Francine Beaton, a prolific romance author with more than 60 books published in English and Afrikaans, says she never set out to be a writer, but once the inspiration struck, the stories never stopped flowing.

“I never dreamed of being a writer. I loved photography and rather hoped to make a success of that. Or painting, but never writing,” she explained.

“Writing ‘happened’ to me after a trip to New York in July 2016. I tried to read a couple of rugby romance novels on my Kindle App on the long flight back to South Africa. Both bored me senseless, and I thought I could write a better story.”

By the time the plane landed in Johannesburg, Beaton had outlined a five-part series. Just under a decade later, she has more than 60 titles to her name, across two languages.

Beaton initially tried the traditional publishing route and secured a New York publisher for her first three books. But the pace didn’t match her creative output.

“By the time I sent her book 2, I had already written another eight or so. I realised, this is going to take a long, long time. So, I moved some of the stories to another series and tried my hand at self-publishing.”

The decision gave her the freedom she craved.

“I like having control over when I can publish, what I can publish, and how my books look. I can decide if they want to kiss on page 1 or not at all. I have the freedom to publish when, what, and which language, or both,” she said.

She added that self-publishing was particularly empowering when she shifted to writing in Afrikaans.

“Everyone told me you can’t self-publish in Afrikaans. Well, I did. I am 62. I can’t wait two to three years for a publisher to hold onto my manuscript and then change their minds at the last minute three years later. Nope. I will be dead before I publish all the books in my story.”

While Beaton has built her reputation on sports romance, romcoms and holiday romances, she continues to push her boundaries.

“My latest releases are something new. I collaborated with two other authors, and we have written four books so far about female rugby players. That’s new for me, and it’s new for all of us: collaborating and publishing in two languages,” she explained.

Her upcoming projects also include romantic suspense, and a series of books designed to help aspiring indie authors, particularly those writing in Afrikaans.

“After 50 books, I have something to say. Not everything, but if I can help other authors, why not? I’m currently working on a series of books for self-publishing authors. It’s about self-publishing for Afrikaans authors, written in Afrikaans, for the South African market.”

Beaton will be one of the featured authors at the upcoming Helderberg Book Festival,taking place from August 16 to 24, where she will join several panels celebrating the work of independent writers.

“I love that this festival focuses on indie authors. We still feel like the stepchild sometimes, fighting for rights to be seen and heard. There are still people who look down on us, think we self-publish because we are not good enough. Self-publishing is my choice, not a necessity,” she stressed.

As Vice-chairperson of ROSA (Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa), Beaton is particularly excited to showcase her genre.

“I’m not good at marketing myself or my books, but ask me to talk about romance and my books, and I’m all in. I love the opportunity to showcase the romance genre in South Africa. We have so many talented authors, and I’d love South Africans to know what talent we have. Romance is more than just fluff.”

For her, the festival offers not only visibility but also connection.

“We, as indie authors, still feel we have to justify ourselves. We are often excluded from the more traditional festivals. Here we have a voice.”

The Indie Authors Rise Up Book Festival will feature over 34 authors, panel discussions, workshops, and special events at venues across Gordons Bay, Somerset West, and Strand.

For more details and to reserve tickets, visit [https://indieauthorsriseup.co.za](https://indieauthorsriseup.co.za).

IOL News

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