Author Savvy: Dumb is Always Comes Before Smart

To Become a MASTER … Authors Begin the Journey as a DUMMY

Throughout the year, my favorite Geek Girl, Kelly Johnson and I create a mini intensive on a specific topic … the goal is always to talk our small enclave of dummies to ace users over a three hour period of time. In the three years, we have delivered Tech Tool Boxes for the AuthorU community, the transition never fails.

Being DUMB and IGNORANT is the starting point to becoming highly proficient and SMART. At each session, are timid, curious, frustrated and dumb participants display some level of resistance. They know there’s “something” in that pile that could just be the perfect gizmo or gadget to add to their Tech Tool Box … yet … the almost fearfulness of “brain damage/drain” or just more time sucking is in the eyes.

Kelly and my objective is to always reveal tricks and tips to the “tool” we are covering; reveal just why it could be the cat’s meow to support their authoring and publishing endeavors; and of course, have fun in the process.

But—the sometimes “OMG, what am I doing here” look in the eyes is revealed … sometimes, it is verbalized.

DUMB is always the Staring Point of Being SMART

I confess up front … do I routinely use every tool consistently that we focus on during the session? No … but the ones that I learn about from Kelly that I hadn’t already been familiar with (I too can be in the official dummy crowd) opens a new window of opportunity. I have become a MASTER is a variety of areas of publishing. Each journey began with ignorance—at times, I felt I was a dummy of all things.

My 30+ year journey through the publishing maze has delivered an array of experiences, ahas and yes, crashes. I now can quickly evaluate whether it makes sense to keep using and mastering … or to just put it in my “good to know” file the truckload of tools that I come across.

• Is the opportunity right for me?
• Does it fit and support the work that I do?
• Does it add to my social media marketing?
• Is it something that my full time VA can use to enhance my social media that she puts out daily?
• Does it open up an avenue that I haven’t thought about?

Because I allowed myself to be DUMB, I enable myself to begin the journey to being a MASTER. How cool is that?

As an author, no matter where you are on the path: just starting—almost there to completion of your manuscript or with book in hand—frustration is most likely a familiar road sign you’ve encountered.

Drive through it. Those 15, 30, even 60 minutes of being overwhelmed, frustrated and let’s face it: feeling/saying, “Screw it,” and wanting to throw in the towel may be the seed to a giant WOOT! I’ve been there, done that.

Complacency will never move you to mastery in anything. Curiosity and Persistence will. Embrace your dumbness and celebrate the coming smartness. 

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, 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. Judith is the author of 34 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #34 was published this summer: The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers. Get your copy.

Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.

Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching ... call in to Judith's Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 ... have your questions ready--there's a full hour to ask and listen.

It's Hot ... CrowdFunding for Authors!

You want to be in the minority in you are CrowdFunding!

That is, the minority that succeeds in a publishing crowdfunding project. Just under 30 percent are successful in reaching their funding goals. That should be you.

CrowdFunding Is a Trend … Not a Fad!

You’ve written a book … and now you need money for design and printing; money for marketing; money to develop a website; even money for a PR campaign. Money. If your resources are low and your bank yawns when you approach it, there’s another way.

Welcome to OPM—Other People’s Money … money that is given to you and money that you don’t have to pay back. Welcome to Crowdfunding.

You want the odds to be on your side. You want to be in the 30 percent minority that succeeds if you are an author or author-to-be. Not the 70 percent that fail.

The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers  is exactly what you need and this week is the big launch on Amazon. It will show you how to:

• Create rewards that are slick, click and tick with donors.
• Identify timelines: pre, during and post a crowdfunding campaign.
• Determine which crowdfunding sites are best for authors and writers.
• Pinpoint the essentials that every successful crowdfunding campaign has.
• Get hot tips for creating momentum and the final push.
• Structure a social media checklist that’s ideal for your project.

It's the compact guide you’ve been looking for that is easy and understandable—one that shows you how to set budgets and limit costs. Does crowdfunding work? Yes. Is it doable? Absolutely … with some help.

With The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors and Writers, you’ve got The Book Shepherd, Dr. Judith Briles at your side. As publishing expert, all her crowdfunded authors have been over-funded. You can be too.

One of the essentials is the GamePlan. You need one. Another is the critical Timelines ... starting as far out as one year before you run your campaign. Granted, most don't think a year out ... but there is planning, and it's critical to your success. For example, here are tips for three months to launch date:

1 to 3 months before Crowdfunding Launch

• eMail Gathering Continues. Don’t be surprised when people will say they are interested and want to be contacted when your launch begins—and vanish. It happens. There will be a percentage that come through, many won’t.  
• Book Cover and Support Branding. Having your book cover (even if it changes during the evolution post funding) delivers a visual of what’s to come.
• Create Content for Crowdfunding Platform. Video, text for pages, gather images to include.
• Crowdfunding Platform Site. You are building a landing page for your project that has a variety of elements to it. The good news is that you don’t have to “think up” what you need—you will get a step-by-step guide with the platform you choose to build your campaign on. What you need is to supply the content that goes in each. Think snap, crackle and pop in presentation. You want this completed several weeks before launch day.
• Build Rewards. Study what other successful campaigns have presented for Rewards—what types appeared to be the most successful (you will tell this by the greatest number taken)? Create descriptions. Add a few that are “back-ups” to be used as a substitute for one that is posted and not being subscribed to or as a Bonus at the end of the campaign to lure already committed supporters into contributed a second round of funding.
• Make your Video. When your campaign starts, consider adding an additional video—updating your supporters of any news. You can have a professional do it or DIY. What it needs is the heartfelt outreach, the why you are doing it, what the benefit will be to the reader, what you are doing with the moneys, and a call to action.
• Refine your Marketing Strategy. Many authors automatically go to Kickstarter because it’s huge and they think because of size, the sheer volume of traffic it gets will automatically bring donors to them. Wrong thinking. Because of its size, you can be lost easily. Will you get looky-loos wherever you launch from? Sure. But the real success will come from your own push, your friends and relatives and the list building you did prior to launch.

