Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: writers

On the 4th Day of Christmas Chanticleer gave to me Four Podcasting Tips | The 12 Days of Christmas 2024!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

Four podcasting tips and a fav podcast!

Podcasting has become a great way for writers to learn and network with other writers as they promote their work. It’s a great marketing tool because you have complete control over your presentation, providing what you think is valuable and highlighting the work you are doing. They offer their guests credibility, helps build community, encourages collaboration, builds brands and promotes work, and it expands your (and your guests’) “reach,” with 45% of podcast listeners also classifying themselves as avid readers.

Podcasting is a learning process, but when done well it can be a fun and valuable addition to your marketing. Here are four tips to get you started!

1. Concept and Niche

Find your focus. Ask yourself what sets your podcast apart from others within your niche. Choose a topic you are passionate about and can discuss in depth, allowing you to claim a clear niche. Define your audience to gain a better understand of who you are trying to reach and how to tailor your content to their interests and needs.

2. Content and Format

Decide on a format (solo host, interview style, panel discussion) and stick to it for predictability. Outline and/or script what you’ll be saying, no necessarily to read verbatim, but as a reference you can turn to if you find yourself lost in your conversation. This will help maintain focus and flow. Find engaging guests by researching and inviting guests who are experts in your niche and can provide valuable insights. You can find them writing events, through your connection on your social media platforms, and on your own bookshelf!

3. Promotion and Engagement

Publish your podcast on major platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, then utilize social media to share clips, promote new episodes, and interact with your audience. This will encourage listener feedback through reviews, comments, and Q&A sessions.

4. Technical Aspects & Production Quality

Choose a reliable podcast hosting platform to store and distribute your episodes. Use descriptive titles and summaries to attract listeners on podcast directories.Design visually appealing cover art that represents your podcast brand. Invest in a good quality microphone and recording environment to minimize background noise. Learn basic editing techniques to clean up audio, add transitions, and create a polished sound. Strive for a consistent audio level throughout each episode.

One of Chanticleer’s Favorite Podcast is “Author in the Headlights” by Chanticleerian STRIDER KLUSMAN

He interviews authors one on one. Each show will be discussing the author’s books, their goals, the methods, and often madness of writing, as well as the process and tools of their trade. So far, he has interviewed 66 authors such as Tessa Floreano, Kevin Chapman, Timothy Johnston, Dena Weigel, Rick Steinke, Mike Murphy, and many more.

Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time

The 4th Day of Christmas

The Four Calling Birds are meant to represent the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Also, the Fourth Day of Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and it is considered a day for children. The feast honors the male children who were killed by King Herod in his quest to find the potential usurper (Baby Jesus) to his throne. Today, the youngest member of the family is in charge for what to do, where to go, what to eat for the entire day. The day is also known as Childermas.

Some say Four Calling Birds (song birds). Some say Four Colly Birds (black birds). And then, there is this person’s interpretation of Four Calling Birds on Reddit:

Is this a conference call?

“But Jiminy Crickets, it’s after December 25th! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas are known as Advent.

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry. Just get it done. Eight Days left until Three Kings Day!

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

Four Calling Birds

Three French Hens

Two Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Stay tuned for the 5th Day of Christmas!

Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and continuing to prepare the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2024 CIBA Banquet and Ceremony.

Wishing you Happy Holidays from Chanticleer from Kiffer, David, Dena, Scott, Anya, and Argus!

December 29, 2024
On the 2nd Day of Christmas, Chanticleer Brings to Me Two Ways to Link Your Selling Sites | 12 Days of Christmas 2024!

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

On the Second Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

Two ways to link to your selling sites!

Getting people to your online selling sites is a challenge every author faces. Readers want convenient, one-step actions that will take them straight to the place where they can purchase your book, and they want to be able to trust their purchase will be handled professionally. But how do we get them there?

Web Links—A tried and true path

Web links have been used to move people around the internet for as long as the internet has been available to the masses. By linking a URL to a clickable button, word, or phrase you will be opening the doors to your online store and welcoming in more readers with only a click! This process is seamless to the user, as they simply see the new page load.

