Peter E. Fenton Goes International

Peter E. Fenton Dreams Big Peter E. Fenton Gives Away First Two ...

Peter E. Fenton Goes International

*****

Welcome to the mid-July newsletter. While the focus of the upcoming month is definitely on the launch of The Burnt, three other versions of the earlier books will be hitting the market by the end of July. This week I thought I would share a few of the covers and dive into the world of marketing books around the world in different languages.

As you can see from the above cover, Mann Hunt has been translated into German. Huge thanks to Anja Möst for her hard work as the translator. Translation is much more than just adjusting the English words into another language. It also includes changes to styles of punctuation, accents over particular letters and adjusting sentence structure. While my name remains on the cover of the book as the author of the original work, the copyright page lists the translator as an equal partner in the creation of the new version in the new language.

During translation, the title of a novel is sometimes altered to assist with marketing. The English title of Mann Hunt was intended as a play on words. One of the characters who goes missing is Ian Mann, and Declan Hunt is investigating the case. The title also works when spoken out loud. It sounds like someone is on a man hunt (which could be a killer looking for a victim, or someone looking for a male partner, or a private investigator hunting for the culprit). The name of the novel was also chosen to ensure that no other book had the same title. This means that when people do an internet search with the correct spelling of the title, my book will always be the first listing.

JAGD AUF MANN translates pretty closely to “The Hunt for Mann”.

*****

The Italian cover is a little more poetic. The translator Alessandra Paganin had some fun with the title TROVA L’OUMO GIUSTO, which translates to “Find the right man.” This is a nice double entendre that serves both the mystery of the piece in terms of finding the guilty party, as well as Declan’s hunt for the perfect partner at work and in life. Next time I will share the cover for the Italian version of Hoodoo House. What do you think it will say? You’ll have to wait until next week to find out.

*****

An integral part of marketing a new novel, is advance reader copies that are sent out to reviewers who weigh in on the book before it is released. A book that has a strong star rating and a high number of reviews when it is released is bound to attract a higher number of readers. Every author waits in anticipation for these early reviews. After the novel is released, blogs and other publications do more formal reviews that can help propel sales. Early reader reviews give a sense of if the book is going to be a hit or not.

I am truly relieved to say that the early reviews for The Burnt have been positive. Here’s a few quotes from the reviews that came in last week.

*****

Each book had me completely hooked and this book is the best one yet!
Intrigue, mystery, suspense plus perfect storytelling .

Pat – Goodreads Reviewer

Peter’s best in the Declan Hunt series by far. Such a fun read, full of intrigue, hints and plot twists, cleverly crafted storytelling at its finest.

Steve Steed – Author and Goodreads Reviewer

If you’re into LGBTQIA mystery series with steady character development, emotional layers, and a touch of the eerie—this one’s a worthwhile read.

Sasha – Goodreads Reviewer

Each instalment of this series is better than the last! There was much more mystery and suspense, much more drama, more sustenance and definitely more surprises!

Nedra 81 – Goodreads Reviewer

To see all of the reviews of all of my books in real time click here.

*****

In this week’s newsletter, I want to feature a writer I have long admired. I met Robin Knight at the Gay Romance Lit Conference in Virginia two years ago. Robin lives in Australia. The cover of his book A Boy Called Rainbow caused quite a stir. It has gone on to be one of his best sellers with a fantastic story featuring a central character who is deaf and struggling with some tough issues. Here’s the description.

Art evaluator Miles Tate is finally about to start living his dream… that is if he can get the funding in place to open his own art gallery in New York. But when an unexpected turn of events finds every one of Miles’ perfectly-planned dreams turned upside-down, it’s time to escape Manhattan and reluctantly take up a well-paid job in the tiny seaside town of Hope’s Bluff, Georgia. For Miles, it’s his only chance to make some money, claw back what little dignity he has left, and figure out what the hell to do with his life.

But evaluating the art collection of a deceased estate isn’t made easy by the grandson of the dearly departed. Indeed, the young man who calls himself Rainbow is a hot-tempered, hotter-than-hell artist whose secrets run deep and passions run raw. He is talented, troubled, tempestuous and deaf… and possibly the one person who can save Miles from his own heartache.

Can Miles finish the job he’s been paid to do… or will two opposites find that they have more in common than they first imagined? Can the pair of them find the strength in each other to rebuild their lives… or will the traumas of their pasts drive them both away? Will Miles turn his back on the handsome, hurt, artistic genius he’s stumbled upon… or will he finally find true love in the arms of a Boy Called Rainbow?

I highly recommend both this book and this author. To pick up a copy, click here.

*****

And since the title of this week’s blog is about going international, I wanted to acknowledge that in 10 weeks, I’ll be seeing Robin Knight again at my biggest conference yet … the Romance Author and Reader Event in Melbourne, Australia. I’ll be talking more about that in upcoming newsletters.

Next week’s news will feature a new cover for the Italian translation of Hoodoo House, information on the Northern Rainbow Readers and Writers Conference in August, and I’ll be giving you a sneak peek at the first two chapters of the latest novel The Burnt.

Until then, thanks for reading.

Warmest Regards,