Monday, September 30, 2013

It’s Book Award Season for Authors … Which One Is for You?

 2013-2014 … Which Book Awards Are for You? 


As fall opens, authors start thinking book marketing and business again … your email may be loading up with a variety of solicitations to enter book awards. Do you … or don’t you? Are they worth the entry fee? Which do you submit to? And what do you do if your book is recognized … besides telling all your friends?


Book Awards … Some Have Deadlines Soon … Including Special BONUSes from USA Book News and eGlobal Book Awards for Author U members!

Which book awards do you enter? Do they 
matter?
Let’s start with the second question first. The answer: sometimes. Depending upon the tenacity of the author/publisher in getting the word out about the book and the award, you could be wasting your money. Awards can be used to market your book, but it doesn't happen by itself. You will be the primary promoter. Always. So yes, they can matter lots … if you treat them as part of your marketing arm and vision.

Some of the more established awards—USA Book News, Foreword, Ben Franklin, IPPY and the Center for the Book (put your state name in front on Center for the Book to find contact)—send out professional press releases. Some actively promote the winners on their websites and events. When Judith Briles won the Colorado Center for the Book in the non-fiction category, the Tattered Cover Bookstore attended with a display of all the winners and sold books—lots of them … and continued to promote them actively throughout the year. However, other awards just take your money and only notify you if 
you are a finalist or winner. Little else is done.

Note: Author U supports books awards that don’t require the author or publisher to become a “member” before they can then pay another fee to enter the contest. That’s where Author U believes the line should be 
drawn—awards can be big money for the promoter. With that money, there should be some media promotion for the winners and there should be a specific website that cares all the winners names and their 
books.

Back to the first question. If you are active in a publishing or authoring organization, consider entering. But if you have to pay a fee to be a member and then another one to enter the competition, take a pass. Your marketing (and these are marketing) dollars are best spent elsewhere.

The Book Awards business is a revenue business . . . for the promoter. Before you put your moneys out, make sure you do your homework. Why are you entering? If you win, what will you do to promote your status? Does the group support its winners with media coverage? Last but not least, Google the group—are there any complaints, problems or accusations of scams? If so, find another group. Make your time, your 
book, and your dollars work for you.

Can book awards make a difference? Yes, if they are the right ones and you use them in your marketing efforts—

Below are a few recommended by Author U and The Book Shepherd that receive ongoing national attention and are worth investing some of your marketing/promotional dollars for submissions. Some give stickers; some give cash prizes; all do national media releases/promotion with winners and finalists and have national recognition. None require that you become a “member.” Deadlines and entry fees for submissions are varied. Submissions and guidelines will give you the details on each site included—deadlines could mean books need to be in hand or merely postmarked. Read their rules.

Finally: Not all Awards are a fit for your book or category. Good luck!

USA Book News Awards
Open to all books, e-books, and audiobooks with an ISBN and published in 2013 (galley copies welcome). 2011 and 2012 titles are also eligible. It covers books from all sections of the publishing industry with over 100 categories—mainstream, independent, and self-published. Winners will be promoted to the entertainment industry and the Spring 2014 contest will open up in late fall.


USA NEWS BOOK AWARDS BONUS for Author U: Author U has arranged for a special $10 discount on its normal $69 entry fee … so $59 to you. All you have to do is register with this link—this will open up in November and we will announce the link–this is for members only.

Sponsored by USA Book News, the 5th Annual International Book Awards (IBA 2014) are specifically designed to be a promotional vehicle for authors and publishers to launch their careers, open global markets and compete with talented authors and publishers throughout the world.

Open to all books, published in the English language with an ISBN and currently available for sale online to global consumers. Dates covered for 2014 include titles published from 2012-2014.

DEADLINE:  October 31, 2013 and save $20 or 
submission fee; check website for 
submission guidelines.


National Indie Excellence Awards
NIEA celebrates overall excellence for seven years, including design and promotional text, so that discerning readers know an NIEA winner or finalist is something special. What’s more, award announcements receive extensive media coverage you can leverage to your sales advantage.  The Indie Excellence Awards cover multiple years,extending back to 2010 through 2013.
DEADLINE:  March 31, 2014, check website for submission guidelines.



The Beverly Hills Book Awards
BHBA is a unique contest that celebrates excellence in presentation. All aspects of the book are considered: the cover and interior design, promotional text, aesthetic components and other factors that demonstrate outstanding presentation. It accepts fiction and nonfiction books in a wide rage of topics and categories including mystery, romance, business, self-help memoirs, inspirational and many others.  Authors with books that could be Hollywood “attention getters”–print books only00from all publishers and authors in English language format available for sale from 2010 through 2013 are eligible. Winners will be announced in March.

DEADLINENow Accepting Submissions until January 31, 2014, check website for submission guidelines.


Foreword Book of the Year
Every year, Foreword looks back to the best books publishing in 2013. The ForeWord Book of the Year competition provides publishers with a valuable opportunity to breathe new life into the promotion of a distinguished title. These fiercely contested awards are viewed by librarians and booksellers as an important statement about a title they might have overlooked. For fourteen years, savvy publishers have used the gold, silver, and bronze awards as additional marketing material as their titles drift toward the backlist.   Foreword magazine is dedicated to the independent author and publisher.
DEADLINE:  January 15, 2014, check website for submission guidelines.


