Back from the cave

I've been deserted social media recently to get deeper into the preparation for the next novel. People who aren't in the writing business will never understand the amount of work required from the plotting of a story to the publishing and beyond. Sometimes I'm also surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of work needed, and the more I go further, the more the to-do-list seems to widen with new tasks.

I am not going to rant about it, and besides, this week, I'm going to tell you about my literary news. The first being the next novel, which I've set up for pre-order.

I am daring my luck because my editor promised to return my manuscript by the end of this month. However, since he has already delayed the delivery of one month, I'm reasonably concerned about the fact of being able to publish the novel by the planned date.

Nevertheless, I believe I have given enough room for everything by setting the pre-order release date by the 24th of February.

Let's now talk a bit more in depth about the novel "Merchant of Pearls."

The story focuses on a young man, Edward Sherwood, who grew up with a name he's not sure he will ever fit. In 1803 Eldridge Sherwood opened a small jewel shop, which kept growing thanks to generations of skilled family members who inherited the business, bringing it to become one of the most respected names in the city.

Besides the qualities as jewelers and dealers, the owners developed a flourishing side-business: the sale of cursed stones and jewels.

Customers looking for a precious stone with a peculiar history will confidently get in touch with the shop owner. Now, nobody actually knows how do the Sherwoods get in possession of those particular items. Some are acquired at auctions, others seem to return back to the shop...

Is the curse real, or the Sherwoods are playing a dirty game? Whatever the deal is, Edward gets dangerously drawn by that mystery.  

Also Detective Lars Lindström is interested, and when former customers seem to meet their destiny in fatal accidents, he can't just ignore the connection between them and the Sherwoods' business.

Things get complicated when at one auction in Moscow, Edward overbids the members of a local mafia family.

Now on the Bratva crosshair and chased by Detective Lindström, how will he save himself and the people he loves? How will he clear his name in front of justice?

As usual, there are also some side stories to complement the novel. One of the most interesting is probably the figure of a Russian man, Mikhail Orlov, hired by Edward as fixer and bodyguard. Their stories will come together, and Mikhail's background will bring a series of further twists to this psychological crime thriller.

To know more, you will have to wait, but you can also take advantage of the discount by pre-ordering it now.

PREORDER 'MERCHANT OF PEARLS'

Something I have learned.

I know that this is not the end of the year, and we are a bit in advance for the New Year's resolution, let alone consideration about this year.

The fact is that October 2019 marks the anniversary of my career as an author.

In October 2016, just three years ago, at this precise moment, I was finalizing the preparations for publishing my debut novel.

I was quite excited about it, and I considered one of the biggest leaps in my life.

Indeed, there have been many leaps I had done. From the day I decided to leave my country to study abroad, to the time when I moved away to another country, following the promise of a job. Then, to the decision that it was perhaps about the time when I published my novel too.

Little I knew at that time about the things I needed to take into account, and it was not just the question of putting something on the internet. It was a question of building my brand, growing my name, and being part of a growing community of writers, whether seasoned or newbies like myself.

I have found an incredible and supportive community ready to give all sorts of advice to bring my novel to the eyes of the readers.

I had many doubts, and some I still have. Something was clear to me since the beginning, I wasn't interested in having a contract with any publishing company, not big nor small. I understood since the beginning that this meant two main things: sharing a cake that might be not big enough and have no words on the creative process. 

In some cases, this would have meant also restricting my say in what and how I wanted to write.

I am a rebel by nature, and I have never accepted people telling me what to do or how to do things unless it was me asking for advice.

I have read many comments of people bashing indie-authors. They claimed that since they are not represented by any publishing houses, they are not worth the attention of a readership. For what I saw, the quality and content can be equally missing in both indie and traditionally published. (I have in mind a few examples, but I am not going to list any of them here).

One big lesson was to build a community, and I have found out that by sharing more than "buy my books," I could grow my list of followers. Those might or might not buy my books, but the more they are, the more I get visibility.

Hence, social media is not really a place where I sell something, but it is a place where I build something, namely connections and brand.

The biggest lesson, anyway, arrived this year after a series of lectures about different kinds of ads. I have tried AMS and BookBub ads, and although I still have a lot to learn, I got results.

I started to study, really taking time to go through all the material I have accumulated and classified 'for later review.'

Well, I guess this is the time when I finally start to review the accumulated material. That is something else I have learned, which is trying not to procrastinate excessively. Nowadays, life is hectic, and we have thousands of things to think about and to do. Nevertheless, I want to try and find the time for my growth as an indie author.

It might take time, but determination can perform miracles.

Will I be able to honor my propositions?

We will see, and I will keep updated. I will also update any progress, whether this could help someone in the same situation.

For now, I just wish you all a great weekend, and stay tuned for next week's blog!