Tangled Web They Weave Time with Publishing Scammers

Oh … the surprises that get buried within the Holiday merriment. Here’s what happened in Predatorland on December 31, 2015:

“Penguin Random House has sold its Author Solutions division to an affiliate of the Najafi Companies, a private investment firm that at one point owned Bookspan and made an offer to buy several hundred Borders outlets after the chain filed for Chapter 11”was spotted in a Publishers Weekly blurb.

Their three year affair (Penguin Random Book’s 2012 courting and acquisition) appears not to be the amour anticipated. Author Solution’s and its various imprints have lost ground. Some imprints were shuttled in 2014: LifeWay’s Crossbooks and Harlequin’s DellArte Press along with Abbott Press that had been developed with Writer’s Digest and F&W Media. In 2013, Bowker reveal that there were major production declines within the Author Solution imprints.

I would love to think that the massive number of loud shouts outs by myself and many other courageous publishing consultants is behind the decline in overall Author Solution sales. Most likely, the mirror will say—look to the giant online publishing gorilla: Amazon.

With the creation of CreateSpace, Amazon’s entry into the self-publishing arena, I suspect that it has gleefully noticed that as its published book numbers grew, Author Solutions declined. In early 2013 (just after the marriage of Penguin and Author Solutions), Bowker’s latest report in 2013 showed that total output for Author Solutions fell to 44,574, a decrease of 5,311 from the preceding year. Over in Amazon’s CreateSpace land, 186,926 books birthed, an increase of  55,466 books. Who knows what the numbers were this past year.

They deal closed on the last day of December with no terms being disclosed. Penguin paid $116 million in 2012 … I wonder if the company wished they had done a “Publishing Big Short” and never got involved? With the reputation of rotten customer service, payment questions and grossly over-priced “add-on” services—the $14,000 marketing package is a real head-turner—only time will tell. Eventually, the sale amount will surface. Maybe Penguin made a profit?

For me, knowing that 5,311 less books … most likely 5,311 authors side-stepped Author Solutions tendrils puts a smile on my face.

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.

Author Writing, Book Marketing, Publishing Tips October 30

There are always grumbles about Amazon … it takes too much … it controls everything … I don’t like Amazon. My response: get over it. When it comes to eBooks, Amazon is the eBook God for sales in North America. Stats always flow about eBook sales. Don’t forget to do the MatchBook combo for both print and “e” sales. Here’s what’s popping for you to noodle on this week:

• Amazon makes up a higher percentage of the total US ebook market than the oft-cited 65% figure: when indie books without ISBNs are included in the statistics, Amazon accounts for 74% of all US ebook purchases and 71% of all US consumer dollars spent on ebooks.
  
• Outside of Amazon.com, 4 other major online retailers comprise nearly the entirety of the remaing 26% of the US ebook market: the Apple iBookstore, the Barnes & Noble Nook store, the Kobo US bookstore, and GooglePlay Books.
  
• At those 4 other stores, self-published indie ebooks make up 22% of all ebooks purchases and take in 32% of all author income generated by ebook sales.
  
• Between 14% and 25% of all ebooks sold at Apple, Nook, and Kobo store lack Bowker-issued International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs).
  
•  In total, more than 33% of all ebooks sold in the US each year have no ISBN.
  
• Across the entire US ebook market, ebooks without ISBNs now command a greater share of consumer ebook purchases, reading time, and author earnings than all of the AAP’s 1,200 publishers put together, including the Big Five Publishers.
  
• The true US ebook market, which includes non-ISBN sales, is at least 50% larger than ISBN-limited market statistics from Nielsen and Bowker are estimating.

Source: AuthorEarnings.com

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

 

 

Summer Reads to Enjoy, Learn and Grow With ...

