Maximilian Sam's Blog, page 3

The Importance Of Local Newspapers

An Interview With Local Newspaper Editor, Andy Probert.

We have a treat for you in this special blog. Over the course of the last year, we’ve given you some insight into media relations, branding, and marketing. Now we can delve a little deeper by speaking to a newspaper editor. We’ll talk about the role of an editor, why local media is the foundation of successful communications even for the largest companies, what an editor is looking for when submitting a story, and what an editor in a tourist resort gets up to in the winter months.

It’s our great pleasure to introduce the Editor of Voices Newspaper in Didim, Turkiye, Andy Probert.

Our first question is to ask about your history in the media industry and how you ended up as editor of an English speaking local newspaper in Turkiye?

I first set foot into a changing world in the media landscape. When typewriters were giving way to computers, the fax machine was king and mobile phones were like lumps of concrete you hauled around!

A journey that took me to the law courts and sports grounds of South Wales to a country town in Worcestershire, onward to reporting for a city’s daily newspaper for 10 years, before a key decision led to a life with my partner living alongside the Aegean Sea in Turkey. 

Voices Newspaper was launched in the early Noughties by a fellow journalist and I was fortunate to be able to volunteer my help to guide it through to what it is today.

There's a common misconception on how newspapers generate income. The cover price helps, but, especially with the effect of the internet, how does a local newspaper fund itself? As an editor, where’s the sweet spot between generating income and sharing news?

Advertising is king for newspapers wherever they are located in the world, and Turkiye is no exception. With the rise of digital, the ability to take advertising from print to a website, and/or both works. The balance of income and news is a 50-50 split.

I’m sure there are some readers wondering how they can break into the industry. Do you have any advice?

When I joined, I went straight into a news agency and then trained on the job. Today, those entering the industry are likely to go to college or university on a media course and be accepted into an apprenticeship scheme. But with the rise of digital media, you can set up as a reporter off the bat. But media legal training is highly recommended to ensure you are not sunk before you sail by an expensive libel claim.

I’m old enough to remember afternoons stuffing envelopes with press releases and needing a drink to get rid of the taste of glue afterwards. The rise in the internet and technology was meant to signal the death knell of printed newspapers and magazines. How have things changed? How do you keep the balance between a printed newspaper and an online audience?

Newspapers are living a precarious life with the rise of digital and the many different platforms that engage and entertain audiences. It is an ongoing debate of how to balance printed against online. As much as printed papers may have had their day, a bit like fossil fuels, they will be around for some time yet as long as they serve the purpose of being local and community-based.

I’m a great believer in the power of local newspapers. Why do you think they’ve survived and, in many cases, thrived?

Local is the word. Proving to be a local voice for the community and ensuring they are informed about what is happening in their neighbourhood, is still enticing for people to read. 

I remember one of our first conversations when I’d sent you the press release announcing the launch of my first book. The line “I thought that was too professional for someone not in the industry,” is still the greatest compliment I’ve had in my career. What is it you’re looking for when someone submits a story?

Well, a story should have a hook, something which provokes the public’s interest. Everything else will slot into place. 

Why do you think so many, and I include multi-national agencies here, fail to grasp the importance of local newspapers?

I think local newspapers are an oversight for most agencies simply because of ignorance – they are not known about. Local paper’s smaller audiences may be considered too much hard work. Yet those audiences can be just as influential.

What effect do you think a local newspaper has on its community? I know, especially during the pandemic, it was a beacon giving us all vital information and preventing us from feeling alone. 

A newspaper should be seen as a local’s friend. It provides insight, details, facts, and everything else people expect from a local community paper. There is no magic formula, but being connected and having a connection with local communities are not only important to newspapers, they are their lifeblood.

We live in a tourist town so the printed version of Voices only comes out for part of the year. The winter months it reverts to online and social media. Do you find people have seen the newspaper whilst here, then continue to read it online when they’ve gone home?

Yes, there appears a lot of goodwill from the ‘second-home owners’ still living abroad, or tourists wanting a connection to the place they have holidayed in. The expat community has the option of utilising it or not.

I know, from experience, how labour intensive putting together a weekly printed newspaper is. Is it easier over the winter when everything is online?

It might look easy, but you still have to have the initiative and resilience to bring news to your audience, irrespective of what season it is.

A final gratuitous plug moment. What are the links to follow Voices Newspaper?

For more information: www.voicesnewspaper.com or find us on Facebook.

Thank you for providing the insight you have. I’m sure there are many who will have learned a lot. Hopefully, a few will have a look at the website and see how comprehensive and informative a local newspaper can be. We should probably warn them they might come across the odd article by Maximilian Sam too!

What's Coming Up And A New Addition

We can't let that interview be the end of our discussions on media and how best to get your news out to the larger world. So, because we really are lovely some of the time, the next blog in December will be giving you some hints and tips on how to find your news hook, write a press release, and target the right publications (online and offline) to get your news the maximum exposure.

It leads me on to some exciting news. The MaxSam group has expanded. It's no longer only books and merchandise. We have added MaxSam Communications to our family. It offers a full range of communication services from media relations, to podcasts, to training in various aspects of communication. It's been built with over 25 years' experience around the world and brings together some extremely talented individuals who can help with communications advice, planning and execution. You can visit the website by clicking the logo below.

There's More!

We haven't neglected the Maximilian Sam brand whilst launching MaxSam Communications. Quite the opposite. We've given a total refresh to the merchandise and added a few more designs. We'll be adding more downloads too before Christmas. To celebrate both the merchandise refresh, and my father's birthday (We won't tell you his age, but if we lit all the candles it would seriously increase global warming), we're offering a huge 30% off all merchandise for one day only on December 8. It will mean you can get all those presents in time for Christmas.

We hope you've found this blog useful. If you have any questions please leave a comment or contact us and we'll help as much as we can.

TTFN

Maximilian Sam and The Stray Army

PS. Keep your eyes on our social media channels. There's a very cool interview coming out on December 1st. We'll post the links as soon as it's been published, as well as a podcast with Maximilian Sam talking all things book marketing.

A World Of Crazy, Mental Health, And The Next 007?

The summer is over. It must be as the bars, hotel, and shop on my local beach have all closed for the winter. It’s strange, though, because I’m still wandering around in t-shirt and shorts. It’s far too hot for even autumnal clothes. We still have people sunbathing and swimming in the sea. Normally by now the temperatures have dropped and we have our first rain. I’m sure I’ll start complaining when it gets colder and wet, so for now, I’ll enjoy the sunshine.

It’s been a strange summer. The tourist season started later than normal, which made everything feel a little odd. I should have known it would end up being one I will always look back on with great fondness. A random road trip in a BMW convertible because I’d complimented a stranger on his car kicked it off. Writing an article for the local newspaper on our village and beach made me a lot of friends. It raised one or two jokey complaints from people who had discovered the place previously and, like me in some ways, wanted to keep it a bit of a secret.

The children of the bar owners have been the highlight. They’ve made me laugh almost every day. Saying goodbye to them at the end of the summer was quite emotional. They truly made that much of a difference. Their cheekiness, whilst being very respectful, gave an amazing atmosphere to the whole place. If they are the future, then the world is in a far better place than current events make us all feel.

Then there were the turtles. 229 eggs finally hatched. It was special to have been there the night the first eggs were laid and still there three months later, when the last eggs hatched. It was an incredible journey.

