The wandering writer, turns (for one day) into the marketing writer!

Changing my hat for one day, after which I will be back telling new traveling adventures to more or less exotic destinations.

It has been already three months since my first novel has been published. The public (people like you and me) found it quite interesting, and I have to admit it, it pleased me to see that my story wasn't enjoyed only by me as I was writing it, but also by people who had nothing to do with me.

You know, I do believe that every first-time author, particularly when we talk about self-publishing and indie, are taken by thousands of doubts.

"Should I publish it?"

"Is it good enough?"

"Will anyone read it?"

There isn't a clear answer to any of those questions because the world (Thank God) is made by people with different tastes, cultural backgrounds, and preferences.

There will be definitely people interested in what you write, the only shrewdness is to make sure that there aren't any sort of errors, particularly obvious grammar error.

Those can turn the best plot in the world into something unpleasant to read, and difficult to follow, and of course, it will turn down every potential reader/follower.

The third question is a great mystery, because if you don't have any experience in distribution and marketing, you might end up with making fatal mistakes, which will cost you dearly slowing down any chance of a result.

Surely there are thousands of websites, promising visibility and great marketing strategy, but who’s to trust? Orienting in this labyrinth can become difficult, stressing and frustrating, as in the meanwhile you try to figure out a way to market your book, building an audience, time is passing by, and nobody has yet even noticed that your book was there.

My personal experience is that spending money on marketing getting the help of a professional is an investment, rather than a waste of money. And for this reason, I have been investing some money also in that direction.

In that meanwhile, somebody started to read and buy my e-book, and with that, the first review started to come on Amazon (different marketplaces) and also in Goodreads. Of course, the road is still long from where I am now, the small, almost unknown author to the Author with an established audience.

 

So if you are wondering about what I do write, I tell you that my first published novel is a crime story. However, what makes it different from all the common crime/thriller, is the introspective journey each of the characters is going through during the entire story.

Each character has his/her own personality and nature which meets the ones of all the others in an engaging plot.

Ok, I know what you are thinking, “well, of course, you as the author, you won't say negative things.”

That is undoubtedly true, but going to see all the feedbacks I received, this is also the impression of general readers. Some of them gave me 5 stars, others 4 or 3 stars, but I really value their opinion, as it is a way to grow up and improve.

At the side of this post you are reading, there is a link to BookViral, there you can find a more detailed feedback about my novel, or going to Amazon.com, you can find what readers say about it. 

I do not exclude that even you, who are reading my blog at this moment, might find it a compelling read as much as I do not exclude that you might find it nothing special. Everything is possible, but I dare you to give it a try.

If you are looking for crime, thriller, introspection, complexity, heartbreaking moments and revenge; my novel, A Tale of a Rough Diamond, is what you might be looking for.

I would be pleased to have also your opinion.

Another issue that had been bothered me for a long time is also concerning the cover of my book. It is clear that a cover is the business card of a book, and an uninteresting cover can push away a potential reader. Although a cover does not necessarily speak for the book itself, rather for the cover artist who has designed it, I would like some opinion about it, and whether would be a good idea to change it.

As I am approaching to say goodbye, and the sun is setting, I greet you with a cozy, freezing view of Helsinki: