The Author Resource Vol. 5 Issue 9
November 2014
We’re Talking Marketing & Publicity
Time to Audit Your Social Media
Website Moxie
Bending the Library of Congress Rules
Index or Not to Index?
Author Circles Self-Publishing: What You Should Expect to Pay 6 Nifty Must Have Marketing Tools for Authors
Harnessing the Power of Goodreads Shine the Spotlight on your Media Page: 9 Must Have Items for the Media Page on your Website
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Mark Your 2014 Calendars ... Save the Dates!
Visit our online Calendar on Author U - go to: http://tinyurl.com/AUdates
November 8 15 3, 10, 17, 24 6, 13, 20, 27 19 22 25 30
Author YOU masterminds - monthly Shoe String BookCamp with Joan Stewart Monday Author Circles – weekly 862-902-0260 access code: 7590373 Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing radio show Webinar – Fiction Plotting Authors’ Tea Tech Tool Box – Is Your Blog a Zombie? … Create a Vamp! Draft to Dream Book Competition Early Bird Entry ends
December 1, 8, 15, 22, 4, 11, 18, 25 6 13
Monday Author Circles – weekly 862-902-0260 access code: 7590373 Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing radio show Holiday Party, 6:30 p.m. Author YOU masterminds – monthly ____________________
2015 ______________________
January 3
Saturday Morning with Author U - Creating a Ground and Pound “E” Strategy
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Tech Toolbox Is Your Blog a Zombie?
It’s the Marketing ...
New Members
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You Should Expect to Pay
Webinar Gold Publishing Smarter - Not Harder
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8 BookCamp Creating Killer Publicity
Bending the Library of Congress Rules
Member News
42 TIPS
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To Index or Not to Index
Member Perks
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Meet the Wholesaler
Code of Ethics
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15 Pitfalls to Marketing ...
Contact Author U
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Audit Social Media
Saturday Mornings with Author U
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Harnessing the Power of Goodreads
Author Circles Every Monday
32 Website Moxy
16 Author Tea
17 Holiday Party
33 Author U Goes to Librarians
35 Spotlight on Your Media Page
38 6 Nifty Marketing Tools
9 Deadline is Jan. 19, 2015
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All Tech Tool Boxes are for Author U paid-up members only and limited to 8 participants to allow for in-depth work with each. They are led by Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles. AND … ... a limited number of participants can attend via remote.
November 25th
Is Your Blog a Zombie? … Create a Vamp!
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, demonstrate plug-ins for WordPress.org that you can use for posts, getting ideas for posts, best practices for comments/commenting, and more - give your blog some TLC! Bring your laptop and the log in details to access the dashboard of your blog. Date: Tuesday, Novermber 25th Time: 3 to 6 p.m. Mountain Cost: $60 Location: Judith Briles’ Office in Aurora, Colorado (you will get directions the day before and what to bring for each session). For out of state members, we can set up Skype for you to participate.
The Next, Next Thing in Publishing The Book Shepherding concept is simple: the publishing world is changing … and so must you. You need an experienced Shepherd and Guide to partner with you as you create, strategize, develop, publish, and achieve your publishing goals. You can’t do it alone without paying the price … you can spend your money creating a book that turns out to be soso; or you can create a book that looks and feels classy, builds your brand, and is a financial success. A best-seller. It’s your choice – you choose.
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Savvy Authors Who Want Their Books to Soar Think ...
Author U stretches members to a higher level. Some will be publishers, some will not, but ALL will learn and grow. Author U shows YOU, the author, how to be the best you think you can be . . . and then how to to be even more than you thought you could be. Learn the ropes to become a publisher yourself. Heading to NY? Receive strategies that will hook both publisher and agent.
Visit us online at http://AuthorU.org
Continue to learn and meet terrific people and achieve success. Author U is waiting for you. Success comes from hard work, careful planning, learning your craft, and being in the right place at the right time ... Author U shows you how to navigate and implement strategies that will compliment you and your book.
www.AuthorU.org FOUNDER: Judith Briles
Contact Author U Phone: Judith Briles’ CEO, Skype: Twitter: Facebook: Google+ : LinkedIn: Pinterest: Office address:
(303) 885-2207 Judith.Briles @AuthorU http://Facebook.com/AuthorU Join the Community, Author U Join the Author U group http://pinterest.com/authoru Author U (niversity) PO Box 460880, Aurora, CO 80046
ADVISORY BOARD: Dan Poynter / Greg Godek Rick Frishman / Brian Jud Penny Sansevieri /Marcella Smith Susan RoAne / Peggy McColl BOARD: Judith Briles / John Maling Amy Collins / AJ White / Mara Purl Steve Replin / Georgia McCabe Daniel Hall / John Kremer Tom Campbell / Joan Stewart Ed Hoskins / Kelly Johnson
NEWSLETTER: Nick Zelinger, Cover www.NZGraphics.com Linda Lane, Editing Shannon Parish, Layout, www.CreativeVirtualOffice.com
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It’s the Marketing, Stupid … Judith Briles, Author U Founder
Frankie Valli’s “Oh What a Night” ran through my mind as I completed the last Thursday in October’s radio show for Author U—Your Guide to Book Publishing and headed out of the office for dinner and a check-in with one of my favorite TV shows that evening. My guest was Aliza Sherman, co-author of Social Media Engagement for Dummies. Listenership has been steadily building this past year for the show … in fact it has been building since the show birthed in January 2012 … so much so that I was now following the number of downloads on a weekly basis—after all, it does make sense to have a measurement to what one does, yes? OK, I admit it, sometimes I would check in several times a week. It was a fun and enlightening show—definitely, I will have Aliza back again. As I always do, I created seven to ten Tweets with hashtags relevant to the topic after the show and sent a thank you letter to my guest along with the Tweets, encouraging her to shout them out to her followers; scheduled Tweets over the next 48 hours on my Hootsuite account and then sent the list to my VA to take over and post randomly over the next few months; wrote up a description on the inside dashboard of the station of the show and key points; and activated “publish” so that those who didn’t hear the show live could now download it—either from the show page or from the AuthorU.org or TheBookShepherd.com websites. And then I checked my numbers for the month—October. Holy Smoly … Oh What a Night … over 90,000 downloads so far for the month. With just a handful of listeners when I began, I found by the end of that first January a grand total of 1,200 found the show. The next month, 1,800; and by the third, 3,500. Listenership continued to grow, plateaued, and then picked up again. By the end of the year, 18,000 were listening monthly. The following year, numbers were up just a little; and toward the end of 2013, we saw another jump. In 2014, the first part of the year saw 25,000 to 30,000, and then numbers steadily started to jump. I had over 90,000 downloads in October alone. What’s the message I’m giving you? 1 It’s the marketing, stupid—the variation of the Clinton—it’s the economy, stupid, tagline decades ago. Bring it back to what matters, what counts. The reason why that show has grown is the marketing—thank you, Twitter—and my plan on how to push it. The marketing cost? Peanuts … really, peanuts. 2 This is a marathon, not a sprint. I never expected to see instant results and a roaring success. If you get caught up in the instant success/recognition/gazillions of book sales … trust me, that’s your ego pulling the strings, not reality. 3 AuthorU.org is here to assist you in your marathon. There are numerous programs to take advantage of—many free, some for fee. You have to show up and participate to tap into them. With that said … Author U offers a variety of opportunities—and much in and around marketing to our members. This year, we have made huge strides to integrate programs for our many remote members, meaning someone who doesn’t live in Colorado—more than any other author/publishing group I know of. Continued on page 6 ...
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Yes, they’re in “home” programs like the monthly meetings, annual BookCamp, and Extravaganza. But, there are FREE remote programs—four times a week—our weekly radio show—open phone coaching; twice a month—WebinarGold; and starting this month, Author Circles, which is a teleseminar type of mastermind. Skype connections can work with the Tech Tool Boxes and Salons. All this is a huge perk with your membership. Make sure you look at the Calendar of announcements. Check the Events tab on the website. Read The Author Resource—all of it. Get to the Publicity BookCamp on November 15th. For those in Colorado, sign up for the fun Holiday party. In other words … Participate … Participate … Participate. I know you have questions … the Author U team has answers.