To get the most out of your web links, always have easily accessible links that open in a NEW WINDOW. Once someone is visiting your site, you want to make sure that your site remains open in his/her browser. Visitors should never have to leave your site to check out your book’s page on Amazon or sign up for your newsletter.

Links should be easily recognizable as a way to access more information. Try to use highly visible and friendly “buttons” whenever possible.

And always make triple sure that your links work!

QR Codes—A new path for speedier and more convenient purchasing power

Because of their ability to be read by mobile phones, QR codes have emerged as a versatile and powerful tool for authors to promote and sell their books. These machine-readable codes consist of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone.

With the help of a simple (and free) QR code generator, you can create as many QR codes as you need to get readers directly to your books’ purchasing sites, but there’s much more you can do with them, too!

Place a QR code on a tabletop sign to send potential readers at a book fair to your website or blog. You can link to a specific page, meaning you can give them trivia related to your story, images you’ve created, a sign up for your newsletter or blog, or just get them to your homepage and let them explore!

QR codes can also be attached to documents that live in the cloud, and therefore are not accessible to people without the code. This can be a useful tool for building a community, as readers will be excited to know they are receiving exclusive information.

Using a QR code will give you, and your readers, more power to easily connect and share and purchase! Check out this recent blog post about QR codes for a more in-depth look at how authors can benefit by adding them to their marketing. 🧰

Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas!

“But Jiminy Crickets, it is the 27th of December! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is known as the Advent. So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra 11 days!

On the Second Day of Christmas, my True Love (or Chanticleer) brings to me… Two Turtle Doves

Two Turtle Doves represent love, loyalty, and friendship.

The Two Turtle Doves are symbols of Love and Fidelity. The turtle dove is monogamous and pairs for life. Males are actively involved in nesting (he will actually sit on the eggs during the day) and taking care of the young after they hatch so his mate can leave the nest to eat, exercise, and take care of herself. In Ancient Grecian stories, they are believed to be a favorite bird of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

Good King Wenceslas

Day 2 is also the day that the Christmas Carol ‘Good King Wenceslas” takes place (c. 907 – 935). He was known as the Good Prince of Bohemia. The story tells the tale of his journey through harsh weather to bring a gift of food and firewood to a poor man he noticed while looking out of his castle’s tower during the Feast of Stephen. The song reminds us each and everyone: “Ye, who now bless the poor, Shall yourselves find blessing.”

“King Wenceslas” Art made by Hudson, Scott & Sons for Huntley & Palmers, 1913. Victoria and Albert Museum no. M.367-1983. Image: Gryffindor

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!

Stay tuned for the 3rd Day of Christmas!

Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time we need to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping our presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and setting ourselves up in the New Year for publishing success (with Chanticleer Professional Services and the Chanticleer Authors Conference).

Wishing you Happy Holidays from Chanticleer from Kiffer, David, Dena, Scott, Anya, and Argus!

December 27, 2024
Celebrating the Beauty and Genius of Oscar Wilde’s Writing on His 170th Birthday

Happy birthday Oscar Wilde!

A celebrated playwright, poet, novelist, and journalist, Oscar Wilde was famous for his superior intellect, wry sense of humor, and profound insights into human nature. He relied on these traits to bring levity to the deeper themes within the story—a tactic that made the his darker points more palatable and made his stories resonate as strongly today as they did in his time. The themes he wrote about are still part of our world today, and writers look to his writing to find inspiration and lessons in storytelling.

In celebration of his 170th birthday, let’s take a look at how his life shaped his views and what lessons writers can learn from him today.

Drawn to Beauty and Art

Born Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde in Dublin, Ireland on October 16, 1854, Wilde’s life was a colorful and complicated as his name. As a member of the city’s elite, he lived a privileged life. He studied the classics at Trinity College in Dublin, then studied at Madgalen College in Oxford, England where he became enamored with the aesthetic movement, which emphasized an appreciation of beauty in all things and the creation of art for the sake of art alone. This set the course for him to challenge the austere societal norms of the Victorian Age. With his armor of witty commentary, eloquence, and pointed irony, Wilde created a way to speak to the truth of what he was experiencing as an observer and a talented artist through the themes of identity, morality, and the complexity of human relationships.

