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The English edition of The Innocence of Hjalmar is steadily moving forward and will probably be released within the next few months. Over the past few days, I have been working on a new cover for the English edition, and I would like to share it with you.

I should mention that publishing the novel through Amazon presents a few challenges. I plan to release it as a paperback, hardcover and ebook. The printed editions will use cream paper, which is better suited to a novel of this kind.

The problem is that a book on the scale of The Innocence of Hjalmar, at around 620 pages, creates certain difficulties on Amazon. The paperback can be published without any problems, and the ebook presents no major obstacles either. The hardcover, however, is another matter. Amazon cannot produce a hardcover of this thickness in A5 format, so the page size must be increased, which means creating an entirely new layout.

I do not really mind. I am excited about publishing it in hardcover and eager to see the finished result. With that prospect in mind, reformatting the novel should be an enjoyable process. The hardcover edition will measure 6 × 9 inches, or approximately 15.24 × 22.86 cm—a substantial little brick of a book, but in the best possible sense.

For now, however, I am taking things one step at a time. There is no need to rush. This novel deserves every possible care, and I do not want to publish it prematurely. I will keep you updated over the coming weeks so that you can follow the process with me and share in the excitement of watching a book come to life.

I am leaving you with some images of the provisional front and back covers. If you would like to, please share your thoughts in the comments.

See you soon!