Addicted to giving away free books? #TETrilogy

A year ago, I ran a free promotion via smashwords which led to Hybrid being price-matched on amazon. Since sales had not been easy to come by I decided to permanently leave Hybrid free since I had just finished writing the trilogy and had heard that this was a great way to increase your readership.

Last December, I also launched the trilogy in Gibraltar and got a lot of coverage via the local newspaper, TV, radio, and the Gibraltar Magazine. This led to a surge of downloads of Hybrid in January & February, followed by sales of the subsequent books. It was a fantastic feeling to be further up in the charts.

As the months went on, sales dropped again and downloads of Hybrid also tailored off. During the summer, I had a lucky break with a reader, My Book Fairy in the US, who loved the trilogy so much she promoted it and recommended it to her book club. Again, this was fantastic whilst it lasted.

I also decided to leave FIRST DATE permafree since sales were so insignificant. I then found that Hybrid was not being downloaded as much and so I came to the conclusion that I was better off pricing it again, which I have now done. This was even after I designed new covers (maybe one day these will need a complete rehash).

But, there is a dilemma. I do sell books via iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. I think these sales come about via the fact Hybrid was free. I also believe sales on Amazon have also resulted from the fact readers enjoyed Hybrid. The problem is that there are so many free books out there that I wanted a break from the pressure of looking all the time. As much as I try not to care and not to look I can't help it.

This is the reason for taking it off. I am trying to ignore the sales and focus on my writing.

If I had tons of sales then the free option would be worth it. Sadly, this is not the case. I hear on a daily basis from authors that sell thousands of books! I think they're lying... I know indie authors that have sold hundreds, but not thousands! If they are truly selling this amount, I say WELL DONE! (Truly, I don't know how you did it, but I respect you for getting there)

Bottom line is my books are obviously not what readers want to read at the moment. So, I am extremely grateful to all who have enjoyed my books and given them a chance. It's time to write something new and hope for the best!

So, I'll start early with my New Year's resolutions!

1) Stop looking up Amazon & Smashwords on a daily basis
2) Write something every day!
3) Don't engage in conversations online I feel strongly about...
4) Keep in touch with readers & writers I enjoy talking to (it's so easy to stop doing this).
5) Read every day.
6) Think about something in my life I am happy about every day.
7) Exercise every day.
8) Drink water!
9) Avoid sugar!
10) Get lots of "warm hugs" from my kids... otherwise statues will do!

It would be great to hear from some of you. What was your biggest challenge this year?

All the best,
Vanessa

p.s. Look out for my post on Christmas day... a special treat for all my lovely readers is on it's way! :)

Evolution of a Writer...

This weekend I attended the Isle of Wight Literary Festival. I was lucky to be given a slot alongside some fantastic authors, which I mention on my main blog - click HERE for more.

I also managed to get my books sold by the Waterstone's stall on site - I was organised enough to ask them a month before they event and they put me on their system!

It is an impressive sight to see my books alongside those published traditionally and to think "they look good!" Createspace did a great job with these - I love the smooth silky feel of the cover and pages, and the whole effect is fantastic!

Either way, I am an unknown author and my books were stacked alongside the YA books (even though I am not YA) so I did not sell many...

... so I'll tell you a bit about how it went.

There was a fundamental problem (as much as I am grateful to be included). It was not possible to buy adult tickets for my event unless you had a weekend pass! The reason for this is unknown to me, but I suspect that when I was given the extra session in the afternoon, since it was a talk geared at adults, they failed to take it off the children's program.

This would have been a great turnout
for my talk!

At one point, I figured I'd go with my friend Donna for tea & cake and forget it all if no-one showed up! I also came up with a plan B and changed the room layout so that I could do a writing workshop instead if the turnout was poor.

Luckily, adults managed to get tickets, although it was strange to see them enter with a child ticket!

Anyway, I was glad to see about 20 people arrive and all the chairs were filled. Trust me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the last talk I gave in Gibraltar this was a small cosy affair.

My plan was to talk for about 30 minutes and then do a writing workshop for the second half. Well... I talked for 50 minutes instead. What exactly I said is a blur, but I think everyone enjoyed it. Ultimately, I could have said so much more, but I focused on the lead up to my writing career and read excerpts from my trilogy that focus on topics such as relationships, war, my upbringing in Gibraltar, and personal conflict.

If I had been more organised I would have shown the trilogy video I made, but I did not think of that!

I was not focused on selling and it showed.

Honestly, I barely slept the week before and felt sick on the day of the talk... I was so nervous! I guess I am out of practice and lack confidence.

If I ever make it (and I doubt I have to worry about that too much) I'll laugh about this one day...

For the last ten minutes, I carried out a writing workshop. I gave them 2 minutes to write something about a character chosen by chance. Three of the adults read aloud what they had written and I was stunned by the quality. There are so many writers hiding in the woodwork, waiting for a chance to peek out and shine! Self-publishing has helped many do this already...

Ultimately, if my talk helped anyone discover hidden talents then it was all worth it! I can't help but think that I love to teach not to sell. Therefore, I am going to try to focus on what I started this for. To write and have fun. I am lucky to have achieved what I have since 2012. I have not done as well as others, but I simply am not ruthless enough. I can not change who I am and refuse to. If this means I sell no more books, then so be it.

I don't think Vincent Van Gogh would have ever believed how much his paintings are worth today... talent is not always spotted until someone gives it credibility.

I must thank my wonderful friend, Donna, for helping me on the day and for being incredibly supportive.