Judith
Author U - Your Guide to Book Publishing with Judith Briles ... Everything You Want to Know, But Didn’t Know What to Ask Every Thursday, Judith hosts an hour radio show with guests and features. Live with call-ins. For the beginner and intermediate author—all episodes will be available for downloads and podcasting. Listen live or click on the podcast from the website. Recent programs focused on how to maximize social media, how to create book publicity, how to market globally, beyond Amazon, how to market fiction, and so much more. If you want to write and publish a book ... if you want to be successful as an author, Your Guide to Book Publishing ... Everything You Want to Know, But Didn’t Know What to Ask is for you. You will hear about statistics, scenarios, and strategies on what to do now! As The Book Shepherd, Dr. Judith Briles is in, and each week she will include publishing professionals who will reveal tips and secrets to the author’s journey. If there is a book in you, you want to listen, learn ... and, yes, call-in with your questions each week.
http://toginet.com/shows/authoruyourguidetobookpublishing
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Webinar Gold Publishing Smarter … Not Harder This fall, Author U rolled out the regular Webinar R Us series. Hosted twice a month by Nick Taylor and Judith Briles, a new webinar will be available FREE to all Author U members … non-members can attend for a fee. A live presentation will be given on a Wednesday with a “replay” the following Saturday. At the end of the month, an encore will be included from our library of webinars for your enjoyment. The time and login information will be posted on website as well as in the Monday announcements from Author U.
November 5, 8 Webinar: How to Sell Your Books to Libraries Libraries are hot … for print, e-books, audio, and events. You will learn how to approach, present, and sell to the libraries of your choice. It’s your ideal partner in publishing and the public. Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
19, 22 Webinar: Fiction Plotting Everyone loves a great story, but how do they happen? Learning how to create the plot of a novel or short story sounds difficult and intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In this webinar you will learn some basic plotting methods that will take your story idea from, “how do I do that?” to “people are going to love this book.” Once you learn plotting, the world of storytelling will open its doors to you. Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
December 3, 6 Webinar: Fiction: How to Build Characters Characters are the foundation of every great story. Without good characters your plotting or word crafting means little. In this webinar we’ll cover some of the basics for creating engaging and believable characters. Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
17, 20 Webinar: Pitches, Blurbs, and Tags Blurbs, pitches, and tag-lines for books are one of the most ignored arts in publishing. Your blurb is one of your strongest marketing tools—without it even the best of books will struggle. You’ve spent hundreds of hours on your book; don’t let that time and money go to waste by writing a blurb or tag-line that doesn’t scream for the reader to take your book to the checkout. Learn the key basics for writing pitches, blurbs, and tags in this webinar.
Wait … Wait … more’s coming!
In January, watch for the Publishing Smarter, Not Harder Learning Labs —ranging from a 4 to 6 Register on the http://AuthorU.org website for all Webinars. weeks, Online Training lab dedicated to a specific topic.
Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
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How to Create Killer Book Publicity that Sells Books Far Beyond Your Launch Saturday, November 15, 2015 Would you like to create killer, knock-the-socks-off, book publicity that reaches far beyond any launch you envisioned … even on a teeny, tiny, shoestring budget? You can … and you will if you attend the Fall BookCamp led by the Publicity Hound Joan Stewart. Your take-aways include How to take the target market for your book and find them online, offline, etc. Includes contacting them (journalists, bloggers, consumers) on social media sites, pitching, follow-up. How to create your own media outlets and tips for building a raving fan base. Includes YouTube, podcasts, an e-zine, etc. E-mail marketing. So IMPORTANT and something most authors miss! Tips for capturing the e-mail address and what to do with it once you have it. What kinds of e-mails to send, even if you write fiction. Includes things like killer subject lines that get them to open the message, tricks for writing and presentation, etc. How to prepare a publicity campaign for your book, what to do pre-launch, during launch, and afterward. Hot seats in the afternoon … Joan will pre-select up to 6 attendees who will be in the Publicity Hound’s eyes … will you be a lucky one and howl with and for your book? Who should attend?: • Authors who haven’t started writing yet. • Authors who haven’t published yet. • Authors who are bored with their own books. • Authors who have a book that is getting long in the tooth. • Authors who are just published. • Authors … you!
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BookCamp: Continued from page 8 ...
Joan Stewart, the Publicity Hound, has an in-depth background as a journalist and publicity coach and is a master of creating the best of the best in Cheat Sheets for propelling authors to the forefront of media attention, so get ready for an action-packed and fun day. Her website is PublicityHound.com. When: Time:
Saturday, November 15th • Lunch and workbook included 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: Author U members Non-Members
Early Bird ends Oct. 10th $99 Tardy Bird $129 Early Bird ends Oct. 10th $139 Tardy Bird $169
2015 Reserve Your Spot now ... MAKE IT SO… the Author U Extravaganza slated for May 7-9, 2015 May 7th Deep-Dive Dinner Workshop with Heather Lutze, author of The Findability Formula, Thumbonomics, and the forthcoming Marketing Espionage from 6 to 9. The Author Shark Tank will be held in one session on Thursday. Brainstorm with the Pros will be back. There will be a session on Agents, Book Reviews, and Legal Issues ... and the Author U Shark Tank will be revealed. Lots to do. Get the dates on your calendar now—you don’t want to miss this. The Early, Early Bird left and flew the coup … Prices are low right now—lock yours in pronto. Register: http://authoru.org/extravaganza.html
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Make your publishing dream come true ...
• • •
Do you have your manuscript ready or almost there? Is crossing the finishing line and having your book in print a goal? Would you like expert publishing help for free?
As the premier authoring resource in the country, AuthorU.org creates community, education, guidance, vision, and success for the serious author. The Draft to Dream Book Publishing Competition is your tipping point to realize your dreams … to make your book a reality.
4 amazing authors to-be will stagger away with a Grand Prize valued in excess of $10,000. From Editing, to Cover Design, to Interior Layout, eBook creation, Advanced Reader copies, National Distribution, Virtual Assistance, one year Membership in AuthorU.org, full registration at the Author U annual Extravaganza, ISBNs, Book Review, Platform Strategy Session, ETC. Prizes are being finalized …
36 Finalists will get a 6-month membership to AuthorU.org, a special webinar designed exclusively around Nuggets for Newbies, discounts to all Author U events and attendance at the Eaglet/Eagle Publishing Day at the Author U Extravaganza on May 7, 2015, and participation in a special How-to Crowdfunding Webinar.
All entrants will receive a free copy of the Author YOU Mini Guide to Publishing Timelines and two months of The Author Resource e-zine exclusively available to Author U members. Early Bird Entry Fee is $119 … for Author U members, $99 Tardy Bird Entry Fee is $129
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… with the Author U
All entries must be in by January 15, 2015. Finalists will be notified by April 20, 2015.
Manuscripts must be received in the Author U offices no later than January 19, 2015. Full Details are on the AuthorU.org website.
Winners will be announced at the
May 8th, 2015.
Disclaimer: There will be no “upsales” from sponsors of the services provided and/or won. Services have been donated by the sponsors of the Draft to Dream Book Publishing Competition and AuthorU.org. Author U (niversity) Author U is a membership organization — an authoring resource that creates community, education, guidance, vision, and success for the serious author. It does so through The Author Resource, an e-zine for members, multiple monthly programs including Brunch & Learn, Dinner and a Program, Salons, Tech Tool Boxes, Author YOU Circles, the Author U - Your Guide to Book Publishing radio show, Hangouts On the Air, Author Mentoring Mondays, BookCamps, and the annual 3-day Author U Extravaganza. http://www.authoru.org
Here’s what Your Guide to Book Publishing brings you this month. Your Host is Judith Briles, CEO of Author U. ALL past shows can be heard through the Author U “On the Air” icon on the Home page—a click away. You can also subscribe on iTunes.
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Saturday Mornings with Author U Note … our Member Survey showed that the majority of respondents wanted to stay with Saturday meetings and start a bit earlier. You spoke, we listened. Beginning in January, we start at 8.30 for coffee and munchies and move into our program.
Word of mouth and customer loyalty are hands down the best marketing out there; but in order for word of mouth and loyalty to come into play, you have to have readers … so how do you get them? The Internet? Everybody knows the Internet is a powerful sales and marketing tool, but how do you use it … and keep your sanity and make money? Your Brunch & Learn presenter is Nick Taylor. He’s been working in the digital frontier of publishing for years and is an author of several bestselling fantasy novels. In his experience, there’s NO ONE technique that will bring you success. Instead, there’s a large set of tools you can use.
You can’t just think in the long or short terms … you have to think of both. January’s lead program for 2015 will show you • • • • • • • • •
Short- and long-term marketing approaches you can use to sell more books. How to build a loyal audience. Tips and tricks to create powerful word of mouth advertising. What a chart rush is, and how to make that happen. Using Goodreads giveaways to help set your book up for success. Book bloggers, who are they, and how can you work with them. Quick and dirty Twitter techniques. Bundling with other authors. Lots more!
