Happy Two Year Anniversary, HYBRID

Two years ago, I published Hybrid on smashwords... and started blogging online via blogger.

It is amazing to think how much I have learnt and how much I have done since then. In celebration of the day, I have decided to recap the last two years... for all you budding authors out there wondering whether to self-publish!

27th March, 2012 - Published on smashwords!

My second ever blog post

"Well, I was going to wait some more... but then I thought "what's the point?" So I self published last night and I have sold 4 books already...so cool... Whoever you are, thank you...you made my day.  Let me know how you got on, did you like it?  Would you like to read more?  The sequel is written and in need of an edit... I guess I should get into that now.

For those of you who don't know me, a little sneak peak... I love to read paranormal romance and thrillers... so if you have any suggestions please let me know.

At the moment it looks like I'm about to sink my teeth into The Hunger Games...it might take the edge off my obsession with Twilight. (groan... I hear some of you say)  I will not apologise for this, if it have not been for an interview I saw of Stephenie Meyer I would never have started writing...I owe her one.  Since I started to escape into fiction I've been a happier person.  And I hope you like what I write as much as I enjoyed writing it...

Thanks for reading!"

So sweet and innocent... I had no idea what I had started!

Once I started on smashwords, I waited to try to get "Premium Status" ... eventually I did, but it is confusing if you are doing all the formatting yourself. I followed Mark Cokers' Style Guide to get it right.

I realised that selling on smashwords was not an easy task... SELF-PUBLISHING IS HARD!

I decided to branch out and joined the Beast => => => Amazon. I published there on May 8th, 2012.

It was at this point that I started to see the brutal side to selling books - FAKING REVIEWS!

It happens, there's no point lying about it - some people do rate a book without having read it, either to swap reviews with an author or to make the author look worse online - terrible, right?

If you look at my reviews, you will see that they are not extensive - I like to think they are genuine, from real readers. There are many books that have hundreds of reviews... I have no idea how they did this. The mainstream books will have them, because they sell thousands of books, but for the average author, I would estimate that for every 50-100 books sold, you might get 1 review if you are lucky.

Harry Potter in the UK has currently got 1554 reviews... think about how many thousands of books this has sold! In contrast, Fifty Shades of Grey (the masterpiece-NOT!) has 7049 reviews (2022 are one star!)... even though it was published only a few years ago. It is also in the top 100 of the charts - erotica (is this what these books are?) obviously sells. It's a shame I don't write it... I need to lower my standards!

For the record, I have sold several hundred books, and given away in the region of over 6000 books of Hybrid for FREE as an eBook and have 14 reviews on Amazon US, and 36 on Amazon UK! So, for FREE books the ratio is even lower, since most of the time they might not even get read!

I then joined GOODREADS in June, 2012. This is a great way for me to keep track of the books I read and occasionally I dip into discussions - the fun side of reading! :)

I decided to try out the Amazon KDP scheme, left smashwords, and worked with another author to run a joint promotion. amazing to think that in 2012 you could get 300 downloads in a day as an unknown author - this does not happen now to many of us without a paid promotion or excessive use of social media! I got over 400 downloads in a day for Hybrid, which rocked me up the charts last month - but that was because I was featured in a free magazine distributed in Gibraltar!

I then started blogging about other stuff... food, sports, personal stuff. I realised blogging was a great way to share photos with family. So I decided to start new blogs...

VANESSA WESTER, first blog started March 2012.

A READER'S PERSPECTIVE, April 2012. A place to vent about books I have read, or movies I have seen.

TIME TO ESCAPE, Oct 2012. Adult anthologies I have published for charity.

FESTIVAL OF WRITING, started Oct 2012. A one-off blog about my experience.

This one, THE EVOLUTION TRILOGY, started January 2013.

INTERVIEW OF AN AUTHOR,  links and some posts of the authors interviews I have done.

STORIES FOR ALL, June 2013. Anthologies that can be enjoyed by children & adults which I have published, raising money for charity.

A lot of my time over 2013 was taken up with the charity anthologies. This is a great thing to do in order to meet great authors, support a worthy cause, and to find an outlet to write about different genre's and try out new styles. I found the experience rewarding and even though it has raised some money for these worthy causes I have decided not to publish any more.

The reason for this is that it took too much time and I also felt a bit used. Most of the authors were fantastic to work with, but I found the process frustrating and made the decision to focus on my own projects. I will still promote them, and they do sell a few every now and again, but I think the market is saturated with these collections. I have seen a successful free one, where it is clear all the authors promote it since they have linked to the amazon page.

