From Manuscript to Marrakesh: A Writer’s Journey Through Publishing, Tools, and Adventure

Let’s talk about dreams—the ones we chase, the ones we publish, and the ones we live along the way.

The Joy of (Affordable) Self-Publishing

This week, I received an invoice from my publisher, Books on Demand (BoD), for my sci-fi thriller The G.O.D. Machine. The total? €299.00—tax included. For that price, BoD handles:

• Print-on-demand distribution in Europe and the US

• eBook creation

• Global distribution to major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Hugendubel, and more)

No agent rejections. No query letter purgatory. Just my story out in the world.

Let’s be real: traditional publishing’s 95% rejection rate isn’t for the faint of heart. Life’s too short to wait for gatekeepers to “maybe” open doors. With BoD, I sidestepped the trauma and kept creative control. And if The G.O.D. Machine finds its audience? An audiobook is next. 📚✨

Tools of the Trade: From Scrivener to Spicy Moroccan Tea

Right now, I’m deep in the German translation of my novel. My secret weapons?

• Scrivener: My forever-drafting love

• Grammarly: For polishing English prose inside Scrivener (game-changer!)

• LanguageTool: The German grammar guardian I discovered mid-adventure

Which brings me to the adventure part…

Writing (and Living) Between Dunes and Deadlines

I’m writing this from a sun-drenched terrace at Mimid Beach Resort on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. The air smells of salt, spices, and possibility.

This is my second Moroccan rodeo. The first? A bucket-list motorcycle odyssey from Hamburg to Spain, then south through Morocco’s Sahara—a 70th birthday gift to myself. I’m playing support crew for seven bikers this time, trailing them in a service car with a trailer. While they carve through off-road dust, I’m here: sipping sweet mint tea, guarding the gear, and drafting chapters to the rhythm of waves.

Why Morocco?

• Marrakesh’s magic: A sensory overload of souks, storytellers, and Arabian Nights charm—the kind of place that makes you want to write (or get lost forever).

• The people: Warm, witty, and relentlessly hospitable.

• The seafood: Fresh-caught, grilled with spices that could resurrect a dead muse.

The Bigger Picture

Publishing a novel for €299? Possible. Writing a German translation while watching the Atlantic crash against Moroccan cliffs? Also possible.

This journey isn’t just about books—it’s about designing a life where art and adventure collide. Every chapter I write here feels infused with the energy of mint tea, motorcycle exhaust, and the thrill of unknowns.

So, to fellow writers grinding away:

• Self-publish if it serves your story (and sanity).

• Invest in tools that make your workflow sing.

• Write somewhere wild at least once.

The world’s too vast, stories too urgent, to stay chained to a desk.

What’s next?

More Moroccan sunsets. More edits. And maybe—just maybe—an audiobook narrated to the backdrop of desert winds.

Stay curious. Stay reckless.

P.S. Ever written in an unexpected place? Tell me about it in the comments—I need ideas for the next adventure. 🌍✍️