Within The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers, you will find Timeline nuggets for one month prior, one week prior and tips for what you need to do during the Launch month and after the campaign is complete.

 

Get on board ... this is part of the AuthorYOU Mini-Guide series. Less than 100 pages, it's ideal for all author personal libraries. Get your copy today.

 

 

 

 

 

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, 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. Judith is the author of 34 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #34 was published this summer: The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers. Get your copy.

Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.

Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching ... call in to Judith's Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 ... have your questions ready--there's a full hour to ask and listen

 

 

Take the Extravaganza Hot Topics Home & Implement Them

Recapping Highlights of the Extravaganza and How to Implement Them through the Summer Months and Beyond

For those who were at there, you know that there were so many stellar sessions at the AuthorU Extravaganza in May that it’s impossible to share them all--get a variety of tips to move you forward at the next AuthorU monthly meeting.

For those of you who weren’t, here’s your chance to learn from AuthorU veterans Nick Zelinger, Kelly Johnson, Susie Scott and Judith Briles. They will identify the top rated sessions with key points and action steps to take. Deep-diving will be take you into Super Readers - Super Fans (how to find them and what to do); Podcasting (why you should start now and what steps to take); and IngramSpark (hot partnership for AuthorU members—you want this).

• The secret sauce in goosing Amazon sales.
• How to identify and claim your expertise.
• What IngramSpark can do for you.
• What Super Readers are and why you should care.
• Why discovering your Super Fans will explode your book sales.
• Why you need to move into podcasting now and what it takes to make an impact.

Don’t miss this eye-opening last meeting of Spring ... Summer is here -- monthly meetings take a break until September 9th. There will be a few Tech Tool Boxes and an Evening Salon PLUS our annual Member & Friends BBQ.

Time: Start gathering at 8 a.m. for networking and a complete breakfast. Our program starts  promptly at 9 a.m. and will end at noon.
Where: Garcia’s Restaurant DTC
When: Saturday, June 6^th
Cost: $20 for Members and $35 for Nonmembers until May 30^th. Increases $10 on June 1^stRegister: AuthorU.org on the Events tab.

7 Tips to Get Book Endorsement

Endorsements … Should You or Shouldn’t You
 and How Do
     You Get Them?

                                                                                                                                      
One of the most common questions authors ask is: should I get endorsements for my book? The answer is yes. The real question is: where should I put them?

 Ahhh, that opens up another window. Maybe on the cover. Maybe on the back cover. Maybe on a flap or dust jacket if your book has that type of cover. Maybe in the opening pages of your book. Maybe …                                                     

Your book cover is about marketing. The only endorsements that should go on a cover / back cover are ones that will absolutely connect with your reader.It’s not your friend, your mother, your cronies in your club. Unless they are rock stars and publicly know

                         

My personal preference is “less is more.” If you have a stellar endorsement that is well known within your field or genre –most     likely I would put it on the back cover and in a call out type of format so it will pop. If it is from a key review source, such as Publishers Weekly, Foreword, Kirkus, or Library Journal, I would do a “sprinkle” and have the cover designer drop the line(s) so that they do a pop. If any are long endorsements, pull a few of the key sentences out as an excerpt and put the entire endorsement within the opening pages of the book along with others that aren’t used on the cover real estate–these are placed in the first few pages of the book, before the Title page.

 1.Look at the most current books. How are they using cover and interior endorsements? What types  of names are citing books (business, celebs, other authors)? How long are they? Where are they        placed? These are usually generated from advanced reader copies or galleys.  In nonfiction, you will a variety of names and types. In fiction, it’s usually from other authors and typically within the same  genre.

2.Finding endorsers. If you had your choice, who would you want? What’s your Wish List? Do you know them? Then ask. If you don’t, do you know someone who does? What are social media groups—are they within any that you are a member of? This is a time of who do you know who … it’s networking time. If you are looking for celebs, works leaders, etc., The Celebrity Black Book has all the contacts. Your library might
have it or pick up a used edition on Amazon. There’s always Google, but it will most likely not be the source here.

3.Create a cover letter that grabs them and is compelling. Such as:  “If you love to cook … within these pages are the best 200 recipes using Paprika from Hungary.” “If you love mysteries, imagine Sherlock Holmes having High Tea with the Queen while James Bond is seducing his latest female colleague while Jessica Fletcher is tripping over bodies in Cabot Cove and he gets a call for help.”

4.Share something on the inside — as in key insights that were revealed as you created your masterpiece. From the “…if I knew 20 years ago what I know now …” or “…I’ll be requiring this for every client I work with (class I teach, patient I see, and workshop I give …). Was there anything that was shocking or left you shaking your head in disbelief or sheer wonder? Share it.

5.When seeking blurb age, ask what format the reader would like—printed manuscript sent to you, PDF via email, a few chapters … what and how? Reveal your drop dead deadline for having them back. You could even include some ideal samples” of blurbs. Many will take those and tweak them. Make it easy.

 6.Is a particular bent or focus you want? Let them know what you are looking for.

7.Ask for the way you want his or her name included after the endorsement. If they are published, which book they would like to include under their name

8.When you have published book in hand, send a copy to your endorser. Always with a glowing, happy dance thank you note


Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd a book publishing expert and coach. She is the Founder of Author U, 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. Judith is the author of 31 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord Indie/Fab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences.

Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Unplugged, a two and 1/2 day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at http://tinyurl.com/AuthorURoadio. Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.