It was also a summer of new friends. The turtles brought several of us together. New neighbours across the road made it perfect. To find someone I could chat to about life in Saudi Arabia was the cherry on the icing on top of the cake. I find it strange how shared experiences can lead to such firm friendships. I shouldn’t, as it’s happened to me in almost every country I’ve lived. It even led to the best days of the summer. A little girl’s 10th birthday where I gave her signed copies of the Stray Dogs books, my higher numbered birthday a few days later where they gave me a lovely fountain pen, and an afternoon with the boys that will live long in the memory.

Max’s World of Crazy also made an overdue return. My life seems to be filled with bonkers random events. I have friends always waiting to hear about my latest escapade, even if the latest one wasn’t really my fault. I am using it as my pitch to become the next James Bond.

It was just past midnight when I went onto my balcony, closing the door behind me. I didn’t realise until I tried to come back in the lock on the door had broken, trapping me outside. Everyone else in the house was asleep. I needed a plan and a back-up, just in case. I decided climbing from my balcony onto the conservatory roof and then onto the balcony on the other side of the building would offer a solution. I’d be able to let myself in through the other door. Climbing down and making my way along the conservatory roof was easy enough as it spans the entire front of the building. Clambering onto the other balcony was tougher, as my legs aren’t long enough. I made it, but there was a problem. I was going to need the back-up plan as the electric shutters were down so I couldn’t get through that door either. There was really only one other solution if I didn’t want to risk a few dangerous attempts to climb down to the ground. I’d have to sit on the conservatory roof and wait until I heard someone inside and then bang on my bedroom window, hoping I’d be heard. All the neighbours have gone home for the winter, so there was no help in that direction.

I spent two and a half hours watching a hedgehog run up and down the road. I’d never realised how quick they are. I was getting a little cold and stiff when I heard a toilet flush. I banged like crazy until I heard the door on the side of the house open. It must have been a shock to see my ugly mug poking over the side of the conservatory, asking if they’d be so kind as to open my bedroom window so I could climb back in. Once back inside, everything turned to laughter. It will be even better if you all buy some books or merchandise, so I can afford to replace the lock on the balcony door!

I’m hoping I don’t have a similar escapade over the winter like a few years ago. I ended up bailing dustbins full of water out of the house because the main drain in the street had collapsed. It saved me a fortune in gym membership, though.

It’s been an amazing summer. There has been an underlying issue throughout. I’ve spoken to a few people, and it’s clear I’m not the only one who felt a void inside that the laughter and friendship didn’t fill. Almost everyone will suffer with a mental health issue at some point in their lives. The dark void I felt was exactly that. From nowhere, depression had set in. I didn’t know what it was and much less understand it. Several things could have been the trigger, but I can never be sure which.

The solution came from the unlikeliest of sources. People I’d met on social media. The fact one of them was a childhood hero just proves how strange life can be. They were kind and understanding. They spent time talking things through and bringing me out the other side. They know who they are. I hope they know how eternally grateful I am to them.

It’s the main point of this blog. I’ve had a crazy, amazing summer. I was still unhappy. It happens to all of us. We all need support networks and people to talk to. It’s tough for authors, as our job is solitary by nature. If we don’t have interaction with others, we will suffer. If you ever feel you need support, please reach out. If I’m not around, I promise hundreds of others are. Never be too proud, or think you’re too tough, to ask for a chat.

It leads me onto something that is annoying me both as an author and in my career in PR. I can sum it up as “$1 billion will solve a problem. $44 billion will buy you Twitter (or whatever it’s called today)”.

Social media can play a positive role in the world. It does so every day. We need to extinguish the nasty stuff, but let’s also focus on the good it does. Freedom of speech is important. I’ve lived in places it doesn’t exist, so I’m more aware than most. I also know how important people I’ve met on social media have been. The support had been amazing. The true friends I’ve made a very pleasant surprise. It’s the power and goodness of social media we should all strive for.

Claiming to be a champion for free speech and human interaction and then effectively cutting off access by charging people to have free speech is bonkers. To take away people’s support networks, almost a crime against humanity. For a self-proclaimed multi-billionaire genius, a certain person can be as thick as two short planks sometimes. Of course, a business needs to pay for itself. Cutting away the customers who actually make up your product offering, frankly, is the single most bizarre business decision I’ve ever seen. Those who don’t have money to spend are the ones who need social media the most. Advances in technology are fantastic, but leaving people behind because they can’t afford to follow will lead to major social issues. History has taught us that lesson many times over. An attitude of people only being interested in the same things as a billionaire in a bubble is why a certain someone should never have been allowed near something of such huge social importance.

A solely advertising revenue approach won’t work. You’re right on that. There are far smarter ways of increasing revenue than tapping up your customers. I’d tell you them, but why should I give you anything for free?

First Birthday And An Anniversary

It’s A Stray Dog’s Life 2 is one-year-old. We’ve put together some exclusive merchandise to celebrate.

It’s part of the refresh of the merchandise and a few extra designs being added. You can see the whole Stray Army range by clicking below.

It’s also a year since It’s A Stray Dog’s Life became an award-winning debut. Best Children’s Book, Best Cover Design, Best Comedy Book, and the other awards still feel surreal. It’s something I’m incredibly proud of, especially as the awards were decided by a public vote.

It’s been less than two years since It’s A Stray Dog’s Life was published. It’s amazing to think I’ve now published three books, have a range of merchandise, and downloads of posters on the website. There’s more to come in the next few weeks. I’m going to be a guest on a podcast and there’s also a really cool magazine interview. I’ll share the links when they come out.

TTFN

Maximilian Sam and The Stray Army

PS. You can join the Stray Army by buying books, merchandise, or downloads from the website. We have some mad ideas for new things next year, as well as some new books, so keep your eyes peeled.

PPS. My take on the Rugby World Cup. Best tournament team won. All the teams exceeded expectation and played some wonderful rugby. Tinkering with the rules, mid-tournament, kills the game and makes the job of referees and the TMO impossible. Can we also stop abusing officials if your team loses. It goes against the ethos of rugby and is totally unnecessary.

Moving Around The World

A few hints and tips on moving to another country, a trick to help you identify your brand, and some very happy children.

As you will probably know, I’m currently living in my 10th country around the world. It’s meant a lot of packing boxes and moving. I’d love to say I’m an expert, but there’s always something that will catch you out. Invariably, it’s the thing you least expected.

I’m not going to give a definitive list of what you need to prepare for, because it’s almost impossible to do so. I can give you a couple of contacts in various parts of the world who can help. Having someone to hold your hand as you settle in makes the world of difference, especially when unexpected events take over. I’m sure I’d still have a full head of hair if frustrations out of my control hadn’t made me rip so much of it out over the years.

One piece of advice is to get an offshore bank account. You will have a local bank account to pay bills etc, but an offshore account acts as a saving account and makes life much easier when you move on. It’s especially important when you’re in a low or zero tax country. You don’t want to be transferring money home and inadvertently paying tax on it. Take some advice from experts and make sure you’re maximising the benefits of working in the new country you now call home.

Packing up and moving country is always emotional. Humans aren’t good with change and a different culture miles away from your comfort zone is the biggest change you can put yourself through. Unforeseen events out of your control can make you regret your decision before you’ve even started.

The first time I moved to Saudi produced one such circumstance. I rocked up at Heathrow Airport to find huge queues outside the terminal building. The baggage handling computers had packed up. I had the foresight to put my suit in my hand luggage. It proved a stroke of genius and prevented me from turning up to the first day of my new job in jeans and a t-shirt. I made it onto the flight and was happy until I arrived at baggage reclaim in Riyadh. Annoyingly, my luggage was still at Heathrow. It was going to take a couple of days to arrive. The smiles and kindness of the staff at Riyadh airport made sure I took it in my stride, but it showed how we should always carry spare underwear in our hand luggage.