You can find so many of Wilde’s books at your local bookstore!

Wilde’s works, including The Picture of Dorian Gray, A Woman of No Importance, The Importance of Being Earnest, and numerous poems and essays continue to influence writers and challenge readers to this day. His work and their characters have opened the door to a reinterpretation of what it means to be human, as seen in the case of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The “monster” that his main character changes into has been compared to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in that the authors see a monster in the people around them when they recognize the true fear of determining one’s own identity. The lesson: If the creator can not handle the responsibilities of the creation process, then the creation will fail. If the creation fails, then ultimately the creator fails and the true colors of mankind are revealed.

Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Oscar Wilde’s birthday is not just a celebration of his life but an invitation for writers to embrace their own creativity, challenge the norms of the day, and explore the intricacies of human nature. As you reflect on his contributions, consider how his legacy can inspire your own writing journey. Dive into the wit, beauty, and complexity that Wilde championed, and let it be your guide as you pick up your pen!

Join in the laughter with the authors of humor and satire Chanticleer has worked with over the years!

Dared to Return: A Kate Anderson Mystery (Book 2)
By J.J. Clarke

Kate Anderson has an exciting new life in Tampa Bay, Florida. An aspiring writer with a new book recently released, she’s left behind her old life as a court investigator in Kingseat, Missouri. But when she receives a frantic call from her ninety-two-year-old grandfather, Theodore, she hops on a plane back home.

Just five weeks earlier, Kate’s step-grandmother, Helen, died. Not long after Helen’s death, Kate’s grandfather was thrown out of his house and sent to the Squaw Valley Nursing Home, a place where old people go to die. Unbeknownst to Kate, most of Helen’s two-million-dollar estate has been left in trust – and not to her husband of twenty-five years. The trustee is a corrupt secret society known as HOGG, a group of important town officials who con elderly citizens out of their money, distribute it to charities and take a considerable percentage for themselves.

Continue reading here…

Drunk Talk
By Mike Davis, TL Banks

The essential message of this satiric volume is that most people tend to nurse false notions about their lives and the universe in general – notions that the authors rapidly and thoroughly debunk. They take the stance of a drunk hanging out at a bar, hearing about everything that goes on in people’s minds. In forty-eight segments, various human problems are examined, derided, and substituted for what many readers will consider far more rational viewpoints.

Some issues raised seem trivial – “Celebrities” who do not, as might be supposed, get to enjoy their fame since the general attitude toward them is “shut up and entertain us or else.” Other matters are significant. One of the longer treatises focuses on “Gods,” with the authors asserting that God is merely an imaginary projection, and religion only a means of seeing and believing what people want, “even if it’s not real or makes no sense.” A true, non-superstition-based belief system would impel people to help others more and take full responsibility for their actions.

Continue reading here…

Insynnium
By Tim Cole
Winner of the Cygnus CIBA Award

The dramatic premise explored in a new novel,Insynnium, is a wild, immersive leap into a world-changing (but fictional) drug. In other hands, what could be a dystopian thriller goes one step further in author Tim Cole’s capable hands. He focuses on the humans who first discover and use the drug and weaves his story with a devilish charm.

This is somewhat Bill Murray/“Groundhog Day” territory, a film exploring one man’s reliving a day in his life over and over until he learned new behaviors, new skills, and came out of it a better man. Unlike “Groundhog,” Max McVista takes multiple doses of the drug against all advice, then somehow expands time itself in what he calls an “AUE” or “Alternative Universe Experience,” enabling him to spend months and sometimes years becoming or experiencing whatever he wishes. When returning to real-time, he’s only missed a day or two. (For E=MC squared fans, it’s basically reverse engineering of Einsteinian physics.)

