Looking for my Bill Clinton.

I dedicate this post to all authors whose books have gone M.I.A (Missing in Action).

Introduction: As is common knowledge, an alchemist was a person who practised alchemy, an ancient discipline that sought to transform ordinary materials into extraordinary substances, purify matter, and achieve spiritual perfection.

So, my friends, I'm looking for my Bill Clinton.

Here is the explanation: While on my quest to promote my book, "Capricious River⸺, which is an exciting journey where magical and real events entwine around the endangered vegetation of the Amazon rainforest⸺, I stumbled upon a story told by Paulo Coelho, the author of "The Alchemist." You must know the book for sure. It has sold millions of copies and has been translated into more than fifty languages.

No. It is not because the book is a masterpiece in world literature. It is good, but we must recognize that there are really very good authors out there who are not as well-known as Paulo Coelho and The Alchemist.

No. It didn't become famous because of a magnificent joint effort led by a fantastic team of marketers and publicists.

It was the work of chance holding the hand of one man.

This is the story as told by Paulo Coelho himself.

Coelho said that only one person bought a copy of the book one week after the book's release.

By the end of the year, it was clear to everyone that the book had failed to gain the reader's interest. The publisher cancelled the contract. No sales, no business. End of the line.

But Coelho had faith in his book. He has placed his heart and soul in The Alchemist.

So, he persisted.

Remember that at the time of the book's release, there were none of the tools we have now. There was no internet, cell phones, or LinkedIn, in fact, no social media.

So, the best way to promote a book, or any other item, was through word of mouth. Word of mouth, my friends.

And so, an American citizen familiar with Brazilian literature who was visiting Brazil, bought the book, read it, liked it, and decided to translate it for an English-speaking audience.

Following that, Harper Collins was interested in the book.

Yet, despite an excellent promotion effort, the book sales remained low.

And so, sales continued to stall until ⸺drums rolling here please⸺, Mr. Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States of America was photographed leaving the White House holding “The Alchemist” in his hand.

And that was all. From then on, everybody wanted to have the book. And I mean everybody.

Who's talking about marketing strategies, product visibility, the 4 Ps, or whatever? Who was the alchemist here?

Of course, as a cynic, I must say that what happened to Paulo Coelho was a sheer stroke of good luck, for, as I said before, thousands of excellent books remain gathering dust in forgotten bookshelves.

But that's another story, and so, my friends, I cross my fingers and hope you and I find our Bill Clinton.

And as I always do, I would love to read your comments.