Summer is  grand reading time …

Print sales continue to improve in the book market. It’s summertime, and a common “to do” on many lists is to read a good book. Here are several suggested reads before the summer ends:

In Childrens’ and the Chapter book offerings, I love the pure fun and delight (and fabulous illustrations) in Julie Griffin’s Cristina Gradina-The Girl with Ten Busy Toes  and Bella the Baker Street Baker . If you have kids ages 5 to 8 (especially girls) in your life, they will love these books. Julie has Jack and the Bean Chair popping this fall—a chapter book perfect for boys 8-10. Get them all.

 

As kids read more, Chapter books start popping in their hands--my grandkids jump on them. Both Robert Martin and Cheryl Carpinello integrate their extensive personal travels as additional "characters" in their books. Robert Martin's  debut, The Case of the Missing Crown Jewels  is a perfect chapter to get into the hands of kids who are beginning their solo reading journey. I love the interaction of Papa and Keira as they sleuth trough this young who-done-it. If you were a Nancy Drew reader, think of this as a beginning of a young Nancy--ideal for girls 7-10.

Author Cheryl Carpinello delivers a series of adventures that land the young reader in lands and legends of old. A lot of fun and history is at their fingertips. Share Sons of the Sphinx, Tutankhamen Speaks and The King's Ransom are her latest books.

What if numbers came alive? In Charles Fischer's Beyond Infinity, they do when Matthew Forsythe discovers a weird computer and a secret door in the boy's bathroom at school that leads to a series of events that he and his friends solve using mathematical puzzles. Great read for kids 12 and up.

ANY of Dom Testa's YA series--The Comet's Curse, The Web of Titan, The Cassini Code, The Darth Zone, The Galahad Legacy, The Cosmic Storm --get them all. I you asked Dom what his books are about, he sums in up in one word, "Relationships." Dom's The Comet's Curse was selected as the "book to read " in CO in 2015. How cool is that!

      

For adults, if Mystery and Suspense is your thing (it’s mine—and I get tired of the repetition I find in so many of the formulas of the big names), Mark Stevens' Trapline is getting lots of kudos and is on my hit list for this weekend:

This summer, a sometimes OMG #suspense and #thriller reading is just what I’m looking for. Harry MacLean's latest, The Joy of Killing, has arrived in book stores. A few years ago, I had Harry on my radio show, AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing. You can listen in here to what he shared. I loved the way he tracked down his stories, even putting himself at jeopardy at times to "get the rest of story." The Joy of Killing is his latest and it awaits my eyes.

   

For the History or Military buff, Steve Synder's  Shot Down! The True Story of the Captain Howard Snyder and the crew of the B17 Susan Ruth. A true American Hero—for the first time, the delivery of the full and complete story of the B-17 Flying Fortress in unbelievable detail pulled from crew members’ personal letters and journals and letters from the villagers who hid and supported them in Belgium.

Women’s fiction is always fun—the perfect beach or mountain read. Mara Purl’s What the Heart Knows and Where the Heart Lives should be purchased at the same time—they are intertwined with plots and inpatient readers are going to want to know what happens with Miranda.

Author Gail Mencini debuted her first novel,  To Tuscany with Love to much acclaim—who doesn’t like the ideal of a Tuscany escape, coupled with a little romance and getting your life in order? 

 

 
If you want some Action and Adventure, The Bootlegger ’40 Ford by Charles  Clark will fill the bill. The Ford Standard coupe is the main character and star, each time selling/reselling for $500 (all true) and landing in a variety of adventures including the famous race with a high performance Mercedes on the Autobahn (all true). Six wonderful stories—it’s a great “guy” read … and yes, Charles does take a few liberties with “the truth”—great fun. Great car illustrations.

And if star and Moon Gazing is your idea of a great summer evening, get What's Hot on the Moon Tonight? by Andrew Planck. This is the ultimate guide to lunar observing—a combo workbook to record observations and a day-to-day what to look for and see each day of the lunar cycle (who knew that days 6 and 7 were the best to see all detail on the moon?). This book is hot off the printing press—I’m giving to my daughter, a sky-voyeur, for Christmas.