Nautilus Awards 
Recognizes Books and Audio Books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living, and positive social change, while at the same time stimulating the “imagination” and offering the reader “new possibilities” for a better life and a better world.

They look for distinguished literary and heartfelt contributions to spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, green values, responsible leadership, and positive social change, as well as to the worlds of art, creativity, and inspirational reading for children, teens, and young adults.
Submissions for 2014 Open:  September 21, 2013, check website for submission guidelines. Closing date is January 31, 2014.


Next Generation Indie Book Awards
A not-for-profit book awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its fifth year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 60 different categories, for the year, and is presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group.
DEADLINE Open now through end of year, check website for submission guidelines.



Independent Publisher Book Awards 
The “IPPY” Awards were conceived as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry and are open to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in English and intended for the North American market. “Independent” is defined as 1) independently owned and operated; 2) operated by a foundation or university; or 3) long-time independents that became incorporated but operate autonomously and publish fewer than 50 titles a year.
DEADLINE:  There are rolling dates that begin closing this October for 2013© and 2014©, check website for submission guidelines.   Early Bird deadline is Oct 12th.


Ben Franklin Book Awards 
Named in honor of America’s most cherished publisher/printer, the Benjamin Franklin Awards™ recognizes excellence in independent publishing—sponsored by IBPA—Independent Book Publishers Association (AU is an Affiliate). Publications, grouped by genre are judged on editorial and design merit by top practitioners in each field.

Awards to the best books in several categories and are presented to the publishers during a gala awards ceremony on the last evening of the Publishing University (just before the opening of Book Expo America).

All entrants receive critique sheets with advice on how to improve their publications, as well as words of appreciation for the good work produced.

DEADLINE:  For 2013 © dates, submit by December 31, 2013, check website for submission guidelines.



The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards 
Designed to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading, the awards are given in 38 categories covering the full range of subjects, styles, and age groups that children’s books are written and published in today.

The contest is designed to honor the year’s best children’s books, authors, and illustrators. Open to authors, illustrators, and publishers of children’s books written in English or Spanish and intended for the North American market. All 2013 and 2014 copyrights and releases are eligible.
DEADLINEENTRIES OPEN January 1, 2014, check website for submission guidelines.


Parents’ Choice Awards
The nation’s oldest nonprofit program was created to recognize quality children’s media. The Parents’ Choice Awards program honors the best material for children: books, toys, music and storytelling, magazines, software, videogames, television, and websites. Parents’ Choice Foundation’s panels of educators, scientists, performing artists, librarians, parents, and, yes, kids themselves, identify the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels.
DEADLINE:  Submissions will open late fall through March 2013, check website for submission guidelines.


Global eBook Awards
Created by Dan Poynter, Global eBook Awards announces that it is now taking submissions 
for award consideration. The Global eBook Awards are designed to help you achieve these goals. More than a “sticker,” these awards come with a built-in publicity machine. Entries are accepted from both authors and publishers. To be eligible, eBooks must be released on or before March 11 2013. All entrants in the Global Ebook Awards must have their eBooks in the Smashword’s system for this contest. If your book is not at Smashwords, please email a PDF, epub or Kindle file to Becky@ParaPublishing.com after you have completed your entry. http://globalebookawards.com/
DEADLINE: SUBMISSIONS for 2013 are open now, check website for submission guidelines.   

Author U Members Discount: Use code  32%OFF


Colorado Book Awards
This annual program celebrates the accomplishments of Colorado’s outstanding authors, editors, illustrators, and photographers. Awards are presented in at least ten categories including anthology/collection, biography, children’s, creative nonfiction, fiction, history, nonfiction, pictorial, poetry, and young adult. To be eligible for a Colorado Book Award, a primary contributor to the book must be a Colorado writer, editor, illustrator, or photographer. It doesn't matter if the book was published be a New Mexico or New York Publisher—the key is someone has to be connected to Colorado.

Entries in the 23rd annual Colorado Book Awards must have a 2013 publication date. Books published and available in late 2013 that have a delayed (2014) copyright may be submitted either in the 23rd or the 24th annual Colorado Book Awards, but not both.
DEADLINEJanuary 2014: check the website in October for submission guidelines and dates.


NOTE:  this is Colorado’s program—your state may have a duplicate as well. In 1984, the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress began to establish affiliate centers in the 50 states. Today, there is a State Center for the Book in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These Center for the Book affiliates carry out the national Center’s mission in their local areas; sponsor programs that highlight their area’s literary heritage; and call attention to the importance of books, reading, literacy and libraries. Many of them have state awards. Google “Center of the Book” for your state and/or go to http://read.gov/cfb/index.html for more information.
Nonfiction Book Awards 
What’s unique about the Nonfiction Book Awards is that you can submit your entry at any time this year. Awards are based on both quality of writing and the production of the book. Self, independent and traditionally published books are welcomed in both print and eBook formats.