I thought I’d planned everything well. I even had a house to move into. I walked in with just my hand luggage and realised my mistake. There was furniture, but no bedding, kettle, or any of those other essentials we need. It was the only moment I’ve ever questioned my decision to move abroad. If you’re moving to a new country, most companies will put you in a hotel when you first arrive. It’s worth it, but if they don’t, make sure they leave a welcome pack of the essentials in your new home.

The one surprise you’ll have is the cost of arriving in a new country. It’s never cheap setting up home with the internet, mobile phone, and those other things we don’t seem able to cope without. You’ll also be buying essentials such as pots and pans until your worldly goods arrive from the shippers. I own more irons and ironing boards than is strictly healthy. The key is knowing about these things and negotiating with your new employer to pay for them.

Life can throw further curveballs at you. When I left Bahrain, I put all my worldly goods in storage, expecting to be moving to my new job imminently. Covid confused the issue and storage can be expensive. Little did I know that would be the least of my worries. I received a phone call. The storage facility had burned to the ground. I lost everything other than what is in my wardrobe. There was a lesson to be learned. We don’t need 90% of the clutter we accumulate through life. Take what matters to you when you move abroad, but leave the things you don’t need behind. It’s not only cheaper, but it’s also only “stuff” at the end of the day.

I wish I still had some of my paintings, my books, and my Lego model of Tower Bridge. The rest was just “stuff”. Very little of it was worth the money I’d paid to have it taken around the world over the years. Some things are irreplaceable, although I’m sure Jason Leonard and Lawrence Dallaglio would sign another England rugby shirt for me if I asked nicely.

I mentioned the internet, mobile phones, and the suchlike. This is where you realise you don’t have a support network in place. In some countries there are expat compounds and they’re the best place to live until you’ve found your feet. Every expat was new once and they always provide an instant support group to help you settle in. Where there aren’t compounds, it can be harder. Joining groups and social events is the key to success. The best advice I was ever given was to never say “no” to an invitation. It led to me being given an all-expenses paid trip to the UK to watch England vs Scotland at Twickenham and an invitation to the player’s dinner afterwards. Never say “no”, you don’t know where it can lead.

Every country is different. In the UAE or Qatar, you’ll need an alcohol licence if you want to buy from an off-licence for home consumption. They’re easy to get, but if you don’t know, it can be a little embarrassing not being able to stock your bar. You’ll need to find out if you require a local driving licence too. These are all things we don’t think about that can lead to us falling foul of local laws. Remember, not knowing is not a legal defence.

Local laws can change quickly. There’s an easy solution to this. Always make sure you are aware of the local newspaper in your own language. If you’re English, this is much easier as there always seems to be an English language local newspaper. It will give you a heads-up on everything you need to know. It’s also an easy way to find out about events and places you can go to meet new friends and settle into what will be a wonderful new life.

There are two pieces of advice I can happily give. Do your research before you go. There’ll still be things you miss, but you’ll have given yourself a fighting chance.

Secondly, never say “no” to an invitation. It will help you settle quickly and also bring you friends from walks of life you’d never have found if you hadn’t taken the plunge. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience with far more benefits than you can imagine. You never know, you might end up dancing on friend’s coffee tables, or becoming a DJ at the British Embassy. Strange things happen when you open the door and remember life is about discovery and having fun. You might even remember to go to work!

A Fun Test

I’ve been hosting a few training courses recently and attending some given by other people. It reminded me of one of the first things I do in a training course. You may want to revisit my blog on branding, as this little trick can make building a brand much easier.

All you need to do is list 10 facts about you or your company. There’s a catch. At least two have to be about something outside work or the key message. People prefer individuals and companies that are interesting. We’re all at our most interesting when doing things in our own time.

I have three brands.

The first is my author name of Maximilian Sam. The 10 facts are below. You’ll know some of them, such as the fact I’m an award-winning author, but others may be a surprise.

The second is the one I’m using on LinkedIn in my search for a new job. It is more work focussed, but also shows there’s more to me than just work. Everyone wants interesting people in their lives, so remember what makes you different and interesting.

Finally, I have done a personal one to remind me of some of the crazy times. The response from friends made me realise I could have done 100 facts about myself. The times and stories I’ve shared with friends are very special to me. The crazy antics even more so. It reminds me I’ve been lucky to share my life with so many amazing people. It also proves we all need some crazy in our lives.

As you can see, purely by creating a list, we now have a library of ideas to fit every scenario. If you're fortunate enough to be doing a media interview, then you've just created a crib sheet of topics you can talk about. Give it a try (I can send you a blank template if you contact me too). You'll be surprised at how much easier it becomes to create and build a story around a brand.

The Local Children

You’ll know turtles have been a central part of my summer. It’s brought a community together in ways I couldn’t have possibly imagined.

The best part was seeing the children who’d helped presented with certificates by EKODUSD. They earned them. The final nest required a 20 foot trench digging to the sea. It took them over two hours, but they did an amazing job.

I was able to give them an added bonus. As a freelance journalist and PR specialist, I can smell a front-page story several miles away. A photo of the children and the story was always going to make the front-page of the local newspaper.

The children have been amazing. I’m incredibly proud of all of them. You can read the full story here.

We've also been celebrating the 18 month anniversary of Tweetables this month. A new interview with yours truly appeared. You can read it by clicking here.

I’m off to watch the Rugby World Cup Quarter-Finals. I’d make predictions, but each game is too tight to call. I will give some thoughts about the tournament as a whole when it’s over, but that’s for next time.

TTFN

Maximilian Sam and The Stray Army

PS. Don’t forget, you can still buy my books, merchandise, or downloads from my website by clicking here.

Author Branding - An Essential Component

Every author wanting to create a career needs a brand. I don’t mean a cattle prod burning your initials into your flesh. Although, if you want to tattoo the front cover of your first book onto your arm, be my guest. Personally, I have a pathological hatred of needles, so I won’t be doing it anytime soon.

We’re talking about making sure readers see your name and then buy everything you have to sell. If your goal was only ever to write one book, then you can skip to the fun stuff at the end of the blog. If you want to write more and create your own business (yes, being an author is a business), then read on.

A brand is important as it lets readers know they like what you offer. It increases the opportunities to make them buy something. Our goal is always to make some cash. We may write because we love it, but being paid certainly helps. If you ever get to the level of minimum wage, let us know. It’s an amazing achievement in one of the most competitive marketplaces you’ll ever find. Walk into any bookshop and you’ll get a feel for how huge the marketplace is. Most bookshops can only scratch the surface of the numbers of books on offer. It’s why having a brand and building followers is so important. If customers don’t know about you, you’ll be selling a grand total of zip!

There’s an important point here. Do not base your author brand on one genre. Almost every author can write across different topics. It’s what we do. I’ll give you an example. For the first year after the original book came out, all my branding was based on stray dogs and cats. I did this on purpose to set-up a base level of a following. I knew the first two books were going to be about stray animals, so it made sense. As children’s books, plenty of pictures online of the real stray dogs made it relatively simple. My third book was always going to be a step up to a more grown-up audience. Thanks to the base I’d built, I could switch the brand to a more encompassing “Stray Army”. It made titling the book very simple, as I’d now become the stray. Your author brand is about building trust. If people like your writing, they’ll buy your books regardless of genre.

This means your first point of action should be deciding your brand. What do you want people to see when they see your name? Amazingly, you do this every day in real life, anyway. Think how often you’ve decided what clothes to wear and you’ll get my point. You can be anything you want. Jumping around with nothing to link it all together is where it can fall down. So, please, give it some thought.

