It's been a while since my last post and since I published my first novel. At the time I wrote the book, the UK General Election was looming. I was keen to get something out in time for the election and it really helped to motivate me to complete the novel. I learned a lot promoting my book and got some good feedback. However, I quickly realised it wasn't quite the finished book I wanted to share. I removed it and started to work on revisions.So what's changed?
1. The characters. While I really liked my character Zoe, I felt Adam wasn't fully formed. I made him slightly tougher, more indifferent and, crucially, less of a shy musical talent and instead one who was desperately searching for inspiration and approval.
2. Editing. I tightened up the story, reducing it by several thousand words and getting advice on being more economical with the language. It now reads much more smoothly.
3. Name and cover: The original name for the novel was a generic catch-all for the General Election, but it wasn't very inspiring. Instead, I came up with a name that reflects the two main characters. Zoe is referred to by others as the next Margaret Thatcher (or perhaps Theresa May!) and what better musician than Bono to use for the character, Adam, who wants to change the world through his music. Therefore, 'The Ballad of Bono and Maggie'. And I got a cover designer to create an eye-catching design far beyond anything I could do.
The book is now live on Amazon and I'm about to run a free book promotion. It would be great to have your feedback!
