First off, I have to applaud this author for taking the time and effort to document what has worked for her and shared it with the rest of us. She didn’t asked us to pay hundreds to attend a seminar or sign up for an online course. She piled her experience, examples, tips and approach into a book any writer could afford. It is WELL worth this price and more. This will be a longish review because the content has so much to offer about the ‘business’ of writing. I think that is important.

Today’s authors are usually holding down a day job, attending to a family, putting time into their writing craft and also trying to learn about how to market their book with social media. Not all writers are born salesmen and promoting their own creative work is awkward for most. This book takes the promotional portion of a writing career to an entirely different level. It is very similar to product placement in the movies. I know what you are thinking. Where do I find time to learn and do that? If writing isn’t just a hobby for you, if you want to make a career out of it and let go of that day job somewhere along the way, then you owe it to yourself to have a business plan. Branding yourself, your characters, and having multiple streams of income from your work are going to get you to your goals faster. Here’s just one priceless paragraph to help the writer:

“Okay, you’re about to call a complete stranger and ask them for money. Step back. Reframe. No. That’s not it. You’re about to call a really cool, creative person and forge a professional relationship and maybe even make a new friend. You’re going to ask them to believe in the opportunity you want to present to them, to read and consider your follow-up e-mail, and to invest in your idea. And maybe, if you can establish a professional friendship, it will turn into results you can imagine and some you can’t.”

I will admit that I think Lynn maybe had a head start compared to the rest of us. It seems with some of the name dropping and info about her previous career she may have already been around the entertainment industry and had a few contacts we may not have. Her character in her novels is also an entrepreneur, this may have made it a touch easier to associate an industry with her novels. However, we could all put this plan into place on some level. Maybe you don’t know a movie star, but the local weather man attends your church. Is there an opportunity there? Maybe you can’t land a national chain like 1-800 Flowers, but could you forge a 10% discount at a local restaurant for anyone that takes of picture of themselves with your book in hand? Maybe. This author includes technical as well as inspirational content. There are examples of contact letters and emails, scripts for making phone calls, bullet lists of the benefits of sponsorship, examples of contracts for promotional agreements, sections on alternative marketing campaigns, and a resources section. I think any author that intends on making income from their creative work needs to read this book. Hands down 5 stars. I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley to read and write an honest review.