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Book Marketing and Publishing Tips for Authors
Newsletter Issue #455– September 23, 2026
Publisher: Judith Briles |
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Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors
I create books authors never have to apologize for …
In this Issue
1. Discover and Use ... Distraction Blockers
2. Use and Take Advantage ... Blue Ink Reviews
3. Come Cruise with Me ... Register for Publishing at Sea February 2027
4. Join in Author Gathering ... Zoom Only for Publishing and Book Marketing Answers
5. Want to Claim #1 on Amazon? ... Join November Workshop
6. Hot Podcasts for September ... Smart Authors for Successful Authors
7. Question of the Week ... When Should I Do a Book Launch?
8. Smile Time ... That'll be the Day |
This Week Under The Book Shepherd’s ® Roof |
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Hello and Good Publishing Day to YOU …
This week brings sadness and joy to me. Sadness, because summer officially ended Monday. Joy, because the beauty of the autumn colors begin to unfold. Outside and inside, the seasonal morphing is done. Hello Autumn! |
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Barnes & Noble Southlands in Aurora, Colorado, was my chosen place to be last Sunday. It was the bookstore debut of my latest book, Appetizers with Judith, and the first time I brought in something besides cookies and lollipops to be included on my book table for book buyers to have. Nope … this time I brought my Zesty Date appetizer in a toothpick version for book buyers in the store to enjoy … and enjoy they did—two platter full and 43 book sales later.
My book selling buddy that day was Joseph Caldara with his middle school Walrus super hero series. We both had a good selling book day. It was a good day. Next for our solo venture will be on October 3rd at the Colorado Blvd bookstore in Glendale, CO. We think It will be another good day. |
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The October 10th and November 21st Author Gathering Zoom meetings are ready for registration. Details below
Heads up for anyone who is interested in the November Amazon Bestseller workshops. The next series will be available in November, starting on the 4th.
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 you 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. These are all day events. Saturdays from 9 to 5; and Sundays from 10 to 5.
October 25 BN Southlands
November 7 BN Ft Collins
November 14 BN Colorado Blvd
November 15 BN DenverWest- Lakewood
I will be doing signings and tastings solos in several of the BN stores for my new book Appetizers with Judith:
October 3 Colorado Blvd
Dec 13-Denver West … definitely should feed into holiday shopping! |
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As the seasons transition, the Publishing at Sea working vacation is on my radar. Why not join in?
The dates are February 8 to 14, 2027. Workshops are in the first part of the day only for at sea days … afternoons are on your own. Details below. There are three staterooms available. |
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On this Thursday’s Podcast
Last week, it’s all about Podcast 101 Guesting with Ben Horlander. This week, it’s all about Fall Forward Tips for Authors with Deb Eckerling |
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Are you getting my Tuesday and Saturday BLOGS? Tuesday is about info and meaty—all designed for your author and publishing success. Saturday is about chewy and re-juicing. Read in less than a minute.
Make sure you are registered to get them: https://thebookshepherd.com/author-newsletter |
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Top 10 podcast for book marketing and Top 100 for book publishing tips for authors! You can always listen in via our websites: www.AuthorU.org - click on the Resources tab on the Home page—pick your podcast. |
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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.
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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. |
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Add these to your calendar now. Details will all be posted under the Events tab on the website.
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1. September 9, 16, 23, 30 … Amazon Bestseller Workshop - SOLD OUT
2. September 25 Podcast … Fall Forward Tips for Authors … Deb Eckerling
3. October 1 Podcast … GoodJelly Productivity for Authors and Writers … Christine Carron
4. October 3 Judith at B&N - Colorado Boulevard … Glendale CO with Tastings
5. October 8 Podcast … Fall Scams are Brewing
6. October 10 Author Gathering … Online
7. October 16 ASK Judith
8. October 25 B&N, Southlands … Book Fair
9. November 21 Author Gathering … Online |
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1. Discover … Distraction Blockers |
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There are several apps that will help you work more productively by blocking you from accessing social media or other distracting sites that can ping you to death—or so it feels like it. The goal: you stay on track while you write. Here’s a few to check out:
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Freedom - The plus: it blocks distractions on all your devices at once. https://freedom.to/
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Cold Turkey Blocker – Use for scheduling system-wide blocking. https://getcoldturkey.com/
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2. Use and Take Advantage … Blue Ink Reviews |
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BlueInk Reviews, LLC – Patti Thorn or Patricia Moosbrugger
eMail: PT@BlueInkReview.com or PM@BlueInkReview.com
Website: www.BlueInkReview.com
Services: Serious reviews of Self and Indie- published books
BlueInk Reviews offers honest, objective book reviews of self-published titles. Founded by Patti Thorn, former book review editor of the Rocky Mountain News, and Patricia Moosbrugger, an internationally known literary agent, BlueInk offers reviews penned by professional critics and writers whose bylines have appeared in major newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune and senior level editors from major New York publishing houses such as Viking and Crown.
