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British author Vicky Ball is an unlikely bestseller after a simple post on X about selling two books at a local event catapulted her novel Powerless up the Amazon bestseller charts.
After showcasing her two novels — Powerless and Abandoned — at an authors event on Tuesday (December 3) at Galleywood Heritage Centre in Chelmsford, Essex, the 48-year-old shared her excitement online. “Sold two books 😁😁,” she wrote, adding, “I’ve done some events where I haven’t sold any.”
A whirlwind of support followed, which she has described as “amazing” and “unbelievable.” Her post has amassed over 24 million views and 745,000 likes. In the days following, Powerless — a thriller with “lots of twists” about a missing girl’s return — soared to No. 3 in Amazon’s “Teen and Young Adult Fiction on Sexual Abuse” category.
Reflecting on her viral success, Ball told the BBC, “I was completely surprised really, and it was all a bit overwhelming — I was just amazed and couldn’t believe it.”
Messages of support poured in from across the globe. “I’ve been getting messages on Instagram of people saying: ‘I’m in Colombia and just bought your book’; ‘I’m in Salt Lake City’; ‘I’m in Belgium.’ It’s amazing really,” she added to The Guardian.
Ball, who works at the University of Essex and is currently pursuing 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 mostly on weekends, seated in her lounge with her laptop on her knees.
She said writing provided an outlet during the pandemic, offering purpose and a distraction from the stress and isolation. “It was so helpful having a purpose and something to keep my mind off the stress and worry.”
When offering advice to aspiring writers, Ball emphasized 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,” she told The Guardian.
Her second novel, Abandoned, tells the story of an alcoholic mother with a dark secret.
Despite her newfound fame, Ball has remained focused on her work and the supportive writing community on X. “Social media can be a really positive place, especially on X because there’s a big writing community and we are very supportive of each other,” she told the BBC.
Looking ahead, Ball plans to continue writing while balancing her job and studies. “I’m quite happy at the moment doing a master’s in creative writing and working at the university,” she admitted, “but I have some ideas for some other books in the pipeline.”
