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Book Marketing and Publishing Tips for Authors–

eZine Issue #65 April 3, 2019
Publisher: Judith Briles

Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

In This Issue
      
1.   April First Saturday meetings … it’s a social media bonanza in 4 days!

2.   Author Tools … my favorite dozen

3.   Authors Hall of Fame … nominate an author

4.   May and June programs plus Salons … a BookCamp and Book Sales Skills and free group brainstorming

5.   Webinar Scheduled … April 9th  - VIP members only

6.   Hot podcasts for April … 4 to put on your calendar (always archived)

7.   Question of the Week … help my file is lost … again

     8. Book Shepherd "Fun" of the Week … socially awkward snafus


This Week Under The Book Shepherd’s Roof:

Hello and Good Publishing Day to YOU.
It’s now rolled out … we have the first Board meeting of the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame. Press releases went out this week. I’m excited. Have you checked out the website? Are you going to nominate an author who has impacted your life or made a difference for many? I hope you do. Read the criteria on the site and download the Nomination Form. It needs to be submitted by May 15th.

Noodling I did last week after we had the monthly AuthorCircles. It’s really not a "circle" … what I do, usually on the second Saturday morning of the month mirrors the literary salons that were common amongst authors, especially in New York. Held in the host’s home, they offered networking, schmoozing, nibbles and the sharing of information. Over 15 years ago, delivered my one-day Salons in my offices—there were eight of them including Publishing, BookMarketing, Speaking, and Newbie Book Publishing. Although I was teaching—it was in my home, we schmoozed, ate and networked. A salon. Join us.


Have you explored the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame? The website is official and live. You all got an eblast on it. We are now posting social media. Blogs are being added. AND go to the site, click on the Nominate tab and NOMINATE an author—living or passed—who has a body of work that has made its mark on readers, on society, on the workplace. Words are powerful. They expand imaginations. They take you places you never thought you would go. They give answers. They make you laugh. Yes, they are powerful.

This past weekend was a marathon around the theme of speaking. A good one for all. It’s one of my favorite Unplugged events. Below, I share 12 of my favorite tools.

Next up is the June two-day gathering in Denver focusing on all things for Book Publishing. Save the dates of June 21-22 and join me.

And, how was your week and what are you planning as you go forward?

 
JOIN the new AuthorYOU …

If you didn’t it’s a publishing boo-boo. Feedback from Saturday’s in-person gathering was excellent. Several first-timers joined immediately.

If you didn’t it’s a publishing boo-boo. Feedback from Saturday’s in-person gathering was excellent. Several first-timers joined immediately. The online NO PITCH one-hour only webinar that focused on new strategies for the New Year yesterday got "fantastic" feedback. And wait ‘til you see the bundle of goodies and discounts we are starting to post on the website for Members only. All will be up before the end of the month. Yup, it’s a good idea. Not a paid-up member?

JOIN AuthorYOU today. https://mp.gg/e9d1o
And a heads up—hold the FIRST Saturday of each month for our live event meetings—


1
GET REGISTERED April 6th  
for monthly meeting EARLY BIRD ENDS ON FRIDAY—get registered.

Social Media … Do you Love It … or, Do You Hate?
Either way, you need to live with it!

Social media has flipped the way people interact; connect; find resources … and market and sell books.

This "intense" workshop for authors will reveal:

• Ways to know what your true Target Market is and where they hang out
• How to Create a Social Media Strategy for today’s fans
• A myriad of ways to leverage LinkedIn Contracts
• What the science of Facebook Marketing of all about
• How to gain mega Instagram followers
• What Tools you need to connect the Dots And bring sanity to your online life!

Get registered NOW … It’s $22 for AuthorYOU members and $30 for nonmembers. Prices will increase $10 on March 29th.

Register here
:  https://authoru.org/events.html

2
Author Tools – my favorite dozen
I love gizmos and gadgets and discovering new tools for we authors. Some tools are "old" as your website. Do you think of it as a tool? In my recent Speaking Unplugged event, I identified a dozen of my favorite tools to use. They included:

Pixabay.com … free photos with no strings attached

Unsplash.com … more free photos

KeywordSpy.com … do a search for common words related to your expertise and genre

KeywordsEverywhere.com … Google keyword search

Hashtagify.me … discover which hashtags your expertise or keyword is connected to

Canva.com … posters, banners – great for marketing accessories

Yasiv.com … Amazon’s secret sauce competitor mapping tool for marketing

Knowem.com … favorite search tool for website availability incognito

• YOUR Website … global biz card that delivers content, builds trust, gathers emails

• Opt-in on Home page … your email gatherer magnet for Home page of the website

• One-Sheet … a must have for both Speaker and Book

• Smartphone … more power than the computer that sent a man to the moon

3
Nominate an Author to the Hall of Fame …
do a "like" and support the power of literacy... have you yet?
Discover the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame. Just launched, it’s ready to celebrate and honor the legacy of authors connected with Colorado.