DEADLINEDecember 2013: check the website for submission guidelines and dates.










Judith Briles is the Author and Publishing Expert, The Book Shepherd 
(www.TheBookShepherd.com) and the Founder of Author U (niversity (www.AuthorU.org), a membership organization created for the author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 31 books including Show Me About BookPublishing, co-written with John Kremer and Rick Frishman and a speaker at publishing 
conferences. Her currentbook, Author YOU: Creating and Developing the Author and Book Platforms has won three national book awards. Her next book Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers will be available fall 2013. Catch her radio show, Your Guide to Book Publishing on Thursdays at 6 pm,EST. http://rockstarradionetwork.com/shows/yourguidetobookpublishing

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and TheBookShepherd on Facebook. Join the Author U LinkedIn group  and add your voice. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

CrowdingFunding 101 for Authors and Top 10 Tweets for Week of September 26th

It’s the first official week of fall and today is National Johnny Appleseed Day … think fall apple pies, cobblers and just a crisp crunch the next time you munch an apple. Thanks to nurseyman Appleseed, he introduced and planted trees throughout Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia. With apples falling, it’s time to fall into your book planning.




Today, Your Guide to Book Publishing will focus on CrowdFunding
101 for Authors. Judith Briles will be the host and “guest” sharing many of the tidbits from her recent Judith Briles Unplugged event. The CrowdFunding segment was eye-opening andrevealing. Tune in at 6 Eastern, 5 Central, 4 Mountain, 3 Pacific and for our out-of-the-country members and followers … you are going to have to do the clock crunching for your time zone at http://rsrn.us/youpublish.  You can also go to the Home page of http://www.AuthorU.org, scroll down and click on any of the past shows—just click and you are instantly there!



Holy Marketing Authors … Awesome Ideas for you … did you ever miss a great Webinar that Author U did. It was a total freebie, loaded with gadgets that were free to super cheap to make videos and movies for your site, blog, all things marketing, publicity/promo, TV channel, new products to sell and bring in moneys … you name it, Mike Stewart had it all.  I got more ideas of things that I could do for little moneys. YOU WANT TO SEE … HEAR THIS PRONTO!   Here’s the replay:
           
                                                                            http://tabletvideotraining.com/authoru/




Here’s your Top Ten Tweets for the past week 
                   

 
Tweets are faster than a speeding bird … below are Author U’s Top Ten Tweets from the past week that you may 




have missed …

Success & Resources

5 Of The Best Branded Viral Video—what clicks in them for #author and #book branding? – http://ow.ly/p3sMN

WOW–is #Facebook doomed? Is #Google+ kicking butt? Provocative article for #authors. ow.ly/p5f5o

Hot and crazy awesome #book #promotion tools #authors and #writers-listen to podcast via #authoru. http://ow.ly/p55Uf

Info re IOS7 systems for iPhone/iPad-wait to update yours so the bugs get out via early users. #authoru http://ow.ly/p61pA

#Author alert: Jan #publishing cruise. Join Penny, Joan, Judith and Amy for PublishingAtSea.com http://ow.ly/pd3w2

Critical protection for #authors and #writing: passwords, backup-lots of #free apps-listen to podcast via #authoru. http://ow.ly/pazRX

Social Media and Marketing Strategies

#authors-the first 65 words in the media release should be top heavy with key words and a few hyperlinks at Brunch & Learn today #authoru

How #authors can get top blogs to support your #book #marketing efforts-listen to podcast. http://ow.ly/paw6q

Cool and Sometimes Goofy or Unbelievable!

From the Oops! files: Coca-Cola campaign gone way, way badis.gd/gHNOd5

Perfect for a Sunday: Coloring #Book Lets Kids Draw Like Famous Artists [Pics] – and why not adults? #authoru http://buff.ly/13F7wTy




Bonus:  Last week’s Your Guide to Book Publishing with
Beth Zeisneis deep- dived into some crazy and wild apps just for authors!—Listen in. http://rsrn.us/youpublish  or you can download directly from the AuthorU.org website.


Don’t forget to fill out “About” on your FB page. It’s what people see! Add your URL there. Connect with us on Google+ and join the Author U group on LinkedIn.

Not following Author U on Twitter? Change that and follow: @AuthorU

Join the Author U LinkedIn Group. Join the Author U Community on Google+

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Wahoo … Come Cruise with Me this January!

I've been dying to tell you this, and we've finally nailed down most of the details. The website is live!

Here’s the scoop: Give Us 5 Days at Sea and We’ll Give You a Step-by-Step Plan to Create a Bestselling Book!


Authors and anyone who is thinking about writing a book can join me and three other book awesome 
experts January 18-23 for five glorious days on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It’s a working vacation where you’ll learn all about book publishing, marketing, distribution and sales.

I’m hosting “Create the Ultimate Bestseller at Sea” with Joan Stewart, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Collins in January.

We’re departing Tampa on Jan. 18, heading for George Town, Grand Cayman, and then onto Cozumel, Mexico. You attend workshops everyday, including two intensive days of learning when we’re at sea. But when we’re in port, you’re on your own to play and enjoy or stay on the ship and slip into the 
Spa or lounge around the pools.

