Chris Dietzel's Blog - Posts Tagged "international"
The International Joys of the Internet
As someone who has typically been resistant to social media, I knew I would have to leave my comfort zone when it came time to spread the word about my debut novel, THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE WORLD END. As a natural introvert, having a wide-reaching “internet presence” feels daunting. A couple months later, though, and it has only been a positive experience. And frequently, not only positive, but the highlight of my day. The past few months have shown me that marketing my book isn’t about getting it out to people all across the country, but all across the world. I thought I would share some of the neat international connections I have made recently.
On GoodReads, I met a reader from Poland who runs a website dedicated to promoting books which haven’t been translated into Polish (yet). I also met a reader in Canada who heard so many good things about my novel that she ordered it for her library in Ontario. On Twitter and Facebook, I’ve connected with readers from all over Europe.
On one of the many book forums, I befriended Eliza Green, from Ireland, who also just published her first novel. Through Eliza, I met Matt Butterweck, who lives in Germany. Matt recommended an incredibly obscure (to Americans, anyways) Austrian dystopian book from the 60’s that shared many similarities to my novel (Marlen Haushofer’s ‘The Wall’).
And most recently, on GoodReads, I made a connection with Mack Meijers, who currently lives in France, where he runs an incredible blog focused on the world of writing. Mack has been my own personal oracle for the past few weeks, opening my eyes to how the publishing industry works, what I can do to help myself, and the value of social media in both areas. And on Saturday, August 17, I’ll be featured on the Author Spotlight section of Mack’s blog. Be sure to check it out on the 17th: http://desertsofman.wordpress.com.
When I published my novel, I thought it would spread from places where my friends and family live (Virginia, Maryland, etc). It blew me away when I saw sales of my novel going to places like Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Sudan, Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan. Because of the internet, roughly half of my readers are in other countries. I’m honored that people all around the world would take the time to read what I wrote. It’s been a great experience so far, and a fulfillment of part of my life’s dream.
On GoodReads, I met a reader from Poland who runs a website dedicated to promoting books which haven’t been translated into Polish (yet). I also met a reader in Canada who heard so many good things about my novel that she ordered it for her library in Ontario. On Twitter and Facebook, I’ve connected with readers from all over Europe.
On one of the many book forums, I befriended Eliza Green, from Ireland, who also just published her first novel. Through Eliza, I met Matt Butterweck, who lives in Germany. Matt recommended an incredibly obscure (to Americans, anyways) Austrian dystopian book from the 60’s that shared many similarities to my novel (Marlen Haushofer’s ‘The Wall’).
And most recently, on GoodReads, I made a connection with Mack Meijers, who currently lives in France, where he runs an incredible blog focused on the world of writing. Mack has been my own personal oracle for the past few weeks, opening my eyes to how the publishing industry works, what I can do to help myself, and the value of social media in both areas. And on Saturday, August 17, I’ll be featured on the Author Spotlight section of Mack’s blog. Be sure to check it out on the 17th: http://desertsofman.wordpress.com.
When I published my novel, I thought it would spread from places where my friends and family live (Virginia, Maryland, etc). It blew me away when I saw sales of my novel going to places like Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Sudan, Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan. Because of the internet, roughly half of my readers are in other countries. I’m honored that people all around the world would take the time to read what I wrote. It’s been a great experience so far, and a fulfillment of part of my life’s dream.
