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Book Marketing and Publishing Tips for Authors–

eZine Issue #13
April 4, 2018
Publisher: Judith Briles


Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

In This Issue

1.   Do You Have Author Fatigue Syndrome?

2.   If you are in Colorado-attend the Book Camp on the 14th

3.   Hot podcasts for the month coming …

4.   Webinars slated for April …

5.   Question of the week …

6.   Book Shepherd "Fun" of the Week …



This Week Under The Book Shepherd’s® Roof:
April Fool’s day led off the month earlier in the week, and the webinar we did last week with Grabbr’s Daniel Langston didn’t fool around with ideas, strategies and ahas to position your book marketing and social media outreach in a whole new way. Just prior to the webinar, I launched a campaign for my own new book. In one week, the results created "grabs" in 9 countries (now more), brought 271,091 possible eyeballs to the book with 292 opening it to take a look I have new followers (lots); new pre-orders on Amazon before the book is available later this month.

I don’t know about you, but my "support" of Facebook disappeared when it went heavy into ads and all of a sudden you were lucky to have a handful of people see when you were posting, it didn’t matter how many thousands of "friends" you had. One of my "to-dos" was to disable ads, etc. from all my accounts last week. Done. Now to see what happens in the streams … will the amount of junk postings disappear?

It’s been a heavy, heavy writing time over the last three weeks. Finishing up on Cheryl Obermiller’s FraudPoints; Jenny Salimi’s two Hearts books (childrens’ and adult versions--gorgeous); Deb Sheppard’s Grieving to Believing; and Rick Lenz’s Impersonators Anonymous. I love the evolution of Andi Phillips’ DeEmphasize Diversity and Ron Beach’s The Virtual Divide. Olin Oedekoven is back with back #4 of his leadership series and Brad Poppie has flashed the warning light that he is ready to turn in #3 in his success series. Charles Fisher has delivered his The Socratic Environment for editing and structuring. And, my book, #36 is at the printer. I need to get my proactive marketing hat on—it’s a busy month coming up!

Last Thursday, 44 girlfriends and I headed to the Comedy Works’ Mentalpause show. It was a Girls Night Out … nothing like laughing until you are almost incontinent … of course, at all our ages, it’s not hard to accomplish! And then Friday night, it was dinner with my PIGS co-cooking gang—PIGS stands for politically incorrect group supping … any topic can surface in the host’s kitchen or around the table—nothing is taboo. Love the discussions that surface … keeps the brain cells alive and well. And the food—delish!

This Saturday brings my monthly AuthorYOU Circles, where local authors gather in my home for a morning of schmoozing, networking, picking my brain and getting answers to any questions they have. There cost is bringing a snack to share, new socks that I give to the homeless and whatever questions they have. We have a packed house, possibly a few seats left. We tap out at 20 and last time I checked, we were at 18. All info is at www.Meetup.com/AuthorYOU.

If you aren’t taking advantage of the Author Book Camp on the 14th … why not. It’s a Saturday that will be jammed-packed with info, demos, and how-tos here in Denver. There are a few seats left—go, go, go.

AND … How’s your week going?


1.

The Author Success Formula Revisited …

Do You Have Author Fatigue Syndrome?

Wouldn’t you love to be able to pick up a pen/pencil or open a blank document on your computer and breeze through the article or chapter you are thinking about … basically having it completed within a short period of time? Or how about structuring the marketing program you’ve been thinking about for the past six months, but somehow summer got in the way? Your desk is clear—calendar open and there are no hiccups or obstacles to block your creative waves … yet … yet, it’s just not flowing.

You may have Author Fatigue Syndrome! The brain cells have taken a hiatus. You are pooped and a cruise is sounding mighty fine right now! If you are feeling a tad overwhelmed … or just plain blocked on going forward, try these tips to get you back on track:

1. Take a piece of paper and divide it into four sections. In the upper left, label it ASAP—those are the items you need, really need to deal with. In the upper right, put 7 Days—these items you have to address within the next seven days—the order of importance is not relevant. In the lower left, write 30 Days—these are the items/events you need to tackle within the next month. The last column should be labeled Future. There’s no rush in dealing with any items in that list.

Now, go back to the first ASAP section—those items that need your immediate attention. One option is to cross one or several off the list with a decision that they can’t be dealt with and are in the wrong box. Items in the 30 Days box are to be ignored for now, as are those the Future and 7 Days. You are dealing with ASAP. Stay focused—it’s so much easier to acknowledge that you can’t deal/do something in the here and now but can address it next week … then let next week arrive. Meanwhile, the ASAP list gets whittled down.

