Traveling to seven continents in seven years is no small feat and certainly worthy of a book. Yet it is author Sven Michael Davison’s admission that he considers himself lucky whenever a stranger picks up one of his books and reads it, that caught this writer’s imagination. There is a fleeting paradox in the idea of escape through travel and writing, yet seeking connection and sharing with strangers. And connection also comes through strongly in Sven’s new book, 7 in 7: A Globe-Hopping Memoir of Disaster and Discovery, as he connected with himself and met his soul mate during his travels as well.
7 in 7 recounts Sven’s adventures as a soul-searching workaholic who set a goal to experience all seven continents in seven years as a true anthropologist, not just a “travel merit badge” winner. Through those years he stumbled into and out of relationships, contracted pulmonary edema in Peru, and summited Shackleton’s peak on South Georgia Island. He learned why the Irish value a good craic while Scandinavians cherish lagom, witnessed the difficult truths of life in a Moroccan orphanage, and ultimately met his wife. Along the way he had plenty of time to contemplate the different ways people pursue happiness or why they don’t.
An experienced indie publisher, Sven has self-published a number of books, including the award-winning God Head trilogy. “I self-published my first book in 1997, and the publishing landscape looked nothing like it does today,” he reflects. “Even in the past six years, the process has changed significantly. It is constantly evolving.” Sven’s reason for self-publishing comes down to book marketing. “Small presses don’t have the marketing dollars, and rather than share a percentage with someone else, I decided to publish this book myself.”
Of Sven’s six published works, 7 in 7 included, 1106 Design has copy edited, designed and formatted all but his first book published in 1997. “They do great work,” smiles Sven. “They are always courteous and always professional. I have recommended 1106 Design to many of my author friends.” Thank you Sven!
Sven writes on a daily basis, and is putting the final touches on another trilogy and one more memoir. “It never ends when you’re a writing junky!” he laughs. “Creating a novel or memoir satisfies the addiction I have for writing. I’m driven to write because I love it and I want to share.” In fact, the most pleasurable stage of publishing for Sven is writing. “Even getting brutal but constructive feedback from editors, beta readers, and publishers is good in the long run because I strive to be a better writer each time I sit down to create,” he says.
If writing is the easy part for Sven, book marketing and publicity is the most difficult, and he knows he’s not the only one who feels this way. “After talking with dozens of writers, even those who are not self-published, I feel I am not alone in listing this aspect as the most difficult.” Sven has marketed his new book at local bookstores, book awards, writer’s conferences, travel agencies, and on his YouTube channel Author/Author with Sven Michael Davison. “I have other ideas specific to travel, but I never share until I’m one hundred percent certain I’m going to take that path,” says Sven. Despite all of his hard work, Sven finds the formula for selling more books to be “illusive,” and, having “tried everything,” wonders if the secret is to be a born salesperson. “Those who have this innate personality trait tend to do well.”
Sven’s recommendation for indie publishers is to attend writer’s conferences, as he finds them invaluable. Networking is the prime reason to attend; writer’s conferences present an excellent opportunity to meet writers, agents, publishers, and others who work in the publishing industry. “Talk to as many authors as you can who have done this,” he advises. “When you go, you realize you are not alone. You can also share experiences and learn from the mistakes of others. You may also find other paths to reach your goals, ones that you would never have thought of yourself.”
We thank Sven for sharing his story with other authors through his Author Story, here on the 1106 Design blog. You can also check out his YouTube channel, where he interviews other authors on every aspect of writing. As Sven says, it’s all about sharing and connection!
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7 in 7: A Globe-Hopping Memoir of Disaster and Discovery
Author website: www.svenmichaeldavison.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Globe-Hopping-Memoir-Disaster-Discovery/dp/0966614933
YouTube channel: Author/Author with Sven Michael Davison
Twitter: @PChipped
Genre: Travel, Memoir, Biography
