Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Your Author Success Starts with These 8 Steps

No author plans to fail; what he or she does is fail to plan. -Snappy Sassy Salty by Judith Briles

When I completed Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers, it was woven with quotations to kick-start and propel you forward. If you are going to succeed in this writing, authoring, publishing arena, you need to be kick-started and refueled to propel your forward.



Most of us have resolutions at this time of the year, loaded with good intentions. By mid-January, they begin to dwindle.

Let’s not do that. First, start with realism. Not pie-in-the-sky … reaching to stuff that is more
fantasy and fiction vs. “yes, this can happen” approach. Becoming a Kindle best-seller is totally
possible; being a best-seller on Amazon is totally
possible; getting in front of media is totally
possible; having an awesome book event is totally
possible; speaking at an event and selling lots of books is totally possible. Is being on the New Times best-seller list possible? Maybe … probable … hmm, not so sure. Necessary…no.

If you don’t know where you are going, you've chosen to go nowhere. Any road will do.  
 – Snappy Sassy Salty


Being realistic is critical to tying in with success for you and your book. It’s goal setting 
time …

To set you and your book into a positive book strategy mindset for 2014, here are a few tips.

1    Be realistic. You might want your book to sell 20,000 copies … do      you have a GamePlan in 
place to initiate and support it. Do you have the  time to support it? Do you have the energy? Do you 
have the network?  If not, perhaps it’s not a realistic goal  for you right now.

Stop living your fears … live your dreams. If you believe your book will be successful, it’s the 
first step. – Snappy Sassy Salty

2    Determine if your Goals are  measurable and make them so they are. Don’t be vague or up in the air. Put numbers, facts by them. Don’t say “Get on TV” or “Sell more  books.” State what TV show you will get on … how many books you will sell (a special amount of percentage increase).

3    Get a Goal Pal …someone  you connect with once a week…a someone who will help hold you accountable  and be an encourager as well.

4    Create a visual Goal Board.  Write yours down.

5    Create an Action Plan for you  and your book. Once you get these in writing, “ahas” happen. It is 
also a crucial and realistic checkpoint.  

6    Review as the year flows.   Tweak here and there. If they have become unrealistic, move them 
off your Goal Board and let your Goal Pal know. Stay on track. 

7    Revisit your Goals.   Record your accomplishments as the year progresses. It keeps 
you “goosed”  and IDs what’s working … and what is not.
     
8    Celebrate when you achieve a Goal.   And here’s the fun part… you design the celebration around what you want  to do.

Ta Dah! Here’s to reaching all of your personal and book marketing goals in 2014!  Now, benchmark, 
track and see how you do.

Wake up. Kick ass. Repeat. Don’t you love it?  -Snappy Sassy Salty

 


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 Platforms 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 is now available on Amazon.  Join 
Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet network at: http://togi.us/authoru





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