We’ll also look at how you can use some of the content you are already writing to give you additional products and maximize your publishing efforts. Repurposing is essential in expanding your brand! Date: Saturday, January 3, 2015 Time: 8.30 a.m. to noon Location: Doubletree SE, 225/Iliff Cost: $25 for members; $35 for non-members
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Author U Circles Are Here! The online Author U Circles are live! Times are 7 ET, 6 CT, 5 MT, 4 PT. The Author U Circles are exclusively for paid-up AuthorU.org members—no guests allowed. The Phone # is: 862-902-0260 Access Code: 7590373 What’s the value? … Priceless!
How about not paying for an hour of specialized coaching? How about being the “fly on the wall” and getting answers to questions others pose that you haven’t even thought of? How about engaging with others who are on the same journey as you are? We invite you to join an Author U Circle. Each call will have a facilitator and a group of authors who are in a similar stage in the process. Bring your questions. We will have answers. These calls will be on Mondays at 5 p.m. MT throughout the month. They each will last between 30 - 50 minutes. 1st Monday - Writing 2nd Monday - Platform Building 3rd Monday - Production 4th Monday – Marketing & Book Sales Where are you in your process? Pick one of two Author Circles and mark your calendars.
Get your time zone on your calendar now and number to call in: Mondays at 4 p.m. PT, 5 p.m. MT, 6 p.m. CT, 7 p.m. ET
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HOW TO KEEP YOUR SANITY Feeling overwhelmed about the various aspects to manage during the book publishing process? Kelly Johnson, owner of Cornerstone Virtual Assistance, is a Professional Certified Virtual Assistant who specializes in working with authors to provide support with projects during the book publishing process. Kelly earned a certification as a Professional Author’s Assistant; some of the projects she manages include: • Obtaining an LCCN • Obtaining ISBNs • Setting up online shopping cart or PayPal buttons on your site to purchase your books/products • Setting up an account on Author Central • Setting up social media accounts • Managing blog posts and website updates • Creating QR codes to include in your book and on your site • Creating a book trailer video using Animoto
Her area of expertise is in handling technical projects. Visit the Cornerstone Virtual Assistance booth in the exhibitor area—learn more of how a virtual assistant may be an asset for your business and your book.
Kelly Johnson Cornerstone Virtual Assistance www.cornerstoneva.com
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The only overseas printing company with a prepress operation in the U.S. Four Colour Print Group is the exclusive USA representative of Everbest Printing Co. in China, part of the Times Printing and Publishing Group with plants in Singapore and Malaysia. Both sheetfed and web printing are available, along with multiple casebinding lines under one roof. We also are the preferred print partner of Lifetouch Production, Inc., in the USA, with two complete book manufacturing facilities in Kansas City and Rockford, Illinois. We own FCI Digital in Dayton, Ohio, where we handle drum scanning, digital proofing, and prepare bullet-proof PDF files for computer-to-plate printing at all locations. Hardbound and softbound books, printed in full color or with high quality halftones, are our specialty. Short runs? We’ll print as few as 250 copies sheetfed offset. (And we have color digital printing capabilities, as well.) Children’s books, saddle stitch calendars, and wire-o binding are all under one roof. And with delivery schedules 2-4 weeks in USA and 6-8 weeks overseas, we can meet deadlines that others cannot. While we count Harper Collins and Simon & Schuster among our customers, we have also worked with dozens of smaller publishers, providing the service and attention needed to produce award winning books year after year. We have the experience and expertise to consistently deliver products on time and according to quote. We listen to what you need and maintain the flexibility to respond quickly to whatever changes might occur. By carefully managing all details during the course of production, we ensure your books ship safely to your warehouse, on-schedule, and without the surprises you may have experienced elsewhere.
http://www.FourColour.com/ 502.896.9644 Sales@FourColour.com
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Yummers! If you are in Colorado … Come to the Annual Fall Authors Tea! Celebrating Authors ... Hearing them talk about their books ... Shopping for gifts at special prices—books are ideal! Don’t worry ... the Broncos aren’t playing! When: Saturday, November 22nd Time: 1 – 4 p.m. Food? Absolutely ... delicious goodies and tidbits plus tea and punch of course! Cost: FREE Hosted by: Judith Briles and Julie Griffin Where: Julie & Bob Griffin’s home: 3929 S. Eagle St. Aurora, CO 80014 Who Can Come? Anyone who loves books, discount shopping, meeting amazing authors ... and BRING friends—lots of them! The Twist: A dozen authors … telling everyone about their books ... in 90 seconds or less—about their book and who the ideal reader is. All books are for sale at special prices ... ready to be signed by the Author ... fabulous gifts for birthdays and the coming Holidays. RSVP: Yes, Please... we need counts so that there is plenty of food... that means let Judith and Julie know if you are bringing friends—the more, the merrier! http://authoru.org/event/7028?instance_id=650
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Ho … Ho … Ho … Time for the Author U Holiday Party
It’s that time of the year again: Fun, Laughter, Great Food, Interesting Gifts and Amazing Schmoozing—the food once again will come from Kimba Restaurant … delicious Vietnamese delights await you! The Author U Holiday Party will be held on: Date: Saturday, December 6th, from 6: 30 to ??? Location: Judith and John’s Home, 14160 E Bellewood Dr., Aurora, CO 80015 Cost: $25 per person or $40 per couple … includes dinner and drinks (no tipping!) Gifts: We do an exchange; please keep your cost value to less than $15—hot items in the past: wine; nifty gadgets from Home Depot and Costco; sports stuff; movie tickets; goofy and quirky can be fun … as long isn’t a clear reject from something past.
REGISTER ONLINE: www.AuthorU.org
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Trying to get that new book of yours out into the world? Or maybe yours just needs that jolt of electric make-over magic to give it new life and selling potential. With 20 years of award-winning experience in book design, NZ Graphics can breathe new life into your book cover and interior—making it shine, pop and dazzle—from cover to cover. Stop by the NZ Graphics booth and see samples of his work and discuss your project. Visit www.NZGraphics.com to see more examples of award-winning books and testimonials. “If you need a book interior, book cover, logo, brochure, flyer ... you name it ... Nick Zelinger and NZ Graphics should be at the top of your list. He is flexible, creative and a pleasure to work with. My clients rate him tops, so do I.” – Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd, Author, Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms “If you’re an author or publisher and want your book cover and interior design process to be easy, high value and hassle-free, NZ Graphics is the company for you. Nick Zelinger is one of the most professional, customer service book cover designers in the business. Hire him now.” – Maryanna Young, President, Aloha Publishing
ww.nzgraphics.com 303-985-4175
Nick Zelinger, NZ Graphics … A Proud Member of the Author U Community.
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... and You If you are looking for a small group of enthusiastic authors … some in the beginning stages and some “old hats” … Author YOU may be the perfect fit. Author YOU is all about education, just like the many AuthorU.org functions; but this one is a bit different. Totally informal and casual, it’s designed as educational for mentoring in the field of writing, authoring, and publishing books. Designed as an old-fashioned “Circle” or “Salon,” Author YOU is held once each month for authors with inquiring minds—be it about publishing, writing, social media, marketing books, the latest gadgets and tools to use, you name it—that Judith Briles hosts in her open living room and kitchen area. It’s always held on a Saturday morning from 9 to noon—the coffee and tea are hot when you arrive— and it’s been around since the Fall of 2012. Take advantage of it—the cost is FREE ... what you need to bring is a healthy snack to share and yourself, along with enthusiasm, questions, and the willingness to learn and share info if you can provide it when a topic is in the Circle. Created in a loose-structure format, it has no set agenda ... the topics are created via posts on a flip chart as people arrive: what you want or need help in. It’s simple, it’s fun, it’s highly informative, and it’s FREE. As Author YOU member Gene Morton says, “It’s like a personalized MasterMind group—I always walk away with information that I can immediately use.” To find out more information and the next Author YOU date, check out the regular postings at www.Meetup.com/AuthorYOU
Did you know that Author U posts TWO Blogs a week?! Every Sunday and Thursday you will find something new. On Sunday, you get a general information/how-to/what to do. On Thursday, you get the Top Ten Twitter Tweets. (Did you know that Author U posts over 200 Tweets a week?) Subscribe TODAY and get your FREE info-pak of the Top 5 Things You Need to Know to Publish on the AuthorU.org website.
