The Nerja incidents

 Nerja

The Backstory

The story behind the eBook

Like many of my short stories, the story of Nerja had nothing to do with were the story ended up.

At the time of geting the idea for the story, I was watching a music vdeo of a light aircraft flying over Manchester, half-way though, I had the thought, "What would happen if it vanished, in sight of all the people in the offices?"

The short story, is a story about a light aircraft that stalls over Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada, and the pilot and passenger have to rely on faith to survive.

This eBook earned two 5-star ratings on Amazon in 2011. The same person who later sabotaged my award-winner - Chronicles of Mark Johnson - got a friend to hack the site, to delete one of the ratings

The following year, Don Ford, a writer in Canada asked for a copy for his tablet, being innocent, I didn't realise he was so impressed, he copied the story, and passed it as one of his.

Do I believe I should have had the opportunity to be offered a contract to write?

 Alan Place - Award Winning Author

Being an Award Winner

The year of the Awards

In 2012, I was in contact with several authors across the world, like me, they had earned an award, and we agreed earning an Award, means nothing, unless it is a major award such as the Booker Prize,the Pulitzer Prize, or the Orange Prize.

I think I should have been given my opportunity to shine, but living in the UK was a drawback, I couldn't travel to conventions in the USA. Another drawback is I can't afford publication costs, my writing has shown it gets noticed as I earned two awards in 2011.

Rewriting an Award Winner

 The Chronicles of Mark Johnson

Alan Place - Editor

You may ask, why rewrite your award winner?

The answer is not long after the stories earned their award, I took an editorial course, and in reviewing the MS, I can see flaws, both in the style of writing, and the story flow.

My hope is to edit the MS, and release the new version on my Amazon page.

I have nothing to lose, as the book was sabotaged, in 2012, by an editor I used to know, she was jealous I had eared an award, as she kept putting my work down online

Alan Place - Award Winning Author

The O. Henry Award

                         Double Award Winner in 2011

One question I used to ask myself was which would I prefer to win, the Nobel Prize for Literature, or the Pulitzer Prize?

They are both titles worthy in their own right, the Pulitzer is for Journalism, a style which suited my inquisitve mind, a little like Kolchak.

One award I never considered was the O. Henry Award, for short stories, which is more my style of writng, much like Mickey Spillane, if something is in one of my stories it is there to move the story, not as a page-filler 

Could I get back in the writing mood?

 I have many stories I could write

                                            Old or New

As I am changing from Draft2Digital to Barnes & Noble, this will give me the opportunity to edit some of the older eBooks I have for sale, such as my award-winner - Chronicles of Mark Johnson - which needs some editing.

I have no idea, or plan for what lies ahead, with fortitude, I hope to

 re-start my journey as a writer.

When did the rot begin?

 Amazon Returns Policy

Before I was an Award Winner

Recent events have had me re-evaluating my writing career.

For decades, I thought the writer who despised me winning the award in 2012, and trashed my book online was the cause of my decline, but the truth goes further back than 2012.

Like most people who sell items, I added my eBook selections to Amazon for sale, without realising I had no sales opportunity as the site is like a department store, not a book store; which is why I put my eBooks on Draft2Digital for many years.

Other than a lack of sales from Amazon, my bestseller on the site had sold 25 copies in a decade, that is because it sold several copies, twice, in a weekend, my next bestselling eBook had only sold 15 copies in a decade.

The rot set in as soon as I added my stock to Amazon, because of their returns policy. I saw two of my stories about dragons had sold, but because the buyer had returned the eBook within days, all I got was a tiny raise in the rating for the eBooks. So, I wrote another short story, and sent in. I got the reaction I expected, it was snapped up, and returned within two days. 

That was when I reaised I would be fighting a losing battle selling on Amazon.

Updates and Rewrites

 Expanded Versions

My task for the next few months may be to update some older stories, including my award winner (above) to try to attract some eBook sales, and encourage me not to stop writing.

Something I keep forgetting

Growing a following on LinkedIn 

A Multi-Genre Writer

A few moments ago, I was writing a post for my LinkedIn profile, when I realised I keep missing something out of my profile.

If I am asked, I will write that I am an award winner, but I often forget I am also a multi-genre writer.

Why should I try to get work as a writer?

 I am an excellent writer

 I am an award winner

Many people over my 15 years as a writer have sung my praises for the style, quality, and variety of my writing. I have earned several awards, but none of this matters unless you have a degree.

I'm a Celebrity

 I am an award winner

I am amused

Some of my former colleagues in the writing community considered me a celebrity for winning an award.

The award changed me, it didn't make me arrogant, on the contrary the award made me concerned that readers would expect a standard I wasn't able to reach; I need not have worried, nothing happened.

Recently, several celebrities, mainly bestselling writers, and actress Gal Gadot have tried using their status to scam me.

I find it amusing they think being a celebrity will influence me.

My Award winning book

 Chronicles of Mark Johnson

When this book of short stories won an award 12 years ago, I became a pariah anong the group of writers I used to know, why? 

They used to talk about contracts, book signing tours, college courses, and I had nothing. 

From nowhere, I earned the award, and they all stopped chatting to me. I had changed, I had become more introverted because I was concerned about the expectations of me now I was an award winner.

I had nothng to worry about, one person did her best to sabotage my sales, and she succeeded, to this day the book never sold.

Another life.

My agent, Lina Cruz, is very interested in this book, but I shall need to rewrite the story as a stand alone, rather than part of a series because the feelings which drove the story 12 years ago are no longer there.