Also, as an added bonus, each night while you’re eating, the four of us will be working like, well, like sea dogs. We’ll be rotating from table to table to give everyone a chance to ask us questions about any aspect of publishing. Or give us your toughest problem so we can help you solve it.

The cost for all workshops, the cruise, taxes and gratuities is only $1,100 per person for an outside, deluxe ocean view cabin. Or $1,200 per person for a balcony.

We've even arranged for a “Lifesaver” special that will let you pay for the trip over six months, via PayPal, with no interest. How convenient is that?

The website will be ready tomorrow but I wanted to give you a heads-up so you can 
save the dates. If you’re interested, please me right now at 303-885-2207.
A quick summary of me and the other three Chicks at Sea:
  • Judith Briles is the Book Shepherd of Book Shepherds. I’m the author of 31 books and was honored one of my clients wrote, :One of her clients calls her “The North Star for Authors.” I couldn't agree more. This woman knows everything about writing and publishing. Oh, did I tell you she’s written more than 30 books?
  • Penny Sansevieri has helped 11 books gain best-seller status in less than two years. She knows all the ins and outs of how to promote online, including under-the-radar ways to sell more books on Amazon.com.
  • Amy Collins  is a former book buyer and later a Sales Director in charge of B&N for a large publisher. If you’re planning a book signing or other event, she can tell you how to get your books into every bookstore in that city so you don’t miss one sale.
  • Joan Stewart is a publicity expert, aka the Publicity Hound and ranks #1 on Pinterest for “free publicity,”  has coached thousands of authors and publishers and her website has been voted one of the top 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer’s Digest.


I’ll send you a special mailing tomorrow with the website address where you can earn more about the trip. Not sure you want to attend? You can also email me Judith@Briles.com with your phone number and I’ll call and answer any questions you have.

For a sneak peak….here’s the ship we’ll be sailing on, Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of 
the Sea at http://ow.ly/paFxw.

On Wednesday, the website will go live …check it out! 

There are only 50 cabins–several are already taken. This will be a publishing event you will never forget. Five amazing days. Four amazing book and publishing pros. All we need is you!

 Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd, the Author and Publishing expert and the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Author U, a membership organization created for the author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. She’s the author of 31 books including Author YOU: Creating Your Book and Author Platform that has won multiple “best” in the writing/publishing categories in book award competitions. Her next book is Snappy, Sassy, Salty … Wise Words for Authors and Publishers and will be available this fall. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Your Guide to Book Publishing on the www.RockStarRadioNetwork.com


Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles on Facebook. Join the Author U LinkedIn Group and the Author U Google+ community. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.

Monday, September 23, 2013

"Celebrate and Promote Independent Author Month"

Are you a Facebook user? And an author? Get ready to do a happy dance if you are. It’s Independent Author Promotion Month—tell the global community about you, your book and create buzz and sales! The  information and links below were adapted from a blog created by Cate Russell-Cole and are being shared with her kind permission.  And remember, you promote your book year round … not just for one month.


There are many… here’s a starter list. Not all these groups are Indie specific. Try searching under Indie, Author and Writer on Facebook to find more.

I am not involved with many of these groups, as I simply don’t have enough time: so please use at your own discretion. I have left the full web address here so this page can be printed.

Publishing Talk https://www.facebook.com/groups/publishingtalk/

Review Seekers https://www.facebook.com/groups/reviewseekers/

Books, Books and more Books Where authors and readers can post to help promote their books and giveaways. https://www.facebook.com/groups/320356974732142/

Indie Authors Unite! See how you can earn free advertising on a site that gets over 8000 page views a day. https://www.facebook.com/groups/kindlemojo/

Marketing for Authors
https://www.facebook.com/groups/146813612165228/

All About Books A group for all who love books for authors & readers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/9476163038/

Writers and Readers Unite Authors may post about their new books and readers may post review or comments. https://www.facebook.com/groups/69073710111/

BOOK PLACE A group for anyone who likes books or is in any way connected with books, including readers, authors, librarians, editors, agents, publicists, illustrators, and more. This includes both print and electronic forms. https://www.facebook.com/groups/bookplace/

Authors Promoting Authors https://www.facebook.com/groups/apablog/

Published Authors  A place for budding and experienced authors to share ideas about publishing and marketing books. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2358693096/

Writers who believe in supporting Writers Writers / Authors a place where you can post and or ask questions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/397758770282542/

Authors, Agents, and Aspiring Writers https://www.facebook.com/groups/204725947524/

AUTHOR’S BOOK REVIEW EXCHANGE https://www.facebook.com/groups/297123753127/

Author Meeting Place A place to meet and greet other authors. You might be able to share marketing ideas and/or events in your area if you meet someone close to you. Authors unite! https://www.facebook.com/groups/authormeetingplace/

Book Promotion A vast support network designed to help YOU get your work free publicity. Post your latest book releases, press releases, links, likes and WIP. This is your FAN club. https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookPromotion/

