Hello, bookworm, it’s a treat to see you on a Sunday morning! If you pop down to the Healthy Eating cookery genre shelves, there should be some of their delicious feast left. I asked them to whip something up after seeing lots of posts on social media this month about Veganuary and they relished the chance to try and convert me. Speaking of social media, have you heard of a book called Networking For Writers by Lizzie Chantree? I’ll just make us both a cup of tea then I’ll tell you all about it.

Firstly, here’s the blurb: Are you swamped with book marketing and looking for a way to find new sales? Learn simple and effective networking techniques, to grow your readership and connect with other authors and book lovers, today!

Whether you are a new or experienced writer, self-published or traditionally published, this book will show you how to grow your readership and author network, through some of the most powerful of all marketing tools – word of mouth and recommendation. This book will show you:

How networking can help you sell more books.

Why author branding is important.

How networking hours work.

Specific Facebook groups for writers.

How to utilise social media to grow your readership.

How not to waste valuable writing time.

How to make our marketing more effective.

Throughout Networking for Writers, we will explore running or attending book signings, hosting seminars, finding a writing buddy or mentor, author networking groups, social media planning and so much more.

Here’s a little about the author: International bestselling author and award-winning inventor, Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children were little and now works as a business mentor and runs a popular networking hour on social media, where creatives can support to each other. She writes books full of friendship and laughter, that are about women with unusual and adventurous businesses, who are far stronger than they realise. She lives with her family on the coast in Essex. Visit her website at http://www.lizziechantree.com or follow her on Twitter @Lizzie_Chantreehttps://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree.

And here’s my review: As an aspiring author, I felt like I lost my mojo over the last 6 weeks, with Christmas and juggling working from home with supporting my children to home school for the foreseeable future. It’s been hard to find the motivation to pick up my treasured notebook (I’m old school with my planning) and laptop to write another few thousand words after I’ve spent all day looking at my own or my children’s screens. Enter Networking For Writers, which has filled me with excitement and given me the motivation I needed again.

I thought it would be focused more on how to market your finished book but it’s actually filled with inspiration to help writers get to that point in the first place. Reading the chapter on procrastination was like having a trusted friend help me face the challenges I’m putting in my own way and I truly believe I’m in a better place for it.

So many books or articles about marketing your book are focused purely on social media, and there are chapters about the main platforms in Networking for Writers which I found helpful. The real bonus for me though were the chapters which encourage authors to think outside the box when it comes to their marketing, such as collaborating with other authors to host events.

As a book blogger and ‘bookstagrammer’ I was able to see the part I can play in helping authors promote their books and hope to use the same creative ideas to market my own book when, not if, I finish it this year. I’m giving this book 4.5 / 5 stars and highly recommend it for anyone who has written, or is in the process of writing, a book.

If you like the sound of this, click on the book image above to go straight to the relevant page to buy a copy for yourself. I don’t receive anything for sharing the link, I’m just being a helpful bookworm. Thank you to the lovely Lizzie Chantree and Rachel’s Random Resources for the copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Well, bookworm, I’m bouncing with inspiration to continue with writing my own book which I hope to add to the supernatural fiction bookshelves of my little book nook one day. I’d better dash off to capture my ideas before they scurry away under the furniture to hang out with the dust bunnies. Until next time bookworm, farewell!