Hey there, Reader!

I hope this message finds you in good spirits! 🌟 It's been a little while since we caught up, and I've been buzzing with excitement to share some updates with you.

Firstly, I want to express my immense gratitude for your ongoing support. Your encouragement keeps the creative fire burning, and I'm thrilled to have you on this journey with me. 🙏

Now, let's dive into the cosmic adventure that's been unfolding. 🚀✨ As you might recall from my last email, I recently completed the rough draft of Book 3 in the Gods & Guardians trilogy, titled "Transformed." The story has taken unexpected turns, and the characters have truly come to life in ways that continue to amaze me. I even had the joy of reading it aloud to my husband, who laughed out loud multiple times—a delightful confirmation that this book is something special.

But today, I'm here to take you on a different journey—a trip down memory lane. In 2006, the seeds of Awakened were planted in my imagination. Dru and Alayna, characters born from vivid dreams, urged me to bring their story to life. Fast forward to 2014 when my first book was finally finished! The following year I published, all thanks to the persistent encouragement from my amazing students at the time!

My creative journey has been a roller-coaster, filled with ups, downs, and everything in between. From navigating the challenges of the publishing world to the joys of connecting with readers like you, it's been an incredible ride. Through it all, my philosophy remains the same: use the power of creativity to inspire positive change and explore human potential.

And now, a whole decade has zipped by since I kicked off this wild journey to become a published author. Time flies, right? When I first started, it was easy to generate organic views for Awakened through social media and Amazon. But, oh boy, things have changed in the book world over the past decade. It's a pay-to-play system now. Ads are a must, and various factors on Amazon can affect conversion to sales. Covers, descriptions, reviews – it's a delicate dance. And the market? Influenced by trends on platforms like BookTok, there’s no guarantee that ads or a perfect Amazon page will even work.

Fast forward to 2024, and I'll soon be ready to publish my third and final book in the series. But the landscape has evolved since I started this publishing journey ten years ago. Here's the snag – Amazon controls a significant chunk of ebook and online print book sales. To maximize my chances of success, I could focus on writing in genres that are currently trending, (or in this case editing my current book to include certain "things") capturing the interest of a wider readership. But that might mean compromising the essence of my stories. The market currently leans toward themes that don't align with my vision for my YA books and there is no way in H-E-double toothpicks that I'm going to write explicit romance scenes in a YA book.

So, I've decided on a reboot, starting with Awakened, revising the story (not anything major just revising sentence wording, structure, etc), adding scenes, and even whole chapters. I mean it’s been a decade on this journey, and that's definitely worth celebrating with a reboot and with special editions. But how is that going to help if my books are in a niche category on places like Amazon?

Imagine a place where creators share their wildest ideas, and backers like you bring them to life. Such a place does exist and it is called Kickstarter! It's a unique place for niche books, a platform where readers like you can be part of the journey.

In a landscape dominated by market demands, I chose a platform that celebrates creativity and community. Creators, including yours truly, present project ideas, set up pages with all the juicy details, and backers fund these dreams. It's a community-driven journey where the more backers, the merrier! Kickstarter allows us to celebrate creativity and community, crafting a unique edition that goes beyond market trends.

So, here's the big news—I'm launching a Kickstarter campaign to celebrate ten years of writing and to give Awakened the reboot it deserves. While the book is already written, your support will shape the stretch goals, like artwork you would like to see or really any idea you have. It's a chance for you to be directly involved in the excitement and celebration of this reboot through this special edition.

Stay tuned for more details, sneak peeks, and the Kickstarter launch date. This is going to be an incredible adventure, and I'd love for you to be a part of it!

Thank you for being a cherished part of this journey. Looking forward to sharing more with you soon!

Sincerely,

C. J. Anderson

Award Winning Author - Gods & Guardians series

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