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Book Review: Lizzie Chantree’s Networking For Writers

Posted on January 16, 2021 Written by Pinar Tarhan

About Lizzie Chantree

Lizzie Chantree is a successful entrepreneur and bestselling romance author who frequently features women entrepreneurs as her protagonists in her novels. You can check out her website and Amazon Author page for more information.

What Networking For Writers teaches you:

– Making the best of networking events and learning materials such as workshops and courses,

-Importance of networks and how to take advantage of networking events

– How to engage on social media,

– Networking online via social networks and through video,

– How to use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn to build your author brand and engage with both your readers and fellow authors – which includes consistency with your posts when it comes to your genre and writing style/and when/what (not) to post,

– How to get your audience to want to connect with you,

– How to schedule posts,

-Time management regarding social media,

– Branding: Advice on what to pay for and how to find people you will want to work with, how to get it done more cheaply or freely,

– Tips to make and keep marketing simple: checklists, content tips, engaging with followers, tracking spending and more,

– How to see what has worked/what hasn’t,

– Promotions while keeping in mind what the end goal is (More sales? Better ranking? Newsletter visibility?),

– Giveaways,

– Encouraging reader magnets,

-Facebook book hops (what it is/how it works),

– Other promotional ideas and new ways of marketing (or ways that you probably have heard of but not tried yet),

– Importance of pushing yourself out of your comfort zones,

– Organizing your own creative events,

– Whether selling many copies of your books at events actually matters,

-Figuring out your skills and ideal customers,

– Importance of collaboration,

– Dealing with procrastination,

– Looking out for networking opportunities/relevant organizations for writers,

– List of resources the author personally uses,

and much more.

Review for Networking for Writers: A fun way to sell more books.

Most of the tips from Networking for Writers (aff. link) are doable and affordable, regardless of your personality, budget, and whatever crisis the world is going through.

I’ve been writing for a while. And I have also been collecting marketing tips for a long time. I still learned a lot from this book. I recommend reading it with a notebook and pen in hand. I’d also read it several times – if not the book in its entirety, then the parts that are new to you and the parts you kind of know but don’t implement consistently.

Her book Networking For Writers (aff. link) is a comprehensive gem that has something to offer you, no matter where you are in your marketing and networking journey.

Recommended, from beginner to advanced, to any author who wants to be more memorable, make more sales, and have a larger network.

Basically, if you’re not in the ranks of Stephen King, you will find it useful.

***

Have you read Networking For Writers? What are your favorite books on marketing and networking for writers?

First Chapter of My New Romance Novel: A Change Would Do You Good

Posted on January 2, 2021 Written by Pinar Tarhan

A Change Would Do You Good. A romcom novel by Pinar Tarhan.

My upcoming novel is called A Change Would Do You Good, and it’s a romcom drama set in California. It features an ensemble cast of colorful characters, and my protagonist Janie has to navigate loss and a crazy amount of change if she wants to adjust to her crazy new world.

If I were to name chapters, this first chapter would be called Welcome to the Neighborhood.

Read on for a surprise at the end!

A Change Would Do You Good

Chapter 1

Los Angeles

Janie sat in her therapist Dr. Lucia Lopez’s office for the twenty-seventh time. She had been seeing her for about seven months.

Eight months ago, her boyfriend Lenny had died. Seven months ago, to add insult to injury, her two best friends Sarah and Andy had moved to Canada. That was when Janie knew she wouldn’t survive this without professional help.

It was the right call. They had talked through her pain, as well as feelings of abandonment and betrayal. Who would move abroad when their best friend was mourning the loss of her boyfriend? He had died two days before her thirty-fifth birthday. And a few weeks after his.

But, of course, it wasn’t that simple. Sarah and Andy weren’t just Janie’s best friends. They were also Lenny’s. Not that grief was, or ever should be a competitive sport. If it were, they would all probably be sharing the medal for first place: Sarah and Lenny had met when they were in diapers. Literally. Their parents were neighbors and dear friends. Luckily for them, their kids — both only children — had taken to each other immediately. Sarah had been inconsolable when Lenny’s father took a job in New York; they were in ninth grade. That’s when she met Janie.

Andy was Lenny’s college roommate. The two bonded over their dream to become Formula 1 drivers and realized it together.

Lenny had introduced Sarah to Andy, and after their move back to LA the four of them had been inseparable. Lenny was a close friend for years before he and Janie started dating.

Yes, the three of them were in immense pain. The difference was Sarah and Andy had each other. And Vancouver had them.