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Self-Publishing: What You Should Expect to Pay By Michele DeFilippo
As with everything, in self-publishing you get what you pay for. And if the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t anticipate paying nothing for book design, editing, or printing; if a self-publishing company offers you something for free, expect to pay something at some point, because—after all—these companies are not nonprofits; their mandate is to make money! Editorial rates vary widely according to the task, the editor’s experience level, the project’s complexity, and the deadline (the same goes for book designers). Some professionals charge a flat fee; others charge by the hour, the page, or the word. Remember that these professionals are business entities and must be paid enough to cover their business expenses. Some professionals work for companies that provide the administrative and marketing services for them—a great arrangement but one for which these companies must be paid accordingly. Allow the vendor to see your manuscript and provide a firm quote in writing that includes the amount of time allotted for corrections and the rate thereafter. Feel comfortable asking for references. Someone will always offer you free services. But unless your aunt is a professional editor and owes you a favor, or your best friend is a renowned book designer, you run the risk of sloppy work as a trade-off for that freebie. So what about websites offering free book design? By laying out your book using one of their free templates, you run the risk of creating a book that is not unique and can’t compete with professionally-designed books. In fact, these companies count on your getting frustrated or not being happy with the end result, and they will happily provide design services to you for a fee (along with editing, proofreading, marketing, and more). Also, be wary of “free” services that include a one-time “set up” fee. Bottom line: be clear on your goals, do your research, and set yourself a reasonable budget. If your book is meant as a hobby or a gift and will not be sold publicly, you can probably get away with offers of free editing and free online templates. But if your book is meant to compete with the other thousands of books in the marketplace, you should expect to pay.
Michele DeFilippo owns 1106 Design, a Phoenix-based company that offers cover design, interior design and layout, manuscript editing, and more with expert self-publishing advice and hand-holding every step of the way. Please visit http://1106design.com to download her free eBook, Publish Like the Pros: A Brief Guide to Quality Self-Publishing.
Special offer for Author U members: AU members will receive a 5% discount with 1106 Design. Enter code “AU-FivePercentDiscount” in the “Additional Notes” section on our order form.
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Bending the Library of Congress Rules By Amy Collins
You can register your book with the Library of Congress if your publisher has more than four books published and registered. However, there are ways around this rule. Library of Congress registration and a valid, properly formatted CIP block on your copyright page are some of the items that separate the “men from the boys” marketing-wise. If you are a small press with fewer than four titles and want the benefits of a Library of Congress Registration and a Catalog-in-Publication block, the follow these steps: 1. Make sure your publisher name is not trademarked. It does not matter if you have a publisher with a similar or identical name as someone else UNLESS it is trademarked. Go here to find out: http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/index.jsp There will be another article later on the benefits and detriments of similar or identical publisher names at a later date…. 2. Register your publishing name and your TITLE information at Bowker. Go here: http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/index.jsp Libraries and Bookstores will look up your information on Bowker. Don’t skip or skimp this step. A fully fleshed out profile and title data listing on your ISBN log will make a good impression. A poorly executed profile or title data block will make a bad one. 3. Apply to the Library of Congress for a Pre-assigned Control Number. Go here: http://www.loc.gov/publish/pcn/ From the LOC website: A Library of Congress catalog control number is a unique identification number that the Library of Congress assigns to the catalog record created for each book in its cataloged collections. Librarians use it to locate a specific Library of Congress catalog record in the national databases and to order catalog cards from the Library of Congress or from commercial suppliers. The purpose of the Preassigned Control Number (PCN) program is to enable the Library of Congress to assign control numbers in advance of publication to those titles that may be added to the Library’s collections. 4. Once you have all of that done, it is time to get a CIP. A Cataloging in Publication record (aka CIP data) is a bibliographic record prepared by the Library of Congress or one of its vendors for a book that has not yet been published. When the book is published, the publisher includes the CIP data on the copyright page, thereby facilitating book processing for libraries and book dealers.
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It is not possible to get a CIP from the LOC if the book is Print on Demand, subsidized in any way by the author, or published by a house that has published books by fewer than three separate authors. Do not despair! You can get a CIP data block from a vendor. Libraries want the data in a specific way, and you can hire someone to provide that to you. Check out this resource: http://tinyurl.com/lsf4pm7 ‌ or this one: http://tinyurl.com/l5hyvuh You are now on your way!
Amy Collins is the CEO of New Shelves Distribution, www.NewShelves.com and serves on the Board of Author U.
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To Index ... or ... Not to Index By John Maling Indexing is a pain—an essential pain, however—if you are an author who wants to serve your readers up, from your “how to” or informational tome, a digestible list of important terms used and contained within. Your book is a mine of information; the reader needs a map to know and then find the hidden treasure they seek within sometimes hundreds of pages. That is the Table of Contents first, a very general guide, then followed by the Index—labeling in detail the subjects and ideas—as entries and subentries—within the myriad of topics, both related and unrelated, to help the readers zero in on the subject of interest in their quest for details on a favorite idea. If your book is “library bound,” Indexes are much favored in the NonFiction category. In the Beginning An Indexer should work with the author during the process of its creation. The author is the guru, the expert, the know-all of the subject matter. Without the author’s input, the indexer is alone in that wilderness, guessing the importance of terms, expertly of course, with experience and knowledge, but intuiting nevertheless. What does the author intend; what will the readers be looking for; what headings will they consider that reveal clearly the written presence of their interests? Inclusion and Exclusion are key operational terms. What terms are essential, or merely important, or can be omitted as not relevant enough to be included? Economy of page space is also a consideration. What is the author’s printing “budget” regarding the final size and scope of the book? An Index without the author’s input can become a patchwork of intuitive guesses, often right but possibly wrong. An experienced Indexer will do well, just as an experienced literary explorer would, to serve both the author and audience. But a truly satisfactory final product is best achieved in collaboration. “No-Nos” It is essential that the manuscript to be Indexed be finished—words, paragraphs, chapters, and pagination “in cement.” Indexing must wait until Layout is complete and the manuscript is ready for the printer. Resist the impulse to continue to revise. Often it is the case with an author to “improve” the manuscript after editing has officially finished and the process of Layout has commenced. Continuing to edit—to revise—during and after Layout by the author and allowing it by the editor, layout person and/or Indexer, is a No-No! It is a very real and understandable impulse—but to be resisted under pain of financial and deadline death by additional time, cost, and complication. If a Layout has gone to Indexing, revision of the Layout will almost certainly require a new Index. The author is urged to redirect that desire—and the brilliant clarifications and new ideas driving it—into the creation of “the next book.” Keep in mind that modest changes can be inserted post Layout accompanying corrections resulting from the final, “cold-eye” read-through that is part, at least, of our publishing routine. Continued on page 24 ...
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Modest changes must not flow to another page or cause a change in pagination in any way. Otherwise the Index referencing will be rendered incorrect! And then—guess what! Getting Started The most primitive approach to creating an Index is to simply read and list during a manuscript “read-through” on three by five cards or note sheets the terms that are judged important enough to be Index entries—a totally manual process. But these days manuscripts are universally digital files, created with a word-processor program like Word. The Menu bar for the “Home” Tab in the Word program has a “Find” button (on the horizontal far right on the bar). By using it during a manuscript “read-through,” it is possible to select each desired term as you read, and then Find and manually list on the cards, all the page numbers—locators—where that given term can be found. The Index can then be created fairly efficiently manually (in two columns for economy) from the stack of cards or the list. It is not necessary to restrict the effort to one inclusive Index. If appropriate, there can be an Author Index for example, i.e., one for a collection of related terms as well as a general term Index. It depends of course on the nature and purpose of the manuscript. There is also a myriad of detail with regard to format, well beyond the scope of this article. For example: indented (listed) versus “run-in” subentries (paragraph), capitalization, name and titling formatting, alphabetization (letter-by-letter or word-by-word), and punctuation. The Essentials Word has an Indexing subprogram, as well. The manual Word 2013 for Dummies outlines the process—a threestage program—to create an Index. It is not the purpose of this brief article to outline these steps; they can be found within the Word software program and are outlined in the above manual. That program, in the opinion of the author of the Word 2013 for Dummies manual, is an “excellent” one; however, it is limited, still requiring a great deal of organizational work to create a final, satisfactory Index. My opinion is that a single-purpose computer program devoted to Indexing is the way to go. Organizational details are taken care of, as well as a presentation of up to thousands of terms drawn from the manuscript with locators already listed. The work is then selection of the entries from that presentation and possible additions to the list as the manuscript is reviewed on screen. Commercial programs offer various levels of capability, and prices ranges from several to many hundreds of dollars. It is also not the purpose of this article to recommend one version over another. Do a Google search and seek the opinion of those who have experience with a given program. A manuscript consists of three parts: Front Matter (FM), Text, and Back Matter (BM). An Index should be limited to the manuscript text, but with some exceptions. A preface may or may not be indexed; an Introduction, the same, and Appendices, as well. The straightforward test of inclusion in the Index is if those FM and BM elements contain information relevant to the textual material. Continued on page 24 ...
