Bootstrap Marketing and the Power of a Review

Marketing a novel—particularly when you’re published by a small “indie” house rather than one of the “big five”—is a bootstrap endeavor. It turns out writing The Forager Chefs Club was only the start of the creative work necessary to make it a success. 

With so many books out there vying for what little time people can devote to reading, reviews are particularly important. While my “TBR” (to-be-read) book stack continues to grow, I don’t think I’ve ever bought a novel without reading the synopsis and what other people had to say about it. But unlike ads or blog posts or other ways of getting the word out about your book, an author has absolutely no control over what people write in a review. Which is why they can be so powerful. 

I received my copy of this week’s Publishers Weekly. It’s their “Best Books of 2024” issue and the BookLife review of The Forager Chefs Club is in it. As you might recall from an earlier blog post, I got word of the review—and that my novel had been selected as an “editor’s pick”—in September, but holding the magazine in my hand and seeing it in actual print… Well, that’s a whole ‘nother level of gratitude. Here’s a snippet of what they had to say:

"Walston's epically delicious second novel summons readers to a table piled with purpose, twists, and, of course, a passion for food. Precise and sumptuous dish descriptions prove just as enticing and involving as the character portraits, making this feast for the senses one readers will fall in love with and revisit to have their souls and hearts nourished." 

You can read the whole review here. I can’t get that one added to the actual book, but I am grateful to the very accomplished authors who have given me reviews, including this one by New York Times best-selling author J. Ryan Stradal:

"The Forager Chefs Club has everything I love in a novel: complex characters, beautifully described settings, a ton of heart and empathy, and incredible food. Curl up with this one by the fire and enjoy." 

And what Warren Buffet is to finance, Samuel Thayer is to foodie foraging. He wrote this about The Forager Chefs Club:

"What a treat—it's not often that foragers get to see our pastime realistically depicted in a work of fiction. I had to stay up late in my hammock reading by moonlight just to find out how the threads of all five forager chefs were tied together in the end." 

To my readers who have provided a review on Amazon and GoodReads, thank you so much! 

Getting the word out about The Forager Chefs Club is a work in progress. I’m lining up some book signing events and seeking out opportunities to connect with those of us who love forest-to-fork and farm-to-fork cooking. If you have any ideas for me, please let me know!