Once you’ve decided how you want to appear as an author, it’s time to look at the tools you can use to promote your brand and books. I am frequently asked whether an author needs a website.

YES YOU DO!

You have no excuse not to. There are enough companies offering hosting, naming, and design tools for free. It will take you time to design and build it, but that’s your only cost. You can even integrate advertising on your site as an added revenue stream. I haven’t because it would clash with my brand. There’s nothing to stop you from doing it.

If you have a small amount of budget, you can go further. I paid a small amount for a designated web address and personalised emails, for example. It kept the branding consistent and is powerful when you can use templates to brand the actual email you send out. You can even strengthen the power of the brand with a logo. Mine came about by accident when we were designing the first book cover. There is plenty of free software available to help you design a logo.

One of the best tools you can add to your website is a regular blog. It gives you the chance to engage with customers and attract new ones. People are always more likely to make a purchase if they feel a connection with an author. Think of your favourite actor. You’ll always watch a film with them in it. It’s exactly the same process. You trust that what they do is something you’ll probably enjoy. You also feel as though you know them a little. It’s that feeling you’re looking for.

Social media is also your friend. It has an amazing reach and will help build your brand. Remember, though, this is your business brand, so keep your personal accounts personal and your business on message. I’ve seen many who’ve made that mistake and destroyed their brand by thinking it’s their personal account. Please don’t make the same mistake. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t engage with some of your interests, even with your business account. For example, I still follow and interact with Watford Football Club and fans, and all things rugby. Shared interests are always likely to engage customers. I would strongly advise keeping politics, religion, and complaints to your personal accounts, though.

If you’d like to read more on maximising your social media impact, you need to follow Lee Hall (www.leehallwriter.com). He’s spent many years finding the best, and worst, ways to maximise its impact, normally through personal experience.

It may sound easy setting up a website and growing your brand through social media engagement and email flyers, but it isn’t. There’s a huge amount of hard work required. If you have a budget, finding a marketing specialist to help is a great idea. I’m going to start working with one shortly who I’ve got to know well over the past few months. The trust is already there, so it has a far higher chance of being successful. If you go down this route, make sure you get to know the people you are using. It stops a lot of issues further down the line. They don’t tend to be expensive and the help they give allows you more time to write your books.

You can also spend on advertising. It is powerful in getting your brand out there. However, it is expensive and can swallow any budget you have quickly. If you don’t have any experience, please do some research and work with one of the specialist companies until you get the hang of it.

So far, we’ve looked at building a brand and using social media and other tools to expand your visibility. You could stop there, but you’d be fighting against the tide. There are many other creative ways you can stand out from the crowd. You could, for example, submit short stories to one of the many publications trying to fill their next compilation. It is very competitive but, if it works, a great idea. If your short story isn’t accepted, you can always use it as a download from your website instead.

I’ve also used my experience from my other career. I regularly write articles for local newspapers and websites under my author name. It gives me far wider exposure than social media and allows me to continue my childhood dream of being a journalist. My local newspapers have regularly asked me to write articles on certain subjects. They even allow me to mention the books if I’m subtle about it. It also means I’ve built relationships guaranteeing my new book launches get media coverage. The power of your name in the paper is huge. I recently wrote an article on our local village in Turkiye. It led to a large influx of people descending on our beach to see what all the fuss was about. Even better, they kept coming back. A child approached me and asked me to sign a copy of “It’s A Stray Dog’s Life” as he was reading it. That’s the power of positive journalism.

There are other little tricks. Enter competitions. I’m an award-winning author. You only need to win one award to carry that moniker forever. It’s the same with “best seller”. Also, never turn down the opportunity for an interview. The more you’re seen, the faster your brand will grow. There are plenty of opportunities out there. You just need to track them down. The quickest was is by making friends with fellow writers. You’ll be amazed at how helpful they are. Obviously, you can also do book signings, tours, and link up with your old school to expand your brand further. There really are unlimited opportunities if you think creatively (you should be good at that, as you are a creative person).

Even by building your brand, you are still up against a lot of competition. Your brand shouldn’t just be about yourself and your books. Look at my website and you’ll see my point. There are many ways of expanding your brand. Imagine if someone bought your book, a t-shirt, and a mug. I don’t have to imagine. It’s happened more than once. You can even buy a baby’s branded bib if you’re so inclined. There are many companies who offer a pay on demand service, so it doesn’t even cost you anything. As always, do your research and even buy an item or two to check quality before committing. You can look at my merchandise page (www.maximiliansam.com/merchandise) to get ideas. There are frequent offers, so even the research won’t cost you much. I’m always happy to share details if you contact me.

I’m also fortunate to have teamed up with www.wetransfer.com, so can offer downloads from my website (www.maximiliansam.com/downloads). It’s currently in the beta testing stage, but I have no doubts it is going to be rolled out to everyone sooner rather than later. I put a preview of the item on the download page with a link. The click sends you to my branded WeTransfer page, where you can download the item (and pay for it if it’s a chargeable product). I currently have signed posters and photographs, short stories, and other items available. There are even some crazy ideas coming soon too!

You’ve seen I not only sell books, but merchandising and downloads too. My brand is far bigger than trying to fight my way through a crowded marketplace. I’ve narrowed the competition and can offer far more to my customers. Even those who don’t like my books might buy a baseball cap. If you widen the offering, you have more chance of making a sale or two.

The main things to take away from this blog are:

Think carefully about what you want your brand to say about you. Make your brand as wide-ranging as possible. Get a website. Be creative and engage with your audience whenever possible. It's hard work. There will be times you walk away. Don't worry. We all do. Sometimes a best seller happens years after your book is first published. Just ask Lee Hall.A Wonderful Summer

I’d normally say a phone call at 3am will never bring good news. As usual, I’m wrong.

The call asked me to go to the beach as quickly as possible. Something amazing was happening. Indeed, it was. A caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle) was laying its eggs on the beach. You can read all about it by downloading The Ege Eye and turning to pages 12 and 13.

It proved to be the first in a series of events that have made this my best summer for many years. There have been a couple of moments that tested the theory, but they failed. A forest fire broke out close to us, but was quickly put out by the excellent work of the emergency service with the help of some willing locals. It’s amazing how much damage it did in a very short time. It proved my huge respect for those who risk their safety to protect us all.

There’s also been two people determined to ruin my summer. Their pathetic attempts failed miserably. It led to me creating a short story to celebrate my neighbour’s daughter’s tenth birthday. You can download it for free by clicking the image below.

The second attempt was even more stupid and proved you should never try to hoodwink the police. They called the police and claimed I was trying to steal turtle eggs at 3am when it was my shift to watch over them. It really was quite unpleasant. Thankfully, the police saw straight through it and had stern words with the real wrongdoers.

Those have been the only downsides. The rest has been amazing.

I mentioned my neighbour. I hadn’t met them before this summer as they hadn’t been to visit for many years. I’m glad they did this year as we struck up an instant friendship. It helped he lives in Saudi Arabia, so we could share stories.

His daughter also fell in love with the stray dogs. The feeling was mutual, as Mumsy still hasn’t left her new home next to their front gate. It was also my birthday whilst they were here. They gave me an amazing present of a fountain pen. All first drafts are now written with it.

Finally, after 64 days of waiting, the turtles started hatching. We have another one due in a few weeks. It’s an amazing feeling seeing them come out the sand, waddle down the trench we’d built, and then paddle out to sea. There’s plenty of photos and videos on our social media accounts if you’d like to see more.