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Key elements to an Index: The main heading, subheadings forming a grammatical relationship with the main heading, and “locators (page numbers or paragraph numbers, depending upon the chosen format). An important element of the heading or subheading usage is cross-referencing. Cross-referencing links a heading or subheading with another, related term, having its own set of locators. The words see or see also follow the term in those cases. If a heading requires more than five or six locators, it is usually found best to break the set up with appropriate subheadings for clarity and ease in the search for the appropriate term or idea. Finally, serious considerations in the creation of an Index are economy of time, effort, and expense, as well as effectiveness in clarifying the author’s purpose. The Central Idea: In summary, the purpose of an Index—major elements of which are briefly described above— is to help clarify a manuscript—the book—for the reader. The Index can be an important—even essential— element of a literary work, usually Non-Fiction; and its presence and effectiveness is often overlooked in the evaluation of a non-fiction literary work. John Maling EditingByJohn@aol.com
Saturday, November 15, 2015
How to Create Killer Book Publicity that Sells Books Far Beyond Your Launch on a Shoestring Budget Would you like to create killer, knock-the-socks-off, book publicity that reaches far beyond any launch you envisioned … even on a teeny, tiny, shoestring budget? You can … and you will if you attend the Fall BookCamp led by the Publicity Hound Joan Stewart.
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Time to Audit Your Social Media By Melody Barnes Jones Does the word “audit” make you want to get a root canal instead? The truth is if you never review your social media presence, you’re falling behind. I guarantee you are not fully optimizing your social media simply because it’s an ever-evolving dynamic landscape. I live in that world day in and day out, and I have to make a conscious effort to keep with the changes. Doing a social media audit doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow these basic steps to get a sense of where you’ve been in 2014 and an idea where you need to go in 2015. Create an audit document •
You need to keep track of your audit as you go along. Make four columns and label at the top: Platform (Facebook, Twitter, etc), URL, Login Info, Updates Needed.
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Locate all your social media profiles.
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Record the pertinent information for each one in the first three columns.
Study each profile in-depth •
Make notes of updates needed in the fourth column. Read below for update ideas.
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Update and refresh your bio.
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Update your profile and cover photos, especially if the dimension requirements have changed.
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Check all links for accuracy, including your website.
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Review your settings for each profile to make sure they are what you want them to be.
Study your competition •
Locate other authors who have high engagement rates, i.e., fans and followers interact with them on a regular basis (number of followers is not as important).
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Study what they are posting, when, and how often.
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Adapt for your own social media.
Create an editorial calendar •
If you’ve never used one for tracking and planning your social media activities, NOW is the time.
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Do an Internet search to find a template you like.
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Utilize what you learned from your competition, such as number of posts per week per profile.
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Create a non-negotiable time every week to plan and schedule the week’s posts.
The main key to social media is constancy, and a review will show you whether or not you’ve been consistent enough to make a difference. Just follow the steps above, and you’ll automatically improve what you’re doing on social media. Maybe you won’t have to get a root canal after all.
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Need to get in gear with your social media? Join my 30-day intensive Kick in the Pants Program beginning January 12, 2015. We’ll get you in shape. Go to www.SocialMediaMelody.com for more info.
Melody Barnes Jones is owner of Social Media Management Services, where she takes care of the day-to-day so you don’t have. Check out her current or future offerings at www.SocialMediaMelody. com/social-media-workshops. Melody was recently published in Stories Gathered at the Kitchen Table: A Collection of Women’s Memoirs. E-mail her at Melody@SocialMediaMelody.com.
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Harnessing the Power of Goodreads By Penny C. Sansevieri During the past year, Goodreads has really become a front and center social network for authors. First, with their new Amazon relationship, it now seems they’ve doubled their readership to 20 million. Though many authors and publishers vowed to close their account after the Amazon merger, Goodreads is still going strong and maintains its independence of Amazon. If you’re not on Goodreads, or if you haven’t touched your account in a while, you should consider this site and the benefits it offers. There have been many success stories from Goodreads, such as authors who “got noticed” by having lots of activity there, mingling with other members, getting tons of reviews. While success isn’t guaranteed on this site (or anywhere), Goodreads can really help you get a leg up on your promotion. So, how did the massive growth of this site happen? CEO Otis Chandler cited three primary factors behind the acceleration: “a critical mass of book reviews,” “explosive” mobile growth, and international expansion. To understand Goodreads as an author, what works and what doesn’t, you have to understand the average demographic of the site, which is adult female, many with college-age kids; and surprisingly, a whopping 81% of them are Caucasian. They are avid readers, though many are less affluent than the average Internet user, so low-priced books and free books do very well on this site. One Main Focus on Goodreads Your #1 goal on Goodreads should be to get reviews. The more reviews you have, the more readers will see your book. Some of the most successful authors and the books that were “dark horses” came up in the ranks using the power of Goodreads both for reader engagement and for reviews. Goodreads reviews also work harder than most reviews. Goodreads syndicates its reviews to USA Today.com, e-commerce sites, and libraryrelated sites. One note on reviews: you could get slammed. It’s a known issue that reviewers and readers sometimes get into it on Goodreads. So here’s a tip for you: if someone doesn’t like your book, just drop it; let it go. It’s a much trickier walk if you start to battle the reviewer, who may have a huge following of people who will battle right along with her. Stay positive. Not everyone will like your book, even on Goodreads. Now, how can you get more reviews? Here are a few tips: •
Posting excerpts of your book on your Goodreads page.
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Link your blog to your Goodreads page, and don’t hesitate to create a blog post that says your book is available for review!
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•
Groups are another great way to get reviewed on Goodreads. We’ll look at groups in a minute, too.
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Make sure that your website has a Goodreads widget. Once you sign up for your account, you’ll see where and how to get these widgets. It’s a great way to attract an additional following.
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And the #1 way is to schedule a Goodreads giveaway. We’ll talk more about this in a minute.
Goodreads Newsletters Goodreads offers several newsletters that you might find helpful. It’s also a good way to stay in touch with the community, what’s trending, etc. The first is the Goodreads Author-focused e-zine. This is a fantastic newsletter, though not published with any regular frequency (or as often as their main newsletter). It often has some great marketing tips, ideas for promotion on Goodreads, and website shortcuts. It’s worth the sign-up. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/lck8tkc Their regular monthly newsletter can be found at https://www.goodreads.com/newsletter. There are a lot of advertising opportunities within this newsletter, and though generally their webpage advertising does fairly well, I have no current data on how well the ads in their newsletters do, so proceed with caution. Your Goodreads Profile When you first start with Goodreads, you’ll start as a User. Once you have that profile, you can easily upgrade it to an Author Profile. There are a lot of articles out there on creating a great profile on Goodreads; but if you’re on any kind of social media site, you know the value of a complete profile including a professional headshot. I don’t recommend leaving any of the areas blank here. So fill in the about you, books you like to read, etc. Go to: https://www.goodreads.com/author/program for Author Profile info on Goodreads. Add Your Blog to Your Profile I really encourage you to do this. It’s not only a fantastic way to promote yourself on the page by continually posting good and consistent content, but it’s a great way for your readers to get to know you. Also, it’s a good bit of SEO “juice” with your followers because a blog post on Goodreads generates a link (and hopefully traffic) back to your website. You can add your blog feed by clicking the dropdown arrow, then “edit profile” next to your picture (at the top right hand side of the page). Add Video If you have a book video or an author video, Goodreads is another great place to promote it. It’s easy to add video once you’re in the profile settings. Though if you do this, I recommend you pull it from YouTube. In other words, you want your video hosted on YouTube.
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Goodreads Groups Goodreads has thousands and thousands of groups, and I recommend that you join at least one or two right off the bat. You can add more later as you get used to navigating the system. Groups, generally, are great places to network; some will let you request book reviews, too, which is fantastic. To find and sign up for groups, start pretty simply by searching for them. When deciding on the right group to join, consider a few things like genre and activity. Search by genre, and remember that you really want to be part of a group that’s robust and active; otherwise, it might be a waste of your time and effort. Additionally, you can jump groups. If you find the activity isn’t right for you, you can leave and join another group or groups and then sign up again later if you want. As far as I’ve been able to tell, Goodreads does not have a limit on the number of groups you can join. However, I recommend joining only those you can participate in; otherwise, it’s like showing up for a fabulous party but watching from the sidewalk outside. It won’t do you much good, and it can get pretty cold. An Action List for Goodreads Groups First and foremost, you are a reader, not a promoter. Yes, you are there to promote your book, but launching into that right off the bat is not recommended and could get you banned from some exceptional groups if you’re not careful. Your goal should be to be helpful and join in on a discussion. Engage first, promote later. •
If the group has freebie days (days when you can announce your Goodreads giveaway) then by all means do so. If they don’t have freebie days, I don’t recommend you do this. If you aren’t sure, ask the group moderator(s) for input.