To be fair, Janie did see the appeal of making a new start in a new environment. Yes, she still felt a bit let down. But she was no longer angry with her friends. Talking things through with her therapist had helped immensely.

Lopez observed her patient as Janie studied the beautiful scenic photos of San Diego sprucing up the walls. She was particularly drawn to the blue-dominant one, where high, wild waves crashed onto the golden beach sand.

“Ever been?” Her therapist asked.

“When I was a kid. We vacationed there a lot. It was lovely.”

“Still is.”

Janie could hardly look away from the pictures. She was thinking. Planning. “I never went there with Lenny.”

“Might be just what you need to start over,” her therapist prompted.

“I turned down a job there a couple of weeks ago. Loved the firm. Loved what they offered. But I wasn’t sure I could handle such a huge change.”

“And now?” Janie leaned back and smiled. Her therapist continued. “Being the new person in an environment can provide a lot of distraction. And I definitely encourage you to go out and meet as many new people as you can. Still, never hurts to have someone you can call.” Lopez picked at the neatly stacked Rolodex on her desk. She searched a bit before she found the name she wanted. She took the card out and handed it to Janie. “Greg’s a good friend of mine from school. He’s a therapist himself, but he works for a corporation.”

Janie threw her a curious look.

“I’m sure he can recommend a few decent local therapists should you need one, but I’m really just giving you the number of a friend. He can show you around. Introduce you to people,” the therapist explained.

“Won’t he be weirded out? Me being your patient?”

“Janie, you’re just going through a tough time. And honestly, I think you will hit it off.” Janie looked horrified. The therapist laughed a little. “Relax. I’m not matchmaking. I know you’re not ready to date again. And Greg is seeing someone. But he makes a damn good friend.”

“Thank you,” Janie said gratefully.

Janie wasted no time calling Greg when she went home. If she were going to change cities, she might as well start making friends. He sounded even more pleasant than described.

She made her second call to Ellen Parker, the head of the San Diego fashion design firm who had offered her the job.

Janie was in her bedroom, hastily packing the remainder of her wardrobe into the suitcase on her bed. She wanted to be out of there like yesterday. Her older brother Peter sat next to the suitcase, disapproving, which was his default mode. Janie kept ignoring him. That was her default in their relationship. He’d never change. And on the plus side, he couldn’t stand being ignored.

Janie looked at her almost full suitcase, and then at the other fully-packed carry-on on the floor. Her closet was far from empty. Peter read her mind.

“That’s what happens when you shop non-stop for three weeks.” Peter pointed out the obvious. Janie kept packing. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” he pressed.

She went into the bathroom. The moment she was out of sight, Peter unzipped the suitcase on the bed and threw the clothes back into the wardrobe.

Janie returned with her toiletries and saw Peter unpacking. “What the hell?” She darted to her bed, pushing him aside. She dumped the toiletries on the bed and quickly recovered the items from the wardrobe, throwing them back into the suitcase until it couldn’t take any more. Then she zipped it shut with one swift, angry pull.

“Hey, take it easy. You know I have nothing against you moving on. But transforming your whole life to do it?”

“Remind me, when did the love of your life die?” She lifted her suitcase from the bed and put it on the floor. She dragged the carry-ons as she exited the room.

Peter followed her outside. As soon as he saw the new red Chevrolet Camaro parked in the driveway, his eyes almost left their sockets – cartoon style. “What was wrong with your perfectly normal car?”

Janie just placed her suitcases in the trunk and shut it. The backseat was full of photo albums, DVDs and CDs.

“Do you have any savings left at all? And why are you still traveling like it’s the 90s?”

Janie smirked at the question. Peter looked like he might have a heart attack soon. She got in the car and closed the door. She took out what looked like a brand-new phone from her bag, gestured him to call her and drove away.

Peter frowned, then instinctively fished out his phone to test his theory. He dialed Janie’s number. No longer in use.

Janie sped away in her convertible. Her car’s speakers blasted AC/DC’s Highway to Hell for good measure. She smiled as she mouthed the lyrics, ironically feeling like she was escaping hell.

Janie looked out of the window of her new fourth-story apartment. She could see the beach down the road. On quieter days, she bet she could hear the waves splashing on the shore.

The neighborhood was stunning with just enough colorful buildings. Not too crowded. The tallest ones had five or six floors at the most, giving everyone space to breathe.

The inhabitants were intent on making the most of the beach. People who lived here weren’t exactly rich, but they didn’t have money problems either. Not that Janie cared about that. It would just be nice to hit Peter with the facts when he started nagging that she’d downgraded her life somehow.

