2016 Tech Toolboxes: Blogs, Pinterest, Media Pages, Technology

Kick off your planning for this NEW YEAR by participating in AuthorU's unique Tech Toolboxes.

As a GOLD or BESTSELLER member of AuthorU, you have the ability to attend the monthly Tech Toolboxes. Designed for in-person or remote participation, they are limited in size to 8 participants so that each AuthorU member experiences one-on-one coachingthroughout the three-hour session. Both Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles are your guides.

The first four months of this year will focus on some of the Basics of author success and then take you “beyond” what you can do to position your Pinterest Boards, your Blog visibility and marketing strategies for it, the fine tuning that Technology requires for author ease, and using your Media possibilities.

If you attend in-person, you will meet at the offices of Judith Briles: 14160 E Bellewood Dr., Aurora CO  80015. Beverage and snacks are always included.

All sessions are held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mountain Time. A few days prior to the Tech Toolbox, you will get a reminder email of what to do pre and what to bring or have available to use as the workshop progresses during the three hours.

You must register under the Events tab on the AuthorU.org website. Cost is $59 per session or $199 for all four sessions.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Resolving Questions and How to Implement Ideas with Technology

We’re ready to hit the ground running and start off a new year with a bang!

Let’s make sure you have a plan in place to get – and keep – your momentum going.

Bring your laptop and questions regarding various aspects of technology:
(ex: MailChimp, WordPress, Hootsuite, blogs, 1ShoppingCart, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, to name a few).

We’ll work to help answer questions and discuss how to implement your plans for programs and products technically.
This is also an opportunity to review how to use the tools that have been taught in past Tech Toolbox topics.

Bring the log in details for your accounts.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Shine the Spotlight on your Media Page

Authors – when was the last time you shined the spotlight on the media page on your website?
Interested in speaking engagements and media exposure?
The marketing of your book and business should include a media page on your site.

Join us for this Tech Toolbox to learn must-have items for your media page, bios (yes, plural!) to have posted, and review author one sheets. After this workshop, the spotlight will be so bright on your media page, you’ll have to wear shades!

Bring the log in details for your website, your headshots, book cover images, and a copy of your book.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

 

Renew, Review, Revamp and Repair Your Blog

Blogs give authors a great outlet for expressing their thoughts, expanding on ideas in their books, and generating discussions. To help ensure that your thoughts and ideas are “getting out there” to your target audience, you need to review and implement best practices when writing and posting your blogs.

In this Tech Toolbox, we will have participants log into their blog dashboards to review techniques on best methods for posting images & content, look at blogging tools, getting ideas for posts, best practices for comments/commenting and more - give your blog some TLC!

Bring the log in details to access the dashboard of your blog.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

The Power of Pinterest

Are You Stuck on Pinning … or just getting started?
Pinterest is a huge resource for building traffic to your site and book sales.

Learn how to build a powerful presence on Pinterest, discover Pinterest apps
and gain some new ideas for promoting your expertise and marketing your programs and books.

If you haven’t got a Pinterest account yet, please create it before the Tech ToolBox begins. Bring the log in details for your Pinterest account.

Tech Toolboxes are one of AuthorU’s unique benefits to members. They are fast, in-depth and fun. There is always a take-away handout to support all teaching/coaching points. It’s laptop intense—power yours up and be ready “to go” to levels and places you didn’t think you could. 

AND ... a Huge PS ... tomorrow is the last day to register at a discount for the Denver program Saturday   Mornings gathering of How to Launch (or Relaunch) Your Book. Info here.

Get registered now under the Events tab on the AuthorU.org website.

Judith Briles is 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 and Publishing Tips & Ahas | AuthorU

 

Are you Blogging?

Here’s a HOT TIP for pushing your Blogs via LinkedIn.

It’s a huge traffic possibility—key word searching drives it. What does that mean? Simply this: make sure you use one or two of your key words in the title … then repeat them, of course, in the body of the blog.

That’s Social Media 101.

                                                                        

All you do is write your lead HEADLINE, click on the paperclip image and add the full link to your post.