A great blog I wrote which has had over 700 views is HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK - MY JOURNEY! Worth a read, I think...

I blogged about editing (the pain of it all), negative reviews (the first one I got was weird!), publishing Complications (the stress involved), interviews, the first time I sold paperbacks via a Fair, skiing, Food, Chocolate Muffins, Easter fun with kids, pets, the completion of my trilogy - I did it!... and recently, I have started to interview authors I have read and enjoyed. I have set up a Facebook page to keep track of these a few weeks ago.

The world of blogging is immense.

Tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, FREE promotion sites, authors groups (like ASMSG), and Goodreads help you to create a profile and network with readers and authors (and family of course! Do not underestimate how helpful family & friends can be at spreading the word when you first start out).

You should also set up an author profile on the amazon sites, as recommended by Amazon when you publish via KDP or createspace. This also helps you to "fine tune" your book description.

Along this arduous road, I have learnt how to format an eBook and paperback, self-edit, create a cover, create a You Tube video (this was fun - I used windows movie-maker).

BUT, I have not gone alone... I did have help from friends & family who proof-read and suggested recommendations for all three books, and recently HYBRID underwent a thorough proofread & edit via Susan Buchanan.

Might I add, that since Hybrid has been free I am actually selling books - the fact the trilogy is complete has certainly helped & I got my first review for RETURN via Amazon US yesterday! Yippee... someone in Texas rated it as a 4 star and said they wanted another one - I could kiss them! :)

For my next project, I will know a lot more and I will actually try to get an agent (I think... on the fence about whether it's worth it!).

Truth, in order to sell paperbacks to the masses, I believe you need to have a mainstream publisher behind you. Also, to translate your work worldwide, it's easier to have help. If you are lucky enough to come up with a break-through idea the advertising that will go into it will make it big (regardless of quality, might I add!)

However, in the main unless you are known or famous, the chances of selling thousands of books are slim. So long as you accept this fact, you'll do great!

Happy 2nd Anniversary to Hybrid, I hope you enjoyed reading my rambles.

All the best,
Vanessa

Library Time

A few weeks ago I started volunteering at my local library. It's fun to be among books and to help out with such a worthy cause.

I grew up going to the library. My dad would roam the styles and I would gather a bunch of books to take home with me. I was always in awe of the amount of books on offer, and slightly intimidated by the silence - it gave it an almost holy feel.

Anyway, I finally got round to donating my trilogy to my local library and so had to take a picture!

So there you have it... best thing was I noticed this week that Hybrid is missing - which means someone has taken it out! Fingers crossed they enjoy it.

If anyone had told me years ago that I would have written a novel, let alone three, I would have laughed my head off... seriously!

In fact, I am shocked at what I have done in four years. I feel at a loss now, and hope I can continue and write another. Insecurity is my biggest enemy, especially when I know there are millions of books out there - why would anyone care about mine?

I have to remember to write for me, to escape.

Perhaps the issue is that recently I have needed to escape less and embraced motherhood. Life is a lot easier when you don't have a toddler to look after. You start to get your life back. I want to make the best use of my time - is writing it? Who knows? I certainly don't.

My next project, along with other novels in the pipeline, is more personal and therefore more daunting. Historical fiction is something I love to read. I am scared that I will not do 'it' justice.

But, as the saying goes 'if you don't try, you won't know'.

Luckily, my eyesight is finally on the mend - phew... so back to the drawing board I go.

Have a fantastic week all.

All the best,

Vanessa

Eyesight is a wonderful thing

This is not going to be a long blog post since I am recovering from corrective eye surgery (laser!!)

Just wanted to say thank you to anyone who is reading this Trilogy.

It still amazes me when I get wonderful feedback and I have been lucky enough to get a few great reviews recently via Amazon & Goodreads (not everyone likes it though, but hey... everyone is entitled to their own opinion).

Whatever you think... have mercy on me and please be kind - thanks :)

Have a great day and thanks for visiting my site,

All the best
Vanessa

p.s. Hybrid has now been edited by Susan Buchanan! If you want the new version simply delete it from your kindle library and then download the latest one - it is FREE via most Amazon sites, smashwords, etc...

I need to stop looking...

Okay, so I will admit it... due to the fact some of you lovely readers out there have actually been buying my books I am becoming obsessed with statistics! Now, seriously, this should be no surprise - I mean, I am supposed to be a maths teacher after all... HA! So, truth - I LOVE IT!

