New NEWS from The Book Shepherd this week / awesome save money tool

Book Marketing and Publishing Tips for Authors–

eZine Issue #91 October 02, 2019
Publisher: Judith Briles

Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

In This Issue

1. Author Tools … free tool to save money with online purchases

2. October Program … Harnessing the Power of Pinterest!

3. Unplugged … Book Marketing is early bird is popping—October 18-19—be there

4. Hot podcasts for OCTOBER … 5 to put on your calendar

5. All New Webinar … Create a bestseller for both new and old books

6. Question of the Week … should I do an audiobook?

7. Book Shepherd "Fun" of the Week … meet Moose, silly dog

The end of season gardens pulled me in … Daffodils arrived—all 200 of them … and I discovered a handy-dandy drill to dig into the ground to speed up the process this past weekend. What could have been a six-hour project for me because of the massive weed-resistant ground cover was shredded quickly and I got the job done. Of course, how cool was it that one of my neighbors stopped by and said, "Let me help you." Why Daffodils you ask? Because the bunnies and deer don’t fancy them, and I love the bright yellow color as winter subsides and spring comes forth. Puts a smile on my face.

John and I sat down and did the "Will" and "Advanced Directives" updates over the weekend … something YOU should be doing as well. It’s been over 15 years for us. We’ve been talking—oh we have!—for over a year to do it … and now we got it done! Suggest you move it to the top of your To-Do list. And think of this: join the minority—according to AARP, only 40% of adults have a Will.

And, I hit the kitchen, baking up a storm with the end of summer harvest. Sunday found me baking zucchini banana bread—sharing with neighbors and of course in the freezer for something to enjoy with a mug of hot tea. As I pulled it out of the oven, thoughts surfaced … hmmm, bet the next batch would be delish with some chocolate chips added to the bowl!

This weekend will bring your Pinterest to a high boil using the slow cooker method. Perfect for all the posters you create; blogs you write; to drawing people to your website. It’s happening on Saturday here in Denver. Don’t miss it—Heather Delaccio is a master in advanced strategies for newbies and old pros.

I’m looking forward to speaking in Houston in a few days. I’m doing a special one-day Book Publishing Unplugged plus keynoting the Indie Palooza event. If in Texas or Louisana … I’m in your neck of the woods—Come!

Huge congrats to Deb Boelkes with the layout of her book, The WOW Factor. The cold eye is done; Index in the works; audiobook ready to move forward with and then the magic print button! Love it. Bruce Mackenzie has moved The Shroud Solution to the layout—excellent surprise twist at the end.

My afternoon Author Autumn Tea is slated for Saturday, November 23rd—a great way to spend an afternoon with authors and books and Barnes & Noble will once again host us at the Book Fair on December 15th that supports the Authors Hall of Fame.

It’s Fall … and we are all moving up, not falling down!

· Do you want to morph your author and book life?

· Do you want viable marketing strategies that work, ones that you don’t need a PhD to understand NOR do you need big bucks to use?

· Do you want to sell books?

IF YES, join me in June for two fun and deep-diving days at my annual Book Publishing Unplugged event. The dates are October 18-19. The Hotel is the Hilton Inverness (nice!). October is beautiful in Denver and our classroom overlooks a small pond and golf course where you will be able to view the changing colors. Perfecto for learning, a bit of escape and spending two days with me. Space is always limited. Always new info—come! Details below.

The power of the "in-person" connecting with other authors is stratospheric. The support. The insights. The ahas that can just pop up and out.

Another heavy-duty writing week for me on a variety of projects. Plus, the prepping and execution of TWO big events this month.

Do you want to harness the power
of the third largest search engine in the world?

Are you ready to use a long-term marketing plan …
a 'fix it and forget it' approach?

Want to eliminate the social media overwhelm?

Then Pinterest is the unique and powerful tool you need. This visual search engine allows your audience to engage with your products and each other while you focus on the creative side of your business.
If you want to break into Pinterest, then this is the class for you! Spend three hours with me learning how to navigate the Pinterest platform. We're going to start from the ground up:
Pinterest answers and solutions are at the October program with AuthorYOU. You'll leave understanding what you need to do to reach your audience. See you on October 5th.

Who should attend? Anyone who is a Pinterest novice; anyone who is savvy in social media, and everyone in between!

When: SATURDAY, October 5

Where: CADA – Colorado Automotive Dealers … 290 Speer Blvd., Denver

Time: 8.30 to 11.30 a.m.

