Monday Mojo

Monday reads.

/ lizziechantree / 6 Comments

listen meme by Lizzie Chantree

Hello everyone. I’ve got my first festival next weekend where I will have a book stand and hopefully be chatting to some book lovers as well as music lovers. I have been trying to pack everything I will need and remember to take things like sellotape, signage, and table coverings. I put the books into boxes and it’s tricky to know how many to take. It’s a music festival, but there is a shopping area, which is where I will be with my books. I have also designed some pop up banners, and have a fold up book stand for the counter top.

I did a checklist and thought it might be helpful to anyone else doing a book fair or festival.

  1. Books. Enough of each type to display and sell.
  2. Stands to hold some of the books up so that they are easier to see.
  3. Frames with clear pricing. These follow my brand and have a picture of my books and a slogan at the top.
  4. Table or counter cover.
  5. 2 x chairs
  6. Gazebo.
  7. Tables.
  8. Name squares for customers who would like a book signed so that I know how to spell the names! These are cut out of A4 sheets but fit with my branding colours.
  9. Battery powered lights.
  10. A receipt book.
  11. Paypal app set up on my phone.
  12. Card reader.
  13. Plastic cover to keep the table dry if the weather turns.
  14. Sun hat/suncream.
  15. Water.
  16. Food.
  17. I have a five aperture frame with each of my book covers in to show the range.
  18. Scissors.
  19. Pens.
  20. Change for sales.
  21. Decoration for the table. Paper hearts etc for romance theme.
  22. Bookmarks.
  23. Leaflets. I had these made with all five of my books on them.

I hope I’ve thought of most things, but if you have any other suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

Have a great week! From Lizzie:)

Author page: https://www.viewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree

The Village Green Festival. Chalkwell Park. Southend on sea. Essex. U.K. This is the trader area. There are many more stages and creative areas around the park. Saturday 13th July. 11am-9pm. Festival link.

map artwork VG





/ lizziechantree / 3 Comments

coffee deadline for writers meme by Lizzie Chantree.png

Hello everyone. How are you all?

It been exciting here, as all five of my books have been in various bestseller lists recently. I’m an indie writer who is published by an independent press, so it’s wonderful to see people reading my books. A big thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, shared news of online and told their friends about my work. I appreciate each and every one of you.

I’ve just completed my 7th novel, which means I have two new books which will hopefully be out this year. I have also invited four other bestselling authors to join me as admins for my Facebook group, Lizzie’s Book Group. This group shares news of books we love, has marketing tips for creatives and it about mutual support of writers, artists, creatives and readers. If you are a writer or avid reader and would like to join the group, feel free! The link is Lizzie’s Book Group.

LizziesBook group FB headwer 2019.jpg

To grab one of my latest books, click here.

I’m also trying to work out how to update my newsletter more often. I apologise for any delay, but for someone who thinks she is quite tech savvy, the instructions go straight over my head! I just managed to change my welcome email to an updated newsletter by mistake and now every new subscriber will get my July news! Lol:) I will work it out one day.

Have an amazing week.

Relax, enjoy and have some fun.

From Lizzie.

 

BookBub.

/ lizziechantree / 4 Comments

Hello everyone. I’ve just started to take a closer look at Bookbub. I ran a promotion with them for my first book, Babe Driven, when I was first published in 2013 and hadn’t a clue what I was doing! I think BookBub must have been pretty new then too and I was very lucky to have my application accepted.

Babe Driven beach meme

I have just tried with another book and been told to apply again in three months and to think about applying for my backlist to be included. It’s kind of exciting to think that your book could be accepted, as it’s a wonderful lift for any book to receive. It does cost a lot for the promotion, but the readers your book might catch the eye of, could become true fans of your work . For me, with the first promotion I ran, it was well worth the investment, as Babe Driven swung in and out of the bestseller lists for its first year, getting as high as #323 overall in all of the paid kindle store. It got to #1 on most of its free book runs. Babe Driven is currently back in the bestseller lists, years after its first publication, and it’s great fun to see one of my indie books finding new readers. To be honest I love seeing all of my books finding new readers!

My BookBub page link

Back to BookBub. I have updated my author profile and BookBub sends out hints to have a greater presence there. One of their tips is to recommend books, as this sends your profile to lots of timelines and can help you to gain more Bookbub followers, who are all book lovers like me. It’s also  a good way of sharing news of books you enjoy and helping those authors be seen.

If anyone here is on BookBub and would like to link up and follow each other there and share news of latest releases and books we read, then that would be great. I’m still learning more about it and I’ll share any updates here on my blog.

Have a great week. From Lizzie.

