‘Booklife: Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21st Century Writer’

When I was younger all I wanted to be was a writer.  As a little girl I used to love writing ‘mini books’ and as I went off to High School, it was in subjects where I was able to ‘write’, that I excelled (we won’t talk about Maths – apologies to Mr Kline).  It is funny how your dreams shape your future.  For some people, their dreams as a child lead them directly into a career when they leave school.  For me, it has been a bit of journey and along the way I have found other things I love too.  Running a business is something I am passionate about, I also love the world of Wedding and Event Planning, Design and Styling and although I do little hands on event work these days, my career is heavily linked to this exciting industry.  However, what I also get to do regularly is write, the thing I always dreamed I would do as an child.  To be able to write and make a living from it, is a wonderful thing in my world and what is even better for me is the fact that ‘writing’ is what links my other passions.  It is a tool I use in almost every area of my business life.

As a writer I have an extensive library of writing books, most writers do.  Writing is a craft that you must continually work at and there really is never too much to know about this subject.  However, for all the ‘writing books’ I have, there are 10, 20, 30 more waiting on the shelves of bookshops for someone to love them.  But every now and then there is an absolute standout in the world of ‘how to write’ guides and this week I am happy to bring one of them to you and this one could help you in your Wedding and Event Planning business.

The reason I want to share this book with you is that it is a book for the business person as much as it is for the writer.  ‘Booklife:  Strategies and Survival Tips for the 21st Century Writer’ by Jeff Vandemeer is for the modern writer who needs to balance writing and the creative process with the modern world of self-promotion, personal branding and goal setting (oh and being a woman, a wife, mother, daughter, goddess, breadwinner, father, new age fellow, etc etc).  This book deals directly with the things we are always saying you need to become a master of to run a successful business in 2010 and beyond:
• Using new media like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Podcasts, YouTube etc
• Effective Networking
• Understanding the life cycle of a book (for that ‘Wedding Planning’ book you have in you)
• Creating a brand
• Working with publisher and other industry experts
• Enjoying and enhancing the creative process.

Ok, not all of this book will relate directly to what you do as a Wedding and Event Planner, but what I love about it for us, even if you don’t see writing a book as being in your future, is that it gives you a new and unique way to look at creativity, branding and networking and for those of you who are committed to building your share of the marketplace, this book will guide you to using all of the new social networking platforms to your best advantage.  (For example, blogging is a key marketing tool for every business person and being able to write and market an engaging blog is not as easy as you may think).  Imagine being able to write copy for you own website and monthly newsletter, rather than hiring a professional.  For these reasons alone, spending some time on becoming a better writer and understanding how the ‘the business or writing’ works is a worthwhile exercise for all those in business for themselves. 

To further prove that this book is a standout in the world of writing, it comes with its own website, Booklife Now.  Check out the site for weekly chats, more information and interview with experts.  Visit good bookshops for your copy of ‘Booklife’.