There was one more surprise. I took photos of people receiving certificates for helping with the turtles. They included the General Manager and staff from our local hotel. I printed the photos and took them round. I even went to the tradesman’s entrance. I wasn’t getting off that easily. They took me straight to the General Manager so he could say a personal thank you. I didn’t expect it to include a free lunch and drinks. I still can’t say thank you enough to the Buyuk Anadolu Didim Resort for how well I was treated. It’s where I’m recommending friends come and stay if they come to visit. They won’t be disappointed.

It’s been an amazing summer of friendship. The way life should be.

Time For A Change

I may be packing my bags again soon, but it’s difficult to know when potential job offers and interviews disappear into the black hole we call August, so it’s anyone’s guess. Maybe I’ll be able to tell you more at the end of September.

TTFN

MaxS and the Stray Army

PS. The cherry on top of the icing on the cake arrived a few days ago. Three children approached me as they are learning English at school. A picture speaks 1,000 words.

Traditional, Hybrid, or Self-Publishing - What's Right For You?

I've found over the past year, the most common question I'm asked is the best route for an author to take to see their book in print?

In truth, there isn't a definitive answer. there are pros and cons to every route. I will tell you my preference at the end. My choice won't necessarily be right for you. There is much to consider.

I am only going on my experiences, so am happy for others to share theirs too. The more we share, the more useful it will be for everyone. I'm happy to add further blog posts with interviews from those in the industry, whether they be literary agents, publishers, booksellers, or self-publishing companies. The opinions and experiences across the board are highly likely to help everyone. The only time I'll edit or prevent a comment is if it breaks the law or is offensive. As such, please refrain from using this as an excuse to name and shame (or even as an excuse to plug your own business).

There's one thing you will notice, I won't be mentioning names. There are good reasons for this. Firstly, I know the people I intend to work with going forward, but I don't know everyone in the world, so I wouldn't want to influence your decision making. I'll be happy to share some recommendations if you contact me privately. Secondly, I'm sick to the back teeth of misspelt, threatening emails. I, genuinely, am not affected by them, but they waste a lot of energy and time.

It's why the most important lesson is to do your research. Good companies will interact with you long before you're a customer. They'll also manage expectations with honesty, outline what work they'll do, and talk you through the downsides. Bad companies won't. They'll sanitise everything, promise the world, and then fail to deliver.

Remember, you are the customer making a very important decision (even with traditional publishers). If the answers are vague or avoiding the question altogether, it should be a huge red flag. It always comes back to doing your research.

The publishing world is a scary place, littered with companies playing on the fact new authors, and more experienced ones, can be overawed. Most of us have grown up thinking we need a traditional publishing contract. I'd certainly consider one if offered, but I'd need to know they were aligned with my thoughts. After all, this is my career. We now have more options than ever before to find the best route to market. It gives us, as customers, a lot more opportunities.

There's only one constant. It takes a lot of effort and hard work with the odds stacked against you. Don't be disheartened, because the writing community is a great support group always willing to help.

Let's look at the three primary routes to seeing your book in print. (Thanks to the wonderful people at www.wetransfer.com, I am testing an extra route, but that's a story for another time).

Traditional Publishing

History has made this the Holy Grail for authors, but there are downsides too.

The history is flawed. Dickens, Conan Doyle, and many others were first published in newspapers and magazines (the internet and social media of their time). It took them building a following before a publisher would speak to them about their novels or short stories.

It's hardly surprising. Traditional publishing houses are businesses trying to make a profit. Almost every business is risk averse, so taking a punt on a new author is rare. It happens and could happen to you. Do remember, companies and careers live and die on making the right choice. The pressure that causes isn't something most of us would want to face. It's why I have a lot of respect for literary agents and traditional publishers. However a decision makes you feel, they are only making a business choice so they can eat next week too.

There are several things to consider. A traditional publisher always claims to be the best route to physical bookshops. On a medium to large scale, this is probably true in most cases. Even with Amazon statistics show it's a huge benefit. www.kindlepreneur.com recently conducted research showing almost all the best-selling books in every category were either traditionally published or enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. It is worth bearing in mind.

For increasing sales, and potentially receiving an advance, the traditional route is still a clear winner. However, there are downsides.

Firstly, the moment you sign with a traditional publisher you will probably lose all control of your book. There are exceptions, but I am trying to give a general overview. The publisher will control deadlines, edits, cover design, pricing, etc. For some, it's perfect. For others, not so much.

Secondly, the publisher only has a limited marketing budget to put behind each book. If you think you'll avoid the middle of the night social media frenzy, you're wrong. I've seen posts from some of the best-selling, and most well known, authors such as Patricia Cornwell, Peter James, and Jeffrey Archer plugging their latest books already this week. They know the job isn't over just because they have a publishing contract. There's still a lot of work to do.

Thirdly, and even I find myself arguing both sides of this one, is money. If you're looking to make a profit (I'd say minimum wage, but that's a high bar) from your books, this aspect is crucial. If not, the other options may be better for you. On average, a traditionally published author will receive about 8% of the sale price of each book. This sounds very low compared to how much Amazon pays out to self-published authors, for example.

However, traditional publishers may get you higher sales, leading to higher income. The decision rests on how many sales you genuinely believe you'll make. Only you can answer, but be realistic in the thought process.

Traditional publishing isn't going away. It will adapt to a fluid marketplace. The key, if you have the opportunity to go down this route, is finding the right publishing house for you. Research, as always, is crucial. The traditional publishing houses need us as much as we need them. Fairness in agreements could well define the future of publishing.

Hybrid Publishing

As a concept, this should have been the future of publishing. A route to market with shared risk held so much promise.

Sadly, it has proved to be a breeding ground for destroying authors' dreams. It is failing and, because of the huge growth in self-publishing companies, doesn't seem to have a future. Even if all you want is to see your work in print, you're better off, financially, investing in software to layout your book and to design the cover. Amazon offers a free print-on-demand service which is the death knell for hybrid publishers. There are many self-publishing companies who offer a much better service than hybrid publishers at a far lower cost.

You'll never make your investment back with a hybrid publisher, as they don't offer a particularly high royalty rate. The cost of author copies can be inflated too. They take your money at the start and then take a cut of each sale. It's the best of both worlds for them, but not for an author. From my experience, the level of customer service is somewhere below that of industries we all regularly complain about.

I can't see a future for hybrid publishing. Traditional publishers and self-publishing have closed the gap in the market. At least it might take a few of the charlatans out of the industry when it does finally collapse.

Self-Publishing

This is where the hybrid concept is actually working. It's very easy to self-publish a book. Amazon and IngramSpark, amongst others, make it super simple. There are many other alternatives too.

The main advantage of self-publishing is you have full control. As mentioned in the introduction, there are many companies offering help with every aspect of self-publishing. It takes time and research, but it's not that difficult to find one you work well with that fits your budget. I'm using a freelancer for digital marketing of the "Stray Army" brand, another freelancer for editing and proofreading, and a self-publishing company for everything else other than internal layout and cover design. I have software for those parts. I do still need help from the experts from time to time and I've found them all to be very accommodating.

As a self-published author, you will get higher royalties per copy, but the marketing effort is all-consuming. It takes a huge amount of work and plenty of luck to make the breakthrough as a self-published author. Patience is the key. the more work you do, the higher you chances of success. I have a very good friend in the writing community, Lee Hall (https://leehallwriter.com/books/), who has had the patience and, several years after publication, his books are selling better than ever. He's worked hard and is now seeing the benefits. It's a lesson well worth remembering.