Women Writers, Editors, Agents, and Publishers The goal for this networking group is to become the largest WOMEN ONLY group in the writing arena where we can help each other succeed. https://www.facebook.com/groups/wweap/

How to Make, Market and Sell Ebooks – All for Free This group is for writers helping writers but not for all of us shouting “buy my book.” It is still okay to discuss topic-related blog posts, interviews, questions related to your book and cover, etc. https://www.facebook.com/groups/110604178950149/

Go Indie Discover indies. Discuss resources. Post about your books and projects. Your Promos & Announcements are welcome once daily for each individual item. For example, if you are promoting a particular book, please post no more than once a day. But if you are promoting multiple books, you are welcome to post each separately or create a promo thread for your day’s promos. https://www.facebook.com/groups/goindie/

Julies Book Review- Reviewers for Authors This Group is for promo and for Authors to submit books to Julies Book Review. We have several reviewers that will review most genre’s of fiction Please only Author and reviewer type posts! https://www.facebook.com/groups/JBRauthorpage/

Indie author accountability The Indie Author accountability group. Stating your intentions and getting support along the way. Talking about motivation, and procrastination, breaking writer’s block and getting on with the act of writing and marketing. https://www.facebook.com/groups/indieaccountability/members/
                                                                                                                                                                  
 The blog sites were originally posted by Cate Russell-Cole is licensed under a Creative Common Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.




  Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd, the Author and Publishing expert and the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Author U, a membership organization created for the author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80's. She’s the author of 31 books including Author YOU: Creating Your Book and Author Platform that has won multiple “best” in the writing/publishing categories in book award competitions. Her next book is Snappy, Sassy, Salty … Wise Words for Authors and Publishers and will be available this fall. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Your Guide to Book Publishing on thewww.RockStarRadioNetwork.com.


Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles on Facebook. Join the Author U LinkedIn Group and the Author U Google+ community. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.



Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Get your book reviewed for Amazon Goodreads, Smashwords and B&N …

It’s always fun to connect with many of our followers on Author U’s social media sites. Meet book reviewer and blogger Lu Ann Worley of Lu Ann Workley Book Reviews …
Lu Ann has been officially reviewing books for over a year and a half, she recently opened her new review blog a few months ago.


                                http://www.rockinbookreviews.com

In exchange for a printed copy, she would love to read and review your book(s). However, she no longer accepts e-books in exchange for free book reviews. Mostly, she is ONLY compensated for her time with a printed or audio copy in exchange for an honest review.  She keeps the book in her personal library and allows family and close friends to borrow them with the agreement that they send in a review on the book as well OR donates them to a local library and encourages the patrons who are members of various Social medias (like Amazon) to give their own reviews. The library also has signs displayed asking them to do so in response of the author’s generous contribution.

Note: If the book to be reviewed is not the first in the series, Lu Ann prefers to have the ones preceding it as well. It usually helps in the reviewing process.

Children author tip : Children’s authors will be read more quickly because she wants to build that portion of her blog site … and if course, they take much less time. You are welcome to check out the reviews on her site. She also submits her reviews to Goodreads (under Lu & LAWonder10) or on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords, under LAWonder10. In addition, she lists on various Christian sites and is now a part of The Library Thing, as well.

It’s a win-win-win for all!

Send your TWO books to:
Lu Ann Worley 48 N. 100 West, box 243 Fairview, UT 84629









Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd, the Author and Publishing expert and the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Author U, a membership organization created for the author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. She’s the author of 31 books including Author YOU: Creating Your Book and Author Platform that has won multiple “best” in the writing/publishing categories in book award competitions. Her next book is Snappy, Sassy, Salty … Wise Words for Authors and Publishers and will be available this fall. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Your Guide to Book Publishing on the www.RockStarRadioNetwork.com.


Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles on Facebook. Join the Author U LinkedIn Group and the Author U Google+ community. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.

Monday, September 16, 2013

The Author Glaze Factor

The deer in the headlight look is common when authors hear the phrase “social media marketing.”  When the glaze factor settles in, the heels dig in and resistance oozes from every pour.


I know that resistance—I resisted it to. The last thing I needed on my plate was something that could literally suck hours of my time each day. That was then; this is now. One of the first things I need on my plate is social media to support my work as an author and the positions and visibility of Author U.

Most authors immediately say—I don’t have the time … I just want to write.

Fine … so who are you going to hire to market your book … your words … your writing?

Ummmmm is the response.

OK … this is where all those social media platforms come into play—Twitter, Facebook, Google+ LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc. Authors who are introverts don’t have to get in front of people—their fingers can do their talking … and shouting. And for those who have no fears, fingers and mouths can roar.

Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and all the others start with just a few in numbers. As time progresses, numbers build. BUT YOU HAVE TO GET OFF YOUR TUSH AND START. NOW.

At a recent two-day author workshop, I saw the glaze in the eye syndrome take effect. It was a “Let me show you what can happen …” moment–not planned, just that it was the right thing to do at the time for my group.

All had their computers; all were online throughout the two days as we worked through a variety of examples and how-tos in the author and book worlds.