2. Review what you’ve already created/done. Sometimes just a review will create the goose that can lay your golden egg. That idea that got buried may be stimulated; the scribbly notes you made all of a sudden make sense; or the original idea you had may take on a whole new dimension because you’ve let it sit in a form of stew for a while.

3. It’s gaze in the belly button time. What’s up? Any thoughts on why you’ve been stuck or chosen not to go forward with your article, book, work … what? Acknowledge issues preventing you from moving forward. Maybe you don’t love the topic or subject any longer. Maybe there’s been breaking news or a morphing in the field that has altered your views. Maybe the hero of your story is really a dud. No matter what, look in the mirror and have a chat with yourself. One of my favorite Keepers is—Don’t do well what you have no business doing. If your work involves pulling teeth … your own … stop it. It’s not fun any longer. Eliminate it.

4. Review your goals and game plan. Did you ever have any? That’s part of the gaze in the belly button time. Good idea to start here. Goal setting can get you back in the frame of mind that you initially had when you started your authoring venture. If you didn’t do it, stop and do it now. I can get blue in the face, reminding you that you’ve got have the Vision for what you are doing coupled with the Passion for the project and the Commitment to see it through. When you do run into a hiccup, you’ve set up the game plan that got you started in the first place. Then it’s much easier to cross over the hurdles that pop up.

5. Plan a reward for yourself. I’m the first to admit—I’ve been known to start here. Okay … if I finish this chapter, I get an entire bag of M & Ms—a big one … and I’ve done that (you’ve heard of "baby fat"? This is "book fat"! If I finish this book … I get an entire month off of reading any business books and I get to read trashy novels—murder mysteries for 30 days in a row.

· When I finish this, I’m booking a cruise to a warm place ...

· When the first draft is done, I’m going skiing ...

· When this section is sent to the editor, I’m watching all the Oscar®
winners.

· When I complete this article, I’m … you get the picture.

Rewards and incentives work. Everyone has different ones that they march to. Find yours. Write them down. And honor them. Just having something you want—even a trivial Snickers (only one!) or a night of watching reruns of Scandal or doing a binge run on The Good Doctor qualifies—it may just be the perk you need to get you back on track or celebrate a job well-done.

6. Escape to the familiar or unfamiliar … just escape. I don’t have the gift of the novelist. Oh, I’ve worked with authors who wear the fiction hat—tweaking their words and getting the storylines to flow. I’ve even had to step in and doing massive re-writes, ghosting a great deal of the book—but the initial idea was generated from the author.

I dearly love a great story; yet I don’t have the gift of the creative gene that seeds the fiction writer’s journey—that sometimes wild-ass idea that delivers magic to the eyes of the reader. What I do know is that when I’m stuck and I pick up something else, leaving my "get this finished" work alone for a day or two, it’s amazing how my own creative juices can salivate with ideas that get kick-started with something totally unrelated. Kind of like take a shower and all of a sudden the "aha" drops in as the hot water pounds on your shoulders.
The something else can be fiction … it can be non-fiction … it can be related to your specific genre. The trick is to let another voice come in … think of it as a muse swirling around you … waiting to be invited into your mind and expressed through your fingertips.

7. Know what your writing environment is. Im always amused when I listen to an interview with an author who proclaims that getting up at four every morning and writing for four straight hours is the only way to be a successful author. Really? Not that I’m not averse to getting up if that’s what my body is saying to do … what I rebel against is someone else telling me how I should write—the time frames, the place, the anything. Coffee bars aren’t my thing either—although I have many clients who thrive in that atmosphere—and I encourage them to go there ... often.

I’m a binge writer—have always been; most likely, will always be. I spend days, weeks, even months discussing it in my head; gathering tidbits of info that I’ve dropped into a "just in case" file or an expandable file that is actually split up in chapters that will be in the "book."  When I move into my writing mode—it’s fast, furious and usually on target. I can bang out a first draft of a book in a short period of time. Book #36 was done in one week on a cruise ship and moved to my editor before I exited the ship. Recently, I taped the entire audio program ... from scratch ... in one day for the new audio and workbook series for Creating Your Book and Author Platform. Granted, my butt was a tad sore because I was on the rug in my office, with papers spread around, mic in hand, voice ready. The next day, the tapes were overnighted to the editor.