 

In the feel better (or I want to) area, I loved Roxanne Hawn’s Heart Dog: Surviving the Loss of Your Canine Soul Mate which is hot off the press. If you are a #dog lover, you will too. It's wonderful--you will want to have a few extra copies to give to friends who have lost a much-loved dog.

My other favorite book of this type is The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer by Doug Koktavy. Since it's publication, it's picked up 14 book awards include the top prize from Writers Digest.

 

Author Dr. Laurie Weiss is creating a series of short gems. In the Secrets of Happy Relationships series, she’s just delivered STOP (These Common Beliefs from) Poisoning Your Marriage  and in the Speak Your Mind series, Doesn’t Anyone Else See This? will get you thinking.

 

For inspiration and Motivation, look no farther than Lesia Cartelli's book, Heart of Fire. Playing at her grandmother’s home at 9, Lesia was standing by the furnace in the basement when the house exploded—severally burned… she’s gone on touch the lives of millions and received accolades from Dr. Phil, Barbara Walters, the Mary Kay Foundation and countless others throughout the country. My “cold eye” editor said it was her favorite book of the year. It just might be yours as well.

Add Ashlee Bratton's Life Before the Lottery to your list as well. The most successful people have failed—bombed—multiple times. Ashlee’s theme is that there is an amazing life before winning a lottery ticket (and we all know the odds of doing that!)—this is a fun book, tons of photos of what the she did before she hit the magic 30 mark—her question: what’s holding you back? Create your bucket list now—whether you are 20 or 70 plus. Live, Love and Laugh and have a great time and oh yes, stretch yourself. This is a book just off the press a great “gooser” and fun read.

If you know anyone dealing with autism in their family ... Living Autism ay by Day by Pamela Bryson Weaver is the new best friend. Welcome to the un-perfect world of autism … a world that has grown explosively over the past decade. As Temple Grandin said in her endorsement, “Living Autism Day-by-Day will help parents to persevere and meet the challenges of raising a child with severe autism.” And, I might add, anywhere on the autism spectrum. Beautifully done, four-color throughout, it’s a combo daily journal, inspiration thoughts and ideas, and like having a hot cup of tea on a cold day. Ideal for any parent who has an autistic child in their midst.

If you have lost a loved one, Disa Van Orman's beautiful Your Loved One Shines On is filled with words that will touch your heart and soul--words that came to her as she was writing the Eulogy for her 6-year-old grandson. The photos that accompany each of the lines are wonderful and taken by the author from her backyard to Africa.

If you have a love of the Mountains, John Maling's Have You Ever Held a Mountain is the perfect companion. A multi-award winning book, it’s a 32-line poem that flows through each page that includes a gorgeous photograph by also award-winning photographer Grant Collier. Have you ever held a mountain-cupped it gently in your hand-felt the texture of its ridges-sifted slow its granite sand-brushed its trees and touched its meadows-heard its glaciers grinding down-felt wet and rock muscle-under flesh of green and brown? Get this book for you and for others pronto.

If you love a great story with the wit of a Southern, you want Apron Strings by Mary Morony. Deep in the South, families attitudes and beliefs are challenged. It's Ethel, the black maid, who brings life and bridging to reality for the family and one special little girl.

If you are an author and writer, you need "juice" ... juice that inspires, motivates and is kickback fun. Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers by Judith Briles is a gem that supplies a pick-me-up, inspiration goose, even a little silliness. It’s 250 plus of my favorite quotes that I created over the

    

 

   

  

 You get some fun, some fantasy, some whoa, and some heart. 

~Happy reading.~

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author.org, 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 33 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. The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers was published in June 2015.

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. Join Judith live on several shows on AuthorsRadio.fm: Authors on Fire (one-on-one interviews with authors and their books with Judith asking the questions on Tuesdays at 1 EST), Author YOU (the journey begins, retstarts or ignites to set the author on the road to success on Fridays at 1 EST) and AuthorU - Your Guide to Book Publishing (book publishing today - over all strategies to your marketing and publishing success on Wednesdays at 1 EST).
You can also hear her 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.