British author Vicky Ball is an unexpected bestseller after a simple post on X about selling two. Books Wrapped up his novel at a local event. powerless above Amazon Bestseller Charts.
After the release of two of his novels – powerless And Abandoned — at an event for writers at the Gillywood Heritage Center in Chelmsford, Essex on Tuesday (December 3), the 48-year-old shared her excitement online. “Sold two books 😁😁,” he wrote, “I’ve had a few events where I didn’t sell any.”
There was an outpouring of support, which he described as “amazing” and “unbelievable”. Her post has amassed over 24 million views and 745,000 likes. In the following days, powerless — a thriller with “many twists” about the return of a missing girl — reached No. 3 in Amazon’s “Teen and Young Adult Fiction on Sexual Exploitation” category.
Reflecting on its viral success, Ball explained The BBC“I was really completely shocked, and it was all a bit overwhelming – I was just shocked and couldn’t believe it.”
Messages of support poured in from around the world. “I’m getting messages from people on Instagram saying: ‘I’m in Colombia and just bought your book’. ‘I’m in Salt Lake City’; ‘I’m in Belgium.’ It’s really amazing,” he added The Guardian.
Ball, who works at the University of Essex and is currently studying for a master’s degree in creative writing, wrote powerless During the COVID-19 Lockdown in 2020. Balancing her work as a teacher at the time, she wrote most weekends, sitting in her lounge with her laptop on her lap.
During the pandemic, writing provided an outlet, offered purpose and a distraction from stress and loneliness, she said. “Having a goal and something to take my mind off the stress and anxiety was very helpful.”
When giving advice to aspiring writers, Ball emphasizes simplicity and enjoyment. “Just write! I just go with it. It’s like a journey, and I really enjoy the process. You never know where it’s going to go,” he shared. The Guardian.
His second novel, Abandonedtells the story of an alcoholic mother with a dark secret.
Despite his newfound fame, Ball has remained focused on his work on X and the supportive writing community. “Social media can be a really positive place, especially on X because there’s a big writing community and we’re very supportive of each other,” he told the BBC.
Looking ahead, Ball plans to continue writing while balancing her job and studies. “I’m very happy at the moment doing my masters in creative writing and working at university,” she admits, “but I have some ideas for a few other books in the pipeline.”