Today marks one month since the launch of my debut novel, Not Famous.

It’s been quite an interesting experience!

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. Publishing is so competitive… I didn’t even try to query agents or publishers, I just jumped right into self-publishing it because I believed in my novel and felt that even if managed to get a publisher interested I’d still do pretty much all the heavy-lifting anyway, so why not do everything myself, and if by some miracle the book sells, great, I’m not splitting royalties with a publisher—that is, if the book sells at all.

So, how did my first month go? Well, I’ll tell you…

Over a hundred copies of Not Famous have sold in more than six different countries. My Kindle Unlimited pages reads are in the five figures. That’s right, five! Not Famous made it into the top 10,000 Kindle books overall in the Amazon UK store.

And people aren’t just buying and reading the book, they are really enjoying it, too!

Between the US and UK Amazon stores, Not Famous currently has 10 reviews, all of them five-stars.

Here’s a few of those reviews…

From Ian Shane, a fellow lad-lit author:

“Matthew Hanover delivers a pitch-perfect story in his debut novel. It’s a funny and touching story about learning to love and trust again. […] Not Famous is a story that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it. I’m holding up my lighter, because I want an encore.”


From M. Becker:

Here’s hoping that is just the first of many books coming from this author. I know I’ll be reading more.

From Scott Richardson:

“I love this book. Nick and Alli are brought to life in this sweet story. My only complaint is that it ended too soon, I’m hoping there is a sequel in the works.”


From Amazon Customer:

As someone who’s been anxiously waiting for a new book from Jonathan Tropper, Matthew Norman, Nick Hornby, or some of the other “lad lit” authors, I enjoyed NOT FAMOUS a ton. It’s a heartfelt and charming story that has you rooting for the characters from start to finish, and, framed in Boston’s independent music scene, it has a sense of place and purpose that you don’t always see from debut novels. I look forward to reading more from Hanover in the future.

Amazon Reviewer


“From the very first page, the author managed to grip me and make me want to read more.”


From Mr. J. M. Vidamour:

From the first page I was hooked. Interesting characters who you root for an care about and a believable world that you wished you lived in.

A fantastic read that will be loved by fans of Nick Hornby with a twist in its tail that you won’t see coming.

From SThaw:

A very impressive debut. I’m looking forward to what comes next. This novel was funny and heartfelt. I was hooked from the first chapter, loved the characters and read the whole thing in one day.

There are more, but you get the idea. There are also reviews on Goodreads, where an overwhelming majority of readers loved the book.

I still have a lot of work to do to keep the book in the hands of readers, but I’m thrilled that things have so far gone this well… It’s great to know that people are reading Not Famous and enjoying it!

I first discovered Jonathan Tropper soon after the release of This is Where I Leave You. I was excited by the comparisons to Nick Hornby and was really hungry for more lad lit, and, as an American, an American lad-lit author was an exciting prospect. It didn’t take long for me to go through his entire catalogue. Reading Tropper’s work definitely influenced me in writing my own novel, so I thought it would be interesting to look at his novels and rank them to give you a better understanding of which novels of his I liked the most and why.

6. Plan B.

Tropper’s debut novel. If you read this after reading his more recent work (like I did) you’ll notice how it is the oddball of the group. Unlike his other novels that focus on family dynamics and dysfunction this novel centers around of a group of college friends who have turned thirty. It’s a strong first novel, with a Friends meets The Big Chill vibe… but if you’re used to his more recent novels you might have a harder time getting into this one, but it’s a well written novel for sure.

5. Everything Changes

For me, Tropper’s third novel is low on my list because I felt less interested in the characters and the story. The Tropper formula that would eventually make him into a bestselling author is here. A strong cast of family members and friends, an absent father figure… The writing style was not the issue with this novel… the story was lacking somehow. Almost too depressing at times. I’ve only read this novel once and that was enough.