 

Here’s why it’s hot, hot, hot:

1. If you have linked with more than 500 people, they will be notified that you have created a new post (Sure beats the nutsyness of Facebook deciding how many people are going to see what you post—with LinkedIn—your 500+ all get notified that you have a new article that has been posted—so much better!). Make that title snappy, sassy, salty and key word rich.
2. Another idea is to get readers to your Blog on your website (assuming that you have multiple posts that give it some “legs”) and hopefully, subscribe to it. Do this by posting your snappy, sassy, salty head line; include a couple of tease paragraphs. Add a Call-to-Action to scope out the rest of the article, including a “read more” phrase with the link to your website where your Blog resides.And it’s a TaDah and a great way to kick off 2015 via LinkedIn.

As a reminder … if you aren’t on the Author U group on LinkedIn –join it. There are over 7,600 voices with participants from a variety of countries who share info; a question-board is at your fingertips that gets immediate responses from other members; and I love the global voice that it brings.

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.

Author and Book Success: In Sight … In Mind

Typically, most view January as the month of Resolutions. I suggest you don’t. Why—simply this: most Resolutions are trashed within a few weeks of making them. It’s estimated that over 75 percent of resolutions are quickly side-stepped.

 

What are the top reasons resolutions become out of sight … out of mind?

1 Creating an All or Nothing Scenario

Almost guaranteed to set any author up for failure, we authors sometimes think of success in a black and white format. Usually it is kicked-off with the word “instant” … as in I need to sell 500 books in the next two weeks; I need to get on a national TV show this month; I need to ________. The publishing journey is a marathon, not the mythical short sprint that most just published authors think.

2 Lapsing and Relapsing

ODing either way … happens if there is a relapse … then you promise yourself (or others) that you will get back on track … and you do until you run into another hiccup. Then it moves into an all or none strategy that rarely goes flawless in execution or succeeding. Hiccups happen, get that it’s part of the journey. They hurt, but are rarely fatal.

3 Rewards Work

Every author has something different that motivates him or her. What’s yours? Do it; enjoy it; celebrate whatever your “it” is. Growth and success comes in a variety of steps and stages. One of my favorite books is Mastery by George Leonard. Required reading when I worked on my MBA years ago, its aha was the value of setbacks and plateaus … events that would enable/encourage one to regroup, relearn, practice and then woot … a huge leap in progress becomes highly probable.

4 Re-instill Vision

When you started on the Author Journey, you had a vision for either you or your book, preferably both. It’s time to revisit it. Clarify and goose your motivation.

5 Accountability and Action

Your Author and Book GamePlan for success require all of the above plus it needs action that has accountability tied to it.
Many jump on the authoring journey without putting one together. If that’s you, it’s never too late—you just may not like some of the revealing “hiccups” that your lack of a GamePlan didn't include. If you had one, you could be under the influence of Author Fatigue Syndrome—you are pooped.

Let’s try something different. It’s time to revisit it and reward yourself for the milestones you can mark off as DONE. Instead of vowing that you won’t do this or that you will do that … create a new GamePlan for 2015. If you have book in hand, it’s all about marketing and positioning. If your book is being written or in production, it’s ditto along with making sure that “your team” is creating the book that is your vision and one that you have no regrets about.

Lots going on in January. The PublishingAtSea.com sets to sea on the 18th … a great was to concentrate on lots of publishing info PLUS have a vacation on the side PLUS have it tax deductible. How cool is that?

The Author’s Ark will be starting up in February—THREE intense months of coaching with me. Get signed up NOW. http://bit.ly/1fWGR9Y
The Draft to Dream Book Publishing Competition ends on the 15th … if you have a manuscript that hasn’t been published, this is a HUGE window of opportunity. All details are on the www.AuthorU.org website. DO IT>  http://ow.ly/Co6DM

Early bird registration for the AuthorU.org Extravaganza is just around the corner. All the main publishing players will be there… the question is… well YOU. Rates will increase $100 on February 1st.
2015 is the year for in sight, in mind for you and your book’s success. I’m committed to it … are you?

 

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/AuthorURadio . 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.

Authors, Books and Webinars Go Together

One of the challenges that every Webinar seems to encounter is the talking head syndrome. In TV land, this is typical of your news shows. Your Webinar needs even more energy and when your attendees can’t see you.

Your challenge is to create action in their eyes with your words, your phrases, your pausing, your illustrations, your speaking style, your examples, your stories, your segways, your everything … it’s your show and whether the attendee comes back for another Webinar will be based on whether you can connect with your audience or not.

