Top 10 Twitter Tweets for the Week

Have you heard? Author U is going BANANAS over APE! Everyone who attends the Extravaganza will get a copy of Guy Kawasaki’s APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur. With over 1.2 million Twitter followers, 4 million Google+ connections, multiple NY Times best-sellers, former Chief Evangelist for Apple Computer, Guy knows marketing, branding, books and authors … and he’s the Friday, May 3rd Keynoter. And he didn’t publish APE via New York. Saturday’s Keynote will be delivered by Cevin Bryerman, Publisher of Publishers Weekly—he’s allotting plenty of Q&A time.

If you have an eBook … Deadline tonight-January 31st – for Global eBook Awards Contest
Dan Ponter’s Global eBook awards entry window ends at midnight tonight. There’s a Special Offer on the table: first entry is $79, second is $29 (another book or category). Use coupon code: 50OFF2 during checkout.
If you have already entered an eBook in the 2013 Global Ebook Awards, you may add a category or another ebook for $29.00
(Use coupon code: ADDCAT during checkout). Visit http://globalebookawards.com/registration/
to add your entries NOW!
 Note: All Discounts for add-on entries will be matched with Global database before processing.

ALERT: Extravaganza Early Bird ends soon. What are you waiting for? Details of all speakers, times will be up in a this week. Full agenda, including the Thursday Eagle (Advanced) and Eaglet (Newbie) sessions will be posted on website today. Register NOW: http://www.authoru.org

Today, Your Guide to Book Publishing will focus on master selling strategies via online with Daniel Hall.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 five show—just click and you are instantly there!

Tweets are faster than a speeding bird …

below are Author U’s Top Ten Tweets from the past week:

Success & Resources
27 pre-designed calls-to-action in a handy PowerPoint template. Free @HubSpot. Opt-in required. http://ow.ly/h1toH 
What is Quora and how will it help the selfpublished authors and book marketing? http://ow.ly/h7StX 
Author tips-3 steps in contacting literary agents for your book and you to getpublished podcast. http://ow.ly/h70Oy
Social Media and Marketing Strategies
8 Ways to Instantly Improve the Quality of Your Marketing Contenthttp://t.co/uwEq79Wy 
10 Important Facts of Blog Promotion http://t.co/ezHAOdOaBlogging ROI: 15 Ways Blogs Make Money http://ow.ly/ha26o 
5 Book Club Tips for Authors-if you are hosting, good reminders.http://ow.ly/h1hkbFeel free to post your books on MagazineTwit’s Facebook Pagehttp://t.co/qBdsJHP3

Cool and Sometimes Goofy Super Bowl alert: Hit the sweet spot of Super Bowl snacks with eggshell cupcakes! http://t.co/PKo7jvZp 
Got 5 min? This is lovely–flash of Ode de Joy to inspire the author and writer soul. Very cool.  http://ow.ly/haOsl

Bonus: Last week’s Your Guide to Book Publishing was with Mark Malatesta was incredibly revealing about agents. 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. And make sure that it shows your email to contact you at, not FB’s
Not following Author U on Twitter? Change that and follow:@AuthorU
Not in Author U LinkedIn Group? Join on LinkedIn today.

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

Marketing Your Book: Do You Quack About Your Book … or Just Peep Here and There?

Do You Quack About Your Book … or Just Peep Here and There?

As summer unfolds, many authors who entered their books in award competitions a few months ago are getting the news—some are finalists, some take first place. Author U has gotten notification of several members who have earned recognition from book awards, with the latest being the National Indie Excellence Awards.  Congratulations to Roger Frame (Don’t Carve the Turkey with a Chainsaw), Cathy Hawk and Gary Hawk (Get Clarity), Lynn McLeod (From Simms to Zanzibar), Mara Purl (What the Heart Knows) and John Maling (Have You Ever Held a Mountain?).

Members Barbara Sternberg (Anne Evans: A Pioneer in Colorado’s Cultural History and Joan McWilliams (Parenting Plans For Families After Divorce) picked up IPPY Awards, and Kitty Migaki (Alphabet Denver) was honored with the Children’s Moonbeam prize. Suzi Strike (Lucy Dakota: Rocky Mountain Beginnings) is a finalist in The Colorado Book Awards and an EVVY winner; Mary Anne Harvey has published multiple award winners (Preventing Litigation in Special Education Workbookauthored by Randy Chapman and Jacques Phillips). Member Nick Zelinger is both a multi-award winning book and cover designer and now adds author to his pedigree (Another Nightmare Gig from Hell).  What are they going to do with their kudos?

