Dear #MarkedbyOdin, two months have passed since the last letter and the time has come to take a look at what is currently happening with Mark of Odin. Especially, after all the effort made to be able to produce The Stone Lotus’, the first independent novel that I write apart from the saga. Now that the first print run is on track and I’m waiting to receive the copies, let’s see how things are for Mark of Odin.
THE STONE LOTUS
I start with the implications of the upcoming release of ‘The Stone Lotus’ and the results of the early pre-order campaign we ran in October. As most of you have already seen on our social media, the book has already been finished and is in our friendly printer, Printcolor, so that the limited and exclusive print run of the advance reservation is printed. Just last Friday I received the validation copy and I have to say that it turned out great.
The final cover illustration has received the care and attention of the always great Manu Nieto. In ‘The Stone Lotus’ we have tried to combine the use of artificial intelligence technology with artist’s work. The result could not be more satisfactory, as you can see.
Right now, my priority is to prepare everything necessary to be able to send the books as soon as possible once we receive them. My goal is to be able to do it the week of November 28, although we will see how it affects Black Friday and the carrier strike. In addition, I have to finish the eBook edition and also prepare the Amazon version and, after that, the audiobook version. This last one I would have loved to give it to you too, but it involved technical complexities that it is not possible to overcome under current conditions.
I want to thank all the #MarcadosporOdín who have given me an additional vote of confidence by supporting this novel. As I said, its success was essential for us to be able to continue working on Mark of Odin. I think I’ve got a very nice and entertaining story, different, yes. So those of you who haven’t been able to take the plunge, I encourage you to do so when the book is available digitally at our store, or on paper at Amazon. At the moment, the pre-order print edition will be the only one we do, so we will no longer sell the print book in our store. This could change later if the conditions are met to make it possible to print an operational print run.
THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE
The results of the early pre-order campaign will directly condition the short- and medium-term strategy of Mark of Odin. I am currently in a process of analysis to determine how to continue moving forward after the impact that the campaign has had. With about 130,000 readers in total, four published books (with The Stone Lotus) and the community built in ten years, we should find ourselves in a very different position than we are today.
It is true that we are immersed in a convulsive period in which the third world war, yes, we are at war, in case anyone continues to doubt it, and its effects are doing a lot of damage economically and mentally. It has been years since a great economic depression was coming, regardless of the pandemic and the war. If we add to this the evolution in social networks and algorithms, we are facing the perfect storm for those of us who want to create and sell independently. It is increasingly difficult and even impossible to be competitive.
As I told you in my previous letter, I am willing to share with you the bonus chapters of Mark of Odin: Ragnarok. I confirm that I maintain my intention to publish the first chapter before the end of this year. I hope to draw inspiration and time in the coming weeks.
On the other side, after the data obtained this last month, I have no choice but to paralyze for the time being the production of the extended contents of Volume 3 of the Odinpedia. The balance of this 2022 forces me to completely rethink 2023 and this will require me to spend much less time creating additional production. This will remain so until we have numbers that guarantee that it is feasible for me to invest more time and money in it.
The same applies to the future fourth book of the saga, at the moment we do not have enough support to be able to make it feasible for me to consider its production. Not in 2023, we’ll see if in 2024 or later. I have always said that in this it is you, the readers, who are in charge. In this project, the #MarkedbyOdin are the ones who set the limits, both in one direction and in the other.
With the current situation, I must study very well how and in what to invest my money and my time. I must do so in order to ensure that this project remains viable and that there is a balance between my personal and professional life.
INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION
Of course, this does not mean that it does not continue working to be able to find formulas that allow our growth in parallel. Almost a month ago the Frankfurt Book Fair took place and, although I did not attend in person, I am having numerous meetings to look at expanding my intellectual properties.
Both Mark of Odin and The Stone Lotus are getting attention, so I am convinced that it is only a matter of time before we can make the leap to overcome the walls that stand before us as an independent project. Any success in this area will benefit the saga and the readers.
CHRISTMAS SEASON AND GROUP PROMOTIONS
Despite all the above, in the end I have decided to invest again in a marketing campaign for this month and the next. The objective is to try to liquidate the current stock, since it is possible that in 2023, I will be absent from Spain again for several months. So, we are going to try to sell as many books as possible so that they can be dedicated.
We have also updated the promotions for groups, companies, events with which we offer discounts of up to 50% for minimum orders of twenty-five units. What’s new this year is that we now also offer the option of fully personalized books on the title page for orders of at least fifty copies.
So now you know, if you are looking for an original gift in your company for this Christmas or if you are preparing a big event, wedding, reunion and want to have a personalized gift with our books, take a look at our promotions now.
YOUR SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL
I encourage you to keep us in mind for your Christmas gifts and recommend us to your friends and family. Every grain of sand adds up and every new reader who is surprised by my stories is a strong impulse to continue fighting for this dream. In addition, there are many of you who, after awakening to your destiny, have not yet dared to walk the path to Valhalla or fight in the battle of the end of time. Don’t wait any longer!
As always, I encourage you to join our Discord community, the Telegram channel and also add us to your contact list on WhatsApp (Say hello to us at +34 671 48 96 90) and continue sharing your impressions of the books. . Not only in the Reviews section, but also on external platforms such as Amazon, Google Play, Apple, Kobo, Lektu or Goodreads. Having a good rating and opinions there helps us a lot to attract new readers.
Remember, all is connected!
Xavier Marcé