Vampire Emily- Reviews 3 months in (*Spoilers)

My book has now been on sale for three months. It seems longer than that, but perhaps it’s because of all of the work that went into writing the book and creating something from scratch. Promoting it as well takes a lot of effort as I’m having to learn everything as I go, often doing something I’ve never done before. Learning keeps the mind fresh they say! It also means that at points I’ve gotten frustrated as I lack the technical skill to create what I want in my mind, such as this website. But I knew there would be a steep learning curve when I set about becoming a self-published author. I see why people go the traditional path, looking for an agent! I dabble with that idea as I work on the sequel to Vampire Emily, but I know deep down, despite the frustrations, the tantrums and tears, I like that I have control of my work. It’s an interesting creative outlet and one that I’m fortunate enough to have.

Because I’m learning, and I feel that my approach to the genre is fresh, I understand that my work won’t be for everyone. I’d rather have constructive criticism though so that I can improve, this is a dig at the single one-star review I’ve received. WHY WHY WHY did you hate it that much? I want to contact her and ask more questions, but that would be completely unethical and problematic. People’s views are their own and they don’t have to justify themselves if they don’t want to. I wholly believe that as part of the mindfulness approach to life that I’m trying to undertake. I am grateful that she took a chance on my book, that is what any author wants. To have the book be given a chance!

This is why I’ve been overwhelmed with the positivity Vampire Emily has received from the start. 11 ratings on Amazon and 9 on GoodReads. That one star skewed the data, but then again, she was kind enough to read or attempt to read my book. I do however need a lot more ratings and reviews if I’m to continue to compete with other more established authors. It blows my mind that people have thousands of them for books that have only been released this month. They know more about what they’re doing when it comes to self-publishing, getting a street team in early to build upon marketing and in most cases they have several books out. I’m so grateful to the writing community who have helped me as I go and who share their experiences.

So three months in, Vampire Emily had a promotion in which I had more downloads than Dracula for that weekend, I’ve had emails & DM’s asking for more story which I’m trying to do as I write a follow-up, but it’s the positive public reviews that make the blood, sweat and tears of writing worthwhile.

Thank you!