Everybody has a story to tell and by looking at Kim Macleod, one would assume that her story is a positive one. From her colourful and bold fashion sense to her illuminating smile, looking at Kim is like looking at a rainbow. However, it may come as a surprise that Kim’s story was born out of tragedy and in order to light up her life again, she became the woman behind the stories.
After the devastating loss of their 12-year-old son Calum, Kim and her husband, Sinclair created Indie Authors World, a publishing company that supports independent authors with their self-publishing journey. Kim described her company as ‘an accidental business’. After the pain and grief that the couple faced had given them the drive to do what they had always loved doing; writing.
Sinclair decided to write a novel dedicated to Calum, The Reluctant Detective. After self-publishing, Kim and Sinclair began to receive questions on how they managed their success, and their casual conversations then snowballed into training classes. After identifying a gap in the market, Kim and Sinclair established Indie Authors World from their home in Bishopbriggs. Now, they help make the dreams of independent authors come true.
Previous to their ventures in publishing, Kim had invested her career into creating happiness for others. She worked as a therapist, founded happiness clubs and gave out ‘smile awards’ across the country. Within minutes of meeting Kim, she ensured that there was a smile on my face so I would assume that she was excellent at her job. However, her work lacked financial stability. Kim said “My career in happiness was challenging and lots of fun. That was my passion. It was helping me cope with my grief, but I knew I had to make a choice between the happiness events and Indie Authors World.” Kim chose to pursue the publishing route. She continued “I once thought of Indie Authors World as my ‘head’ business, but it wasn’t long before it took my heart.”
Kim’s training in happiness was not wasted when she started working with independent authors; she was still generating happiness. She was supporting and encouraging authors to achieve their dreams. Gordon Waugh is one of many authors that Kim has supported. He published his first novel, Dark Days, with the support of Kim and Indie Authors. He said “Kim is uplifting. Her zest for life is infectious. With her encouragement, I believe every author, that she has helped, has benefited enormously. She has guided us all to fulfil our dreams.”
Kim hasn’t only supported these authors to reach their potential, but she has also initiated a community of writers that support one another. Claire Miller, another author that has published a number of books with Kim, said “There is a fantastic supportive community of published authors thanks to Kim.” Although the authors have their differences in writing (some write fiction, non-fiction, travel guides, biographies or children’s books), they all have one thing in common; they all adore Kim.
These authors admire Kim so much that they have also devoted themselves through mentoring and donating to Kim’s latest project, Calum’s Legacy. In honour of their late son, Kim and Sinclair are giving five young people the opportunity to have their stories published, while learning about the writing and publishing process. Kim said that the project “keeps Calum’s memory alive. It includes all of the things that were important to him; connection with people, encouragement and supporting others.”
Calum’s Legacy has allowed opportunities to young people, that otherwise may not have been given the chance to pursue their goals. It has supported them to grow in confidence and develop friendships, as well as gain the experience in an industry they are passionate about. 21-year-old Emma Taylor has been working on Calum’s Legacy since August 2019. While talking about the project, the smile she presented was contagious; it was unmistakeable that this was a project that she was enthusiastic about. She said, “Calum’s Legacy has shaped me in many ways. I’ve made valuable friends, beautiful memories and created a book that we are very proud of.”
Kim hasn’t only become a mentor to these young people, but a person they look up to. Emma also said, “Kim has helped me through my lowest points, she is a selfless woman who always knows the right thing to say.” 23-year-old Will, another participant in Calum’s Legacy, also added, “Kim is a very maternal person as well as a professional one, and I respect both her approach to work and her approach to people and kindness.”
Calum’s Legacy hasn’t only helped these young people but Kim herself, to cope with her grief. She said, “We are still connected and creating Calum’s Legacy has allowed us to continue his influence in the world, even though he is no longer here. It has been a joy and so rewarding.”
Speaking with Kim and the people around her, it is evident that she radiates positivity. But many will wonder in the face of so much tragedy, how does she remain so positive? Kim answered, “I have always been an optimistic person, but when you experience a death of a child that has got to be one of the most challenging things that anyone could ever experience. I had to dig deep and I had to work though the trauma, pain and grief. But I knew, early on, I needed to strive towards being happy. You don’t have a choice in what happens to you, but I believe we have a choice to how we react.” Kim chose to dedicate her life to honouring her son, through choosing to be happy and making other people happy. Kim has published hundreds of stories and played an important role in many people’s tales, but she is also working towards her own happy ending.
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