If you were to google my name, another woman named Margaret Manchester, a writer of historical romances, would be the first to appear. What are the odds? We have the same name, we were both academics before we turned to writing fiction—she lives in northern England, I live in New England.
Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but my first book, The List, is coming out this week. I have added my middle initial (M, for Murányi) to try to distinguish myself from her. I discovered there is such a thing as Google Search Console—a function of Google that enables various search engines to discover you. Getting it to recognize my website was complicated—I kept hitting unexpected glitches. I love technology as a tool….but man, can it be frustrating.
So, I have a dilemma. I am considering asking my FB friends to share the link to my website with friends, family, and anyone who is interested in reading a contemporary romance. But I feel like it’s an imposition—that makes me extremely uncomfortable. Any thoughts or suggestions you may have would be very much welcome.
A friend took this photo during our 2024 Bike and Barge in Provence. It expresses perfectly what I’m feeling as I ponder my options.
As an indie author, I don’t have the same resources as writers who have contracts with the big publishing houses. I have had to do it all alone. Well, except for the assistance of my unruly ChatGPT which has helped me with story and copy editing, once I set down firm rules. I am publishing my Providence Office Series through Amazon—-they have tools for running promotions and sales, to encourage readers to try my books. Hopefully, they will leave a positive review.
Anyway, my adventures in publishing continue.
Thanks for tuning in.
Best wishes,
Margaret
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