I also have to say a huge thank you to a lovely friend I have made via the web, My Book Fairy. She is also trying to drum up support for my NEW release, Emily via a BLOG TOUR. If you have a blog and are willing to get involved please contact her. Again, I am over the moon to have someone else who is willing to wave my flag!

In 2010, I had the foolish idea that I should write for fun... nearly five years later I have self-published three novels, seven anthologies, and am about to release a novella. My weakness is the fact I have wanted to do it all myself (I should get someone to design my covers one day), but I am proud of what I have achieved and hope some of you see something good in what I do.

Thank you for reading,
Vanessa

I am in SHOCK!!!

I am soooooo EXCITED!

Last night, HYBRID had over 400 downloads in the space of an hour! This made it rocket to no. 88 in the ENTIRE free charts for Amazon! WOW... But, it gets better... this morning it was at no.70!

I suspect it came about due to the wonderful article written by Elena Scialtiel in the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE.

Vanessa Wester: Evolution of a Writer

When I launched The Evolution Trilogy on the 16th December, 2013, in Gibraltar, Elena asked to interview me.

I met up with her the next day, and we sat on a park bench as she conducted the interview and recorded it. It was an enjoyable experience - I do love to ramble. The article she put together truly encapsulates what I am all about. She got me completely.

All credit goes to her for writing it so beautifully.

It means a lot to me to be featured in this way. In England, I have managed to get some publicity for my book, but it is truly limited, since as an "indie" author I have no idea where to go, or who would be interested.

However, in Gibraltar, I got a TV interview, radio advertising, reviews in the Gibraltar Chronicle and a full page feature.

And now, I am featured in the Gibraltar Magazine!

And they have done this all for me for FREE... in the interests of promoting a Gibraltarian!

Sometimes, there is a hole in my heart that can not be filled in England. It is in times like this that I understand why. To grow up in a community like Gibraltar was not always easy, but one thing I know for sure... it is a community that gives, and gives, and gives.

People from Gibraltar, a tiny Rock populated by around 30,000 people, can do amazing things.

Sports - the entire range...

Drama - fantastic productions...

Food - Spanish, Moroccan, English, Italian cuisine... and those CAKES!

And last, but certainly not least, EDUCATION - a brilliant school system that encourages youth to go to university - FULLY FUNDED!

Without the support and encouragement I got in Gibraltar, I would never have got my education and certainly never gone to university - it would have been too expensive! I did grow up in a 2 bed flat after all!

So, THANK YOU... sincerely,

I am truly grateful to the support you have all shown, and only hope I do not disappoint you with my books.

Have a fantastic day... un abrazo grande ha todos!

La llanita 'Beany',

Vanessa :) xx HUGS

p.s. To top it all... this blog has now reached 10,000 views! Amazing :)

A NEW LOOK for 2013...

This is going to sound really silly, but I only just discovered the option to have pages on Blogspot... major edits to the rest of my blogs coming up I think - lol... I do love to play!

I hope you all like the NEW fresh look for this blog and find it easier to navigate the Evolution Trilogy.

As a means of introduction, I was inspired to write after seeing an interview with Stephenie Meyer in February 2010... For years I had written down ideas and hidden my scraps in the recesses of my computer. I was embarrassed to admit I had ideas and wanted to write stories.

I lost a lot of confidence at school. Even though I did very well in English in the end I was convinced I was not good enough to be a writer (even though I used to write stories all the time from a young age - I wanted to become the next Agatha Christie).

Since I was good at Maths & Science I naturally followed that road, ended up doing a degree in Accounting & Law (which I found extremely challenging, boring & depressing), and then decided (in my wisdom) to train as a Chartered Accountant. Are you surprised to find out it was a mistake? Anyway, after less than a year I resigned, even though they all thought I was very good at my job! I decided to retrain as a Teacher of Maths (since I always liked helping people) and found my calling.

I worked  as a Teacher of Maths in a secondary school (which I sadistically loved) for a few years before I left on maternity leave. We then moved to Holland for a few years and child number two came along. I had traumatic deliveries and found it hard to find "peace."  When we moved to the Isle of Wight I finally felt at home for the first time in years. It is fair to say that I am not a "city" girl...

I was about to go back to work in 2008 when I discovered number three was on her way!

To keep my sanity over the years I have helped voluntary organisations by doing their accounts, organised fundraisers, tutored Maths, read a LOT of books, cooked & cleaned (way too much), done craft with my kids, met up with friends... I tried it all. BUT, there was something missing...

So, when I listened to that interview in February 2010 I decided to try to write a story - for FUN! And I did. I wrote a romantic chic flick story of 67,000 words and I was very proud mf myself (it was not well written but the story had promise). Either way, as far as I was concerned at the time that was a lot of words... I naively submitted it to agents after reading the Writers & Artists Handbook (how little did I know? ha ha) and of course got rejections - I keep them as momento's.

I got the idea for The Evolution Series (now a Trilogy) around May 2010 and started to write. The original story started with Steven the summer before he started university. It was different to what it is now. Before long, Hybrid was born.  It was only 75,000 words at first draft.  It took 2 years to get it to the 103,000 word stage it is now. Whilst I edited and changed Hybrid, I wrote Complications, which is why I managed to publish Complications at the end of 2012.

I have started Return, but ever since I started to actively promote my writing, time has been more precious.

I have had great advice and feedback along the way from online friends at www.thewordcloud.org , Twitter, and Booksie. I also had amazing support via friends and family. But, I have to stress that I have done the bulk of the editing, so any errors are my own. I also designed the covers.

Anyway, enough about me, enjoy the first two books of my Trilogy! I have put my heart and soul into them...

Thank you for having a look
Vanessa Wester :) xx