My computer opened on my Hootsuite task bar … waiting for me to “wake it up”—which is exactly what I did. Taking just a few of my participants’ titles, I opened the Amazon page of each, copied its URL and then began …

Taking them within my Hootsuite account, I “composed” quick messages for Twitter; longer ones for Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn, linking each with the book’s URL on Amazon. Within SECONDS, I recommended their books via Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook to hundreds of thousands of potential eyes via my followers, fans, and peeps. I didn’t do it once; I did it multiple times, spread out over time and days.

All through the power of marketing; the power of social media. Checking their own social media feeds, they saw my messages pop up.

Seeing it live, in person, on the large room screen and their own—a transition started. The non-believers, unsure believers and believers saw the seeding of a social media message.  It could have been their message. Within minutes, I got direct messages from some of my followers—they liked my message.  Will any of them turn into book buyers? Who knows … but they may have never heard of Cristina Gradina, Natural Childbirth Exercises or The Bloomers if I hadn’t cared enough about their books and their messages to share with others.

Today’s author must get this: social media is the town hall of book marketing. Stop digging in your heels. If you want to be seriously successful as an author, take the first step, a small one, and get started. Now. You don’t need the Author Glaze Factor.


Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd, the Author and Publishing expert and the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Author U, a membership organization created for the author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. She’s the author of 31 books including Author YOU: Creating Your Book and Author Platform that has won multiple “best” in the writing/publishing categories in book award competitions. Her next book is Snappy, Sassy, Salty … Wise Words for Authors and Publishers and will be available this fall. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Your Guide to Book Publishing on the www.RockStarRadioNetwork.com.

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles on Facebook. Join the Author U LinkedIn Group and the Author U Google+ community. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Do You Have a Ghost Town Homepage? Change it to Connect and Convert Visitors on Your Site

Does your website work? Bring in the number of visitors you want? Produce the results that you as an author need for both you and your book? It may be time to do a makeover. Heather Lutze is the widely acclaimed speaker, trainer, and consultant who literally wrote the book on search engine marketing. Two books, in fact—The Findability Formula: The Easy, Non-Technical Approach to Search Engine Marketing and the brand new Thumbonomics: The Essential Business Roadmap for Social Media & Mobile Marketing.

Today, she shares one of her most popular blogs with the AuthorU community. Mark your calendars–on February 8,2014, she will be the Brunch & Learn speaker.

Do You Have a Ghost Town Homepage? Change it to Connect and Convert Visitors on Your Site

By Heather Lutze, CEO and Speaker

How many times have you visited a web site with generic images of attractive people with headsets on? You know what I’m talking about, those photos of well-dressed men sitting in a meeting with other handsome people that you find on web site home pages?


Don’t we all wish we were as handsome and smart as stock-image-people?

Or how about those obligatory clipart images, the company logo in the top left hand corner, and those same-old navigation buttons that read “about us”, “Services”, “Testimonials” and “Contact Us.” Or you’ll see images of offices, storefronts, clinical settings, office buildings, and case studies — but NO REAL PEOPLE anywhere.

It’s a Ghost Town homepage. Boooo!

I call this a Ghost Town Web Site. It has no heart or personality. No life. People are like bloodhounds; they can smell a lack of authenticity.  They have a gut reaction that your home page is a farce and you’re trying to create a larger-than-life image that really doesn't exist. Ouch, this can really hurt your site results and your online impact.

Customers want to see the internal reality of your business: are your employees friendly, does your office look comfortable and welcoming? They’ll make a split second decision whether to stay or to hit the back button. I think designers have done huge disservice to their clients by creating template web sites with boring clipart, standard design conventions, and photos that say nothing personal about the company.

Shame on them! Take a good look at your site and evaluate whether or not it’s a Ghost Town. Can you resuscitate your web site? It’s time for all you business owners to start asking your Webmasters the tough questions. Here are some common red flags to assess your site effectiveness of the most important page on your site, the home page.

Take a quick home page assessment and rank your site:

1. BOUNCE RATE: 

A bounce rate is like a bouncing ball. Your visitor finds you in the search results and clicks on the link to visit your site. They do not find anything interesting or compelling and they BOUNCE right off to another destination. If you don’t know your bounce rate, the geek in your life can readily find this statistic in your web stats reports.  It’s readily available in Google Analytics at Analytics.Google.com.  You can get your bounce rate from other reporting tools as well, but Google Analytics is one of the best for small to medium sized businesses.

Does your home page have a high bounce rate, say over 80%?

a.     Yes – Score 0 points b.     No – Score 10 points

Easy Tip: Ask your web person to add Google Analytics to every page of your site. It should be easy and quick for them to add this. If they say, “What’s Google Analytics?” consider their employment with your company and immediately go to elance.com or 99designs.com to find a savvy, budget friendly designer who is knowledgeable about all the tips in this article.

