Book Marketing and Publishing Tips for Authors

Newsletter Issue #453– September 9, 2026
Publisher: Judith Briles

Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

I create books authors never have to apologize for …

In this Issue

1.Discover and Use ... IngramSpark’s Sell & Share

2. Use and Take Advantage ... Midwest Book Reviews

3. Join in Author Gathering ... Zoom Only for Publishing and Book Marketing Answers.

4. Author Smarts & Support ... Register for Publishing at Sea February 2027 

5. Create an Amazon Bestseller Campaign for Your eBook Online Course in 4 weeks! ... Next series is November 4, 11, 18, 25

6. Aspiring Author Celebration ... Last Chance to Come to the Luncheon

7. Hot Podcasts for September ... Smart Authors for Successful Authors

8. Question of the Week ... How Many Words Should a Novella or Novel be? 

9. Smile Time ... Quick from the Mouth of a Young One!

This Week Under The Book Shepherd’s ® Roof

Hello and Good Publishing Day to YOU …

Gloria Steinem died a week ago. Her passion, her life’s work benefitted many millions of women. From building their self-confidence, to hammering on society and corporations to open the doors to women. 

I can remember back in the 70s when I divorced. Banks were basically closed to single women. I couldn’t even buy a car. Divorced women were tainted. I was fired from my job because I filed for divorce. Credit? Non-existent. And sexism? Holy moly … I was hired as one of the very few women who were registered stock brokers by a major brokerage. I was bombarded with potshots, innuendos, and threats entering the 99% world of men. The glass ceiling was a 100 foot steel barrier.

As my career built and spread, I spoke at many of the same conferences Steinem did. Doing bookend keynotes in Milwaukee, we had dinner together. Our talking was about women, of course … and why women must support other women.

I wrote several books on the topic. My doctorate is in it. My first book was the pioneering book on Do Women Undermine Other Women; why and how they do it; and solutioned to altering the behavior. I spoke in 50 states and 20 countries on it. It became my life's work that integrated everything I did forward. It was my circle of life, and its our circle of life. Gloria Steinem believed it and lived it within her core. It was her palette. Thank you Gloria.

The Colorado Authors Hall of Fame is quickly approaching this Friday where 14 Aspiring Authors are celebrated and encouraged to write and bring their books forward. Tables are arranged and meals ordered. HUGE thanks to Hilary Afshary and Bobbi Boldon as their creative juices went to work to create an array of book based centerpieces that will be featured on each table. Participants can bid on them to take home.

So jazzed with the arrival of my new bookmarks … and the new table runner I’ll be using in bookstores and at events. Ready to be added to all my books and happily distributed within bookstores. Part of my Fall Forward plan.

The October 10^th and November 21^st Author Gathering Zoom meetings are ready for registration. Details below

Heads up for anyone who is interested in the September Amazon Bestseller workshops … it was SOLD OUT last week. The next series will be available in November, starting on the 4^th. 

Details are on TheBookShepherd.com website under Events. Space is always limited so that I can do one-on-one coaching as well as group within each session. Over four weeks, you will be ready to set up your Amazon Bestseller campaign and claim it for your marketing forward. Strongly encourage your to get registered for the November round … that is if you want an Amazon Bestseller … and block the four Wednesday afternoons from 4-5:30 pm MT to work with me.

Here in Colorado, I’m setting up local author book signings with Barnes & Noble Book Fairs for fall. Add them to your calendar to do a “drop in” and support the many AuthorU members who dedicate their time to support the Aspiring Author Scholarships.

October 25  BN Southlands

November 7 BN Ft Collins

November14 BN Colorado Blvd

November 1 5 BN DenverWest- Lakewood

I will be doing signings and tastings solos in several of the BN stores for my new book Appetizers with Judith: 

September 20  Southlands

October 3 Colorado, Blvd

Dec 13-Denver West … definitely should feed into holiday shopping!

And here in Colorado … the morning air is beginning to change. I can feel it. Fall forward time is creeping up, some yellowing beginning in my trees ... officially it is September 22 this year, but it's color transition time ... fall colors will enter some of my interior starting soon.    

Last week's blog focuses on getting ready to set the stage for “the rest of the year” with Are you Ready to Fall Forward to Become an OMG Awesome Author?

This week's focus is on the daily onslaught of AI-driven scams and predators targeting authors. The Ugly UGLY World of AI and Predators.