What authors, you might say or think? And how do they need to be connected? Good questions, here’s how:

·  Authors who have been born in Colorado;
·  Authors who lived at one time in Colorado;
·  Authors who came and come to Colorado as a muse and backdrop to create work;
·  Authors who write about Colorado; and
·  Authors who use Colorado locations as props within their work.

Yes,  authors who have made a difference to millions of readers with revelations, insights, solutions, and amazing storytelling. The Hall wants to ensure that their insight and visionary achievements will not be forgotten.
Effective this month, the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame is officially ALIVE via its website. Nominations are now OPEN for the first class of Inductees during the summer of 2019. All genres welcome!

The mission of the Hall is to: honor and promote the works of outstanding published authors from all genres and generations to ensure their legacies will not be lost.

The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing and preserving the history about the accomplishments of past and present authors who have created and published books. Both historical and contemporary authors who have shared their words of wisdom, encouragement, and entertainment are celebrated.

Explore our website:
https://www.ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org

Nominate an Author Who Has Made a Difference


·  Support the Hall by shouting out to others who love "words" and "books." 
· Support it by nominating candidates for the 2019 Induction.
· Support it by attending the bi-annual Induction ceremony;
· Support it by telling others across Colorado.

We will start a funding program as the year progresses. A HUGE thank you to Nick Zelinger for designing our logo and to Michelle Renee for creating our website.

4
AuthorYOU Programs – May and June

AuthorYOU MAY program … How to Soar Your Book Sales—including Pre and Ones that Are Limping Along!  May 4th in the Afternoon

What author doesn’t want more book sales? If you don’t, take a pass on May’s AFTERNOON AuthorYOU program. If that’s a "YES – YES … are you kidding me?" response, get registered for May’s program presented by a master of negotiating and sales techniques and strategies.

At AuthorYOU’s May program … we are going to:

· Fuel your sales juices … and dive into the First and Second Laws of Sales.

· Transition from limping along to wowsa … just the words you will use will change the response from a potential buyer to a definite buyer.

· Intro yourself in a different way … are you blah boring, need a tune-up, say what you say with a twist?

· Get results … dump what’s not working to what will.

Date: Saturday, May 4th

Details: https://authoru.org/events.html

… Hop on the Ultimate Book Marketing from Concept to Craft Creation to Completion  …
Saturday, June 1




Our AuthorYOU said that it was marketing help you needed the most attention. WE read the results. We heard you. And we are going to should out marketing tips throughout the year—some of our meetings are dedicated to marketing only. Others open other realms. Show up. We will reveal the "why" and uncover the "how to".

YES – YES … this is an OH SO YES for authors!  We are going to show you how to juice up your creative Juices. Young kids have regular craft time in school. AuthorYOU’s June program is a type of Mini-BookCamp … we are going to:

·   Fuel your creative juices … even when you thought you were on the low side of the awesomeness scale.

·   Transition from Blah to WOW … yes, you will with our guidance during the morning.

·   Create quality posters … you will come away with several that will enhance your book marketing.

· Have fun … discovering new ways to shout you and your book out with more flash and flare is fun!

This is a BRING your laptop day-a must. This is a day that you need immediate access to the jpg of your book cover. This is a day that you will come away with a variety of visuals and images that you can instantly start sharing within your social media platforms; within your blogs to be; within personal emails … your imagination is your "within" …

Date: Saturday, June 1

Location
: Smokey Hill Library from 9 to 12.30 p.m.

Details: https://authoru.org/events.html

5
Webinars to come …
Webinars for VIP Members Only

Save the date: Tuesday April 9th … all new one-hour no pitch seminar. Watch for the email for VIP members only with the link and details.


6

Hot podcasts slated for this month
You can always listen in via our websites: www.AuthorYOU.org  (click on the "On the Air" image on the Home page—wait for it to upload. Or www.TheBookShepherd.com (click on the Resources tab).
· Social Media Part I with Melody Jones
· Social Media Part II with Melody Jones
· Writing Productivity with Dianna Booher
· Pinterest Savvy Strategies with Heather  Daleccio
 
7
Questions of the Week:


Question: I keep working on the wrong file. Any suggestions?

Answer: Believe it or not … your query is a common predicament authors encounter. One of their own making. When writing begins, they might be just one file. Then changes start. And more files get created—they multiply. And confusion surfaces.
Instead, create a specific FOLDER within your DOCUMENTS folder … then do a right-click on "create short cut"—a duplicate folder will be made – move this to your desktop. Within that folder, only keep the files you are working on—you don’t need the confusion that often happens when the "hunt" begins—what was the file called? Another gets created. Pretty soon, you end up working within multiple files, scattering your brilliant words. I suggest you create a short cut of your initial folder. Move this one to your desktop. The two folders will mirror each other, and it will be easy for you to find the folder as soon as you start your computer.