There's one part of the self-publishing process I didn't understand and couldn't find a coherent answer to when I started out. It led to me making a dreadful decision at the start of my journey. I didn't understand how the tax withholding worked on Amazon. As it happens, it's incredibly easy. Even the interview only takes 30 seconds online. Not being able to find the advice I needed cost me a lot of money. I promise it's a simple process and nothing to be afraid of.

Conclusion

I have become an advocate of self-publishing as it gives me freedom. I'm also quite good at certain aspects, so can't see the point of paying others to do what I can do myself. I am aware it isn't for everyone.

I would also take the traditional publishing route with the right publisher, but am very aware they need to make a living too, so have sensible expectations on the financial side.

The one route I'd advise against is the hybrid publisher. There are better ways to lose a fortune, but if you're determined to throw your money away, you could always buy Twitter!

We live in a changing publishing world. Research is key to every decision we make. Whatever choices you make, I wish you all the success in the world. After all, if someone buys your book, they might buy mine too.

Please feel free to add your experiences and knowledge in the comments section. it will help everyone.

One final thing, and it's very important. I mentioned at the start how supportive the writing community is. I'd like to thank Patricia Cornwell who epitomises this. I sent her a message asking if it was OK to mention her in this blog as a best-selling and experienced author. She sent me back a lovely message proving she's also a wonderful person. There are many like her and I've been fortunate enough to make a lot of new friends over the past couple of years. There's always someone there to offer advice, or even pick you up when you fall. The biggest advantage of being an author is you're never alone.

A Different Dog Walk

I was fortunate last week to be able to volunteer to walk some of the dogs at our local rescue shelter. I won't give the whole story, as I'm writing a piece for the local newspaper on it. It was emotional, but also a huge amount of fun. The dogs were great, and the other volunteers even better. The shelter is part-funded by the local authority, with the rest coming from donations to an expat run charity (who also provide the dog walking volunteers). If you'd like to make a donation, please visit their facebook page which has full details (https://www.facebook.com/codafbgroup1).

Don't forget you can join the "Stray Army" by buying books, merchandise, or downloads. We've got a lot of surprises coming your way over the next few weeks too.

TTFN

MaxS and the Stray Army

Random Days, Human Kindness & A Turtle

There's something quite special about those days where plans go out the window and random good things happen instead. Thankfully, they seem to be happening to me on a regular basis at the moment. I have no idea why, but that's half the fun.

This particular day started with one of the most wonderful sights I could wish for. How often do any of us get to watch a turtle wander up the beach, dig a pit, and lay its eggs? A couple of locals and hotel staff were amazing at protecting the area until the authorities arrived. There's now a protective cage and signs up to make sure the eggs stay safe until they hatch in a couple of months. Thanks to Meryem Karsaarslan and Kemal Durmazer for the videos and photos below.

I wouldn't blame you for thinking that was enough excitement for one day. You would, though, be wrong. At lunchtime I went to the beach to draft what would have been this blog post (you'll have to wait for the one I was planning).

There was a BMW 3 Series convertible parked by the cafe. I saw a man getting in, nodded to him, and said, "nice car." His response of, "hop in, we'll go for a spin" was unexpected. I know you should never get into a car with a stranger, but this really was the exception that proved the rule. We spent a couple of hours driving up the coast road with the lid down and tunes blaring. Needless to say, I was in my element having made a new friend.

He then invited me back to his house to meet his wife. Imagine my surprise when my best friend's fiance was also standing in the doorway. We'd had no idea there was a connection. Obviously, we had to take the obligatory selfie to send to my friend. Ten minutes later, he turned up with a big smile on his face asking, "what are you doing here?" We all sat down and had a Turkish coffee (OK, there may have been a chaser of Scotch too!). It led to another hour of laughter before the bride and groom to be had to pop off to a dance class. Kindly, they also gave me a lift home. It had been one of the best afternoons I'd had in years.

Little did I realise the entertainment for the day was far from over. I needed a few bits and pieces from our local shop, so I was off out again. A man, whose son I had given some help to with his English skills, approached me. "Can you help me with my English?" was his question. Of course I could. We sat at a table for an hour or so, practising his pronunciation and laughing a lot. Had he told me at the beginning he was planning to move to the East End of London, we may have changed the lesson somewhat.

It had been a truly random day. One of those even authors daren't dream up. It showed all the best bits of human nature. One to remember.

Revisiting A Dream & A Big Thank You

Life has thrown a few unexpected surprises my way in recent times. I grew up wanting to be a journalist before I turned to the darkside and a career in PR. Make no mistake, I've loved my job and how it's taken me around the world, seeing amazing sights, and meeting wonderful people. There will be a book about the travels soon enough. I still get that buzz when I write about something I'm passionate about for a website or magazine, though.

I'd like to thank Carl, Peter, and Justin at www.donotscratchyoureyes.com for giving me the chance to write a few articles on Watford Football Club (visit the website to read them). The response has been extraordinary. We even had a friendly chat with a misguided supporter of that lot from Junction 10 of the M1. Goes to show, being friendly means we can overcome even the biggest rivalries. I also need to thank Colin Payne at YBR for reproducing one of the articles.

I've also been working with another newspaper and editor on different articles which has really brought the newsroom buzz to life.

The opportunity you have all given me has had a huge effect. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Downloads, Merchandise, and so much more

Regular visitors to the website will have seen a new addition in the past couple of weeks. We have partnered with the amazing people at www.wetransfer.com to offer downloads of signed posters and pictures of the real stray dogs. We will add far more content over the coming months, including exclusive short stories, audio of the books, and a few quirky ideas middle-aged people shouldn't even be considering.

There's also plenty of merchandise you can get your hands on too. You never know, if all goes well, we might hit the esteemed heights of minimum wage!

TTFN

MaxS and The Strays

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe for regular updates and exclusive offers.

"Stories From A Stray" - Available Now

The award-winning original "stray" is back with his new book, a series of short stories

I thought I'd planned out the marketing campaign, website redesign, and everything else with military precision. I had, but someone else doing their job to perfection, did speed things up somewhat. A huge thanks to KDP. An hour after hitting the publish button, the ebook was live with the hardback and paperback following very shortly afterwards.

It's very rare for things to run so smoothly, but KDP were superb in November with "It's A Stray Dog's Life 2", and outdid themselves this time.

It's been a fun book to put together, all caused by me sitting in a coffee shop in Turkiye. A man was walking around the coffee shop clearly not realising someone else spoke English. His persistent, "Just get on the plane with the diamonds", played straight to the writing part of my brain. Whether he was up to no good or not, we'll never know.

That brief moment, set me on a course of writing a series of short stories purely based on what was on my mind on a given day. It's why you'll go through a series of genres. Some will make you laugh, some cry, and, hopefully, some will make you think.

I also designed the cover. It would look even better, but I couldn't afford a good looking model, so you'll have to put up with me on it instead.

You can buy the book in hardback, paperback, and ebook from Amazon. It will be in other bookshops over time, but it always takes a little while for everything to filter down.

I'm also lucky enough to have been sent a photo of one of the first deliveries of the book. It's really very emotional seeing the book out in the wild as it were. Thank you so much for sending it and making me smile a lot.

I still have a little work to do, such as the website redesign, which forms my next job. There's also a lot more writing coming soon, and a few surprises as I team up with some exciting partners over the next few months to bring you some really cool ways of interacting and opportunities to get your hands on exclusive material.

You can also see some of the videos on the Maximilian Sam YouTube channel (just click the icon at the bottom of the page).

The Stray Army Shop

One partnership I'm extremely happy with is our new merchandise shop. Spreadshirt has been amazing in taking the designs are providing a whole range of merchandise. There'll be more coming too, so keep your eyes peeled for everything from posters to t-shirts, from mugs to dog bandanas. I know the merchandise is good with good delivery as a friend sent this lovely picture of their first order.