Make sure you take a few moments to read.

Listen in at: http://bit.ly/BookPublishingPodcast or via
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJudithBrilesTheBookShepherd

Have you ever explored the network website where I store all my podcasts? … Holy Moly … over 22 million downloads now of various podcasts since the podcast started six years ago.

You can select which podcast is for you from over 600 shows … the latest will always be posted on top of the podcast home page: http://bit.ly/BookPublishingPodcast ... it goes directly to the Show Page, where you can view all podcasts at once—just scroll … you’ve got a lot to pick from to expand your learning and how to curve.

1. September 9, 16, 23, 30 … Amazon Bestseller Workshop - SOLD OUT

2. September 10 Podcast … Book Launches and Relaunches … Judith Briles

3. September 11 … Aspiring Authors Celebration

4. September 17 Podcast … GoodJelly Productivity for Authors and Writers … Christine Carron

5. September 18 Ask Judith

6. September 20 B&N, Southlands … Book Tasting for Appetizers

7. September 20 Judith at Barnes&Noble, Southlands … Book Tasting for Appetizers with Judith book

8. September 25 Podcast … Fall Forward Tips for Authors … Deb Eckerling

9. October 2 Podcast … Fall Scams Are Brewing

10. October 3 B&N, Colorado Blvd … Book Signings and Tastings

11. October 10 Author Gathering … Online

12. October 25 B&N, Southlands … Book Fair

13. November 21 Author Gathering … Online

1. Discover and Use … IngramSpark’s Share & Sell

Sell your book directly to readers by creating shareable purchase links for your books. Upload your book to your IngramSpark account and create links that you can share on your social media accounts, author website, and more! The best part? Even at discounted prices, you can earn more on each book you sell. 

You can share your links as a standard URL, a QR code, or an HTML code. When readers click the link, they’ll be taken to a page specific to your book.   

Use share & sell links to offer discounts to friends and family, run promotions, or sell your book at events. Readers purchase your book, we ship, and you get paid.

Sell Your Book with IngramSpark: ingramspark.com/sell-my-book

*only available for US, UK, and AU based accounts

2. Use and Take Advantage … Midwest Book Reviews

James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
608-835-7937

mbr@execpc.com

mwbookrevw@ao.com

https://www.midwestbookreview.com/

Since 1976, Midwest Book Review has been committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. The MBR publishes the following monthly book review magazines specifically designed for community and academic librarians, booksellers, and the general reading public:

• The Bookwatch
• California Bookwatch
• Children’s Bookwatch
• Internet Bookwatch (a compilation of The Bookwatch, Library Bookwatch, and Wisconsin Bookwatch)
• Library Bookwatch
• MBR Bookwatch (reviews by senior volunteer reviewers)
• Reviewer’s Bookwatch (reviews by all other volunteer reviewers)
• Small Press Bookwatch
• Wisconsin Bookwatch

Reviews are posted on the Internet with a number of thematically appropriate websites, databases, and online discussion groups such as alt.books.reviews. Our reviews are also available through Internet bookstores. Midwest archives all reviews on the Midwest Book Review website for a minimum of five years.

3. Join in Author Gathering … Zoom only for publishing and book marketing answers. Have Questions? Get answers. And, it’s a freebie!

ONLINE on Saturday in October and November. October 10^th at 8 am … you must register to get your name on the approved list to participate. The alter dates are due to committed book fairs and book signings. 

Think of The Author Gathering as a combo MASTERMIND and personal Advisory Board for Aspiring and Achieving Authors. And JOIN AuthorU.org today. 

https://authoru.org/j-o-i-n

Delivered 8 months a year ONLINE for global and housebound members and 4 times IN-PERSON for those in Colorado. Registration happens on the Author Gathering Meetup site.

To register for the October 10^th and November 21^st FREE session starting at 8.00 am MT, use this link to register for the October and November ONLINE Zoom sessions: https://www.meetup.com/authorgathering/

Your host is Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd and the Author Gatherings are held two ways: on ZOOM ONLINE from 8 to 9.30 am AND IN-PERSON in her home in the southeast Metro Denver area from 9 to 11.30 am. They are a benefit as a part of the paid AuthorU.org membership. A member can bring a Guest who can attend ONE Author Gathering. After that, you must be a member of AuthorYOU.org. Bring a snack to share.