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Most groups have a bookshelf. If you want your book placed on this shelf, ask the moderator. Though here again, I suggest you be a contributing member of the group before you do this.
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Participate in things like polls, roundtable discussions, etc. Remember the key to getting noticed in these groups is by discussion. Without participation you’re just sitting on the sidelines or standing outside, watching everyone else.
Finally, you can also create your own group. It’s called The Featured Author Group, open only to Goodreads authors. Readers can discuss your book, its topics, your writing, or anything related to your book. It can be a fantastic vehicle to share with your readers, get to know them, and grow your base. If you’re ready to be a superstar and start your own group, you can click here. A couple fantastic Goodreads groups to join are below. Both of these groups allow you to highlight your book and request reviews! http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/60696-making-connections http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/26989-goodreads-authors-readers
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A Quick and Simple Action List for Goodreads In order to build your presence on Goodreads, you’ll need to be active. But keep in mind that by “active” I don’t mean that you need to be on there daily. If you can, that’s great; but if not, that’s fine, too. Once a week you should: •
Add a new book to your shelves, one you are reading, want to read, or a book that inspired your writing.
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Write a review for a book. Hint: if you do a lot of Amazon reviews, feel free to grab the content from there and repost it to Goodreads. And to make yourself the real “darling” of the review world, feel free to grab your Goodreads review and cross post it to Amazon. I mean why not? Wouldn’t you love it if someone did that for you?
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Rate books. This is easy. Give books a starred rating. You don’t even have to write a review for this one.
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Blog post. If you update your blog post weekly, that’s fantastic; if you don’t, then I suggest that you update your Goodreads status once or more a week. You can also just add a favorite book passage or author quote. It doesn’t have to be a long post. You’re just aiming for profile activity—that’s key.
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Post to a group or comment or respond to someone’s question.
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Add friends. I recommend adding friends weekly, as you can. You’ll find people in the groups that you want to friend or reviews you want to follow. Building a healthy friend list is really key to expanding your network (and getting more reviews) on Goodreads.
Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller, which has been called the “road map to publishing success.” AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour™, which strategically works with social networking sites, blogs, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, and relevant sites to push an author’s message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book’s topic, positioning the author in his or her market. In the past 24 months, their creative marketing strategies have helped land 11 books on the New York Times Bestseller list. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her website at www.amarketingexpert.com.
“Author U is the premier authoring resource in the country, creating community, education, guidance, vision, and success for the serious author.”
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Website Moxy By Judith Briles Summer is over. It’s time to do some checking in with what works and doesn’t work on your website. Have your webmaster … or better yet, YOU, take the time to go through your website. Guaranteed, there are hiccups. Root them out and fix them. Start with an overall … Assessment • Google your site (type site: the name of yoursite.com into Google) to discover how Google displays every page on your site. • Are your meta descriptions too long? Too short? Keyword deficient? Do you know what a meta description is and how to change it? • Anything strange? Anything that should not be there? Anything missing? Has you site been hacked? Google Webmaster Tools • Google has tools for analyzing every nook and cranny of your website to identify how it’s performing. • Are there broken links that need to be fixed? Rank Checking • Many companies make tools that will determine where your pages rank in Google Search. Anything new? Anything surprising? Crawling problems • No-cost download for Windows that will evaluate 500 pages of your website. • Are there bad links? Bad descriptions? Are there duplicate titles and descriptions? Google search dislikes all of these. • There’s a similar tool from Microsoft. • Majestic.com — diagnose inbound link problems. (Google’s Penguin site auditor hates links from lowquality sites.) Here’s a YouTube video on what happens here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j4MZpUmSRY • Also note, Heather Lutze deep-dove into these two sites at the workshop program she did earlier in the year for Author U members: • Semrush.com — Compare your site with your competitors. What keywords are they optimizing for that you are not? How can you beef up your site? • Spyfu.com — Competitor keyword analysis, similar to Semrush.com. Heather Lutze likes this tool. • Webpagetest.org will test the speed and responsiveness of your website. Google hates slow sites. What is taking so long? How can you speed it up? • Rexswain.com/httpview.html will show all of the dialog between a browser and your webpage. See if there are any unnecessary steps that can be eliminated to speed it up. Diagnosis • Use the tools above to figure out what’s wrong or broken (e.g., links)? • Figure out easiest way to fix … and do it … or get someone to do it for you. • Cure • Automate as much as possible—always. Bake these learnings into everything you do in SEO—it’s how you grow your presence and social media power.
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Author U Goes to Librarians!
Author U was well represented at the annual Colorado Library conference last month. Our booth had two purposes— Represent Author U to the library community and pitch books of members who asked to be represented. An eight-page handout was created with Author and Book contact, cover, ISBNs, how to order, and brief description and was given to each person who visited the booth. We have done a follow-up with all the names gathered, resending the PDF of the handout and encouraging them to add our members’ books to their collections, AS WELL AS bring the others who were represented within the booth to their libraries to do programs and signings. Gather librarians who would be the official Judges for the Draft to Dream Book Competition that is now “live” … over 60 stepped up and said, “Count me in.” One of the “ahas” came from meeting a fellow Exhibitor … OverDrive has a relationship with Smashwords. com … with that, a “side catalog” has been created that carries all the eBooks that are posted within Smashwords. The savvy author/publisher will contact libraries and pitch both print and “e” book versions—letting them know that the books are available via OverDrive and Smashwords. Your “to do” … get your book up on Smashwords.com pronto and let libraries know. Continued on page 34 ...
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Ashlee Bratton signed her just released book, Life Before the Lottery.
Gene Lewis signed A Run Up the Coast
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The Technology and Tips Toolbox
Shine the Spotlight on Your Media Page: 9 Must-Have Items for the Media Page on Your Website By Kelly Johnson
When was the last time you shined the spotlight on the media page on your website? Are you interested in getting speaking engagements and media exposure? The marketing of your book and business should include a media page on your site. What items should you include on a media page? 1. Your biography You should have more than one version of your bio available on your media page. Have a 50 word, 100 word, and 500 word version available. The variety of lengths of your bio offers options and flexibility to journalists, for speaker introductions, for guest blog posts, articles, radio interviews, etc. Want to have a little fun with bios? Check out this Twitter bio generator: http://twitterbiogenerator.com/ In your bio, be sure to tailor keywords to your target audience and focus on your expertise. What value do you bring? What can people expect from you? Review your bios not only for your media page, but also for your social media profiles. 2. Book synopsis Just as you have various versions of your bio available, have a 50 word, 100 word and 500 word version of your book synopsis available, as well. Make sure your synopsis includes • Book title, author’s name, publisher • ISBNs for print and eBook • Where to buy your book (ex: from the author, Amazon, Barnes & Noble) 3. Contact Information Make it easy for site visitors to get in touch with you and find you on social media. List these items under your contact details: • Mailing address • Phone number • Email address (with your domain name) • Skype • Social media URLs • Website URL • Blog URL Continued on page 36 ...
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4. Sample chapter Offering a sample chapter is a great way to spark interest in your book and give readers a chance to discover your “voice.” You can also include a coupon code for a discount at the end of the sample chapter, or you can provide a link to resources that are available on your site. When creating the sample chapter, I would recommend •
• • • •
Creating it in a PDF format. People feel more comfortable downloading PDF documents vs. Word documents. In addition, PDFs are more difficult to alter, so this provides more protection for your intellectual property. Including a cover page with the book cover image. Including an author bio page at the back of the sample with your contact information. Including a Table of Contents. Sharing where to buy your book (ex: from the author, Amazon, Barnes & Noble).
5. Sample Interview Questions Whether you have an interview opportunity through radio, print, or in-person, having sample interview questions available gives the interviewer a great place to start in discussion points with you. Create a list of about 7-10 questions, and you may want to create a few versions of sample interview questions, depending on the target audience. 6. Book Review Excerpts If you have some book reviews available, create a PDF that highlights your best reviews. A great method for collecting reviews is to copy the reviews posted on Amazon for your book. You will want to periodically go on Amazon and make sure to copy and paste the reviews you receive. Sometimes reviews “disappear” from Amazon, and you don’t want to lose this information! Here are some resources regarding reviews: Amazon So You’d Like to Guide – How to Get Your Book Reviewed on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/RNCWTLEMV71VM Kirkus: Get your book reviewed https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author-services/indie/ Amazon Top Customer Reviewers: http://www.amazon.com/review/top-reviewers 7. Images of your book cover Make sure to have images of your book cover available on your media page. Have the images be high resolution (72 dpi is used for web pages, but print publications need 300 dpi). If you only have a 2D “flat” version of your book cover, consider also getting a 3D version of your book cover. If you don’t have a graphic designer to do this for you, you may want to check out https://www.fiverr.com/. You can get a 3D book cover image for $5! Continued on page 37 ...