More Work To Do

It's time to go and walk the dogs and then get back to doing some writing. Many of you will have seen a few articles I've done on Watford Football Club for the DNSYE Podcast. They've been superb to work with and there'll be more articles coming soon. So give them a follow on social media (Twitter: @DNSYE_podcast). They really are very very amusing.

I'll leave you with a little anecdote from the week and why i think I've found the perfect stray dog. Mum and Dad decided they needed a long walk. The shops they needed are about 2 miles away. Hiking there and getting the bus back seemed like a good idea. It was until Tinker decided she was coming too. She walked all the way there with them. She never went near the road or caused any problems. She didn't even have a lead. It made coming back on the bus impossible, so Dad walked back with her. She did take a break to go for a dip in the sea, but was as good as gold on the way back too. She seems to have the best traits of every dog I've known all rolled into one. A truly special dog.

See you all next time,

MaxS and The Stray Army

Welcome To The Stray Army

It's been a busy few weeks. There's part of me wishing we'd stop having bright ideas, as it always leads to far more work than expected. You'd think, by now, we'd have learned our lesson.

Hopefully, you'll have seen the biggest piece of news. We've launched our new merchandise shop with three exclusive designs across a vast range of products, from t-shirts to lunchboxes. To our surprise, the first sale happened within hours of the shop going live. A huge thanks to everyone at Spreadshirt who carry out all the hard work behind the scenes whilst we just come up with designs. they've been wonderful and the perfect partner in bringing the "Stray Army" brand to life.

There are plenty of products to choose from and more designs in the pipeline. We'll let you know every time a new range goes live. When you make a purchase, Spreadshirt handles everything, including taking card details, addresses, etc. We don't have any access to this information at any point. The full Terms & Conditions can be found .

This leads us to a less obvious addition we've made. You can now sign up to subscribe to www.maximiliansam.com. There's no cost, and it guarantees you'll be the first to hear all the news of cover reveals, new books, merchandise, and much more. There'll even be some free giveaways and special offers in the future, too. When you subscribe, we will keep your name and email address securely, but will never ask for bank or card details. All book and merchandise sales are handled by third-party providers, so we have no need for your financial details.

Setting up the subscription side of things was the hardest part of the entire process, and it was entirely our own fault. We were caught between creating a members' area or a subscription service. We wasted many days failing to create a members' area that would do justice to the "Stray Army" world we're trying to create. In the future there will almost certainly be a members' area offering exclusive content, but it's too soon to go down that route just yet. Instead, we'd rather you subscribed so we can share all our news and other things with you.

We also spotted another time-consuming issue. Suffice to say, how many shades of yellow are there? We've been through everything now to make sure the colours match and won't be making that mistake again. There's also been a lot of work on producing videos and other materials. it'll be nice to get back to writing books again.

Coming Soon

On that note, Maximilian Sam's next book will come out in the next few weeks. Titled "Stories From A Stray", it's a book for Mums and Dads this time. It contains a variety of short stories across different genres, including some true ones. Subscribers to the site will receive an email with the cover reveal and publication details, so it's well worth signing up. We can give you a flavour (you'll realise why that's the world's worst pun in a moment) of one of the short stories by sharing a recipe with you. there's another one in the book too. You guessed, there's a short story involving a chef!

A Free Recipe

Max currently lives in Turkiye where, except for spending time with his "Stray Army", his favourite pastime is his weekly food shop. The local markets are amazing. It's crazy how having access to fresh produce can change what we think of certain foodstuffs. He used to hate aubergines, now he's sharing a recipe for them with you.

There are two different recipes for the filling. One is meat, the other vegetable. Everything is interchangeable, so making a vegan or other option is pretty simple. Also, use what you have in the kitchen. Dashing to the shop may not be the best idea if you have a similar substitute at hand.

Stuffed Aubergine - A common Turkish dish with my own take on it.

Ingredients:

For the Aubergine:

2 Aubergines

Olive Oil

Salt

For a Meat Filling:

Vegetable Oil

Butter (lots of butter. I love butter.)

1x Onion (finely chopped)

2x Cloves Garlic (sliced)

2x Large Tomatoes (chopped) (you can use tinned, but why would you when you can use fresh?)

2 tbsp Tomato Paste

600g Minced Lamb (or Beef if you prefer. It'll probably work with minced Turkey too.)

2 tbsp Dried Oregano

2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce (or Worcestershire Sauce. It's difficult to get here, so I use Soy.)

400g cheese that melts well under a grill (there's an amazing stringy cheese here that works really well, but something like cheddar is just as good.)

For a Vegetable Filling:

1/2 cup Vegetable Stock

1x Onion (finely chopped)

2x Cloves Garlic (sliced)

2 tbsp Dried Oregano

2 Large Tomatoes (chopped)

200g Mushrooms (sliced)

150g Courgette (diced)

150g Cauliflower Florets

Big handful of Spinach (torn)

100g Carrots (grated)

400g vegetarian cheese suitable for melting

Method:

To Cook The Aubergine:

Cut the aubergine in half, then cut down through the flesh, being careful not to pierce the skin (we'll need it later), in a zigzag pattern. Sprinkle over the salt and drizzle with olive oil. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 40 minutes. This softens the flesh. When cooked, remove from the oven and scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl. Be careful not to pierce the skins.

Whilst the aubergine is in the oven we can make our filling.

To make a Meat Filling:

Add the oil to a large frying pan on a medium/high heat. Add a generous dollop of butter and melt. Add the finely chopped onions and sliced garlic. Cook for one minute before adding the dried oregano. turn the heat down to medium and cook until the onions have started to go translucent, but not brown. Add the tomato paste and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the mince and brown. When it's fully browned, add the chopped tomato and soy sauce. Don't add any salt, as soy is inherently salty anyway. Turn onto a low heat and allow the mince to cook through slowly for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want a quite dry filling so the melted butter, soy and tomato should give you enough moisture. If it's getting too dry, just add a little beef stock.

To make a Vegetable Filling:

Add the oil to a large frying pan on a medium/high heat. Add the finely chopped onions and sliced garlic. Cook for one minute before adding the dried oregano. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the onions have started to go translucent, but not brown. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, courgette, carrots, and cauliflower florets and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked through and the mixture has started to go sticky. Add the spinach, as this will take seconds to cook.

What's next?

When your choice of filling is cooked, put it in the mixing bowl with the aubergine and mix well. Place the aubergine skins on an oiled baking tray and fill each with the mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and be generous with it. Place the filled aubergine skins under a hot grill until the cheese is melted. take out and sprinkle with finely chopped spring onions and a pinch or two of sumac.

Finally, sit back and enjoy.

That's us done for now. We're off to write more articles on Watford Football Club. Until next time.

Love

MaxS and The Strays

PS. Don't forget to visit our merchandise shop and have a browse around.

PPS. Don't forget to subscribe to keep up with all the latest news.

A First Birthday and A Strange Dream

First Birthday

I almost found myself caught out at the end of February. My first book turned one year old on the 28th. Thankfully, I remembered a couple of days beforehand. The reason it nearly slipped my mind was I couldn't believe a year had passed.

So much has happened in that time. The book has won several awards, including a Page Turner Award from Tweetables.com very recently.

There's been a video call with school children and it's even been used as the text for a reading competition. There have been interviews, five-star reviews, and even a few sales along the way. It's certainly not been the journey I expected. The highlight has been the friends I've made. I feel as though I've known many of them forever. The help and support everyone gives is incredible. It turns what can be a lonely experience as an author into something quite special.

