November 18, 2022 - The first public presentation of Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners, took place at the Hocu Knjigu Megastore in Zagreb on Wednesday.
If you think living in Croatia is a challenge, try self-publishing a book.
It is about 4 months since I started writing a series on LinkedIn called 20 Ways that Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, as I looked to improve my presence on that increasingly relevant platform. Around six weeks later, ably assisted by TCN Editor, Lauren Simmonds, a 256-page book to help foreigners understand the realities of life here, as well as providing lots of practical information about how to negotiate the daily grind, was born.
Writing the book, it turns out, is the easy part...
It all started very well. Uploading to Amazon was simple, and within 24 hours we were in every Amazon store in the world - you can find the book here.
After being let down at the last minute by a Croatian publisher, I decided to self-publish the book. I knew it would not be straightforward, but there was little alternative. And so my journey into the realities of self-publishing began, and I had to find solutions to a number of issues, such as a warehouse space of minimum 5m2 which passed technical inspections for water, electric and sewage. Did you know that you also need a warehouse fulfilling these conditions if you are selling a PDF?
My trusty suitcase carried a maximum of 70 books, and I was to be found wheeling it around the bookshops of Zagreb. The first big delivery was to the Hocu Knjigu Megastore, where Marketing Director Sanja Srdic Jungic has been a heroine from the moment I decided to write a book. A published author in her own right, Sanja guided and advised me through all stages of the publishing and distribution process, and I am very grateful for that.
This included offering Lauren and I the opportunity to present the book in the Hocu Knjigu stores around the country, starting with the flagship megastore on Bogoviceva in Zagreb on Wednesday, followed by drinks at Swanky Monkey Garden on Ilica. It was a good turnout and discussion moderated by Sanja.
We will be staging several more book promotion events around the country in the coming weeks. Confirmed so far:
Sunday November 20, Split - Discover Croatia store on Narodni Trg in the Palace at 18:30, with drinks afterwards at Paradiso Bar.
Monday November 21, Zadar - Hocu Knjigu in Supernova Zadar at 18:30, with drinks afterwards in Kafic Twiga.
Wednesday November 23, Split - Hocu Knjigu in Joker Centre at 18:30, with drinks afterwards at The Flag Pub.
Wednesday November 30, Zagreb - International Expats Meetup, powered by Kris at Hotel Dubrovnik (time TBA).
Tuesday December 6 - Osijek - details TBA
Tuesday December 7 - Vukovar - details TBA
We are also hoping to do events in Varazdin, Rijeka, Pula and Dubrovnik - we will publish details as we get them.
Thank you for all your support so far. We have been delighted with the reaction, and you can read some of the Amazon reviews below.
If you would like to order the book online, you can do so here on Kindle and Amazon paperback.
If you would like to order online in Croatia, you can do so here.
The book is also available in book stores around the country at Hocu Knjigu, Skolska Knjiga and Ljevak.