COST: AuthorYOU members $22; Nonmembers $32. Prices will increase $10 on September 28.

REGISTER:

VIP AuthorYOU Members Register Here ($22)

The Book Marketing Unplugged …and don’t miss this!

Only 3 Spots left!

Question: When should authors start marketing their books?
Answer: The day they start writing it.

Okay … so must authors don’t get a "pass" on this question. So, let’s reframe the question:

Question: When should authors start marketing their books?
Answer: NOW.

So … let’s talk about YOUR book … what about marketing yours? Do you have a problem? Are you doing cartwheels with your sales? If not, start asking:

· There are people who would benefit from your book, and you aren’t connecting with them.

· There are people who are interested in your topic or your genre and you haven’t reached out via social media to connect.

· There are people within social media that are interested in your topic and who aren’t engaging with you.

· There is a change you are focusing on that relates to the premise of your book … and others "don’t get it."

· You are having difficulty persuading book buyers or your target market to buy your book.

· Your ideal/target market doesn’t connect with your reasoning, rationale, solutions, or storyline within your book.

· Your social media and email contacts are less than 1,000.

· You have engaged the "BB" gun approach to marketing—just aim anywhere; push it out to anyone at any time.

Do any of the above sounds like you? If yes, you have a marketing problem.

If that is you, then how much time are you spending working on a marketing solution? What are you investing in your time, energy and money to learn and create a plan that works? Savvy authors have learned that you cannot solve your marketing problem the next day by simply repeating what you did yesterday, last week, last month … or certainly, last year.

Solution: Attend and participate in the first annual The Book Shepherd’s Book Marketing Unplugged. Successful authors have learned and practice: if my book marketing success is to be … it’s up to me. Join Judith Briles for Book Marketing Unplugged this fall. It’s a two-day intensive with just Judith. And YES, there will be hot seats for each participant.

Date: October 18-19

Site: HILTON DENVER INVERNESS – 200 Inverness Drive West, Englewood, CO 80112

REGISTER: https://thebookshepherd.com/book-marketing-unplugged

You can always listen in via our websites: www.AuthorYOU.org (click on the On the Air image on the Home page—wait for it to upload. Or www.TheBookShepherd.com (click on the Resources tab).

Throughout October, I will be doing individual podcasts on publishing, dealing with rogue publishers and publishing predators, book marketing, and publicity.

October 3 – Building and Reviving Your Platforms – Judith Briles

October 10 – Is there a Publishing Predator in Your Midst? – Judith Briles

October 17 – Chicken & Egg –Do You Plan and Implement Your Book Marketing First? – Judith Briles

October 24 – Chicken & Egg – Do You Plan and Implement Your Publicity First? – Judith Briles

October 31 – Roundup of My Favorite Tools – Judith Briles

Writing a book is an act of passion. It takes time, energy and sacrifice.

You take something real and vibrant from within your soul and you put it on the table for the world to see. And, you become vulnerable.

                         What will people think?
                         What will they say?
                         Will they buy my book?

There is nothing more devastating for authors than to write an amazing book and put in their best effort to launch it… Only to hear the sound of crickets.

Most authors put off thoughts of publishing and marketing until after their masterpiece is written… and that’s totally understandable.

Oh-Oh, that can be a death sentence for your next book.

Here’s my truthiness: most launches succeed or fail long before the book hits the shelves. It’s the pre launch buzz and strategy that make the difference.

REGISTER: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8440670792764193293

Here are just a few of the secrets you will master next week:

- Harness the PASSION CONUNDRUM: How to turn your passion into the fulcrum that turns your next book into a bestseller.

- Learn the LIKEABILITY SECRET: The secret to making every visitor FOUR TIMES more likely to buy your book.

- Beat the LAUNCH HURDLES: How to jump over the accursed book launch hurdle that trips up far too many budding authors.

- And much, much more!

Get ready to learn exactly where to turn the wrench on your next book launch (or relaunch) and once you know it, it’s going to feel like a breeze!

Question: Should I create an audiobook?

Answer: In a word: yes. Audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment of the publishing business today. It’s expected that gross sales will surpass eBooks by 2023. In the AuthorYOU community, we are fortunate to have two experts that can assist and advice. Both are talented narrators in their own right. Both have created multiple award-winning audiobooks for clients. And both have the resources to bring your book alive. Richard Rieman can be found at the https://theaudiobookwizard.com. Mara Purl can be reached at MaraPurl@aol.com.

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/product/author-friendly-fridays-subscription

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.