2.   CONVERSIONS:

What is your conversion rate? At Yahoo! Search Marketing we often-called conversions “yesses.” Yes, I would love to subscribe to your blog. Yes, I would like to follow you on social media. Yes, I would love to contact you and have a chat about your services

a.     0 -5 % – 1 point

b.     6% – 15% 2 points

c.     16% – 25% 5 Points

d.     Over 26% – You are doing the rights things to get conversions – 10 Points

Easy Tip: Eye tracking & Heat Map studies are readily available on the web. These sites tell you what is really being noticed, what your visitor clicks on, and where their eyes go when they first see your home page. I recommend SiteTuners.com ($$), but worth it. You can also search for “free heat maps” and you will get a ton of great sites. Put in your domain name and it generates a simulated searcher behavior sourced from hundreds of thousands of recorded online behaviors.

3.   INTEGRATED CONTACT FORM:

Do you have an integrated contact form on your home page or just a “contact us” button in the navigation of your home page? An integrated form is a form fill that is “baked” into every page on your web site asking for Name, Email, Questions, and Subscriptions. Business owners tend to think that a web site is like a marriage rather then a date. Let’s say that you are on your first date. You sit down and order cocktails. Your date smiles at you and says, “You are beautiful and I want to marry you and have 10 babies!”  After you engage your emergency text to your friend, you quickly exit the situation. I call this the PERFECT CLICK. Unfortunately, the PERFECT CLICK does not exist. Rather it’s a series of micro dates each time someone visits your site. You need to romance your visitor with tiny, bite-size actions. When you have an integrated form, it makes starting the dating process easier. Visitors say to themselves, “Yes, I would love to talk to you,” and you’ll eventually get married. Your contact form should be omnipresent on every page of your site. Treat your site like Match.com rather then TheKnot.com.

I have an integrated contact form.

a.     Yes – 5 Points – Congrats! b.     No – 0 Points – Consider changes your site to add this form

4.  YOUR PHONE NUMBER:

Is your phone number in large type (over 18 point) on the right hand corner of your home page and every page in the site?  Don’t make your visitor work to call you. I am shocked at how many people bury their phone number and address in 12 point type in the footer of their pages.

a.     Yes – 5 Points – Smarty Pants b.     No – 0 Points – Add this today!

5.  SOCIAL MEDIA ICONS:

If you are not on board with social media, then you already know it’s time to get with the program. Oh by the way, Google uses social media engagement (likes, comments, subscribes, followers, views) as an important ranking signal for your web site. Yes, if you use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube your site will rank higher in search engine results! Convinced you yet?

a.     Yes – 10 Points – Great! You are leading the pack! b.     No – 0 Points – Sorry, but it’s time to get into social

6.   WEB SITE BODY COPY:

Do you have at least 200 words of body copy on your home page?  If you want to rank in search engines, you MUST have something to say. If you look at your web site and it’s composed of primarily images, even if you have captions under the images, you are not giving enough body copy for search engines to index. As thought leader in any area, you MUST publish or perish. Remember your college professors? If you knew that they had not published in the last 2 years, would that change your mind about taking the class? Just ask RankYourProfessor.com and see how students are evaluating professors today. Wish I had this tool when I was in college. Google only wants the MOST published thought leaders in their search engine results.

a.     1-50 words of body copy on your home page – 0 Points b.     51 – 100 words of body copy on home page – 5 Points c.     101 – 200+ words of body copy on home page – 10 Points – You Rock!

Easy Tip: Go to your home page and hit the command key or control key with the letter A. This will select all the body copy that Google can see. Google cannot see anything that is shaded out and you do not get credit for that text. Try it, very interesting.

7.  SOCIAL SHARING ICONS: I know, I know, Social Media again. But think of your web site pages as individual flyers visitors can distribute to their friends. As business owners, we must do anything we can to spread the word about our services and products. If they find you online, you have already slightly impressed them. But if you offer real value like a newsletter, downloadable checklist, or other assets — they will want to share their discovery with their social circles. The best kind of viral marketing.

a.   YES – I have social icons on every page of my site – Score 10 Points b. No but I have seen them but not done it yet – Score 5 points c.   No I am not aware of this and am ignoring social media all together – Score 0 (big surprise )

Easy Tip: Ask your web designer to install an application called ShareThis.com. It will add sharing icons to every page of your site. Easy-peazy.

8.   WEBMASTER TOOLS:  Don’t be intimidated or think this is tool technical for you to do yourself. Go to webmastertools.google.com. You will need a Google account. Once you have setup your account, it spiders your site. Then you will know for sure when Google visits your site, how many pages it sees on your site, and who is linking to your site. So many clients are completely overwhelmed by keeping up with the Google Algorithm. This tool makes it easy and transparent to determine exactly how Google sees your site and how to make improvements.

a.   Yes, I have Webmaster Tools – You’re a Genius – 10 Points b.   No, but I have heard about it – Are you warmed up yet? – 5 Points c.   No, have not heard of it – Sorry but now you know. – 0 points

9.     KEYWORD USAGE: (T, H, B, I, L) Title, Headline, Body, Images, Links

These elements are the Rosetta stone of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). When you have chosen your keyword phrases for each page on your site (remember, one keyword phrase per page), you need to place them in the Title, Headline, Body Copy, Image Names and Links inside the body copy to get the search engine recognition you deserve. I have extensive information about this methodology in my first book, The Findability Formula. Go to http://www.Findability.com/FindabilityFormulaDownload to download a free audio book.  Listen to the chapter on SEO and Keyword Placement.