Here’s what: get their Quacker in gear. Tell the world … book buyers … your friends … your family … let retail outlets know that you've got national recognition … let the local media know … quack, quack, quack. Do it by:

1 Writing a media release—include a book cover on it as well as a website that reporters and producers can get more info. Make sure you have an email, day and cell phones on it. Send it to every contact you can things of. Include:

• Any associations you are a member of.
• The local media … if there is anything in the news going on that connects in any way with your title or expertise—pick up the phone and make an immediate pitch.
• The national media—print, TV, radio.
• Key Internet resources, such as the HuffPo and Slate—especially if you can tie it into anything that is remotely related to your topic.
• Groups that are connected with your topic.

2  Social media is your pal—get it up on your Facebook pages, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ and anything else you are connected with. Not be shy—ask your friends to tell their friends … and either link the notices to your website so that they can see the book is available for sale or the Amazon link.

3 If your email Signature doesn't have your book cover in it, add it and make sure you say include award-winning in description.

4 Write a Blog on it … make sure you now include that you are an award-winning author.

5 If you have anything framed or attend a ceremony, include that as a photo. Otherwise you and your book are a lovely photo op duo.

6 Post the news on Amazon. And if your friends haven’t given you a review, this is a great time to pick up the phone and share your news … and ask them if they would—then, follow up with an email that includes the link to your book’s Amazon page.  Make it easy for them!

7 Consider do a special award celebration and drop the price of your book on Amazon to its “deal” range for a day or two. Make sure your say that it’s a celebration of its national award. And let EVERYONE in your social media connections know. Even if they already have the book—for a couple of bucks, they just may pick up another or the eBook that they don’t already have to support you.

8 Send your media release to a PR service for national distribution—this is part of your marketing dollars. There’s a variety of media/press release sites—check out Google for a list.

9 Your website should shout the news. If you haven’t created a media tab on it yet, this is the time. If you have already received book reviews, this is a good spot to add them so others can read them as well. Don’t forget to post book reviews on your Amazon page as well if the book reviewer hasn't.

10 If you are a speaker, or a desire to be, meeting planners like “award-winning”—use it … as when you talk with them, “I’m thrilled that my book was recently honored with the Gold Medal in _______ with the _______ book awards.”

11 Keep on marketing … you as the expert … and your book.

Quack, Quack, Quack …

If you don’t, you will turn into a little peep … and those get eaten!

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

Are You Someone’s Cash Cow?

Starting down the publishing path takes money—don’t let anyone … anyone … tell you that it doesn't  Sure, there are ways to create a book and publish it for minimal dollars. And, it usually looks like it.

The lease expensive way to get into the publishing game is via the eBook route or the minimalist version that Amazon’s Create Space offers. It’s getting your toe in the water and a way to start learning the ropes.

There are hybrid publishers, there are pay-to-publish publishers (all vanity presses go in this category), there are traditional publishers, small/indie press publishers and there are self-publishers who could be indie publishers.

You think it … it’s there. What you don’t want to get caught up in is the “pay me once and pay me again, and again” publisher. You become the cash cow. Good for them … not for you.

          Author Beware: Do not pay more later … determine costs now.

With most authors to-be, the up-front costs are the primary concern. Don’t stop there—what you should also focus on is the back-end costs. The true cost of a book to you—be it a copy at a time or hundreds/thousands of them. What’s a reprint going to run you? How about corrections? Or a revised edition—do you have to pay up-front fees as if you had a new book production? If you are with any type of publisher besides YOU, just what are the royalties to you—are they net or gross (bet they are net!)? What about special sales—are royalties reduced? When will you get paid?

It’s not uncommon for publishers to low-ball up-front fees in exchange for very high back-end costs (we will publish you for $297 ….) down the road (think expensive author copies like $8-10 or very low royalties—less than $1 on a $15 retail book …).  It’s also not uncommon for you to be baited with a promise of library and major retail exposure and the probability is equivalent to winning the lottery.

            Author Beware means you don’t go through this alone. Ever.

One of the traits of successful authors and indie publishers is that they've learned that they don’t, and can’t, do it alone. Determine who you need on your team—book designer, cover designer, printer, editor, book coach … who else. What do they cost? Determine your book creation cost—whether you elect to publish yourself or contract with a publisher … know from the get-go your FULL COST PER BOOK. Then you know how many you have to sell to recoup. And you can put together a Book Spending Plan to market and move your baby forward.

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

How to Get Your ISBN

One of the most common questions the about to publish author asks is, “Where do I get my ISBN?”
Excellent question—start here:

 

The International Standard Book Number is known to all in the book world as an ISBN.   It costs $125 for one and $250 for a block of ten.  It’s highly recommend that you purchase a block of 10 because the author usually has at least another book on the “back burner.” And, it’s recommended that your own them outright in your publishing company name.