Within the new desktop FOLDER, you will create multiple files and folders as you progress on the book. One folder should be labeled OLD – when done working on an old file… move it to the OLD folder—out of your way. When done with notes you’ve been gathering, move them to the OLD folder. When you exchange files with your editor, more old ones into the OLD folder. You can always access them. That way you won’t open the wrong file and work on it. Add an ART folder for any images that you might want to use within your book. They can also be used in blogs, social media, maybe the book.

8
Book Shepherd "Fun" or an "Uh-Oh" of the Week

Love it when I find a fun shorty—a quick smile, a laugh out loud, a sip of tea … and back to work—perfect. Oh-oh—what happens when there is Struggles of Being Socially Awkward.

Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MH7avukgAI


Get your copy today – Available in Print, eBook, Audiobook  http://bit.ly/1000000speech

I Love giving away free stuff to—if you've never bought an audiobook via Amazon—my newest book is free to you NOW-grab it with this special link for anyone who hasn’t subscribed to Audible via Amazon HERE: http://bit.ly/FREESpeechAudio

wait, Wait, WAIT—there’s more: grab your bonuses by emailing Judith@Briles.com a copy of your receipt after you invest for your speaking success when you purchase my print book, eBook or audiobook.

Buy one book and get:

#1 the Word document of my Speaking Contract/Agreement featured in Chapter 14

#2 the pdf or eBook of How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos

Buy 10 books and get:

#1, #2, and #3: one hour of my consulting time (value $475) when you purchase 10 print copies  (1 for you; 9 for gifts or giveaways)

Join me on MONDAYS at Noon Mountain Time for Facebook Live with Live at Noon with Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd. For me, it’s a shorty—always less than 30 minutes. Grab an early lunch (or a late one) and get the latest in publishing tips, author strategies, and book marketing goosing ideas. Most times, it will be just me. Sometimes, I will have a guest—someone within my team of publishing pros that I work with and refer my clients to.

Here's how to join in: you will find it on the Judith Briles - Publishing with The Book Shepherd group or on my Time Line—I never know where it will land. If it’s within the Publishing with The Book Shepherd group ... it's a "closed group" meaning that you have to join it to participate.

JOIN here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookPublishingHelp/.
I’ll post an announcement on various Facebook pages in the early AM and then again 30 minutes before we start.

You can pick my brain … minimum time is 30 minutes. If you need one-on-one-time with me, I’m always open for a few minutes to give you some quick input. But, and it’s a BIG BUT, many call and expect far more than a few minutes.



This is called a "consult" and I would be delighted to schedule time with you for "just you and your many questions" that need answers. You can book time with me it at: https://thebookshepherd.com/pick-judiths-brain


Author Friendly Friday this week …

Join Author Friendly Fridays: a fun, sharing and a dynamic closed group. You can join in the next week. It’s a full hour when you can ask questions—any question. And, I always include a few strategies to get your authoring life ahead of the competition.

It’s for paid subscribers ONLY and we do it on Zoom.



This is how each call starts: I share a few strategies, tips and tools that attendees can immediately start to use. All share … and ask plenty of questions. They get answers. Definitely an excellent way to start a Friday. Those of you who aren’t participating, you are making a mistake. I love the variety of books and authors who have chosen to participate. What’s also fun, is the energy that can be felt with what everyone is working on. Love it!

Here’s the link to take advantage of it and subscribe: https://thebookshepherd.com/product/author-friendly-fridays-subscription  

Podcast expands to 7 networks … Follow us and learn … new shows every Thursday.

Here’s the master link for iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/author-u-your-guide-to-book/id493527713?mt=2&ign-Jampt=uo%3D4

And, if you have listened, support our podcast and post a review. Thank you!

The AuthorYOU – Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast is now heard on SEVEN podcast channels. How cool is that? Listeners can tune into the weekly (always new – no repeats) show on:


Get the latest #AuthorU-Your Guide to #Book #Publishing radio podcast with @MyBookShepherd via iTunes here:   http://bit.ly/PublishingPodcast


That’s my author and publishing news for today … what’s yours?
About Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd

Book Publishing expert Judith Briles, aka The Book Shepherd
has shepherded more than 1,000 authors and created 500 best-sellers and award-winning books. She knows publishing inside and out from both the traditional and independent sides. Judith is an advocate for authors within her blogs, podcasts and speaking engagements. What’s her pet peeve? Two words: publishing predators.

She hosts the podcast AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing that generates over 100,000 downloads a month. Her website is www.TheBookShepherd, email: JudithBriles.com and phone: 303-885-2207.

The Book Shepherd
 
 
 
 


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