Continue reading here…

Eudora Space Kid: The Lobster Tale
By David Horn

In Eudora Space Kid: The Lobster Tale, author David Horn continues the spell-binding adventures of a third-grade girl living on a massive spaceship in the year 4021. Eudora Jenkins enjoys using her very sharp mind to play tricks on the grown-ups – but her latest one may backfire and cause an interplanetary crisis.

As The Lobster Taleopens, Eudora, the narrator and mastermind of her sometimes disastrous but always hilarious gambits, is in a tunnel on the AstroLiner Athena. The plan? Just a few minorcomputer alterations. She is aided in this naughty but essentially harmless prank by her sometimes nervous buddy Arnold. Her changes will be revealed later when she and Arnold visit the ship’s bridge. Both are excited to watch the regularly scheduled battle training exercises they will view on the main computer.

Continue reading here…

Hot Air: An Arnold Falls Novel
By Charlie Suisman

Arnold Falls bristles with zany events, quirky locals, and colorful newbies. Above all, this memorable enclave buoys its people through heart, soul, wit, and a true sense of collective spirit.

Jeebie Walker returns as the story’s central narrator.

The successful voice-over artist stands as a solid fixture in the town, now in a loving relationship with his partner Will. A volunteer fireman, illustrator, and candidate for an MA in Conservation Biology, Will jokingly claims that Jeebie makes “bossing others around” a superpower.

In the midst of a mid-life crisis, Jeebie takes on a project of implementing little library cabinets throughout the town. Due to some unscrupulous financial administrators, he also worries about the sudden lack of funding for arts programs at the local hospital.

Continue reading here…

Thank you for joining us in celebrating the genius of Oscar Wilde!

Do you have a book that deserves to be discovered? You can always submit your book for an Editorial Review with Chanticleer!Chanticleer Editorial Review Packages are optimized to maximize your digital footprint. Reviews are one of the most powerful tools available to authors to help sell and market their books. Find out what all the buzz is about here.

Is your book an Award Winner?

Submitting to Book Awards is a great way to get your book discovered! Anytime you advance in the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards, your name and book are promoted right here on our website, through our newsletter, and across social media. One of the best ways to engage in long tail marketing!

The 2024 Humor & Satire Awards are open until Oct 31, 2024!

Thank you again to the authors who wrote these wonderful books,
and to Oscar Wilde and his lessons on the beauty of art itself!

October 16, 2024
Spotlight on the June Book Awards! Cygnus, Journey, Dante Rossetti, and Chatelaine!
The Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards Are already receiving record submissions!

Fresh off the Chanticleer Authors Conference, there’s never been a better time to be an author!

Embark on extraordinary adventures and explore thrilling frontiers!

These Sizzling Book Awards are starting summer out right!
Note: We have recently revised our Book Award deadlines according to feedback from both authors and our readers! The hope with the new deadlines is that authors will be able to receive information faster and readers will be more able to read steadily without interruptions are sudden influxes. Thank you for your patience as we adjust to the new schedule.

These are four of our longest running and most competitive Book Award Divisions.
Don’t hesitate to join the authors who have already submitted to the CIBAs!

The tiers of achievement for the CIBAs with $30,000+ awarded annually, as well as expert long tail marketing to maximize your digital footprint

The Chanticleer Int’l Book Award lists provide excitement and energize author reader bases each time one of them are released. From Long List to Overall Grand Prize Winner, there are a myriad of opportunities for debut and experienced authors to promote their work through the CIBAs.

Summer is the perfect season to get ahead of the game and submit, but we should also pause to enjoy some of the excellent work that’s been submitted to Chanticleer.

Journey Book Awards for Non-Fiction Memoirs that Overcome Adversity

A FRACTION STRONGER: Finding Belief and Possibility in Life’s Impossible Moments
By Mark Berridge

Author and businessman Mark Berridge, through the lived experience of himself and others after traumatic injuries, gained a wide understanding of overcoming disaster, and how to rehabilitate not only one’s body but mind and spirit as well. In sharing his wisdom, A Fraction Stronger is a must-read for anyone facing physical, emotional, or mental barriers.

