the UAE and other destinations, showing that in a digital age, one needs not a brick and mortar office, but rather a 'sky is the limit' mentality and use of the resources at their disposal to reach for their dreams. All these books (published, marketed and/or distributed) can be found on For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Experience the magic of ‘Matilda', ‘Master Harold' and ‘Sarafina' on stage in Joburg this June
Zia Kani, Amira Nathan and Peo-entle Pitso will alternate the leading role of Matilda. Matilda The Musical Jr Roald Dahl's classic book is set to come to extraordinary life on stage for the very first time in Joburg this week. The play tells the story of Matilda, a gifted little girl with telekinetic powers. The youngster lives a tumultuous life with her parents and the show chronicles her bid to free herself, using her brilliant mind. Directed by Jill Girard, the leading role will be alternated between 10-year-olds, Amira Nathan, Zia Kani and Peo-entle Pitso. Meanwhile, Miss Honey will be played by Amelia Stephens, Luciano Zuppa will take on the role of Miss Agatha Trunchbull, with Jordan Rogers and Raymond Skinner starring as Matilda's parents. Where: The Peoples Theatre at the Joburg Theatre. When: Currently until July 27. Show times differ, depending on the day. Master Harold and the Boys This play by the renowned late Athol Fugard is directed by Warona Seane and stars Sello Maake KaNcube, Daniel Anderson and Lebohang Motaung. It is set in South Africa during apartheid in 1950 and the play depicts how institutionalised racism, bigotry or hatred can become absorbed by those who live under it. Where:Theatre On The Square When: Currently until June 29. Show times differ, depending on the day. Sarafina! This special restaging of the critically acclaimed musical is a tribute to Dr Mbongeni Ngema. Directed by Mpho Molepo, the story unfolds in the wake of the historic events of 1976, when approximately 200,000 black students united in protest against the apartheid regime's oppressive education system. Where: Mandela Theatre at Joburg Theatre. When: Runs until Sunday, June 15, 11am.


The Citizen
04-06-2025
- The Citizen
Glenwood Book Fair attracts scores of visitors
THE inaugural Glenwood Book Fair is the talk of the town with organisers and visitors still buzzing about the success of the event that was held at the Phansi Museum from May 29 to 31. The Glenwood fair was organised by Micromega Publications, the organiser of the Durban International Book Fair, and it drew crowds of over 500 people, including vendors and authors. Anivesh Singh, the organiser, said visitors came from as far afield as Gqeberha, Johannesburg, Chile, and Canada to browse through countless amounts of literature and witness the launch of several books. 'One of the highlights of the event was the standing-room-only launch of Shut Your Pothole, the latest collection of political cartoons by the acclaimed Dr Nanda Soobben. Equally well-received was the launch of Healing Ink, an anthology of poetry written by youth,' said Singh. Also Read: Healing Ink calls for poetry submissions The fair coincided with the birthday of Dr Paul Mikula, founder of the Phansi Museum, who was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Durban International Book Fair in 2023. Among those who launched their books was Gordon Michael. His children's book, Admiral, tells the tale of Durban's most famous tortoise, how he ended up at Mitchell Park, and how he got his name. He was in great company as the editor of Healing Ink, 19-year-old Sarada Naidoo, flew in from Gauteng to be part of an interactive session with some of the young contributors reading their poems in public for the first time. The theme for the Glenwood Book Fair was 'Bibliotherapy – healing through writing' which suited Healing Ink, an anthology of poetry by youth on mental health. 'The book has a lot of voices that talk about mental health and their personal struggles. I was inspired to focus on mental health because I have been through a lot of issues myself. I struggled to express myself and used my poetry as an outlet. It was not meant to be published but I hope it serves the purpose, to heal and help whoever needs it,' said Naidoo. With vendors, authors, publishers and visitors singing the praises of the inaugural event, the organisers expressed hope that the Glenwood Book Fair will grow to rival the Grahamstown Arts Festival, with future editions expanding into events and activations throughout the Glenwood area. For more information or to find out about upcoming events, contact Anivesh Singh on anivesh@ For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!