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Book Marketing and Publishing Tips for Authors
Newsletter Issue #425 – February 25, 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 … Use Videoticle
2. Meet ... IP Attorney, Julie Bernard
3. Ask Judith … March 20
4. Hot podcasts for February … Add to your calendar and listen
5. Bestseller time … April brings
Amazon Bestseller workshops.
6. Salons for the New Year … March and April are open to register
7. Question of the week … What should I write about?
8. Smile time
… Stand By Me
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This Week Under The Book Shepherd’s ® Roof
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Hello and Good Publishing Day to YOU …
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My annual Publishing at Sea cruise has happened, and what a gathering we had. Perfect weather … yet I’m always glad to get home. Next year's is already planned —February 8-14 ... Details on PublishingAtSea.com website.
I did get some writing in, gathering 20 recipes for my next book, Appetizers with Judith. Plan on finishing the writing in 45 days … and then cooking and photographing what I come up with. My calendar has a full hour blocked out just for book writing time each day—the goal is to finish. What’s on your calendar schedule "just for you" time?
Last week, I asked you: What’s on your list to Becoming an Author on Fire? Tis my theme for the year … and for me, it means lots of changes—fast changes, some dramatic, some long overdue. Flipping some of the things that I do … adding new items to my consulting and marketing mix. Becoming an Author on Fire brings "thriving" into your radar. What say you? Are you ready to drop what’s not working? Ready to step into something
new?
AND it’s official … Fire Horse boldness and chaos ... kicked off last week, and my podcasts being taped for next month are all about boldness. It’s my personal sign … we are known to be a tad disruptive … are you ready?
The Fire Horse is a rare and powerful combination in the Chinese zodiac, occurring only once every 60 years (the last was 1966, the next is 2026), symbolizing intense passion, independence, transformation, and dynamic energy that breaks norms, often leading to significant cultural shifts, rebellion, and accelerated progress, with a strong association with powerful, unconventional women.
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For my fun, and a bit bold, I did a new photo shoot on the cruise with ace author photographer Ashlee Bratton … fun "hat" shots and lots of color while on the ship. As I eyed a block of wood that was destined to become a carousel horse, it called to
be used. The result was a short video using the Boardwalk area and blocks of wood on the ship as a prop to talk about the author’s walk, including it on this week’s blog and dropping it on my YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/sjWQ6aS0lgk
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Don’t forget … if becoming an Amazon bestseller is on your To Do list this year, get signed up for my next series of classes that starts in a week—details below. Starts on April 1 for four Wednesdays … not an April Fool’s joke!
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| Once again, the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame will award up to five $2,000 plus Mentorship scholarships. And submissions are coming in! Total value to an aspiring, unpublished author is $17,000. Do you know someone who is an unpublished author who desires to be? Get them to submit their applications NOW. There are only five weeks open to apply.
On Monday I had two calls from exciting
writers and looked forward to submitting for scholarship consideration. They are in … and I know of two more. The more the merrier … only five scholarships will be granted.
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My blog this week is a look in the mirror and Finding the Sweet Spot of Writing. This past week, I was away. The location was Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas and the annual Publishing at Sea. Besides delivering three days of workshops, the possibility of going off the ship and visiting other cultures, and the window to do some writing. Check it out at https://thebookshepherd.com/sweet-spot-to-write/
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AuthorYOU members … the March second Saturday AuthorYOU Salon is slated for Saturday, the 14th. ONLINE from 7 am to 8.30 MT and IN-PERSON from 9 to 11.30 am MT Remember, there must be a minimum of five participants outside of me if they are registered by Friday noon, the day before. If not, I will cancel. Info is below … you need to be registered to attend. On the meetup site, February and March registrations are open. https://www.meetup.com/AuthorYOUSalons/
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On Last Thursday’s podcast, Last week, BlueInk Review co-founder Patti Thorn told all about gathering reviews on getting Book Reviews and what to do when you grab a great one … and not so great one. Tomorrow’s podcast
…. Bring the Thrive Factor to Your Writing … with Laura Belsten looks at the core of author success.
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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. February 26 Podcast … Bring the Thrive Factor to Your Writing
2. March 5 Podcast ... Sponsorships
3. March 12 Podcast … How to Sell Books in Grocery Stores
4. March 14 AuthorYOU Salons – online
only
5. March 14 AuthorU program - Selling Your Books Grocery Stores
6. March 19 Podcast … Publicity Basics
7. March 20 Ask Judith Anything about Publishing and Book Marketing
8. March 26 Podcast … Fire Horse Author Swag
9. April 1, 8, 15, 22 Amazon Best Seller Workshops
10. April 11 Author Salons … online only
11. April 11 BN Book Fair, Lakewood
12. April 25 BN Book Fair, Fort Collins
13. April 26 BN Book Fair, Colorado Blvd
14. May 2 BN Book Fair, Southlands
15. May 9 BN Book Fair, Loveland
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| 1 Discover and Use - Videoticle
… Turn your videos into Word docs easy peasy
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What a nifty tool: all you need to do is. It’s in three steps:
Copy the link to where a video is on YouTube.
Step 1. Copy a YouTube video link from youtube.com or the YouTube app.
Step 2. Paste the link above and hit "Go".
Step 3. Save time and data. Enjoy your video article (Videoticle) in multiple languages!