No one … and I mean no one … is/was allowed in my private office space when I move into that frame—it’s as if there is a yellow crime scene tape across the French doors to my space. In fact, it’s what I put up: Author at Work- DO NOT CROSS. Music is on in the background … my "reward" is close by and the fingers are ready. When I come out to take a health break, get a cup of tea, I check in with staff if my input is needed anywhere—otherwise, I’m viewed as "out of sight, out of mind" to all.

Authors have habits … find the ones that work for you, not someone else. Tell those who come into your space your "rules," your "habits"—and that include kids and anyone else who lives in your space. Too many times, when you are at work, you may be the only one that understands that. Education is in order. The Author Fatigue Syndrome is in the shadows. The journey to and through authordom is long and loaded with detours and hiccups. And that’s just creating the book. The journey that you will go on to support the book has even more. Take care of yourself. Take care of your book. And do think about that cruise!

2.


   Get READY to Snap. Crackle.           POP … and Succeed


Snap . . . your head around to face forward into your success.
Crackle . . . with confidence so your brag grabs your audience.
Pop . . . your events, branding, messaging to grab your audience.
Succeed . . . with tech wizardry to implement every idea.

What do books, libraries, administrative assistants and getting organized all have in common? APRIL…all are recognized with various holidays and celebrations during this month. Come to this year’s cornucopia of ideas, strategies, tips, and tricks to move your book success and author life forward. We promise you will love this April day, designed just for you!

It’s a jammed-packed day with five extraordinary experts in a variety of areas—all areas every author should be snapping, crackling, popping with for author and book success. Get ready to learn and implement new strategies and tools. Be there.

Date: Saturday, April 14th – registration and coffee at 8 a.m.
Location: CADA, 290 E Speer Blvd, Denver, CO
Lunch included
Register: http://bit.ly/AuthorBookCornucopia

 
3.
Hot podcasts slated for April.


Tomorrow, Judith Briles will be focusing on Hybrid Publishing. What is it; should you do it; what are the "red flags" and so much more. Tune in to keep your learning curve enriched. We will be doing a revisit to LinkedIN—a critical platform for any author in the business/professional authoring arena and author branding—essential for every author.


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


4.
More Webinars are coming … more Webinars are coming


        THIS MONTH,

April 17th Noon Mountain - Game Changer Using Amazon Marketing Ads with Amazon expert Derek Doepker.

Register here:
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1915868614250981122

Details are posted for each on our websites. Remember—you will get the replay post the webinar, even if you can’t attend live. Make sure you are registered so you receive it.

AND

Replay
Holy Guacamole … what a fun webinar Wednesday, March 28th delivered … not the typical "offer" webinar with a commitment of hundreds of dollars.

Nope. We showed you in a LIVE demo through the entire set up to execution process how to create a Grabbr campaign for your book (or any product) and you then push your "start" button. The twist? You don’t pay a dime until a "someone" reacts and "grabs" your offer. The cost is only 16 cents to you when it happens … pennies that EVERY author has.

Get ready to create a viral book marketing opportunity for you and your books. The bonus—you don’t need a gazillion followers, fans, friends and emails. Nor do you need thousands of dollars; hundreds of dollars … you need less than $50! Discover the power of Grabbr.com … how cool it is to think that with just a few readers, thousands of people will be exposed to an author’s book for mini bucks!

1.  Here is the REPLAY link to the full Grabbr webinar:
https://vimeo.com/262326476

2.  Here’s the link for your discount (there is NO time limit)—you get a 20% discount … meaning that if there are "buyers" of your offer, the cost to you is 16 cents vs 20 cents:

https://grabbr.com/register/authors

I’ve had HUGE Thank You’s from those who attended these. Get on the replay, there is no time-limit. You want this baby on your marketing plate.

 
5.
Questions of the Week:


Question: All the ads I’m getting on Facebook are driving me nuts. What can I do?

My answer: I love this question – Facebook has never been a favorite of mine. If you really want to be done with all FB apps, just disable the app platform entirely. The setting is on the App Settings page along with your list of apps. Just switch "Apps, Websites and Plugins" from "Enabled" to "Disabled."
It’s smart to be checking out ALL your privacy settings on your social media platforms. I would also be dumping my real birthday—create a dummy. You may want to remove your gender; your status; rants that you may not want others to see and are no longer you; etc.

Facebook is a critical farming platform to pull info about you to sell to others. If that’s what you want, go for it. I don’t.


6.
Book Shepherd "Fun" 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. Do gadgets get you? Enjoy this SNL take on Alexa ... we #authors need a hoot and it had me laughing out loud (and I watched it multiple times) ... love the clever writing: http://ow.ly/Mlco30iUr67

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® is a registered trademark
 
 
 
 


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