I am delighted today to be hosting a guest blog post by Lizzie Chantree, who has just launched her new book, Networking For Writers, and she is going to tell you all about it.

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.

Thank you for inviting me onto your blog today, Julie. Hello everyone. My name is Lizzie Chantree and I write women’s fiction books, full of feisty women with unusual businesses. Writing books can be an incredible way to meet likeminded people in the writing community, but it can also be quite isolating at times and marketing can feel like an uphill struggle.

In my new book, Networking for Writers, I talk about some easy to follow ways to simplify your book marketing, build a strong author brand, improve your social media followings and so much more. Whether you are a new or experienced writer, self-published or traditionally published, there are ways to grow your readership and author network, through some of the most powerful of all marketing tools – word of mouth and recommendation. 

Having a network of friends, family, colleagues, readers, business owners and contacts can give your work a head start and make it stand out from the crowd. Books, especially, can get lost in a sea of new releases. Thousands are published each day. What can you do to make your work fly off the shelves? Hopefully this book might give you a head start!

In Networking for writers, I explain how to use simple and effective networking approaches, to grow your readership and connect with other authors and book lovers.

In my book, I talk about:

• How networking can help you as a writer
• Author branding
• Facebook groups
• Networking hours
• Hashtags for writers
• Your timelines

One important aspect of building a network is time management. I give tips on:

• How not to waste valuable writing time
• How to simplify your marketing plan
• How to make your marketing more effective
• Apps that might help save time
• Scheduling social media posts

When I published my first book, I had no idea about marketing and even the thought of the word made my legs tremble. Today, I see it as an interesting and exciting part of my day, that doesn’t eat into my writing time. What a difference a few years can make. I have been very fortunate that all of my books to date have become international bestsellers in multiple categories, with one recently winning a Readers Favourite book award. I believe my success in finding readership, is due to my network.

Networking is about being social, but it is also about structure, discipline and focus. In my book I offer insight into the tools I use to stay productive, find writing time and to have room left to step away from work and give myself space to breathe and let creativity blossom.

I also mention how I learnt to host multi-author book signings, run seminars about networking and event planning, to stand up in front of a crowded room and speak at writing conferences, and more. These skills have given me a great foundation, not only to write books, but to be able to share my networking ideas with the writing community, in the hope that it helps them to follow their own dreams and creative path and to find time to do what they love to do most – write more books!

********************

Lizzie, that sounds like a marvellous tool for writers who need guidance on how to approach the marketing side of being an author, which I know does not come naturally to a lot of people, so thank you for sharing that with us.

Networking for Writers is out now in ebook and paperback formats and you can buy a copy here.

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.

Lizzie is the author of the novels If You Love Me, I’m Yours, Ninja School Mum, Babe Driven, Love’s Child and Finding Gina.

Connect with Lizzie:

Website: https://lizziechantree.com/

Facebook: Lizzie Chantree Author

Twitter: @Lizzie_Chantree

Instagram: @lizzie_chantree

Pinterest: Lizzie Chantree

Goodreads: Lizzie Chantree