Completed reviews run on the BlueInk website, which has special features designed to help publishers and literary agents find promising new material and to help librarians and booksellers discover titles their patrons will be interested in, such as those written by local authors or set in their regions.
AuthorU members get a discount to BlueInk of $75.
Contact Michelle to talk about creating yours. |
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3. Take a break from WINTER 2027 and join Judith and the Publishing at Sea team for one week of author changing days. |
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It’s the 14th Annual Publishing at Sea Cruise – February 8, 2027 to February 14, 2027
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Get ready to change your publishing and authoring life
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Publishing at Sea – An Unforgettable Experience for Authors
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Depart from Miami … discover and en| CocoCay, Bahamas | joy: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
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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.
Details are here: www.PublishingAtSea.com If you have any interest … any questions, call me at 303-885-2207 now. Only days are left to sign up.
Bonus … listen and watch … the Publishing at Sea faculty delivered 30+ tips within the promised 60 minutes 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
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4. Join in Author Gathering … Zoom only for publishing and book marketing answers. Have Questions? Get answers. And, it’s a freebie! |
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ONLINE on Saturday in October and November. October 10th 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 10th and November 21st 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.
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5. Create an Amazon Bestseller Campaign for Your eBook Online Course in 4 weeks! Next series is November 4, 11, 18, 25 |
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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
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6. Hot Podcasts Slated
for September |
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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 … Podcasting 101 for Guests … Ben Horlander
September 24 Podcast … Fall Forward Tips for Authors … Deb Eckerling
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7. Question of the Week ... When Do I Do a Book Launch? |
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My Answer: Usually, it’s when you have a physical book in hand. BUT, the grand news is that you can do multiple. You can do a viral one—online for audio, eBook and physical book. Don’t do them all at once. Celebrate each format and create a social media campaign to support it PLUS how about a physical gathering? Be creative. Homes—yours and others, clubs, restaurants—think of hours where your crowd will bring them business, recreational centers, events you are speaking at—or attending, art galleries. Think outdoors and indoors. Places where people gather and are comfortable is the goal. Have food when possible. Why?—people hang out. And beverages—always adds.
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8. Smile of the Week |
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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.
Enjoy a few minutes … and ooh and ahh … my two bits.
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Author Friendly Friday this week! |
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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/ |
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Want tips for Authoring, Marketing and Publishing? |
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Get your copy today – it’s my life on steroids … earning a Baker’s Dozen plus ONE in book awards. Now Available in Print, eBook, and audiobook. http://bit.ly/whengodsaysno |
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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. You can book time with me at: https://thebookshepherd.com/pick-judiths-brain |
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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 |
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I love mentoring authors, and their books, and supporting their vision. If you want intense, one-on-one time with me over a several-month period PLUS the ability to call me or email with a quick response, join my Mentor Program. There is ONE spot open —if you want an accelerated six months that deals with your infrastructure; your influence building; your what? … this may be the missing ingredient in your mix. |
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Follow us, listen, and learn … new shows every Thursday. Each month, you will get a variety of topics on our monthly podcast. Never a repeat program … always fresh, listen in. http://bit.ly/BookPublishingPodcast Every Tuesday, a new blog is posted. On Wednesdays, a new edition of this newsletter. On Thursdays, a new podcast. SHARE THEM with your author friends. |
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Each month, you will get a variety of topics on our monthly podcast. Never a repeat program … always fresh, listen in. http://bit.ly/BookPublishingPodcast Every Tuesday, a new blog is posted. On Wednesdays, a new edition of this newsletter. On Thursdays, a new podcast. SHARE THEM with your author friends. |
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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
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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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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. She's also the Director of San Francisco chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. 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.
© 2026 Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd |
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