Monthly Update!

Hi!

This is the very first “MONTHLY UPDATE” from me … ever! (if you don’t count the “Welcome” post)

 I don’t intend to make these updates long and tedious, but I’ll quickly go into things that have transpired since last.

The feeling of pride due to the book’s publication (Secrets of the Elementals) still hangs over me like the delightful warmth of the sun. However, I realized I might have jumped into the dragon’s den prematurely. Suddenly I stood face-to-face with the five-headed dragon that is book-marketing and social media (think Tiamat from D&D) – an indie author’s greatest enemy and the monster that one must defeat to get one’s book “out there” to the public.

I stumbled through the door fearlessly until the darkness shrouded my sight. That feeling of pride quickly faded. I could feel the ground shake, and suddenly light ahead revealed the massive dragon as it stomped towards me. The warrior in me started to question himself.

“What the hell am I doing?”

I made sure my weapons were up to date, and my profile information was correct before I carefully took a few steps towards the dragon. Clumsily but wholeheartedly, I noisily announce who I am and what magical book I have created before embedding it to an arrow I’ve readied. I release it towards the dragon. It bounces off it without it noticing. I combined several weapons into a new attack to get the message across yet again but failed. Desperate, I begin to use gold coins to upgrade my weapons so that perhaps more people obscured behind the monster can see or hear me. A couple of unfortunate dice results have given me a lousy Initiative to start with, and I see now that this monster will take endless time to fight – if it is possible to defeat at all. I reach out to more seasoned warriors, barbarians, warlocks, wizards, gnomes, and all others. A few responded to my plea for help, and in time one might see if we together manage to give the monster its first cut.

Well, it’s no secret that I play D&D/Pathfinder) in my spare time. The game can serve as an inspiration and trigger creativity that helps my writing. But yes, this was my first update about the time right after publication when the book’s marketing has been the only thing I’ve been doing.

We will probably know if our warrior manages to cut the monster in the next monthly update.

See you.

Regards

Alexander Sotberg

An honest soul and proud nerd