Latest NEWS from The Book Shepherd this week / Register for the Author Gathering

Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

I create books authors never have to apologize for …

In this Issue

1. Discover ... Clipping Magic

2. Join and Use ... Author Friday Coaching

3. Have Questions? … Get Join in Author Gathering - IN PERSON for Publishing and Book Marketing Answers

4. Amazon Bestseller … June 3, 10, 17, 24 - 3 Spots Left

5. Hot Podcasts for May … Add to your Calendar and Listen

6. Question of the Week … Help - My Amazon Reviews Disappeared

7. Smile Time … No Frills Flying

Yesterday, one of my close friends and I did a "drop in and drop out" at the movie theater. "Michael" was our choice … and what a choice it was. Exceeding both our expectations, we both felt it was not what we had expected, and instead, simply sensational. The music. The dancing moves. What a treat. Definitely open to see it again.

Last Saturday was a long, LONG day … seven authors had the opportunity to be the guests of the Southlands’ Barnes & Noble in Aurora Colorado. A fabulous bookstore and supportive staff, we started at 9am and stayed until 5pm. Definitely a long bookselling day. So many new book fans to meet. Authors represented were Joseph Caldara, Kathy Schultz, Natli Van Derwerken, Linnea Tanner, Patricia Raybon, and yours truly.

As summer looms ahead, the weather gods are playing with us again. Temps dropping to the mid 30s … it’s brisky and sweater weather again. My outdoor deck is ready for outdoor living and time for me. Sometimes just some coveted alone time. A mug of tea in the am or iced peach tea in the afternoon. Writing with a client or coaching via Zoom. And of course the ongoing stream of finches and other small birds sharing their songs. It all calls to me.

And .. is being a bestseller on Amazon calling to you? If you are thinking of doing an Amazon Bestseller run, make sure you get signed up for my four-week class that starts in June. As of today, there are only three spots left. Details below.

And for those of you in Colorado … do you have on your calendar, the In-Person Author Gathering pops up on Saturday, June 6th. Details below.

1. May 21 Podcast … Fire Horse Editing & Writing … Barb Wilson

2. May 28 Podcast … Fire Horse Writing & Publishing … Dan Janal

3. June 4 Podcast … Author Platforms, Pitfalls, Panache … Kat Neff

4. June 6 The Author Gathering … Online

5. June 11 Podcast … LinkedIn Tips for Authors … Deb Eberling

6. June 14 BN Book Fair, Littleton

7. June 18 Podcast … Creating Triggers for Conversion … Casey Demchak

8. June 19 Ask Judith

9. June 26 Podcast … Get Your Memoir Written … Dan Janal

Join Author Friendly Fridays: a fun, sharing, and dynamic closed group.

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 online starting at 7 am MT each Friday.

This is how each session starts: Judith Briles shares a few strategies, tips, and tools that attendees can immediately start to use. IMMEDIATELY! All share … and ask plenty of questions. They get answers. For authors, it’s the perfect 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!

Join in here: https://thebookshepherd.com/author-friendly-fridays/

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.

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. That would be June 5. If not, the session will be canceled and all members will be notified by an email announcement via Meetup.

To register for the FREE session, use this link: https://www.meetup.com/authorgathering/

Sign up for our next sessions for June 3, 10, 17, 24

There are 23 steps in your journey … a journey where you could pay someone to travel and implement for you … or one where you can roll up your sleeves and learn how to create, implement, and execute. As in DIY.

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. When you complete #17, you are ready to execute.

My goal is for you to have all components for your campaign DONE before your implementation/execution day. All social media tease pushouts done and scheduled before the big day starts.

Requirements:

Two hours of your time online each week via Zoom with Judith Briles. Late Wednesday afternoon will be our start time.
Social media presence. Thousands would be good but not crucial. You will learn tips and tricks during each session that will have new adds every week.
An "I want to be #1 and I can do this attitude" and commitment to do the work during each session and post-work each work.
A computer. A free account on either Canva and BookBrush.

My Answer: The one review shows on the eBook format. The 12 that were on the "paper" format are there … just a different page. The eBook and paper pages need to be merged to one. The best way to do this is via Author Central. Did you ever create the Author Central account? If you haven’t, do it here: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/ That’s the portal you go through to make changes happen and you will do it with a live phone call that Author Central will create.

Also, go to your KDP portal and click on the HELP tab in upper right. You will need to do the "drill down" to get to book status or add content. Then go to the left side, scroll down and do the "contact us" and add your phone #. Stay off it until they call you. Tell them the problem and ask them to fix.

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/

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 which generates over 250,000 downloads a month. Her website is www.TheBookShepherd, email: JudithBriles.com and phone: 303-885-2207.