And these days, the hard cover will be followed by the soft-cover version, requiring another ISBN, and one or more e-books.  And of course, a revised edition (30% or more) could follow eventually, particularly if your first edition is well received.  Bowker is the mothership for ISBNs. Here’s there website that will take you directly there: www.MyIdentifiers.com 

Beware:  The websites are occasionally updated—changed—so these instructions may also require updating.

How to Send for Your ISBN(s)

• Go to www.MyIdentifiers.com.
• Click on bullet in blue below question, “Are you a new publisher applying for a block of ISBNs?  The bullet reads: “Continue your application process on our secure server.
• Click on “Create an Account.”
• Click on “I Am a New Bowker Customer.”
• Fill out the two column form for “My Profile” and “Company Profile.”
• Fill out the two boxes at bottom, “Username and Password” (“User name” can be your name, your e-mail address, your publishing company, or … whatever.)
• Click on the box at the bottom, “I accept – Create my Account”
• Click on the “10 ISBN” “BUY” button and fill out the required information. (As suggested above, the 10 ISBNs is the better way to go in today’s one-author-multibooks-published publishing world.)

The process can take up to a week; most authors get a response within 24 hours.  The Application will also ask if you want a Bar Code, which costs extra (but not much).  Take a pass. You don’t ordinarily need that as the author, so ignore that box. There are plenty of resources that you can go to for a FREE barcode and all book designers have the service to create it when they are designing the back cover—it’s necessary for the back cover of your book.

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

10 Publishing Blunders to Avoid … Part II

Publishing Blunders aren’t fun … they can knock down your confidence, sabotage your bank account, and diminish your credibility. The savvy author can side-step many of them by not rushing to publish and getting educated to the publishing process. And, by using common sense.

Everywhere you turn, there is info via the Internet , on the bookshelf,  via videos,  and certainly from workshops. You would think that any beginning author would start with a quick search on the Internet to begin their quest. It would certainly reveal a plethora of information—how to do it; what not to do; publish your book for a few hundred bucks, become a best-seller; sell books by the boatloads—you name it, it’s out there.

Yet, a huge number of would-be authors start the process clueless … compounded blunders and mistakes … many that could have been prevented with a little prep work. Here’s the remainder of the Big 10:

6     Believing that book marketing starts after a book is published. There is nothing vague about marketing. It starts before the book goes to print—if you didn’t, it starts now. Today, it is seeded with lists—who knows ya’ baby! Social media is an active ingredient in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Groups (especially for business books), Pinterest (if your book’s market is for the female audience, Pinterest is a must), YouTube, and Blogs—yours and others that are your genre oriented. For fiction authors, eBooks are a great tool in kicking off a book—offering free chapters to seduce readers before rolling out the book and building a buzz

Ideally, you want a marketing plan in place long before you go to print. Most authors don’t. It’s part of the over-all plan. For authors who are post printing, it doesn’t mean all is lost. It just means you’ve got to move faster and smarter. Now.

Savvy authors include in their marketing plans which platforms they will be working with and on; what their budgets are; what and where their personal skills are best used; what pros do they need to assist them; what time are they going to dedicate to marketing; what lists/names they need to build within social media; what blogs they should follow to make both comments on as well as to reach out when time is right to launch/market their books; what complimentary promotions would be a fit; what industry, association or groups might be possible fits to connect with; and so much more. It’s part of the plan. The good news is that the Internet has allowed authors to roll-out a variety of different launch strategies to keep books alive.

7     Believing that if you pay a company to publish your book, you are “self” of “independent” published. Understand this: If you pay a publisher to publish your book, and that publisher uses its own ISBN on your book, you have not self-published—you are in what is called a “pay-to-publish” operation; a subsidy publisher; or a vanity press.  You really have little control or little say. In most cases, editing in non-existent; cover and interior designs are so-so—usually done via a template of sorts … you get to choose vanilla or vanilla.

Savvy authors know that vanity presses usually produce an inferior looking book that few reviewers care about and that most bookstores ignore. The stigma that the “self” and “indie” markets carried is evaporating. To make sure that you don’t get caught in the fog—create a quality print book using book professionals. For eBooks, professionals are still used for editing, cover design, sometimes layout and marketing strategies.

8     Believing that you can do it all yourself. Can you do it all? Sure … and it would look like it. Errors are guaranteed—from the cover, to the copy on it, to the interior and the editing. In other words, it’s everywhere.