Right now, this is a
freebie - download the app. TaDah!
Tip—take your videos—open the app and copy the link in. Save the copy … and WOW … you can now convert to a blog and use the copy for something else you are working on. Have some fun, try it, and save a printable content form of videos you discover in the appropriate files—very cool:
https://www.videoticle.com/
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| 2 Meet Julie Bernard … IP to Your Rescue
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Legal Help & IP Law Julie Bernard is a registered patent and intellectual property attorney who brings twenty-five years of experience to the table.
http://www.BernardIPLaw.com/
303-478-6624
Julie@BernardIPLaw.com
Julie focuses her practice on US and international patents, US and international trademarks, copyrights, intellectual property portfolio strategy and management, transactions and licenses, and technology transfer. Julie provides balanced general, transactional, and intellectual property legal advice based on her significant experience and proven track record related to patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and the structuring and negotiation of licenses and other
agreements.
Free Intellectual Property Consultation
AuthorYOU members get a free consultation valued up to $500
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Ask Judith ANYTHING about Book Publishing and Book Marketing in March … The Book Shepherd is YOURS for 60 Minutes!
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Judith Briles is YOURS for 60 minutes on Friday, March 20, at 3 pm MT to ask any question you have about book publishing, book marketing, writing a book … or just
getting a "little juice" to start your engines after the Holiday rush from the past few weeks.
Post your questions as soon as you come on … Judith will come to you LIVE and bring you on the mic to respond to YOU and possibly ask additional questions.
It’s 60 minutes to start smoke ‘em your Author Success … and why not? Grab your favorite beverage; just listen in … or ASK, ASK, ASK! It’s time to re-juice and rekindle your author energy!
Join
Zoom Meeting – click on it or copy/paste
https://zoom.us/j/95000476418?pwd=SH5vWqz0SkvVIZIgnC95lHCmCAi2km.1
Password: authors
Add to Your Calendar: Friday, March 20 at 3 MT (2 PT, 5 CT, 5 ET)
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DECISION TIME … for my April Create an Amazon
Bestseller Campaign for Your eBook Online course.
Available only to a limited number of participants in April, starting Wednesday, April 1st at 4 pm MT. Only a few spots, so I can do personalized coaching.
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Can you get results?
Can you grab #1 for more than an hour like many of these campaigns?
Yes, YES you can. And so has EVERY participant in the Amazon Bestseller program. Every. One. Of. Them. Many are grabbing multiple spots on the international lists as well. Often, I decide to Guinea pig myself along with the rest of the participants who are on the quest, taking old books and dusting them off. New life happens … even dominoing to sales of print and audiobooks.
The bonus? I get behind your campaigning. Helping you rewrite your pushes and then promoting YOU on all my
social media platforms. I’m part of your marketing team to make this happen.
One of the "power" points of the How to Create an Amazon Best Seller is to set EVERYTHING up weeks in advance so authors can continue with whatever their routine is … a "set it and forget it" strategy … which was what I positioned every participant to do and experience.
Some pooh-pooh Amazon bestseller status. Don’t. It does add credibility to your brag sheet. You can post on your details page on Amazon your achievement. You can write a press release. It will put a smile on your face. And who knows, you can fall in love with your book again and put energy behind it—bringing new life. That’s a good thing.
For this April’s class, I’ve got my eye on
a possible combo of The Author’s Walk and How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders … or just one of them. Typically in book stores, book buyers buy both.
Decision TIME for you … If you want to spend 90 minutes with me each Wednesday afternoon at 4 MT during January, register for How to Create an Amazon Best Seller. I would love to have you …
When—April 1, 8,
15, 22
Time—4 pm to 5.30 Mountain
Cost—$299
Alumni Cost—$150
REGISTER NOW: https://thebookshepherd.com/create-an-amazon-bestseller/
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Podcasts slated for February
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Ranked in the Top 10 podcasts for book marketing for authors by FeedSpot.
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| February is a moving-forward month. You can just listen via audio or view on YouTube. And a WOOT … On GoodPods, the AuthorU-Your Guide to Publishing has been honored with TOP 10 badges in four different categories.
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| Salons for the New Year … March and April
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Salons are a benefit for the AuthorU.org VIP membership. You must register here to be included:
www.meetup.com/authoryousalons/
March 14 will be up next. February is a skip … 27 other authors and I are at sea with the Publishing at Sea cruise from February 15 to 22.
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| Question of the Week ... I would like to write a thriller novel. What should I write about?
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Answer: Oh boy … if you don’t know what your general storyline is, you have a problem. So, I’ll ask this: Why do you want to write a thriller? Do you read them? Do you watch thriller/action movies? What’s your favorite author? Book? What do you like about him/her and the book? If you have to ask someone "What should I write about?" … maybe you aren’t the writer for the genre.
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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 enjoy— Surrounded by so many friends this month, Stand By Me by Ben King shares the words of friendship and support—perfect… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZNL7QVJjE
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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, 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.
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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.
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| It’s for paid subscribers ONLY and we do it on Zoom.
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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 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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Follow us, listen, 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 now heard on eleven podcast channels. How cool is that? Listeners can
tune into the weekly (always new – no repeats) show on:
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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. 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.
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©2026 Judith Briles - The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved.
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