Why in the world would someone want to sit through 15 minutes, or 120 minutes, of a Webinar? The answer is the same if they were attending a live presentation—to get information and to find solutions that can be implemented without spending a ton of time and money doing it.

The Webinar presenter is the expert. She or he has the answers. That’s you. Know who your audience is—you can do this at the initial registration and/or via a poll given during the Webinar. Don’t tease them with a bait and switch approach, trying to get them to sign up for another program to get “the rest of the story.” Give them what you promised up front in your initial benefit statements that they received prior to registration; tell them, and show when you can, how your concepts work and how they are best implemented; and make sure that you doing a “summing” up at the end of your Webinar—remember, it’s likely that you will have latecomers who will miss some of your key points.

Let’s assume that you’ve wowed your audience with a great presentation – they loved what you had to say and they really like you. You have them where you want them. Now what do you do? Here’s where you can blow it! You just say thanks for coming and good bye. Not good. You didn’t give the attendees a Call to Action. There is No Challenge to your audience, No Special offers, No Next Steps or To-Do List.

Why a “Call to Action”? Remember – they wanted to attend your webinar and they want to do something now. So give them the next possible steps. Make sure they take action of some kind.

As an AuthorU.org member, you get free webinars within the Webinar Gold series each month. We open the mic up at the end to answer questions LIVE ... and keep the learning going. If you aren't participating in them, you are missing out. Held on two Wednesdays a month at 6 Eastern, they are rich with content for both fiction and non-fiction writers. Always check the Event tab on the website for the next one scheduled.

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.

Authors, Judgement and Publishing Predators

   What do you do when you’ve been “had” in the publishing   game/maze?

Who’s the book-buster
       you call in?

Do you moan and groan that you’ve been screwed?

Do you spend countless hours in phone and email hell trying to get to someone who’s
going to fix whatever needs fixing on your book?

Do you cave in, with book tail between your heart and soul and just slink away?

Do you make a variety of excuses as to why you are in the mess you are?

Do you ignore that you’ve been treated like a piece of yesterday’s trash?

Do you …

How about: let’s kick in “your better judgment” Do you … and get the heck out of dodge?

Stop working with the people and group that have zapped you.  Just stop. Lick your wounds; you made a mistake that is costing you time, energy and money. I know, it’s the money thing that keeps people in the book and author abuse cycle.

If you don’t, it will suck the passion out of your book and you. Tell everyone you know who they are, what exactly has been the pits and engage with someone who knows what they are doing. And listen to them; dump your ego, not your vision.

There is too, too much information out there available with a few clicks to weed the publishing predators out. Google the names; add “scams”, “problems”, “cons”, “complaints” after their names—read every one of them. Predators & Editors should always be checked out. Ask, Ask, Ask. I had someone who called me last week who admitted after I asked him why he signed with Xlibris–he was sick of being hounded by all the phone calls and just wanted them to stop. He signed a contract, gave them money … because he wanted them to stop calling him!

      Authors—the boiler room operations of Author House, Author Solutions, Xlibris, iUniverse, etc., have hundreds of people “hounding” naive authors-to-be around the clock—it’s their “job”—they are author hounders, lurking in the shadows, ready to root into your creative juices, and yes, your personal vanity, to get your wallet and book.

And Amazon, with all its bucks, needs to kick up its quality control. The results are hit and miss on printing and layout quality for its CreateSpace program. CreateSpace is a pay to publish method, let’s call it what it is. The choice for cover presentation—gloss or gloss—is dismal. Lightning Source is leap years ahead of it. Certainly OK for a “galley” and ARC strategy or to “test” the grounds for a book … but to sell in physical quantity/quality—to compete what books that authors and publishers of any size are putting thought and money into—not so hot. If you don’t care what the physical presentation of your book is, then it doesn’t.

When I look at the finished results of the vanity, pay-to-publish, subsidy crowd, and hear the author tell me in writing or in person that they are OK/happy with the results … just what are the results being comparing to? If he or she doesn’t know better … well … is that really OK? Your choice, you choose … and look in the mirror when you do. I would choose to get out of dodge and start over. Yes, you are out some money and time. And yes, you will get your book and author life back. The book-buster is in the mirror. Your choice, you choose.



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/AuthorURadio . 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.

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.