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8. Images of your headshot We not only want to see your book cover, we want to see the author! Post high resolution images of yourself (see note in #7), make sure they are professional (not you standing in front of a beige wall at home), and consider having more than one pose available. 9. List of “Fun Facts” about yourself You have a list of sample interview questions and a book synopsis, but let readers know some “fun facts” about yourself. This could include cool places you have traveled, interesting people you have met, unique situations you have found yourself involved in, skills that people may not know you possess, etc. Show off your fun side! To your success, Kelly Kelly Johnson works with authors to manage technical, creative, and administrative projects for their businesses and books. She’s an article-writing coach, does blog and website maintenance, knows how to implement an online shopping cart strategy, and is the principal of Cornerstone Virtual Assistance. She can be reached at kjohnson@cornerstoneva.com. Her site is www.cornerstoneva.com.
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6 Nifty Must Have Marketing Tools for Authors by Judith Briles
Book marketing is a critical part of the life of every writer. While you would most likely want to spend your time writing, the truth is that marketing is 90 percent of your book’s success. In my several years of online marketing experience, I have come up with a set of book marketing tools that I absolutely cannot do without. Yes, you will have to learn them—and keep updating yourself … but it pays off BIG TIME.
Hootsuite Social media is overwhelming. You may start with updating Twitter, end up on Facebook via Instagram, and pretty soon, two hours have been sucked away. Hootsuite makes it possible to save time and effort by consolidating your social media profiles all on one platform. It’s the single one tool that has allowed me to do so much so quickly. Use Hootsuite to keep track of your mentions and retweets so that you can connect with those readers. Schedule out Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn status updates throughout the day, spending 20 minutes at the beginning of the day so your writing time is still all about writing … and not social media. You can do a day at a time, a week, even the month. How cool is that?
Facebook Scheduler A everyone knows, Facebook changes all the time. Where Hootsuite is a personal As favorite, the Gremlins at Facebook have decided to penalize you if you don’t post using its Scheduler for anything that is not a current post. What’s that mean? Your “future” postings coming from any other site will have less visibility. Now all Facebook postings have been moved to its Scheduler and no longer on Hootsuite. A pain … Hootsuite was so much easier. Canva and PicMonkey: Besides content, the most essential element of a website is a wide range of photos and images. Best to have your own photos—that means you don’t have to diddle around with permissions. Plenty of sites out there offer “free” images or images for minimal costs—in previous issues of The Author Resource, we have included updates on them. Posters and “boards” are useful in your Blogs and postings, especially on Google+ and Facebook. Your critical ahas, sayings, take-aways all can be put in a poster format—and both Canva and PicMonkey have a “free” and “fee” version. Start with free and get your feet wet.
Wordpress for Websites If you’re wondering whether or not you should have a website, the answer is “a thousand times, YES.” A website is the foundation of your book marketing efforts. You own that digital space, which means that nobody can take it from you. Contrast this with social media—you don’t own any of that space, and the “robots” can do what they want with your copy. Continued on page 39 ...
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Marketing Tools: Continued from page 38 ...
Wordpress is fairly easy to use and intuitive in many cases—meaning you don’t need a PD in coding. Choose a domain name that fits your business and you—this is all about branding from the get-go. Choose a theme that you can customize and tinker around. It’s worth the time!
Aweber, Mailchimp, and/or Feedburner When your website is finished, don’t wait for people to visit you. Make sure to put an e-mail capture program on the site to get the addresses of those who visit your site, and then post regular blog articles to keep readers engaged. Feedburner sends out a daily digest of articles posted to your blog, while Aweber and Mailchimp allow you to send customized newsletters out to readers. Both are useful, and the list captured via Feedburner can be downloaded into Aweber and Mailchimp.
Bookbuzzr BookBuzzr is a valuable book marketing site that allows you to set up profile pages that highlight your book(s). It’s got plenty of free options to play with—check out the and the Book Tweeter function. Of course, there are goodies that have a fee attached to them as well.
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New Members Christina Thomas-Lambert, a Colorado native, has lived most of her life in rural Colorado. She and her two daughters moved from the plains to the Denver/ Metro area 10 years ago. They immensely enjoy the outdoors, specifically activities in the mountains. She states, “There is just something about going for a hike or being in the mountains that restores my soul like nothing else.” She has worked in higher education for the past 15 years, seven of which has been with various Nursing education programs. Christina is contemplative and a seeker. Her spiritual well-being is as important as important to her as her mental and physical wellbeing. Now that her daughters are grown and independent, she is venturing into the field of writing. Her first book will be co-authored with one of her daughters, focusing on the great outdoors: rafting!
Cheryl Obermiller makes her living during the days, fixing concrete and potholes. As the CEO of Obermiller Construction, she is known as the “Pothole Queen” … and then she’s the forthcoming author of My Accountant’s Drawers … her saga of discovering that her trusted accountant and friend had stolen close to $1,000,000 from company accounts. Reading like a thriller it ends with a variety of critical “how-tos” for the business owner to present internal theft.
Dr. Audrey Sherman is a no-nonsense psychologist with offices in New Hampshire and Florida. She’s the CEO of PsychSkills, a personal development company dedicated to providing clients with high quality programs and services designed to enrich their lives. Audrey is currently working on her book series, Dysfunction Interrupted. The lead title, Dysfunction Interrupted: Don’t Let Your Past Be Your Future will be published in spring, 2015.
Bob Martin has a terrific partner for writing his books—his 8-year-old granddaughter and he have created The Keira and Papa Detective Agency series—designed for the 9-12 age. He’s an extensive traveler, visiting over 80 countries, and dedicated supporter and board member of a variety of groups, including being the past president of the Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, Chamber Board in Panama and Ivory Coast, board of directors of the Bobby Nichols-Fiddlesticks Charity Foundation, past chair of Save the College at Southampton, and board member of various International non-profits.
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Member News A.J. White RN, PhD, an Author U member and author of The Bloomers – Wise Women Creating a New World, has been nominated by the University of Phoenix faculty as the nominee from the School of Nursing to represent the University as a contender for this award. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is offering an excellence in Advancing Nursing Science Award for an outstanding dissertation from a student in a PhD in nursing program. The dissertation is an original research project that focuses on advancing nursing science and developing new evidence with the potential to guide nursing practice. Fantastic Kudos to her!
Philippa Burgess is excited to get the Author Circles off the ground this month. On her “movie side” – production has started on her film, Boulder Buddz, which is being supported through a crowdfunding project. She has had multiple articles recently published with the Colorado Real Estate Journal and Common Interests magazine.
Ashlee Bratton and Life Before the Lottery is on a roll. A Veteran’s Center saw an article on her in a local paper—they’ve asked to partner with her on their Make-A-Wish program that they are rolling out for staff and vets. She will be speaking multiple times—one woman put down “hold a baby” … another put down “go hunting with a metal detector”—and guess what, one of the staff had one in his garage… the hunt begins! AND … what’s on your wish list?
Julie Griffin’s second book, Bella the Baker Street Baker will arrive just in time for delighted buyers at the Authors’ Tea in November. She joins old sibling, Cristina Gradina-the Girl with Ten Busy Toes. Both were illustrated by Don Sidle.
It’s a happy dance for member Linda Spangle. Her book, Friends with the Scale: How to Turn Your Scale into a Powerful Weight Loss Tool was featured in Publishers Weekly with a nice review!
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Hot Tips for Winter Aha #TweeterTip: Are you asking your Peeps to Retweet you? Just add to the end of your Tweet: Please Retweet … Hint: if you spell out versus abbreviating (pls RT), you have a higher probability of getting a “goose” from others.
Heads up... Google has “blacklisted” both the Delicious.com and Bit.ly sites as spam... these are shortners of long URLs--if you are using them, especially the customized format-STOP. I know that Google would like all to use the Google shortening method—which doesn’t allow for customizing and is just a combo of numbers and letters. Source: Wordfence Security: http://www.wordfence.com/ With that said, there is a buzz floating around that Google will back away. Author U’s recommendation is to use TinyURL.com.
