Dear #MarcadosporOdín and XaviVerso fans, we inaugurate the first Letter from the Author of 2023 and number 86 since I started this tradition. This is the first one that will make the leap to be officially addressed to all my XaviVerso readers, whether they are from The Mark of Odin or The Stone Lotus. I also want to use it to confirm something that I had anticipated months ago… I am embarking on a new Asian adventure!

Second expedition to Asia

The past year was exhausting, between the months working from Vietnam and then creating, producing and publishing, in record time, The Stone Lotus. That is why, after thinking a lot about how I was going to plan 2023, in the end, the third option I have evaluated has been the one chosen. Which is it? Well first, force myself to take a vacation, but really (Let’s see if I can do it). I have been dragging a lot of mental and creative fatigue for a long time, which is why I have had to delay the production of the bonus chapters of Mark of Odin: Ragnarok.

So, after thinking about it a lot, I’m going to try to force myself to go on vacation, relax, recharge batteries and open my mind to attract inspiration. For this, I will start a new expedition to Asia in which, at least the first month I hope to do 90-100% rest. Then, taking advantage of the fact that I am in the region, I will try to mix rest, tourism and work. In this way, in the next three months I hope to visit countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan, in principle.

My intention is not only to find inspiration, but also to document locations for future books, test options for new projects and, of course, meet with local publishers, studios and companies to see possibilities of expanding both Mark of Odin and The Stone Lotus.

The future of Mark of Odin and the XaviVerso

During this time I have been thinking a lot and analyzing all the data from my editorial and literary adventure. The conclusion I have reached is that in order to continue growing and aspire to make this viable over time, it is necessary to make many changes and revamps.

We have achieved unthinkable achievements, such as getting Ragnarok to be No. 1 in sales this past week on Amazon Spain in the Science Fiction category, or that the saga is already close to 135,000 readers between print, ebook and audiobook. And that, although incredible, is not enough to ensure our viability. We live in a very competitive time and world, in which you need results a hundred times more relevant than ten years ago to achieve the desired impact.

I am clear about what needs to be done, mainly with a view to reforming the entire technical and web development section of Mark of Odin. As well as adapt it and include it within my new strategy of using the XaviVerso as a link for all my current and future works.

My idea these months if I manage to recover the creative spark is to be able to release the pending content, both the bonus chapters and the extended stories of Ragnarok. Not only that, in parallel to any technical overhaul, we would look to produce amazing new content ahead of when we release the new changes.

Changes during the Asian expedition

During this period in which I’ll be outside of Spain there will be different changes in our service and attention. As we already warned on social networks for a month, until my return, new orders for printed books will not be dedicated. Shipments will now be processed once a week, as we did last year. So, if you have to buy some or gift them away, do it with time to have a margin. Shipments will continue to be with Tipsa (delivery in about 72 hours) and Correos for the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands (delivery in 1-2 weeks minimum).

I will try to keep posting updates to social media on a regular basis, although it may be less than normal. We will continue to attend to all our social media, including WhatsApp, but it is possible that it will take us longer than normal to answer.

For the rest, we will continue as before. With direct sales in our store for the Mark of Odin books and on external platforms as well, as we do with The Stone Lotus.

The Stone Lotus traveler

As it couldn’t be any other way, I’m going to take advantage of this trip to take The Stone Lotus to various countries. In fact, I look forward to sharing with you photographs from the book at some of the locations featured in it. Meanwhile, I have to say that I am very happy for the opinions and photos that you are sending me. It seems that this story is enchanting and exciting you.

Currently, the marketing we are doing for The Stone Lotus is nominal, as my idea is to wait several more months before giving it a big push. Something that will also be linked to what I told you at the beginning in view of the changes that we will make around the XaviVerso. In parallel, I continue to have conversations and contacts to publicize this intellectual property and see options so that it can make the leap to new markets and formats.

I will carry you in my heart

Although I will be further away (from Spain), I know that you will accompany me with your support and love. As always, I encourage you to join our Discord community, the Telegram channel and also add us to your WhatsApp contact list (greet us at +34 671 48 96 90) and continue sharing your impressions of the books. Having a good rating and opinions there helps us a lot to attract new readers.

Remember, everything is connected.

Xavier Marce