Savvy authors know that authoring and publishing is a team thing—it isn’t a solo act. Get help—ask around. Look at covers that you think rock—who designed it? Always read the Acknowledgements and copyright page—you will usually see these pros that were major assists in the creation of the book ID’d. Google them.

9     Believing that everyone should pay for a book. Give some away—in fact, it may be a key marketing strategy to give a lot away. For reviews from print; for testimonials (think Amazon); for consideration for a speaking gig; for libraries; for contests; for raffles; for getting your name and title out there; for who knows what … it’s all part of marketing.

Savvy authors routinely give away hundreds of copies.

10  Believing that time is short and you have to rush to publish.Outside of poor editing, failure to use professionals; and failure to market—rushing to publishing guarantees failure in a massive way. Breathe along the way—get the right cover, the cover that really says what the book is about and beckons to the reader; the right interior layout—the one invites the reader in and creates a visual path to eases and supports the reading journey; the right editing—the one that supports your voice and vision; if you are printing, the right printer—not all are the same; if you are going the electronic route—learn how to do it right if you are going to try it solo … or engage someone who professionally lays out e-Books. And most of all, write with your voice and write well. If it’s not your skill, get help.

Savvy authors know that books don’t happen overnight.

Every author will make a blunder … most likely, plenty of them. Some will cost little in money; others lots. Some can be corrected with a few tweaks; others will need a wrecking ball to unravel what happened. Know that you will have mistakes—they’re rarely book fatal, although it’s a possibility. They can be costly, bruise your ego and slow your publication … and in many cases, were preventable. Get savvy, get smart … and ask questions before you start the process. Here’s to your amazing success!

Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd, a book publishing coach and the Founder of Author U (niversity) a membership organization created for the serious 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 Show Me About Book Publishing, co-written with John Kremer and Rick Frishman and a speaker at publishing conferences. Her next audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform will be available in the Summer of 2012. 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 TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.

10 Blunders Guaranteed to Crush Your Publishing Efforts … Part I

Everywhere you turn, there is info via the Internet , on the bookshelf,  via videos,  and certainly from workshops. You would think that any beginning author would start with a quick search on the Internet to begin their quest. It would certainly reveal a plethora of information—how to do it; what not to do; publish your book for a few hundred bucks, become a best-seller; sell books by the boatloads—you name it, it’s out there.

Yet, a huge number of would-be authors start the process clueless … compounded blunders and mistakes … many that could have been prevented with a little prep work. Starting with these first five:

1. Believing that your mom, brother, sister, pal, neighbor will do the editing that your book—every book—needs. Unless they edit for a living, do ask them to read your book for a basic “flow”—does it flow, is the story/concept connected? Is there a beginning, middle, and end? If it’s non-fiction, does it provide solutions? Is it clear, to the point? If it’s fiction, is the story engaging? Are the characters interesting? Does the reader care about them what they do, become, happens?

Savvy authors work with an editor that “gets” their book, supports the “voice” of the author and does it for a living.

2. Believing that your book is for everyone. Get over it—your book isn’t for everyone—that’s a fantasy. Could it sell zillions of copies to lots of people? Sure—but not everyone.

Savvy authors-to-be learn early on that a book that has a niche market can gather a following—followings lead to book sales and chatter. Chatter is good.

3. Believing that your book will be a roaring success and sell mega-thousands of books. And for that matter, too, too many authors-to-be are not really able to determine what success means in bookland. The latest and greatest story about an author who has sold a million copies via the 99 cent 
e-Book route is surely going to happen … maybe …most like, not. Be realistic—the average author in the self-published arena sells a few hundred copies. That’s it. If with a New York publisher, it’s not a lot more.

Savvy authors know that if their book is going to be a roaring success, it’s they, and only they that will make it happen. In other words, they've got to work their butts off. And they need a plan to do it. Success doesn't have to mega-thousands in book sales—it can mean consulting, recognition, media appearances, speaking engagements, another book, even just a few letters from buys who have written saying what a difference the book made in their lives.

4. Believing that you can wing your way to success. Game plans are important. In fact, they are critical. See above. They include the who, what, where, when and why. Plans ID who the target market/reader is; they are clear about what the book is about and what it’s purpose is; they know where there market is; when the timing is ideal to launch the book (and yes, launching needs a plan as well); and they are very, very clear as to why they are writing the book and why they, the authors, should be the author.

Savvy authors have fire in their belly—that they need a plan to keep the fire burning.

5. Believing that publishing is not really a business. Not grasping the simple fact that publishing is a business; that there is a P&L you need to understand and answer to; that understanding and negotiating contracts will come into play; and that you need to view that you have an investment in play.

Savvy authors view publishing as a business and learn to evaluate what the costs are, as where their break-even comes into play.

