Wannabe a writer we’ve heard of? is an indispensible guide for any new author wanting to be sure that their great work is read by more than just their mum and next door neighbours. Jane Wenham-Jones is a romance author who describes herself as a media tart, getting on TV and radio, into newspapers, in front of audiences and anything else that will help promote her books. This book is therefore packed full of her own experiences explaining what has worked for her, as well as what she’s seen work for others. There’s a wealth of good information in here, a lot of which I wish I’d read a couple of years ago. A lot of things she explains around preparing for your book’s launch are things I’ve either had to figure out for myself or wish I’d known back when my novel was a looming publication date.

Don’t be put off by the genre of her novels if you write something different; the vast majority of the advice she provides can apply equally well to all genres of fiction as well as non-fiction books.

This book covers a range of topics, from book launch parties to press releases, networking to WI talks, radio to TV. All of these subjects are treated in the same light-hearted manner, making it an enjoyable read as well as extremely informative. There are plenty of anecdotes to make you chuckle, and some examples of the worst that might happen. If you live in fear of arranging a book signing and having no one show it, it’s comforting to read quotes from a famous author describing how exactly that happened in their early days.

In a lot of ways, for someone working hard at book promotion, this book is worth its cost just for the comfort of knowing that everyone else has to work at it too. I would heartily recommend this book, particularly if you are in the process of having a first book published. ( )