Monday motivation.

/ lizziechantree / 5 Comments

Hello everyone. It’s a bank holiday weekend and I’m looking forward to relaxing with a good book! I hope you are too.

Limited edition meme by Lizzie Chantree.png

I don’t think we take enough time to sit back and rejuvenate after a long week of work and we are somehow conditioned to believe that if we are sitting still, that we are wasting time. Drinking a coffee and reading a magazine or book by a great view and having a little time off of work, not only makes me come back to my desk invigorated (not just by the coffee), but means I’m not too exhausted to begin work again.

I’m not sure how we can start to be a bit kinder to ourselves and to understand we are worth the fun and relaxation of taking time out and not looking at our phones or keyboards for a few hours. How we feel inside should offer as much validation as social media likes and praise, but somehow it feels like there is an imbalance. Our mental health is sometimes overlooked and grabbing a great book is a wonderful way to take time for yourself, jump into different dimensions and to basically have a good laugh. I’m going to try and read at least one book every couple of weeks this year and I’m sure I’ll enjoy every minute.

Have a great week everyone. From Lizzie:)

Monday Motivation.

/ lizziechantree / 4 Comments

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Happy new week everyone. I hope you all had an amazing weekend.

I drove to Norfolk at the weekend, stood in freezing cold field for five hours watching sports and then drove the two hours home again! I tried to find a little corner to sit and write in, but it was so cold outside that there were about ten people in my tent after five minutes. Needless to say I found a little coffee shop and drank about four pints of coffee to keep warm. I also scoffed at least twenty little biscuits after eating a salad, as they were so small, that I felt they didn’t count for calories. 🙂

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I’ve now updated my first three books and will have paperbacks going live over the next week. Babe Driven already has a beautiful new paperback version and Finding Gina and Love’s Child will be available in paperback soon. It’s exciting to have all of my books in more than one format. This also now means I can complete my latest work in progress and I can’t wait to write the last pages of this story. The main character is fiery and has a lot to deal with, so I’m happy to be able to bring her tale to a satisfying conclusion.

New FB header 2019

Have a great week everyone.

Monday Motivation.

/ lizziechantree / 4 Comments

Bookstore meme by Lizzie Chantree

Happy new week everyone. What inspires your writing? For me it’s either getting to a point in a new story that I can’t wait to write, or sitting somewhere with a beautiful view. Just taking in the scenery is often enough to lift my mood and make me want to start writing. If you are feeling frustrated with finding time to write, then taking a walk and a notepad can refresh your mojo enough to get back to your work flow when you return.

I carry a notepad everywhere and often jot down characteristics of people I see when I’m wandering around and I like to note clothing, stance, how people use their hands to express themselves and other details like that. It comes in handy when I’m forming characters in my mind. Although they are often jumping up and down and introducing themselves before I’ve finished the previous manuscript, so I have to hold them back and tell them to be patient.

I hope you find some amazing new books to read this week!

Homesick meme by Lizzie Chantree

 

Monday Mojo.

/ lizziechantree / 12 Comments

Hi everyone. The last few weeks have been a bit hectic for me with trying to update my first three novels with new covers etc and also trying out new marketing techniques. I’m also making three of my novels into paperbacks, which has been a steep learning curve as my lovely publisher designed and formatted my most recent books for me. Now I know how much hard work it is for them! I’m trying to get all of my books on brand, so that readers can see they are my books at a glance.

New FB header 2019

I’ve also been playing around with some book graphics and am really pleased with the results. Sites like Canva, Book Brush and Visme all have free options to make graphics and have simple tutorials if you need them. It’s also made it easier for me to be able to update my website and make that more reader friendly too. I’ve simplified all of the tabs, taken away ones I don’t use and begun making sure all of my pages are relevant to my current work.

On top of all that I’m now writing my 7th book. I have one book which is ready for publication and one almost complete, which is quite exciting. To keep myself motivated and up to date with blog posts, social media and making time for everyday tasks, I’m trying to be kinder to myself and giving myself a breather to have a cup of tea or sit by a view, to replenish my energy. I also find meeting up with other writers, either in person or in online groups, fills up my creative energy tanks for quite a while. I always come away feeling inspired by what they have all achieved and ready to get back to writing.

Have a fun filled and creative week everyone.

From Lizzie.

NSM tweet 10

 

Monday thoughts.

/ lizziechantree / 12 Comments

Tweet by Lizzie Chantree 19

Hello everyone. How are you all? Over the past week, I have begun to experiment with advertising. I’ve taught myself a bit about AMS ads, or Amazon Marketing Services ads. I’ve tried my first ad, which has just been approved, so I’ll let you know how it goes.