Authors ... to load your eBook for BN Nook readers, you need to set up account here: https://www.nookpress.com/
Authorly is a digital publishing platform that enables anyone to create interactive, cross-platform storybook apps. Using the intuitive web interface, authors can build beautiful, unique, and powerful native applications for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. http://Authorly.com
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Hot Tips for Winter No-cost photos If you are speaking, need marketing material, website visual gooses, and not have to pay for photos, here are sites to nab from—Some do require attribution, so please read the fine print. http://www.designskilz.com/free-photos/
Shout Outs for Webinars If you are doing webinars, here’s a list of places to “shout out” that they are happening or to share the downloads after completion. http://tinyurl.com/webinarshout
Why Join Author U? A good question. Here’s your answer: If you want the latest in marketing strategies and how-tos for Authors … join. If you want high content information to make your Authoring life successful … join. If you want to work with Publishing Professionals who will make your book and you shine—many who offer special rates and discounts to Author U members … join. If you want to be within a Community of Authors … join. If your goal is to be successful … join.
If you don’t want any of that, if you want to gaze and just think about writing and publishing, if you aren’t committed … don’t.
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What does your Author U membership bring? A lot! For only $99 … here’s why you should be a member: Member of ...
• The Author Resource magazine, published online 9 times a year • All programs designed for the committed and serious author - rates are $15 less for members meetings; $50 for BookCamps … over $100 for the Extravaganza • Reduced attendance costs for monthly programs, BookCamps, and Extravaganza in May • Webinars and Teleseminars (free) exclusive to Author U members • Archive access to all past webinars, radio shows, Google Hangout Air, Author Mentoring Mondays (free) exclusive to Author U members • Attendance at Member-only events: Holiday, Annual BBQ, Tech Toolboxes, and Salons • Book Award discounts: USA Book News, Global eBook Awards • Book Blog Campaign discount: The Cadence Group • Book and Publishing Coaching discounts: The Book Shepherd, Get Published Coach • Book Cover design discounts: NZ Graphics, F+P Design • Book Display discounts: BookDisplays.com • Book Fulfillment and Distribution discounts: Author Fulfillment Services, Pathway Book Service, New Shelves Distribution • Book Interior Designs discounts: WESType Publishing, NZ Graphics, F+P Design, 1106 Design • Book Printing discounts and perks: Sheridan Books, Four Colour Print Group, Thomson-Shore, Color House Graphics, King Printing, MiniBuk, Lightning Source • Book Publicity discounts: Stephanie Barko, New Shelves, Smith PR • Book Review discounts: BlueInk Reviews, Foreword magazine • Book and Audio Cataloging-In-Publication discounts: Donohue Group • e-Books, Audio book discounts: NZ Graphics, Book Baby, Author Fulfillment Services • Credit Card Merchant Service discounts: The Free Terminal • Editing and Indexing services discounts: Editing by John Maling, Patti Thorn, Denver Editor (Linda Lane) • Graphics and Illustrations discounts: NZ Graphics, F+P Design, IllustratingYou • Legal assistance for authors and publishers: The Replin Law Group, LLC; Legal Shield • National Book Distribution discounts: Pathway Book Service, New Shelves • Online Book Industry Optimization Discount: New Shelves Distribution • Shipping discount: FedEx • Virtual office assistance discounts: Cornerstone Virtual Assistant, 123Employee • Website design and implementation discounts: IllustratingYou, NGNG • Bowker discounts • Bookscan discounts
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Lick your lips. Whet your appetite. Start salivating. It’s time for …
The Authors Cookbook Author U is gathering up recipes. An author cookbook is in the works. The Authors Cookbook is the working title, most likely waiting for the magic morph to it. The goal is to create a cookbook of favorite Author U member recipes that may have inspired you, created the comfort food needed when a chapter just isn’t coming together, or a favorite dish that creates the happy dance when celebrations are in order. The proceeds of the cookbook will fund the Authors Hall of Fame, our 501c3 organization that rolls out “officially” next year at Extravaganza. Your contribution could be a beverage, appetizer, dessert, side dish, main dish—seafood, poultry, meat, soups, sauce, salad, sandwich, casserole, different cultures/nations/seasons, vegetarian, breads, menus, something for kids, special celebrations, entertaining tips … you name it—we are game for anything. Not sure what the category is? Just call it Miscellaneous … we will figure it out.
We need recipes, tips, and goodies to include—the more, the better. Here’s what we need to have: • How about a brief tidbit on where it came from or how you created it?—of course a short bio as well (as in very short bio of no more than 75 words about you and your book). • Your magic recipe(s). • Nifty name/title for your recipe. • Both prep and cooking time. • If you just happen to have a pic of the finished masterpiece, include the jpg. Submit soon and submit many. You will be acknowledged on both the recipe page and in a special section in the book—that makes you a contributor. Alert … you will not be paid for your participation. You will be able to get a teaspoon of a discount when the books are available for sale. We have to select the final title and get it assembled. This will be an author and publishing community project with all proceeds in sales going to the Authors Hall of Fame. Would you like to be in it? Start sending in your recipes. A J White (author of The Bloomers), Judi Monsour (ghostwriter For the Love of Paprika) and Judith Briles (author of Author YOU) will gather them—they are cooks. They create their own recipes, and they read cookbooks; they will edit, work closely with the interior designer, and get it printed and on the reader’s plate. Send all your recipes to AJ White at: mailto:AJ@Bloomerwise.com Put in subject line: AU cookbook
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It’s always a good idea to review some of Author U’s original fabric. If you are a member, please take a few minutes to read over part of our core guidelines about how the business and the behavior of the authoring/publishing community should treat others.
Code of Ethics The Board of Directors of Author U(niversity) states that establishing and maintaining public confidence in the integrity of authoring and publishing by and through the organization are fundamental to the success and viability of the organization and its membership. In furtherance of its mission to create and sustain the highest levels of public and private integrity of Author U(niversity), the Board of Directors adopts this Code of Ethics. Accepting this Code of Ethics shall be a condition of membership, and fulfilling the terms and conditions and spirit of this Code of Ethics shall be a condition for maintaining membership in Author U(niversity). Actions deemed contrary to any article of this Code by any Author U(niversity) member shall be judged by the Board of Directors in accordance with the policies and procedures stated in the Bylaws of Author U(niversity). Any action deemed a violation of this Code of Ethics may result in disciplinary action, including terminating membership. Such disciplinary action shall be instituted by the Board of Directors. The findings and decisions of the Board of Directors shall be final and binding upon such member or members. No member shall have recourse against Author U(niversity), its directors, officers, members, or employees. The results of any disciplinary action will be formally announced to Author U(niversity) members in The Resource, Author U(niversity)’s e-Magazine. The Board of Directors has the right to decline membership in Author U(niversity) to any applicant if it has knowledge, direct or indirect, of behavior, including speech, of such applicant which would constitute a violation of any provision of the Code of Ethics. By applying for membership to Author U(niversity) and by signing this Code of Ethics, applicant agrees to the following: Article 1: Author U(niversity) members shall treat other members with courtesy, dignity, and respect. Members will respect the personal and business confidentiality of other members. Article 2: Author U(niversity) members shall conduct their business on the highest professional level and not bring discredit to Author U(niversity), its members, or to the publishing profession. Article 3: Author U(niversity) members shall avoid using materials, titles, or thematic creations originated by others, either orally, graphically, or otherwise, unless the use has been approved by the originator. Article 4: Author U(niversity) members shall protect the public and other members against fraud and unfair practices, and shall use his/her best efforts to eliminate any practice that may bring discredit to the publishing profession, to Author U(niversity), or to its members. Article 5: Author U(niversity) members will not engage in any action or practice or agreement that will or will likely unfairly limit or restrain access to the marketplace by any other Author U(niversity) member based upon economic factors, race, creed, color, sex, age, disability, or country of national origin. Article 6: Author U(niversity) members will not engage in any action or practice that takes advantage of or exploits the comparative lack of knowledge or lack of expertise or the financial status of any Author U(niversity) member or member of the public.
Your joining Author U(niversity) and acceptance of membership signifies that you agree to the above.
The Author Resource
Everyone communicates differently. Judith Briles is the CEO and Chief Visionary Officer of Author U. She is at your service ... If you’re a Phone person, here’s the office: 303-885-2207 If you’re a Skype person, here’s Judith Briles’ handle, our CEO: Judith.Briles If you’re a Twitter person, here is the handle: @AuthorU If you’re a Facebook person, here is the page: Facebook.com/AuthorU If you’re a Google+ person, here is the page: Join the Community, Author U If you’re a LinkedIn person, join the Author U group If you’re a Pinterest person, here is the page: pinterest.com/authoru If you’re a Snail Mail person, here’s the office address: PO Box 460880, Aurora, CO 80046 If you’re an Impatient person, type an e-mail message to Judith below right now: http://authoru.org/contact-author-u.html
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