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Book Marketing and Publishing Tips for Authors–

eZine Issue #54 January 16, 2019
Publisher: Judith Briles


Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

In This Issue
      
1.   Does Your Book Cover Pass the 7-Second Test? … it better!

2.   Join the all-new AuthorYOU … don’t miss the boat

3.   February & March First Saturday meetings … cool tips, tricks, and tools on and offline

4.   Webinar Replays … Write a Book in a Flash and Ask Judith

5.   Hot podcasts for January … four to put on your calendar (always archived)

6.   Question of the Week … what’s the best way to transfer files

7.   Book Shepherd "Fun" of the Week … cats at play


This Week Under The Book Shepherd’s Roof:

Hello and Good Publishing Day to YOU.

AuthorYOU kicked off the new year with new options and strategies. Members who joined the "paid up" version will now get a variety of discounts from publishing providers, special NO PITCH webinars that are loaded "how-to" and "info" to soar their success quotient and much more. Join in—the cost is "only" $127 per year on the www.AuthorYOU.org website. The first onsite program was a packed room last week.
Next up is a kick-butt AM on the first Saturday of February and a mini-all day Extravaganza on the first Saturday of March. Details and registration are on the AuthorYOU Events page on the website.

This week—I’m playing, learning and presenting at the 6th annual Publishing at Sea THREE days of workshops, TWO afternoons of
bookselling and signings on the gorgeous Allure of the Seas ship. The last two days have been packed with workshops already.

TODAY, it’s ALL PLAY on St. Maarten, then Puerto Rico for a day and another day in Labadee (ziplining and the beach fills the play cards of most of us). A few of our participants are planning on diving; others snorkeling; some of us beaching it; some of us doing a variety of activities available on the island; while others engaging in the art of shopping. We now have three days of loafing back-to-back, then another full workshop day. Indeed, loving it … a good thing.

Next week, I’m on the sea writing.

And a heads up—hold the FIRST Saturday of each month—February is all about Author TOOLS … online and off to use to soar your success. The date is February 2nd and starts at 9 a.m. Location is the Koelbel Library in the Metro Denver area. March will be a Mini-one-day Extravaganza with a focus on all things Book Marketing. Coloradans, get registered NOW – Early Bird registration end on January 25th. Cost is $22 for AuthorYOU members and $30 for guests. It increases $10 on the 26th.

ALERT: So many told me that they NEVER get info from us for months—meaning no blogs, ezine, announcements—literally zip. Make sure that you have Judith@Briles.com and Office@AuthorU.org in your address book and clear them as GOOD emails to receive info.

AND … I’m loving not shoveling snow, freezing my fritters, and just being surrounded by some of y favorite people in the world: writers and authors.


 
1
Does Your Book Cover Pass the 7-Second Test?
Did you know that a goldfish has a longer attention span than the average book buyer? It starts with the book cover. Does yours shout out—hey there … PICK ME UP …? It needs to grabs the eye of the buyer quickly, as in 7 seconds. That’s it. Your book cover can make or break any book buyer’s experiences. In the Publishing at Sea workshop on book cover design, cover designer Rebecca Finkel walked participants through the "test" … most wanted to "study" the cover … instead of putting themselves into the shoes and eyes of a buyer in a bookstore or the quick scanning that shoppers do—and "shop".
Your book cover has from 3 to 7 seconds to do it’s "hey you … pick me up" shout out to a buyer. If your book is busy to the eye; if it’s complicated; if it doesn’t connect the to the genre it lives in; if it is unreadable; if it is … Your book cover needs to have an eye-candy appeal … whether in color; if the titles; if the "promise" of what lies beneath.
2
JAN formally kicks off the new AuthorYOU … did you join?


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.

3
Come and Join February Saturday’s program … that is if you want to be seriously successful … it’s all about Book Awards and Events! Early Bird ends January 25th.

February 2nd delivers a variety of cool tips and tools that will make your computer sing and soar as it cut through the publishing maze of "what to do now … and next" for publishing, book marketing and of course social media. We will show you how to create an event that venues will welcome and buzz about and probe into the book award world.

Our Author and Publishing First Saturday in February will cover:

Tips and Tools to use on and offline for publishing success
You want to be there— for newbie authors and multi-published ones. It’s the tools—some old, lots new, that authors need to support their authoring and publishing journey.

Your Presenters are Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles. They love gizmos and gadgets and finding tips and tricks that makes the lives of authors they work with so much easier! Get ready for ideas and fun!

When: 9:00 AM to Noon with a special hour from Noon to 1:00 PM for Rounds with the Pros. You'll be able to meet with publishing experts, network, and get answers to any publishing related questions you may have.

Where: Koelbel Library - 5955 S Holly St, Littleton, CO 80121

Cost:
$30 for first time AuthorYOU visitors, and $22 for reoccurring attendees through January 25.

Register for the event at AuthorYOU.org/Events

Join AuthorYOU: https://mp.gg/e9d1o

March is a Mini AuthorYOU Extravaganza … it’s a Book And Author Marketing Intensive You’ll learn the latest in book marketing tactics from a team of marketing experts, lead by Judith Briles. Learn how to grow your subscriber list, grow your readership, gain publicity, and boost your online book sales.

You’ll also be able to network with other authors; and meet with author service providers and publishing experts and get answers to any of your questions.

Social Media
Author Tools
Websites
Kick start marketing tips

Details are posted on the website now. Get registered.

Where: Koelbel Library - 5955 S Holly St, Littleton, CO  80121

Time
: 9 AM to 4 PM

Cost: $77 for members; $117 for non-members

Register for the event at
AuthorYOU.org/Events

4
WEBINARS – 2019 … The FIRST focuses on getting your next book (or your first) … but awesome tips for betting it done FAST … as in a flash.

And the SECOND is the Ask Judith Anything Replay. Forward, this feature will be available only to AuthorYOU members.

ANYTHING about Book Publishing and Book MarketiAt the end of 2018, Judith delivered a marathon pick-her-brain webinar—participants were global, including Uganda! Questions were asked and each who had one was included on the mic so that all could hear the interchange between her and the asker. Whew—60 minutes were planned—it went for two hours. All questions were answered—a great two hours—listen in to learn
Here’s your link: https://vimeo.com/309007324

5

Hot podcasts slated for January
· How to Write a Book Really Fast with Dan Janal
·  Author Tools with Kelly Johnson

· Character and Plot Development with Mara Purl
· Author and Book Marketing Moxie with Tom Antion    

 
6
Questions of the Week:


Question: I have a lot of files to transfer. What’s a good way?

Answer: Excellent question. Typically, via email, you can send up to 10 MB—although some email programs limit the sender to 5 MB. Or vice versa—the receiver can only receive 5 up to 10 MB. If you have large files … or graphics, photos and art work—there’s sources such as Dropbox where files can be sent and retained within the recipient’s own Dropbox. I like WeTransfer.com where I can move large files quickly. How large? How about two gigabytes? That’s huge. And the plus is that when they are sent, you are notified when the transfer is completed and when the receiver downloads the files. Downside—the window to download is 7 days.

7
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. Cats at play … perfect


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.


Click here to add text.
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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