A couple of hours later, Janie sat on her sofa and took in her spacious two-bedroom apartment. It was modern and vibrant without being too quirky. It was completely her. She had only a few boxes left to unpack. She smiled to herself, dialed her mom on her cell and left a message.

“Hi, mom. Just calling to say I’m almost settled. This place is amazing. Remember, you can’t give this number to Peter. Or my address. Not yet.”

She hung up and dialed Greg. Got his voicemail.

“Hey! You were right. This place is something else. Thanks for everything. Let me know when you want to meet up.”

Past midnight, Janie was sound asleep in her bed. Suddenly, loud hardcore metal music with brutal vocals blasted from downstairs and jolted her awake.

“What the hell?” she yelled and tried to go back to sleep. She buried her head in her pillow. The music continued. Frustrated, she took her MP3 player from her top night table drawer. She put her earphones on. Before she could push play, she heard the loud crack of a gunshot. Then another.

Shaking off her initial panic, Janie dialed 911.

*******

Liked what you read? Subscribe below to get the next five chapters in pdf form! It includes the cover and the first chapter as well.

Novel Cover Reveal and Blurb: A Change Would Do You Good

Posted on December 21, 2020 Written by Pinar Tarhan

My second novel launch is on the way!

In this post, I’ll reveal the cover and the blurb. Soon, I’ll be back with another post featuring the first chapter.

The novel is called A Change Would Do You Good, and it’s a romcom drama set in California. The first couple of scenes take place in LA, and then the protagonist moves to San Diego.

Enjoy!

A Change Would Do You Good Novel Blurb

Janie desperately needs a change, and she needs it yesterday.

Ever since her boyfriend died and her best friends moved to Canada, she’s been lost and unable to enjoy life.

So she gives her life a complete makeover. Her new job and apartment are great, but her colorful neighbors will be a challenge to get used to.

Michelle is agoraphobic, and her car crash-happy son Ian is obsessed with curing his mom.

Part-time model/fashion designer Ben seems to be competing for the worst boyfriend award.

Ben’s miserable girlfriend Linda hates her career and relationship.

Goth metal chick Ashley loves drugs, guns, and weird parties.

Lackluster cops Sam and Tom are after a more exciting life.

Luckily Janie has also met Greg, a handsome therapist she instantly bonds with. And her downstairs neighbor Kevin is a pro-surfer with the looks of a Norse god.

With all the antics and chaos going on, only one thing is certain. Her neighbors will provide her with more distraction and change than she was ever ready for, including an epic romance.

***

Stay tuned for the first chapter! 🙂

Interview with Olga Mecking on Her Book Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing

Posted on November 17, 2020 Written by Pinar Tarhan

One of the many beautiful covers of Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing. US version.

Thi is my second interview with successful Polish author, freelance writer and journalist Olga Mecking. In my first interview, we talked about how Olga’s accomplished amazing bylines by not sticking to a niche and writing about everything she cares about. You can check out the first one here: How to Follow Your Heart and Writing Dreams In Multiple Niches: Interview with Olga Mecking.

Today, we will talk about her book Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing (aff.link), which has already been translated into 15 languages, including French, Dutch, German, Polish, Turkish, Korean and Indonesian.

What’s niksen in your own words? How did you first come upon it? And why did it appeal to you?

I think everyone defines niksen on their own terms, but it means doing nothing without a purpose. So not browsing your phone but staring out of the window. And not doing nothing because it’s good for you, but for the hell of it. Because it can often feel good. I saw an article in a Dutch magazine called Gezond Nu called Niksen is the New Mindfulness. As a language geek, I love how the Dutch had one word for doing nothing — something which in other languages would require two or more words. So convenient! And even though I am not a fan of wellness trends of any kind, this really spoke to me. Doing nothing can be good for us? How cool is that!

How do you niks yourself? How often? And how does it benefit you?

I usually niks on my couch. It’s pretty comfortable and has pillows and blankets. And sometimes I would read a book and then put it away for a while when I read a sentence that I really like. Or when I begin wondering what will happen next, I put the book away and then my thoughts will start running around in my head and bumping into other thoughts and create new ideas. That’s how I come up with my ideas for articles. I have no idea for how long or how many times I do nothing. It seems to be more of an in-between thing.

Can you tell us about your family life and how Niksen comes into play?

I’m a mother of three, I work from home. My life often feels busy with planning, organizing, setting up and remembering appointments. And also the taking the kids (or myself) to those appointments. For me, niksen plays several roles: it allows me to be creative and come up with new ideas that are usual and interesting. But I also use it as a sort of buffer. For example, I know I can’t fill in my days too much because I’ll be very tired, and I always need some space for when the kids will have problems, etc. And it allows me to rest and get ready for the next challenges (that will inevitably come).

