I wrote a promotional article for independent New Zealand author Christina Woods who gained notable success within months of releasing her debut novel, Miasma. It was live on FirstApplause.co.nz within a week, along with collaborative social media posts. Read the 350 word feature below:

A novel published in April this year has already reached milestones that many self-published authors can spend years working towards.

Fuelled by the wish to write the kind of fantasy story she hunted for on library shelves as a teenager, author Christina Woods wrote debut novel Miasma. It’s a standalone YA fantasy about a girl overcoming trauma and learning to face her fears head-on.

“I wrote the very first rough draft for Miasma during a really challenging time in my life when I was out of work due to Covid,” Christina said.

After five years of self-doubt and fitting writing around her full-time work, she finally dedicated the time to finish the novel.

“I finally decided to take the plunge this year and took a week off from my job over the Easter break in order to finish it off for good, and publish it.”

Once published, Christina quickly achieved several of her short-term goals, including earning $100 in royalties within her second month, getting Miasma stocked by local bookstore BookHero NZ, and seeing it added to Auckland Libraries.

“To see it on the shelf I used to look through weekly brings me such joy, and I feel I’ve come full circle,” Christina said.

Her ultimate goal is considerably bigger.

“My future goal is to get a traditional book deal, but I’m aware that this is a ridiculously huge goal, but if I hit it I’ll have ‘made it’ for real.”

Despite her early success, Christina says she wishes she had taken more time to research the self-publishing process.

“I was really impatient… In hindsight I should have spent another month researching the ins and outs of the self-publishing space to do it ‘properly’, but I was just so ready to get it out the door.”

Her advice to aspiring authors is simple: do your research, learn about marketing, and keep writing. “We only get better as we practice.”

For readers wanting to support independent authors, Christina says leaving a review and signing up to their newsletter goes a long way.

And she’s already moving on to her next writing project. Book two was drafted before Miasma was even published.

“It’s not a sequel and it’s not even the same genre!”

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You can find Miasma on paperback in-store and online at BookHero, and on E-Book via Amazon.

Follow Christina Wood’s author journey on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and sign up to her newsletter via her website.

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Miasma:
Piper has already died once. She just doesn’t remember it yet.

After escaping the brutal Kingdom of Stromst with the woman she loves—the disgraced Princess Celene—Piper dares to believe they’re finally free.

Then a mysterious letter draws them back into the kingdom they barely escaped.

This time, she doesn’t survive. But death isn’t the end.

Trapped in a deadly time loop, Piper is forced to relive the same events as fragments of forgotten memories bleed into each new cycle. Someone—or something—is giving her another chance. But every reset uncovers darker secrets buried beneath the kingdom’s throne

Now Piper must uncover the source of her strange memories, protect the woman she loves, and change the fate that keeps ending in bloodshed.

Because every loop brings her closer to the truth. And closer to losing Celene forever.

From Five-Year Draft to Bookshop Shelves: Christina Woods’ Self-Publishing Success Story

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