I’ve also been learning about Facebook ads, as they used to seem quite confusing to me, but I now understand about how to reach more readers and to let them know about my books. Most of my readers come from word of mouth, where someone discovers one of my books and then tells their friends and family. This is such a wonderful way for me to meet new readers of my work and it makes me smile so much when someone tells me that they have been recommended to my books.

Each time I read a new book now, I try to share it in as many places as possible, to help the author. A little can go a long way, so every review you give, recommendation you share, bookmark you give to a friend or business card you pin to a coffee shop noticeboard, is giving an author a helping hand.

5 ways to help authors find new readers:

  1. Tell your friends and family!
  2. Post reviews to online book groups.
  3. Share your love of a book on social media as many times as you can.
  4. Write a Facebook post about why you loved the book.
  5. This is actually the most important. Leave a review if you can. Reviews help readers you don’t know, find out about books you’ve read and enjoyed. I know some people hate writing reviews, as they don’t know what to write, but one or two lines saying something like…

‘I enjoyed this book because it’s well written and made me smile. If you like romantic comedies, you will love this book!’

… is often enough to make someone read the blurb and think about trying the story for themselves.

Have a fantastic week. From Lizzie.   🙂

Monday Mojo. 4/1/19

/ lizziechantree / 7 Comments

bad hair day meme by Lizzie Chantree

Hello everyone. I was reading an article recently about making your home your haven and it made me think about my writing space. I made myself a really long desk out of an old piece of kitchen worktop and was so excited to have room for my computer, printer, paperwork etc. The problem is that now I have all of those, plus a banana, a cup of tea, a set of keys, a ruler, four notebooks, sellotape, an inhaler, a pot of pens, hand cream… the list could go on for a few pages at least! My point is that to work efficiently, we need a clear mind and some space around us that isn’t cluttered. I know that some people work well with trinkets around them, but I’m not one of those people and I feel happier and more alert when my desk is clear.

Apparently a few tricks and small changes can ensure that the space where we work actually enhances our ability to get on with the job and not hinder it.

Here is why clutter is not good for our creativity:

It is hard to navigate the space. It collects dust. It makes the environment we work in chaotic, which drags our focus from our work.

Do we actually need all of the things on our desks? I certainly don’t need the banana or the tea as I only ate breakfast ten minutes ago and the hand cream is probably ten years old. In reality, I only need one pen and a notebook, plus my computer and printer and I’m all set to go.

Top tips for an easier work flow:

Declutter.

Connection with the outdoors if possible, as this helps with the feeling of contentment. Sitting by a window is productive apparently.

Smell can have a positive and negative impact on your mood, so stick with soft fragrances. Peppermint, lemon and rosemary are good for productivity.

Add visual prompts that remind you to relax your mind, like family photos or art that makes you smile.

Remember that your work environment is important to your wellbeing and if you can take a few moments to make it your haven, then hopefully it will show in your work.

Have a great week! From Lizzie. 

 

Monday Mojo. 25/2/19.

/ lizziechantree / 3 Comments

Enough Books Meme by Lizzie Chantree

Hello everyone. I’ve done so many marketing posts over the years that I’ve decided to change things up a little. I will still be doing marketing posts and sharing extra writing tips on my Facebook group, Lizzie’s Book Group, which you are all welcome to join, but I also thought I’d share some ways to keep your writing mojo alive and to motivate us all to feel good about ourselves and write more.

When it comes to ambition, both internal and external forces come into play and things like praise, accolades, money, status, friends, family, sometimes take over when research suggests that personal desires and motivation last longer and can ultimately lead to us achieving more in life.  If you are stuck in a rut, revisit what brings you happiness and clarify your personal goals. Put aside goals that you feel others expect of you.

Can you clearly see what motivates you as well as what holds you back? If you understand where you might be failing, you are more likely to be able to overcome it. Fear of failing often prevents us with actually getting on with a task, so have courage and start that new book. Silence your inner critic and reach for your dreams.

Learn. Knowledge is a great way to gain skills to succeed. Maybe find a mentor and soak up their experience.

If you are struggling to meet your goals, rethink them. Make them smaller and more achievable and then move on to the next step of your career. If you set yourself a target of writing a book in three months and that’s not achievable, as you have another job or busy family life, why not extend the boundaries and try and write a book in a year? You might find that without the added pressure of timeframes that the words flow and the book is completed in eight months.

A top tip I was told when I began my writing career was: You can’t edit a blank page. Just get those words on to paper. Believe you can and you will.

 

Have a fun filled and fabulous new week! From Lizzie.