It's been amazing to see my books shoot up and down the charts - THANK YOU!

Every day I think my sales will stop and they don't! TRULY GRATEFUL! Don't worry, it's not getting my head or anything. If sales continue, I really will be in shock.

Moving on... This Monday, I started volunteering at my local library for a couple of hours. I get to help, and am surrounded by loads of lovely books. FAB! Anyway, I saw a book on display that I have actually beaten in the charts at times... this made me smile. So, I have to make a move and donate some of my books to the library so that readers without an eBook can take a look. (Mental note - on "to do" list!)

Yet, I have to admit that I am in awe at the moment... a parent at school, Jane Watson, made the most amazing Gruffalo and backdrop EVER for my daughter's reception class. Isn't this amazing?! WOW, WOW, WOW... Here is an extremely talented, kind and giving parent willing to go above and beyond what certainly I can do. It makes me realise how much other people do out of goodwill. Without the time and effort many volunteers give many organisations would struggle. SO THANK YOU, JANE! 

I have to say that I finally made the decision to give up teaching swimming as a volunteer. There comes a time when you have to say enough, and it had come. I gave nearly 5 years being a member of the committee at first, sorting medals, as secretary, treasurer, and of course, swim teacher and coach for the younger squad members. I have done my bit to "give back" for all the coaches I had when I was a competitive swimmer many moons ago. I wish the club all the best...

As some of you may realise, today is Valentine's Day, I have blogged about it HERE. Make it a good one! (wink, wink)

Enjoy the rest of your day... and a special thank you to Kyra Dune for featuring me in her BLOG today. It's always very special to see my book cover somewhere else...

Have a Gruffalo-tastic DAY!

I am heading off next week with the family to see the in-laws, since it is half-term, so I hope you all keep enjoying my books. Oh, and it would be great to know what you think of them. As of yet, I have no reviews for RETURN on the US site. Of course, I don't want bad ones on amazon... so feel free to comment on here too!

Until the next one, hasta luego,

Vanessa :0) xx

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 :)

You Tube Advert

I have made a promotional video for the Trilogy... Click on the => LINK

I am very excited since I only put it together last night & today, so I hope you enjoy it.

Let me know what you think & please like it so that it gets lots of  views!

Thank you...
Vanessa :)

A HUGE thank you...

I have just written a melancholy blog post on my main Author blog called "Perseverance" - where I discuss (or talk to myself as I write) my dilemma for the year.

Mainly, the question I ask myself is "should I continue writing or get back to my "real" job?

I don't have the answer to this yet, time will tell... but, from what I know most writers lead a double life - they have their day job and then at night they write.

Either way, I am extremely grateful for the moderate success I have had to date. Since HYBRID has gone free (or permafree - what a word!), I have had sales for Complications and Return. I have not had any new reviews on Amazon though, which makes me think readers don't love or hate it, or just have not read it! But, tracking sales/ ratings is driving me to insanity... I keep thinking "Why does that one sell?" "Why does that one get downloaded all the time for free and mine slips down the ratings?"

I am convinced that publicity and promotion is key, but if I do this all the time when do I actually write?

So, I have made a decision to write - yay! And I will have to watch as my books slide down the charts again - easy come, easy go!

If you happen to enjoy my books, it would make my day if you leave a review - on this blog, amazon, anywhere...

To those of you who have - THANK YOU. You are the reason I have worked so hard over the past few years. I know a lot of you have had enjoyment from my writing and so I know I have some promise. To those of you who don't like my writing - you know what, I respect you for sticking your neck out and saying so. I can be pretty critical too, but find I have to bite my tongue recently or I'll get accused of "jealousy".

Anyway, to anyone who visits this site for the first time... I hope you forgive my rant. Being an "indie" author is really hard, not all of us can achieve the sales Amanda Hocking got - she is what I call a true indie success story. She inspired many of us to give it a go, but I am afraid the bubble is set to burst or perhaps just loose air and fizzle out.

If you are a new writer I suggest you try to get an agent first, they are still looking for new talent. In this current market, they have found their feet and will use their marketing knowledge to sell books in a way indie's will struggle to compete against. Not every book should be represented or published, not every book is a mass paperback, but there is certainly enough out there to know that your book might have a place amongst the big boys! Don't lose faith, persevere... and if nothing works, ask me for help. I might be able to give you a few pointers.

Publishing a book is no longer hard - getting noticed is.

All the best,
Vanessa :)