Note: There must be a minimum of 5 participants (not including Judith) registered by NOON MT the day before for any session to BE A GO. If not, the session will be canceled and all members will be notified by an email announcement via Meetup.

4. Take a break from WINTER 2027 and join Judith and the Publishing at Sea team for one week of author changing days.

It’s the 14th Annual Publishing at Sea Cruise – February 8, 2027 to February 14, 2027

• Get ready to change your publishing and authoring life

• Publishing at Sea – An Unforgettable Experience for Authors

• Depart from Miami … discover and en| CocoCay, Bahamas | joy: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

• Create Your Ultimate Bestseller

Combining Learning … with work … and time off  to enjoy sun, and other cultures for an entire trip … that’s what we do on the Publishing at Sea adventure. Classes are small so the takeaways can be large for each participant. You will discover nooks and crannies for solo writing time; for brainstorming with other cruisers; and for meeting with our staff. How ideal would that be to enhance your book marketing and publishing journey?

Authors who need a crash course in book publishing before they write; need to create demand for books that aren’t selling; who want to learn the latest strategies in marketing, publicity and how to keep the sanity in an overwhelm world can learn the inside secrets of how to create, write and market the book success that they envision during a Caribbean cruise.

The “Create the Ultimate Bestseller at Sea!” cruise includes training sessions and laser coaching.

Bonus …  listen and watch … the Publishing at Sea faculty delivered 30+ tips within the promised 60 minutes yesterday for hundreds of registrants. It was a rapid-fire hour to amp up your marketing, writing, publicity, and social media influence.

Here’s the REPLAY: https://vimeo.com/1216082587

5. Create an Amazon Bestseller Campaign for Your eBook Online Course in 4 weeks! Next series is November 4, 11, 18, 25

Next series is November 4, 11, 18, 25

If you want to create this:

Sign up for our next sessions for November 4, 11, 18, 25

The Create an Amazon Bestseller Campaign for Your eBook Online course is the later. I will take you through each step during the four weeks.

Times: 4.00 P.M. to 5.30 P.M. MT

Cost: $299  special Alumni rates at $199

Register: https://thebookshepherd.com/create-an-amazon-bestseller

6. Aspiring Authors Celebration - Join me September 11^th

Tomorrow morning is the last chance to get your ticket!

Get your tickets here: https://www.coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/attend-no

Every other year, Colorado unpublished authors have the opportunity to submit for a combo cash and one year mentoring program. Sponsored by the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame, Barnes & Nobel, and AuthorU.org. This year, fourteen men and women ranging from 26 to 78 will be honored. The nine judges were “wowed” with the range of the applicants … so much so, that additional scholarships were added.

Join us at the Denver Inverness  in the DTC area on September 11 at 11.30 am. The location and site are upscale and a pleasure to be at. Get your ticket … it’s one that had “tax deduction” with it. Lunch and program is included. Details are on the Colorado Author’s Hall of Fame website. Bios and photos will be added this week.

7. Hot Podcasts Slated

for September

Ranked in the Top 10 podcasts for book marketing for authors by FeedSpot.

September 3 Podcast … Book Awards and AI … Jules Marie

September 10 Podcast … Book Launches and Relaunches … Judith Briles

September 17 Podcast … GoodJelly Productivity for Authors and Writers … Christine Carron

September 24 Podcast … Fall Forward Tips for Authors … Deb Eckerling

8. Question of the Week ... How many words should a novella or novel be? 

My Answer: Try this: Anything that is more than 30,000 words is a novel. Anything between 10,000 and 30,00 words is a novella. Anything with a word count between 1 and 10,000 words is a short story.

9. Smile of the Week

Love it when I find a fun shorty—a quick smile, a laugh out loud, a learn something new, and a sip of tea … and back to work—perfect. Smile time.

Author Friendly Friday this week! 

Join Author Friendly Fridays: a fun, sharing and 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/author-friendly-fridays/

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 at: http://bit.ly/JudithCoaching

Podcast has expanded to 11 networks … Follow us and learn … new shows every Thursday.
GO to the SHOW page and select which podcast is for you… the latest will always be posted on top: http://bit.ly/BookPublishingPodcast

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

The AuthorU – Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast is available on all major 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 #podcast with @MyBookShepherd via iTunes here:  http://bit.ly/BookPublishingPodcast

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