a.     Yes, I am using keywords consistently on my home page – 10 Points b.     Yes, I have tried but did not know about T, H, B, I, L concept – 5 Points c.      No, but I am intrigued and want to learn more – 3 points d.     No, this SEO stuff is just spam and I am not doing to do it.  L – 0 Points

10.   SEARCH BOX: Ever wonder how to harvest keywords from your site visitors? Determine exactly what they are not finding on your site and learn from this data to create new pages or content to answer those requests? This is an easy add-on to your site. You can search for “Google search appliance” or “add search box to my site” and you will get a plethora of great ideas on how to work with your Webmaster to get this added.

a.     Yes, I have a search box – 10 points b.     No, but I am adding one soon – 5 points c.     No, I don’t’ want to clutter my homepage – 0 Points




HOW DID YOU SCORE? OK, NOW ADD IT UP!

Let’s talk about how to get real ROI from your web site design and content.

Score 75 – Truly a Web Site Rock Star! You are on the ball! Keep up the great work, keep pushing that bounce rate down, and adding more conversion elements to your site. Don’t forget to harvest keywords from your search box each month and set a calendar event to check them regularly.

Score   74 – 35 – You Are On Your Way, But Not There YetYou have a great web site with real bones and reach. You need to go back on the items that you scored 0 or 5 and address these with your web designer or adjust them yourself. This will dramatically help your overall Findability online and your ability to get the maximum amount of interactions and conversions on your site. Get to work today!

Score 35 or below – Don’t Panic, Help Is At Hand Call your Webmaster immediately. You may need to knock the house down and rebuild. Paint and curtains are not going to fix this site. If you are on a static site that was built more then 3 years ago and you have no CMS (Content Management System), then you should consider a new web site, new design and a Word Press site CMS. This will give you all the elements mentioned in this article as well as the ability to add/change pages on a dime. When you get bored of the look and feel, you can simply hire someone to create a new “skin” for the site. You don’t have to tear it down and pay big bucks once again for a new site.

If you’d like to run a web site diagnostic  and see what other elements you can add or fix on your site, here are a few helpful sites.  They’ll give you other scores to help you adjust your site, not technical background needed.


Have I scared you yet? Booo!

Remember Ghosts and pumpkins are for Halloween, not your web site. Get the ghosts off your site and start connecting with a targeted audience who wants to engage, connect and convert.


Heather Lutze’s writing and in-demand keynotes are delivered with the same witty, “no-geek-speak” style that has managed to demystify internet marketing for countless business owners. Breaking free of corporate “cubicle” jobs over ten years ago with nothing more than a dream of entrepreneurship and a computer in the basement, Heather built her business into a multimillion dollar company—the Findability Group. Today she leads a dedicated and slightly obsessed team of search marketing pros—their mission—to connect clients with their perfect customers online. – See more at: http://www.findability.com.


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Author Smarts: Getting Your Book into Airport Bookstores

Do you want your book in the airport?   
If you do, you need to know that Hudson News (NJ based) or The Paradise Shops (GA based) are the only players for airport book sales.
airport2
 Pitch it to headquarters—it’s all about the book … has to be designed and written well. The book hook is critical. Offer a special “Cooperative Rate”—i.e., you offer a special reduction on the first order only that amounts to a $2 credit per book over the regular discount.  Alert: return rates are 60-70% … unless the book takes off and then reorders happen.
airport
Seek out the bookstore at your airport the next time you are flying. Spend some time and discover what types of books they are carrying. Ask the manager which types of books move. If she has the time, tell her that you are weighing the possibility of marketing your book to Hudson News or The Paradise Shops—the owner of the store— for inclusion. Have your SHORT book pitch on the tip of your tongue and state who the reader is. Does she think your book could move?
Caution—many of these stores only have one, possibly two people working, so be precise and honor their time.
If you land a spot on an airport bookstore, you have a very short window to support it. Massive email time to all you know within your social media channels: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, etc. You need to, you must, create shout outs from you to your communities. Remind them that the book will be in the airline stores for the timeframe and encourage them to pick up a copy … and tell others as well. Write a blog and post a picture of your book in one of the stores. Market, Market, Market.
airline magazines
Airline Specialty Magazines. The captive audience is what the author desires to shout out their book to … and airlines provide that audience every day of the week. Next time you are on a plane, take the magazine in the pocket in front of you … study it. What types of articles are included? Could the genesis of your book be a fit? All the contact info is on an interior page.
Airports and airlines may be a perfect fit for you and your books.
Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd, the Author and Publishing expert and the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Author U, a membership organization created for the author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. She’s the author of 30 books including Author YOU: Creating Your Book and Author Platform that has won multiple “best” in the writing/publishing categories in book award competitions. Her next book is Snappy, Sassy, Salty … Wise Words for Authors and Publishers. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Your Guide to Book Publishing on the www.RockStarRadioNetwork.com.
Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and TheBookShepherd on Facebook. Join the Author U LinkedIn Group and the Author U Google+ community. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.