On March 10, 2019, Berridge, due to embark on a work-related flight from his Australian home to the US later that day, went on a bike ride with some buddies. Following the group around a corner, he fell, striking his head; conscious, but unable to move his feet and legs. Hospitals would become his world as he dealt with spinal injuries and the long road to rehabilitation – relearning how to sit, stand, and walk.

Read more here.

BETTER OFF BALD: A Life in 147 Days
By Andrea Wilson Woods

There exists a bond between sisters, and often that bond becomes a connection so strong that time cannot erase the love and the longing for the other. Andrea Wilson Woods defines such a bond in Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days.

Woods details the choreographed life she lives with her sister Adrienne, who has been diagnosed with cancer. Together they begin their dance, pirouetting around IV ports and long lists of medications. Sisters in life, love, and an all-out war against liver cancer.

Read more here.

Cygnus Book Awards for Science Fiction

The LUNA MISSILE CRISIS
By Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

Authors Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle come together to tell the tale of alien first contact gone awry in their epic science fiction release, The Luna Missile Crisis.

The year is 1961, and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is set to become the first man in space. But when Yuri, snug inside the Vostok 1, is launched from the cosmodrome and into the coming night, he’s met with a collision that changes the course of history. The Vostok 1 crashes into an oncoming alien starship. Assuming the collision was actually a missile fired from Russia’s space race opponent, the United States, the soviet nation quickly launches an arsenal of nuclear warheads in response. But those warheads never make it to their target. Instead, they detonate against the hidden starship, sending a wave of nuclear destruction over eastern Europe.

Read more here.

FUTURE’S DARK PAST: Time Forward Trilogy, Book 1
By J.L. Yarrow

A time travel epic, Future’s Dark Past is the creative endeavor of J.L Yarrow, husband and wife duo of John and Leanne Yarrow. The time-hopping action begins in the year 2355, in a world virtually uninhabitable outside a few city pods where food is scarce and violence a certainty.

Caught sneaking into a city pod with nowhere else to go, Kristen Winters agrees to join the Time Forward Project, a group from which no volunteers have ever returned. Kristin’s new superiors send her to fight a deadly battle for the fate of humanity. In 2025, Hunter Coburn becomes an important piece of the puzzle after he gets accidentally connected to Kristen’s time jumps. Initially on opposite sides, they must figure out how to work together as the plan to save the future becomes increasingly unstable.

Read more here.

Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction

TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan
By Blue Spruell & illustrated by Miya Outlaw

Adventure, classic tales, fantasy, and exciting action combine in TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan, a well-poised debut novel by award-winning author Blue Spruell.

In the turbulent final decades of the sixteenth century, feudal Japan reeled in mayhem as the central hereditary dictatorship collapsed, and tyrannical powers fought to control the empire. TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is the story of how one man revolutionized a nation by taking its reigns and forging a new destiny through his depths of compassion and determination.

Read more here.

The BEST WEEK THAT NEVER HAPPENED
By Dallas Woodburn

Dallas Woodburn’s debut novel The Best Week that Never Happened is a roller-coaster ride through Hawaii and the mysterious depths of its briny deep, sparkling with unreal magic, a poignant romance, and incessant hope.

Tegan Rossi, a freshly graduated eighteen-year-old, awakens in the secretive hideout she discovered with Kai Kapule as two eight-year-old children on her first trip to Hawaii Island. She needs to make amends with Kai as they had a major squabble over something very important that she now oddly forgets. When Tegan catches up with Kai in Hawaii, she enters her best week yet – the Best Week That Never Happened.

Read more here.

Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction

OPERATION MOM: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man
By Reenita Malhotra Hora

Master storyteller Reenita Malhotra Hora’s YA romance Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man takes us on a charming journey through the life of one teen, Ila Isham.

Hora introduces Ila and her best friend Deepali, two boy-crazy teens on a summer quest. Readers will fall in love with the smart, sassy, angst-filled, rebellious Ila. A typical teenage girl, Ila lives in Mumbai with her mom and Sakkubai, their house manager. Ila’s mother calls her obsessed, but that seems unfair. Is she obsessed just because her every waking minute is spent thinking of Ali Zafar, famous pop icon, singer, and heartthrob? Or is she obsessed with fellow classmate Dev?