You first wrote about niksen as articles, right? Can you share which one led to the book deal and how the process worked?

Yes, I wrote two articles. The first one was for Woolly Magazine, a fun and quirky wellness magazine, and it did really well. This was a trend piece, called tongue-in-cheekingly (if that’s even a word), “The Dutch Trend that’s Better than Hygge.”

The second one was called “The Case for Doing Nothing,” and was published in the New York Times a few months after the first one. And that was the one that started the whole thing. It had 150.000 shares a few days after it came out.

And it often happens to writers that when an article or essay goes viral, it gets the attention of agents or publishers. This has happened in my case. A Dutch publisher reached out to me and asked if I was interested in writing a book on Niksen, and I was so glad to be given this chance and took it. And I’m glad I did!

Niksen isn’t your first book-length project, but your first traditional publishing deal. Can you share your experiences, and compare and contrast between self-publishing and traditional publishing?

The differences between the finished product with traditional publishing versus self-publishing are not that big. Self-published books have become professionalized, and many writers hire book cover designers and editors to make their book look really good. The same can be said about the amount of work required. But the process is very different: With self-publishing, you have more control over your book, and you can make it look and feel exactly as you want it to look and feel.

Traditional publishing, on the other hand, especially if you have a big publisher, they have a team that does the design, layout, illustrations, etc. They do the cover and everything else! Many publishers will also have a marketing team that would find press opportunities for you. With self-publishing, you do it yourself.

But one is not worse or better than the other. Some people love having full control over their book. And many self-published books do really well, especially in the romance/fantasy/erotica genres. And I’ve met writers who were very creative with their marketing efforts. For me it was stressful to have to do every single element of my book (aff. link), and I was very grateful that I didn’t have to do the formatting with Niksen. They did a really great job with it. And a big plus of having an agent or a traditional publisher is that they often come with a foreign rights department that sells publication and translation rights to other countries. Niksen will appear in 15 languages all over the world! I wouldn’t be able to do it with a self-published book.

What are your future book projects, both fiction and non-fiction? Which publication route do you want to follow?

I’m currently working on a proposal for a parenting book of a slightly different kind. I hope to get a publisher interested in this one. But I’ve been working on a few fiction books too, and those I’ll probably self-publish. I have friends who are doing a combination of both depending on what the book is. I have friends who went indie after securing a book deal with a publisher. I’ve heard of self-published books get picked up by traditional publishers. It’s always good to have options.

How do you balance smaller freelance writing projects with longer, more complicated book writing?

I don’t. I didn’t do much freelance writing while working on Niksen; I just didn’t have the time for it. I had a tight deadline so writing the book was pretty much the only thing I could manage.

I know you aren’t a fan of shelling out advice as different things work for different people. But you are productive (you’ve got the bylines and future projects to prove it!). What are some habits and patterns that work for you? How and when do you produce your best work, do you think?

I think I like working in bursts, as opposed to continuously. As in an article or two here, then nothing for a while. It works for me because my husband supports me (I think it needs to be said), so I can work whenever I have ideas/assignments (these two things are not the same, lol). I like the NaNoWriMo approach for writing books. That is a certain amount of words by a certain amount of days (NaNoWriMo is 50K words in a month, 1666 words a day). I wrote the first (very terrible, no good) draft of Niksen in 6 weeks. I sat down every day and literally wrote words. I usually don’t plan a structure for my articles but did for Niksen, so I knew what I was going to write that day, and I wrote. And that was a nice feeling to have steady work for a longer stretch of time as opposed to the few days that I spend on my articles.

But no, I don’t write every day, just when I have an assignment. I like having projects that occupy my mind for a while but then end and allow me to focus on something else. I don’t stick to a niche either. I have a wide range of interests and like combining things in unusual ways. An example: becoming a mother is like having culture shock. Or flipping the narrative on a topic. Most people following their spouses abroad are women, but what about the men? And when everyone was writing about not wanting to share pictures of their kids on social media, I did that too. Only my reason was different: not my kids’ privacy, but because I liked my social media accounts to be just mine. Sometimes this approach takes a long time. My NYT essay about being a mother took maybe 2 weeks to write (one of my longest), but it was months before I had all the elements for that story and before it made sense!

But this is also where Niksen comes in. Because my ideas wouldn’t be so unique without it.

What do you think about niksen? Do you do it? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.