4. One Last Thing Before I Go

The four year wait between Tropper’s breakout novel This is Where I Leave You, and this novel was a long torturous wait. By most measures, this is a classic Tropper story, but written in the third-person perspective, and giving us the story from the absent father’s point of view. I imagine that Tropper wanted to take a different approach with this novel, while still maintaining the core elements of what his readers have come to expect from him. I did not love this novel. I felt the third-person perspective kept the story and the characters at a distance, where his other first-person novels I felt far more engaged, but it’s a solid story, and I’ve been anxiously waiting for his novel after reading this.

3. The Book of Joe

I’ve read a lot of negative reviews of Tropper’s second novel that criticize the characters and the plot as cliché and full of tropes. Be that as it may, it’s in my top three because the story and characters are still done well. I’ve read this book more than once, and enjoy it every time. It’s a great mix of comedy and drama, and I love the concept of the author trashing his hometown in a novel that became a bestseller, and returning home for the first time since high school and all the tensions it causes, both with his family and the people he skewered in his novel. I found the concept enjoyable, even if the characters where often stereotypes.

2. How To Talk To A Widower

Tropper tackles love and loss spot on in this novel… throw in some family tension and dysfunction and it’s a well-balanced, enjoyable read. The quality of Tropper’s writing from his debut novel to this, his fourth novel, is clear, and he handles the relationships between the main character, Doug, and each of the other characters expertly.

1. This is Where I Leave You

The book that started it all for me. Tropper blends humor and loss effortlessly in this novel that I didn’t want to end. There’s a lot going on in this novel between the characters… tension and angst that is realistic and entertaining. You’ll know while you’re reading it why this was his breakout novel, and why it was eventually adapted into a film.

My novel, Not Famous, is currently available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon.

What an exciting week it has been! Not Famous was finally published!

As a first time author, I know very well that it is tremendously difficult to get traction in publishing. Lots of people, even those at one of the big house publishers, put out books that fail to get sales. It’s tougher for indies like myself, being entirely responsible for hiring a book cover designer, and editor, and all that other stuff… I chose to go indie because I felt that regardless of where I published, I’d be responsible for my own success… or lack of it.

So, how has this week gone?

So. much. better than I expected!

Now, don’t get too excited, I’m not a bestseller yet… my expectations were pretty low going in. The pre-order period was a tad underwhelming… but once the book officially launch, I sold as many copies of Not Famous in a day than I had during the 4-day pre-order period. I even have had a few paperback sales! As an indie, I expected to have almost entirely ebook sales… Actually, I didn’t expect to have any paperback sales at all… so that anyone has bought a paperback is, for me, phenomenal.

What about reviews? I’ve gotten some of those, too!

Between the US and UK Amazon stores, I have 4 five-star reviews! Pretty awesome, huh? Also, this morning, I discovered that Not Famous had cracked the top 10,000 book in the UK Kindle store!

How that happened I have no idea but I was so excited to see it! I hope the book maintains momentum. The past week has certainly been great for my confidence, and I’m very encouraged… so encouraged I can’t wait to start on the next novel!

I’d like to thank everyone who has grabbed a copy of Not Famous! I look forward to your reviews! This has been a long journey and I appreciate everyone’s support!

My entire journey of writing my novel, Not Famous, has led to this moment. Today is Publication Day, (Pub Day for short)… My novel is officially released out there into the world. It’s exciting and scary.

It’s still early, but so far it’s a modestly promising start… There were a handful of Kindle edition preorders, and some sales today already. In the UK Kindle Store Not Famous ranked at least as high as 24,601 overall. Perhaps that’s nothing to brag about. Or, maybe it is? All I know is that this is my first novel, and a handful of people have already bought copies… so, that’s exciting! I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work to get Not Famous in the hands of more readers, but I’m gonna try my best to make it happen!

Well, it’s time to do what I can to reach potential readers!

Click here to get Not Famous, available exclusively on Amazon in paperback and Kindle!