Read more here.

The LONG DESERT ROAD
By Alex Sirotkin

Alex Sirotkin’s debut novel, The Long Desert Road, navigates the emotional arcs of life in contrast with the greater expanse of the cosmos. Here a young woman must face her addictions while the people around her try to move beyond her backlash.

We meet Henry Spinoza, a 44-year-old quirky science writer. He ponders his life as half over, looks for the right woman, and wonders if there isn’t more to existence.

Read more here.

Your book deserves to be discovered

First Place and Grand Prize Authors at the Chanticleer Authors Conference

Thank you for celebrating these Chanticleer Grand Prize Winners with us!

Remember, if you have a great book in the following genres, you should submit today!
The world needs good books now more than ever
June 2, 2023
10 New Year’s Resolutions for Authors to Improve Marketing and Book Sales
What are YOUR Next Moves in 2017?

Five Free Action Items to Strengthen your Author Platform in 2017
1. Spiff up point of sale information on Amazon Author Central – Read our handy how-to article on using Author Central.
2. Create your author media kit – A page on your website which contains, at the very least, your official bio, both long and short versions written in third person, your official author image, nice and large, with a good quality resolution.
3. Write your book club questions – Read our article on how to write your questions and pitch to book clubs, written by two of our speakers for the upcoming Chanticleer Author Conference.
4. Create an editorial calendar for 2017 – Plan your blog and social posts ahead so you never miss an important time sensitive topic. Make a spreadsheet to track holidays and days devoted to important social issues which you might want to post about such as: Banned Books Week, or Independent Bookstore Day, or Indie Author Day (celebrated by local public libraries).
5. Make an appointment to meet with your local book store’s buyer – If your books are not on the shelf of your local book store, often all it takes is making an appointment with the right person. If your books are on their shelf already, it’s a good idea to touch base now and then, ask about special display opportunities and events you can get involved in.
Five Ways to Invest in your Author Career Business in 2017
1. Commission your professional head-shot – Have you been using an assortment of photos taken with your phone for your author photo? A professional photo will boost your confidence and give the impression to potential readers that you are serious about your craft. Show them they can expect your books to be worth the time and money you are asking them to invest, by making a little investment yourself.
2. Hire a professional cover designer – Take a hard look at your book cover. A good cover can make or break your book sales. Don’t make the mistake of thinking any good artist can make a book cover. There are subtle and even subliminal cues for each genre that communicate to readers through your book cover. Read our article on the concepts professional designers use to create book covers that can mean the difference between hundreds or thousands of book sales per year. It is worth the investment.
3. Improve your book with editing services – even if your book is already published. The digital age allows for tidying up those little typos and “orphans and widows.” The editorial process is an essential tool for authors. There are a range of services available and every one of them can help improve your book. A better book means more book sales. Satisfied readers will be create buzz, write reviews and become dedicated fans for future book sales. Investing in editing is not as simple as hiring an editor, most editors specialize in one specific type of editing. Read our article on the 5 different types of editing services to understand what you are getting when you hire your editor.
4. Invest in your author website – If you don’t have an author website yet, you need to get one. If you have a website, when was the last time you refreshed it’s look and design? Website fashions come an go, keeping your site design fresh tells visitors that you are still “there” and they can expect fresh content if they come back often, or a response if they comment.
5. LEARN – Professional development for authors is never ending. More information exists about writing than one person can probably absorb in a lifetime. You can read books, sign up for classes, get a coach, go out with publishing professionals for lunch or an after work drink to make connections and build relationships, and attend author conferences and stay in contact with those you meet. Make a professional development budget for 2017 to improve your craft as well as your business skills.
What are your next moves? We’d love for you to share them with the Chanticleer Community of Authors!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
December 31, 2016
Gift Ideas for Writers from Chanticleer Reviews (and a special holiday discount!)
It’s that time of year, the annual dilemma of what gift to get your favorite author…or the annual dilemma of how to suggest to your family and friends what author-ly gifts you really want this year. Or maybe you are looking for something special to gift yourself this year? We are gonna make it easy–if you are the gifter then use this post as your guide, if you are the giftee, forward this post on to your family and friends as a not-so-subtle hint.

