Positives in a Pandemic? by Lancashire Author Andy Slinger.
It’s been a year that many would like to forget, especially in Lancashire where the majority of the time has been spent in local lockdowns. Many, many people have suffered and it’s only now as restrictions begin to gradually lift that people feel they are getting their lives back to normal. We’ve all dealt with the isolation in different ways and some have even turned the experience into a positive. I am one of those people.
A Dream Come True
Lancashire Author Andy Slinger always had a dream of writing a children’s book. I’d written a few words here and there but nothing to shout about and certainly nothing that resembled a book. But when it became apparent there wasn’t going to be any kind of Covid quick fix and I was put on furlough I decided this was my time to focus on my writing and pursue my writing ambitions.
I set about drafting what was to become my debut book The Super Twins. I read articles, took courses, and watched a million YouTube videos on how to self-publish a book. I got up at 5:00 am every morning to write, I opened social media accounts to record my journey and learnt how to build a website from scratch. All this alongside home schooling my identical twin boys and gaining a hugely increased respect for the teaching profession.
Amazon Best Seller
It was tough work, but I loved every second of it. Every day I was learning more and gaining confidence in my abilities, both the marketing and writing side of things. Fast forward to September and I released my book on Amazon, becoming a best seller in several categories. A feat which I could only have dreamed of a few months earlier. The Super Twins not only became an Amazon best seller but a finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2020, making the top 20 out of 600 entries in the 9 – 12-year-old age category (I even bagged myself a little gold medal).
The Super Twins 2
The success pushed me to go for it again, why not write another book? So I set to work on the sequel, imaginatively titled The Super Twins 2. I had learnt a lot from the first book so in a lot of ways this was easier to write but it was still a race against time to publish it before I went back to my day job. Somehow though I made it.
On 24th April 2021 it was released on Amazon and the ‘twin-pack’ of books was completed. The Super Twins 2, shot to the top of the Amazon chart becoming number one new release in the Children’s Superhero book category.
Put Your Mind To It
Whether this is as successful as the first book remains to be seen. But no matter what, in a year, I’ve become not just a writer but a published Author. I’ve grown more as a person than ever in my life and it’s helped to keep my sanity through a year like no other. I’ve realised you can do whatever you want to do if you put your mind to it and believe in yourself. With hard work, persistence and the right mentality you can achieve anything. Not only have I proved it to myself I’ve shown my children what is possible if you want it enough.
David Walliams
When Lancashire Author Andy Slinger started out he wanted to “Inspire, entertain and engage children with my stories and knock David Walliams off his perch.”
I might not quite have dislodged Mr Walliams off top spot yet but I know I’ve begun to make a difference to children’s lives. That will remain my mission throughout my writing career. If I can motivate just one child to pick up a pen and start writing a story then it’s all been worthwhile. It’s incredible the difference a year can make. If you put your mind to it then anything is possible.
If you’d like to get in touch with Lancashire Author Andy Slinger, visit his website www.andyslinger.com