"It's A Stray Dog's Life" even has a younger sibling with, hopefully, a few more to follow.

Happy 1st Birthday to "It's A Stray Dog's Life". The book that changed my life.

A Strange Dream

I've been writing a few articles over recent weeks about grief and loss. It reminded me of one of the strangest experiences of my life. It's something I've never been able to explain. It could well be there is no explanation.

As a child I wasn't close to my extended family. In truth, I didn't know most of them existed. Finding them later in life has been wonderful. I was close to my paternal grandfather. To me he was an incredible person. Whether he really was or not could never have been judged by a four-year-old.

My grandfather only had one arm. He had a prosthetic from the elbow down on the other. I grew up with stories of how it had happened, including a dinosaur biting it off. In truth, it wouldn't surprise me.

Most importantly, to me he was wonderful. He used to take me for walks in the park and tell me stories. He was the reason I became a Saracens fan. We'd walk across Southgate Park to where the rugby pitches were. He told me it's where the Fez trained. Was it true? I don't care. I believed him.

I knew I could never be naughty as he'd take his arm off if I was. In hindsight, it could be construed as child cruelty. At the time it instilled a level of good behaviour the world has, sadly, lost. To me it gave a sense of right and wrong. At least some of the time.

The strange events started on a campsite in Germany. My parents had a caravan (no, that isn't the strange event!) and we were on our summer holiday. I can't remember exactly where, or even much about the holiday, except for one night.

I woke Mum and Dad up several times one night shouting something had happened to grandad. Every time I closed my eyes he was stood there smiling and waving. It felt so odd. Why, when we were on holiday, would I be dreaming of grandad?

The next morning there was a knock on the caravan door. It was the owners of the campsite. There was a phone call for Dad (we didn't have cell phones back then). We'd been tracked down by the wonders of the Caravan Club. Dad went to take the call. I have no idea how long he was gone. He came back to tell us grandad had died.

It was pointless dashing home as the funeral had taken place the day before.

Had those dreams been him saying goodbye at his funeral? After all, I'd had no way of knowing he'd died.

It's something that's lived with me for over 40 years. I don't know why I had that dream. I can still picture it to this day.

Life and death is strange. Maybe it's stranger than we thought.

Coming Soon

I'm currently working on redesigning the website to accommodate my next book. It's not about the stray dogs, so is taking a bit of thinking about. I also want to add a few sections to add to the user experience. I can't tell you what just yet, as it's a work in progress, but it will be worth the wait.

I also realised I have hundreds of photos of the stray animals. It gave me the mad idea of putting them together in a book. Printing costs for a book of photographs are quite high, so the book will be a little more expensive to buy. Let me know if it's something you'd be interested in and I'll finish putting it together.

Stay safe my friends

MaxS and The Strays

Finding A Forever Home

There are days in our lives that live long in the memory. All we can hope is they are good days. I've recently had one of those good days.

It all started with trying to catch Tinker to take her to the vet to be spayed and have her ear tag put in. It must have been like watching the keystone cops running around. She proved to be more agile, faster, and stronger than all of us. The entertainment ended when Mine made the perfect open-side flanker move and lay on top of her whilst the rest of us tried to get the lead over her head. It would be easier to steal the ball from the Saracens' back row, but persistence paid off, and we got her in the car. She was joined by one of our newer strays who'd been involved in a scrap and needed some attention to his ear, as well as also needing the snip.

The vet looked after both of them for a few days whilst we successfully found a forever home for our, so far, nameless new stray. We collected him on Wednesday morning to take him to his new home. It also gave me an excuse to see Tinker. She ignored me for a moment, but couldn't resist a cuddle for long. She even started licking my face and snuggling into me. She isn't enjoying her time in the kennel, but she's warm and safe, so she's getting an extra couple of days' recovery before we collect her.

We left Tinker to recuperate and lifted the other stray into the back of the car. He was nervous and a little frightened for the first few minutes, but soon settled down and passed the time either curled up on the boot floor, or looking out of the window at a whole new world.

Our journey was due to take a little over an hour. It would have done had we not stopped every time we saw an underfed stray and given it food and water. It's amazing how friendly all the strays were, considering they'd been abandoned and underfed. It was heartbreaking to see some of them, but uplifting to see how happy our small amount of help made them.

We were on the beach road between Didim and Akkoy when we decided to think of a name for our stray. it was easy really. Hello Sebastien. Why? He was enjoying the car journey and my friend who was driving lives most of the year in Germany. Driver, German, Red Bull, Ferrari, of course we named him after Mr. Vettel.

Our journey was interrupted as we passed through Soke. It's not a beach holiday tourist town, but if you've ever in the area, I would recommend a visit to see a typical Turkish town filled with friendly people. As you can tell, I like the place a lot.

Suddenly, the newly christened Sebastien stood up and let out two little barks. We pulled over to see what was wrong. We lifted him out of the car and he wandered up on the verge. He'd barked to let us know he needed the loo! A truly amazing dog, although when he decided to lie down in the sun rather than get back in the car, it tried my patience a tad.

We were back underway soon enough, trying to follow satnav directions whilst stopping frequently to feed more strays. We muddled around until the final 500 metres. The map showed a road. Reality was, at best, a dirt track. This is where I recommend a Dacia Duster. It would have given a Land Rover a run for its money as it took everything in its stride.

The sight that greeted me blew me away. Imagine a 5 star holiday village. This was it and it was all for the dogs. There were over 20 of them surrounded by olive trees and kennels dotted around. It was doggy paradise.

We parked the car under some olive trees and walked Sebastien into his new home. The compound is split into three parts. The largest is for the resident dogs, the other two are areas to allow new dogs to settle in.

You can guess my first stop. I was led straight in to meet the resident dogs. I'm used to large groups of dogs, but 20 plus is a lot. They were all lovely. There were lots of cuddles and love. The largest, oldest one gave a quick growl to ask if I was friend or foe. A biscuit taken gently from my hand proved I was the former. Even I was shocked at how well the dogs were interacting. I didn't see a cross word in all the time I was there. Humans could learn so much.

Sebastien found himself a place in the sun and fell asleep whilst I kept warm next to the BBQ and campfire. There will be running water and electric when finances allow, so it helped we'd taken plenty of bottled water to increase supplies and save the owners having to take another trip into town. I was intrigued by them making panini on the BBQ. Top work!

Our time came to leave, having made new friends and seen a concept for looking after stray dogs that truly moved me. You can see more by visiting www.animalsheaventr.com. I'm sure they'd be grateful for donations. I'll be going back to chill out with the dogs regularly. There's good reason to. This isn't a charity. It doesn't get funding from anyone other than the family who owns it and those who donate food and water. The whole thing is done purely for the love of the dogs. Words can't describe how amazing it all felt. Suffice to say, I know Sebastien is going to be very happy and is one of the lucky ones.

I also have to say a huge thank you to everyone at Didim Dog Pound. When we turned up to collect Sebastien, there were a dozen cars in the car park. All were people who had volunteered to walk the dogs. Most were British expats, which probably proves the old adage "Mad Dogs and Englishmen".

Don't forget to visit www.animalsheaventr.com. It proves there are some amazing people in the world.

See you soon,

MaxS and The Strays

PS. Turkiye has been hit hard by the recent earthquake. Many of my friends have family in the affected areas. It is incredibly tough on them. I've seen how amazingly the community has reacted. A list of items to donate was posted online and collection points set up. It's happened all over the country and the sheer amount of donations is overwhelming. It really is a country where everyone comes together in times of crisis.