Of course, the old stand by is a notebook and pen, but anyone whose been a writer for any length of time probably has a secret horde of pens and notebooks and other stationary fetishes, and may have had too call a moratorium on the acquisition of more writing implements. Once that happens, it is important to start getting creative. Though, let’s face it–creativity is a key component for giving a gift to a person whose whole life revolves around creativity!

There are so many articles out there already–we really should start with a few of these great resources:
And now we are adding to the already abundant repertoire on the subject (plus throwing in a few bonuses as our gift to gift givers!)

1. An editorial book review

Do you know an author who has published a book or will be publishing a book within the next year? One of the best tools for boosting the success of a book is having an honest and objective editorial book review (what is an editorial book review?). If the book is not published yet, quotes from an editorial review can be used for cover blurbs, and once the book is published it will lend a great deal of legitimacy that can help readers make the decision to buy the book. It is also an expense that, after paying for editing, cover design, printing, etc. an author may have a difficult time fitting into their budget. If the author in your life has a hard time buying it for themselves, why not buy it for them? (some of these gifts require uploading manuscripts, so if you don’t have access to that check out the gift cards in #6).

2. A manuscript overview

Is your favorite writer struggling with the first draft of their novel, or do they need a fresh set of professional eyes? A manuscript overview is one of the first steps of the editing process that publishing houses will use to make sure that the overall story and structure is sound. It’s an evaluation to give the author a sense of where they are strong and where they need work in their story, giving them a guide for how to tackle editing the book. It’s a step indie authors sometimes miss out on. Help out the author in your life by gifting them a manuscript overview.

3. A Book Award

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just give a book award to the author in your life? Well, it doesn’t work that way, but we have the next best thing–a contest entry! It’s also a good low budget option if you started reading this article thinking of just buying a pen and some paper, and the prices on the first two options were way out of your league. Our Chanticleer International Writing Contests and Book Awards come with all kinds of goodies for winners, including a free review, a blue ribbon, digital badges, and even cash for the grand prize winners. The odds are better than a scratch and win ticket if the book is well written and well edited! Why not do something nice for the author in your life and enter their book into our writing competitions!

4. An Author Conference

The Chanticleer Author Conference is an exceptional gift idea for the author in your life. And it’s not your typical authors conference. This is the one for the author who knows everything there is to know about writing craft and now just needs to know how to sell their darned book. We teach actual business skills necessary for any author looking to build an audience and boost their success. And if they won one of our book awards, a ticket to our Awards Gala to walk up to the podium and accept their award is part of the conference package! Buy the author in your life some extra business skills with a ticket to the Chanticleer Authors Conference.

Special Bonus Gift!

Now through midnight on December 31, 2016, we are offering $50 off the current Early Bird rate for the Chanticleer Author Conference for a limited time.

Purchase your conference package with the code 50CAC1716 before December 31st.

5. Promotional Stickers Stocking Stuffers

If the author in your life already has an award or a book review from Chanticleer stuff their stocking with a new pack of “Award Winner” stickers to put on their books. Every little thing to make their book stand out on the bookstore shelf will increase book sales. We conveniently have an entire line up of stickers for every type of winner and reviewed book. Put your sticker order in soon! (sorry it might not get there in time for Christmas at this point…but just don’t put the stockings away when you take down the decorations…)

6. Gift Cards from Chanticleer Reviews!

A brand new feature that people have been asking for and we have finally created. Chanticleer Reviews now has gift cards! Order them for the author in your life today! Send us an email with the subject “Purchase a Chnticleer Gift Card” to chanticleer@chantireviews.com.

Thanks for checking out our holiday gift ideas! We love helping authors boost their success. If you are thinking of buying one of these items for the author in your life and need help deciding. Please send us an email with the subject “Help me buy the perfect gift from Chanticleer!” to chanticleer@chantireviews.com.
December 20, 2016