Feierabend has a launch date! 🎉
It’s been exciting weeks in Max’s Writing Studio since I last wrote you. A lot has evolved with Feierabend, and I can’t wait to share the changes with you. But before I dive into that, I have something for you.
Book Recommendations for your Summer reads 📚
Since I’m fully focused on publishing Feierabend, I haven’t produced anything for you all to read in a while. But, I have had the pleasure of reading some great books in the past months, and want to share two favorites with you.
Recursion, by Blake Crouch.
This thriller blends speculative fiction and near-future sci-fi. It’s a mind-bending exploration of time and memory through the lens of a NYC police officer and a brilliant scientist, packed into an emotional roller coaster. I couldn’t put it down, and my wife is hooked on her audiobook. Goodreads link here.
Nuclear War - A Scenario, by Annie Jacobson.
I’ve been secretly waiting for a new movie diving into the “what if” of nuclear war. So when I came across this non-fiction thriller, I had to check the pre-read, and got immediately hooked. I read the entire book in less than five days, because I just couldn’t believe how the first seconds and minutes of nuclear war unfold. The insanity of it is frightening, and I wished this book was purely fiction. Goodreads link here.
Side note: Blake Crouch also has an Apple TV+ series running for one of his other books, which I can highly recommend.
I’m always looking for new reads, so let me know what you think I should read next in the comments or via direct message!
OK. Enough about other books, and on to Feierabend 😉
New Book Title 🪄
When I wrote the initial manuscript, Feierabend quickly came to mind as a title. This German word captured perfectly the feeling some of the characters in my novel connected to the Human Relief Project.
However, after deciding to self-publish, I had to ask myself: for readers of books written in English, would this title entice them enough to stop scrolling through Amazon and click for more info on the book? After some sense checking with friends, and learning a lot about the reality of publishing books on Amazon, I realized this title would limit my audience.
So, I generated various alternative titles. Some more in line with the genre, some more outlandish. Many just didn’t feel right. One of the favorites was already taken by a dozen other books. Another wasn’t received well by my test readers.
But, one title passed all the tests, and I’m thrilled to announce the new title:
The Human Relief Project: When The World Stops Working
I feel goosebumps writing this. No turning back from putting my first book out into the world 🙃
Launch Date 📅
When I entered my sixth round of editing, I realized that I had to commit to a specific launch date. Otherwise, I would continue editing the book endlessly. There is always something you can adjust even on the 20th read, and if it’s just because you have evolved, both as a reader and an author, since your 1st read.
So, *drum rolls*, the day when The Human Relief Project will be officially released, is the…
19th of October, 2024
Mark your calendars! I plan to host some celebratory launch drinks for friends, family, and my substack followers here in Berlin. More information to come in September.
Join the HRP Launch Team! 🚀
A friend who self-published a book years ago first introduced me to the concept of a launch team. As somebody who feels quite uncomfortable with promoting my work, I initially didn’t want to make too much noise about the book. Therefore, having a launch team wasn’t relevant.
However, over the past three months, I’ve changed my perspective. It would be a miss, if people for whom the novel could be a great read, don’t even get to hear of it. Readers who enjoy speculative fiction and near-future sci-fi, who like to explore “what if” scenarios at the intersection of technology and society, who wonder what AI will mean for work, and also those who are deeply curious about the meaning of work for a life well lived.
To help spread the word about The Human Relief Project, I am forming the HRP Launch Team 🎉
Here’s what we will do:
Brainstorm ideas to promote the book.
Make some noise ahead, during, and after the launch
Create a close-knit community that achieves something meaningful together.
Have fun!
Perks of Joining:
Get an inside look at the publishing process.
Receive an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) and be one of the first people to read the final version of The Human Relief Project.
Help launch a meaningful piece of creative work.
Meet cool people and enjoy the experience.
Commitment:
About 1 hour a week in September and October
If you are interested in joining, or want to learn more about it first, send me a message or email (maximilian.malterer@gmail.com) by August 19th.
Wow, that was a lot of updates on the book :D I’m going back to editing now. Have fun with the book recommendations, and I hope you will reach out for joining the launch team.
Thank you, as always, for reading my writing! If you have one person in mind who might be interested in this post, share it. It’s public :)
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