Every author will make a blunder … most likely, plenty of them. Some will cost little in money; others lots. Some can be corrected with a few tweaks; others will need a wrecking ball to unravel what happened. Know that you will have mistakes—they’re rarely book fatal, although it’s a possibility. They can be costly, bruise your ego and slow your publication … and in many cases, were preventable. Get savvy, get smart … and ask questions before you start the process. Next week is Part II of the Big 10!

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

How Should I Publish? New York or On My Own? What Should I Do?

How Should I Publish? New York or On My Own? What Should I Do?

                       

Not a week goes by that these questions don’t surface via email or a phone call:

• Should I try to sell my book to New York?
• Should I self-publish?
• What’s the difference between the two?
• What should I do?

Fair enough … all valid questions … all important. Without writing a full chapter for one of my books, let’s address these.

New York, New York
Before you decide that New York is your route, you need to ask yourself why you want to publish via New York. Do you know how many books are typically sold via New York? Do you know how much money you will net in royalties? Do you feel that you may be tainted if you don’t publish with a New York publisher? Could it be your ego speaking?

Truth be told, many, many authors feel that New York has greater credibility. Maybe—maybe it doesn’t matter. The better questions you need to address include: Who is your market? How are you going to reach out to them? Are your buyers going to go to book stores to find you? What is your game plan? Better yet, do you have one?

More times than not, authors come away a tad sour from their New York experience—they thought it would be so much more—that the publisher would pitch and market the book everywhere; sell gazillions of copies; get them a blizzard of media; they would make oodles of money; it would be so much fun; and all would live happily ever after.

New York will produce, print and publish your book approximately 18 months after you sign the contract. It promises to do all that via the contract you sign. New York also brings distribution channels—that doesn’t guarantee you are going to be in a book store. And that’s just about it.  Authors must understand that in the great majority of cases, they—not a publicist supplied by the publisher—are going to become the PR and marketing pros. Publishing with New York means that you aren’t fronting the production fees for your book—which could easily run into the thousands of dollars—but that’s where the book stops.

The average author with New York sells around 500 books these days—it’s why, if they take a book, the advances are quite small. Oh, the big names of New York Times bestseller status do get advance dollars—but they are in the minority. Most authors, especially first-times are looking at the dregs. And that 500 copies sold only produces a few thousand dollars.

 Or Not …

Why would you consider taking another route … the route where you do it yourself? Start with:

Timing. If the traditional New York publisher’s round-trip for publishing a book is 18 months, the self and independent routes are far more attractive. Once an edited manuscript goes to layout, timing is a few weeks and printing another four (offset is four-five weeks, digital less than two weeks, POD a few days), an author is looking at printed books arriving in less than two months. Much more attractive, especially if there is an event that the author can be selling books at—meaning full, or close to, full retail price.

Quality. It’s morphed—New York has cut corners—from paper quality to even the amount of glue used for perfect bound books. Authors, using the vast networks available to them via the independent publishing route can discover a variety of pros to assist them. Yes, you pay upfront … but shop, negotiate where you can, make sure you check references and get samples of work before you sign anything.

Control. If wanting the final say of what the cover design is; if approving what the interior looks like; and if specifying time lines are important to you—than being in control is something that plays in your court. When you self and independent publish, think of yourself as the general contractor. Yes, it takes work … lots of it … but the pay-off and satisfaction can be significant.

Money. If you put together your Platforms and Marketing Plans—are committed and see the publishing process as a business, the money can be significantly greater publishing it yourself versus with New York. When you sell any books directly to a buyer, you get the money … also directly. If you want to make a living via authoring, learning how to publish yourself—either in the “self publishing” or “independent publishing” route—can be lucrative.

 What Should You Do?
Don’t think of New York as an either/or option. You can do both, and it may make sense to just that. In fact, one strategy is to publish on your own, do well with the objective of getting an editors attention in New York, who in turn makes an offer. Not an uncommon thing for a successful self or indie publisher/author to receive.

Start your learning curve today. Get involved with legitimate publishing groups. Join them, attend their meetings. Meet and schmooze with other authors—what worked, what didn’t? Who did they work with that they would work with again and who would they avoid? Look at their books? If they are eBook authors only, same questions.  Most important, understand whatever option you choose, this thing called publishing is a business. There are expenses/outgo … and the ultimate goal is to have income/revenues.

For me, I started with New York in 1979 and 18 of my 30 books have been with them. It’s been a long journey. I learned a lot. But it wasn’t until I started publishing on my own in 2000 that I began to really know publishing … and know it well, I do. Would I publish with New York again? Maybe. Maybe not. Right now, I like the Control, Quality, Timing and Money options.