Latest NEWS from The Book Shepherd this week / Ask Judith … April 17 this Friday

Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

I create books authors never have to apologize for …

In this Issue

1. Discover ... MockUpShots and Author Head Shots

2. Meet ... BookBrush

3. Ask Judith ... April 17—this Friday

4. Webinar … REPLAY Sell Your Books in Grocery Stores-take advantage of this

5. Hot podcasts for April … Add to your calendar and listen

6. The Author Gatherings … May 2 is Zoom only

7. Question of the week … Is there a difference between marketing and sales?

8. Smile time … Me and Bobby MeGee

I love discovering a book falls open, the reader falls in—that’s my type of book. If you are a fan of mystery suspense with a strong kickass female protagonist who must become an elusive identity thief to sink the bad guys, The Gray Zone by Daphna Edwards Ziman was a great discovery and new on Amazon. I could see this as a movie. Tis here: amzn.to/4sTLWcK

Last Saturday was a fun day at one of our favorite Barnes & Noble bookstores at the DenverWest – Lakewood location with eight of us: Joseph Calabara, Linda Schaal, Natli Van Derwerkin, Linnea Tanner, Kathy Schultz, Kathleen Flanagan, Mara Purl and myself. All done to sell our books, of course, but to raise moneys for the Aspiring Authors Scholarships for the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame. I loved it when so many friends dropped in to say hello … and buy books. Next stop: Fort Collins BN on the 25th and then Colorado Blvd. on the 26th. Charles Breakfield coming up from Texas will be joining in.

If you didn’t listen into my podcast last Thursday on Intellectual Property, Part I with attorney Colin O’Brien … do a catch up fast. An excellent 57 minutes of author smarts awaits you: https://youtu.be/gQ9jXgXucf8 Have paper and pen out … you will get so many tips. Part II surfaces on Thursday … and on YouTube, the publicity hound Joan Stewart and I had fun and filled it with plenty of tips for publicity exposure for you. Did you take advantage of it?

Here’s the link to the YouTube spot with Joan: https://youtu.be/3taC6BwGXv

Ahh … the three chairs in my office are EMPTY of stuff … put away. My old—as in really old—library table has been dumped of its paper pile and rearranged. The chair I had in front of it has found a new home. A stand in front of sorting, placeholder, and workspace is mine. Now, my eyes and hands will move to behind the curtains and shelving where lots of items await rearranging—you know, where the printer, paper, supplies, and files live.

Watch the REPLAY of the webinar here: https://vimeo.com/328098839

Now, Get … no GRAB … the MockupShots tool to support you going forward via the link below. Right now, it will be hard to beat this as the tool of the year!

You can still get a discount.
https://www.adazing.com/briles/

You will get lifetime access to MockupShots for only $80! You can add a gazillion book covers or products covers into your account. With seconds, you have a marketing and advertising inventory that you would have paid thousands to have created. And it’s yours for $80 … now how many Starbucks is that?

A lifetime of cool and effective marketing images. Get it … you won’t like it … you will love it.
It’s magic that even Harry Potter would want.

Wait … Wait … there’s more.

The all new Author Head Shots is a huge winner. So much customization can be done by you for you. Here’s the blog I wrote on it … you want this awesome tool. I’m working on getting another discount for you. The special I put out was only $97—what a screaming deal.

Judith Briles is YOURS for 60 minutes on Friday, April 17 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, April 17 at 3 MT (2 PT, 5 CT, 5 ET)

Great evals came from yesterday’s webinar. The tech gremlins were out … but we got the core of the webinar completed before Microsoft’s update fairies decided that 3.35 pm was a good time to upgrade my computer. Here’s the replay.

The Authors in Grocery Stores program should have your attention.

REPLAY: https://vimeo.com/1176893354

Why it makes dollars and sense to add grocery stores to your book marketing mix.
How to be invited into the program.
What an author needs to have at a grocery signing event.
How to create your author book-selling tour.
How you get paid and how often.
Guidance.

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— How I love it when I can close my eyes and just listen, and feel the words. “Me and Bobby McGee” (written by Kris Kristofferson) and song by Janis Joplin with her rendition just a few days before her death is one of those treats.

Sit back and listen: Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee

(Official Music Video)

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.