Author Sixolile Mbalo is tackling giant publisher Jonathan Ball Publishers head-on over royalties for her blood-curdling life story book, Dear Bullet.

Mbalo, 31, is demanding R400000 in royalties from the sales of her book, which was first published in 2014.

According to court documents filed at the South Gauteng High Court and seen by Sunday World, Mbalo had only received little less than R22000 in royalties for her book before the publishers stopped paying her. The last payment was apparently made in May 2015.

Mbalo wrote an e-mail to Tercia Wyngaard, the managing director of the publishing firm at the time, in February 2016 requesting all records of the sales.

"To this day the defendant or its offices refused or neglected to return the records on the sales of the book," read the court papers.

Mbalo said the publisher suddenly cancelled the agreement with her, but continued publishing the book without her consent. "The unlawful conduct of the defendant has caused Mbalo damages in the sum of R400000," read the documents.

The book, which was received with critical acclaim, narrates the story of how a teenaged Mbalo was kidnapped in Mthatha in Eastern Cape, raped, shot and shoved in a pit toilet.

Jonathan Ball's current MD Ceri Prenter said she was not aware that Mbalo was suing her company and therefore could not comment.