The Author Resource Vol. 5 Issue 7
September 2014
September is Perfect for Back to School Old Basics You Must Have and New Ones You Don’t Want to Live Without!
How to Bend the Library of Congress Rules Author Photo Tips 7 Hot Online Shopping Tools
August-September: On the Air Create Your Author Central account on Amazon
Twitter—Why the Best and the Worst Words Get Retweeted
Meet the Wholesaler Getting Book Reviews Upfront Where Does Your Social Media Measure Up? Best Times for Posting Social Media What to Expect from an Editorial Evaluation Your Book Cover
15 Pitfalls to Marketing Your Book Vocabulary Lessons For Today’s Book Industry – Meet the Wholesaler How Social Media Really Measures Up
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Mark Your 2014 Calendars ... Save the Dates!
Visit our online Calendar on Author U - go to: http://tinyurl.com/AUdates
September 17, 20 18
Webinar Gold: Sacred Publishing Myths and Beyond Dinner and a Program … Dinner and a Program Meet and Learn the NEW, NEW Basics of the Cyber World … It’s Back to School Night! (October on will change to Saturday programs)
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Tech Tool Box: Author Central Accounts
October 1.4 11 16-18
Webinar Gold: How to Sell Your Books into the Holidays Brunch & Learn Colorado Library Association conference … CTrade Show, display of books
November 5,8 15
Webinar Gold: How to Sell Your Books to Libraries BookCamp … How to Create a Killer Book Publicity that Sells Books Far Beyond Your Launch on a Shoestring Budget with Joan Stewart
19,22
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Webinar Gold: Fiction Plotting Webinar Gold: Encore
December 3,6 6 17,20 31
Webinar Gold: Fiction: How to Build Characters Holiday Party, 6:30 p.m. Webinar Gold: Pitches, Blurbs and Tags Webinar Gold: Encore
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What’s Old? … What’s New? … What’s Hot? What’s for You? Meet and Learn the NEW, NEW Basics of the CyberWorld … It’s Back to School Night!
September 18, 2014 / 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Meet and Learn the NEW, NEW Basics of the CyberWorld … It’s Back to School Night! The Gizmo and Gadget World Turns … are you turning with it or have you been spun off? This Dinner & a Program will get you back on, using the ones that are the perfect fit for you as an author, for your book as a Ta Dah! You want to be at this event. Think of it as a Tech Tool Box on Steroids. Judith Briles and Kelly Johnson are teaming up to share not only the best of the best in the Gizmo and Gadget world … but they will be demonstrating and showing you how to implement them. This will be a WOW event. As the nights shorten, this will be the last evening meeting for local events. We are adding to the remote mix so that many of our out-of-Colorado members can be included.
Bring your laptop … there will be juice to power up at each table. When: Thursday, September 18 Where: Doubletree SouthEast Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Cost: $35 for members, $50 for non-members
Have You Met Author U’s Premier Partners and Associates? Have you checked out Author U’s Premier Partners and Associate Services pages on the website? Recommended providers from shipping to printing and everything in between. http://ow.ly/dflYi
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Webinar Gold Publishing Smarter - Not Harder
September is Perfect for ...
New Members
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Book Reviews Up Front
Member News
Your Guide to Book Publishing from August
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Best Times for Social Media Posting
Colorado Association of Libraries Conference
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What to Expect from an Editorial Evaluation
Member Perks
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43 TIPS
48 Code of Ethics
Meet the Wholesaler
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49 Contact Author U
15 Pitfalls to Marketing ...
12 BookCamp Creating Killer Publicity
14 Evening Salon Blog Gold Mining
26 Best and Worst Words
50 BONUS! Draft to Dream Competition
30 How Social Media Adds Up
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Danger Ahead: Your Book Cover is Your Business
Tech Toolbox Author Central Accounts
37 7 Online Shopping Tools
38 Photo Tips
39 7 Online Shopping Tools
Listen in ... Page 9
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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 John Maling, Editing Shannon Parish, Layout, www.CreativeVirtualOffice.com
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September is Perfect for Back to School for Authors … Judith Briles, Author U Founder
Noodle the old basics you must have and learn new ones you don’t want to live without! Summer officially comes to an end this month and yours truly, who craves the sun, starts mourning, knowing that ice and snow are once again coming to Colorado. The home base … a base that has been in a monsoon mode for a great part of the real summer.
We have lots planned beginning this September—the Webinar Gold kicks off with the Myths and Realities of Publishing on September 17th followed by Critical Publishing Timelines the first week in October … it will be repeated on the 20th. Nick Taylor will work with me as we roll out this new program. From October on, webinars will be twice a month. These are FREE to Author U members. Others may attend for a fee. This month’s Author Resource is loaded with the “how-tos”—after all, it’s back to basics and learning new things. As in: • How to get your book into the Library of Congress • How to create a killer Author Photo • How to get your Tweets retweeted • How to avoid book marketing pitfalls • How to work with a book wholesaler • How to post your social media at the right time • How to get your book reviewed with the “right” reviewers • How to measure up what your social media efforts is doing • How to effectively use an editorial evaluation • How to create a stellar book cover Expect to hear from Philippa Burgess, our new Director of Membership. You will have a survey to complete—this will help in the coming year’s program. The 2015 Extravaganza is shaping up (put May 7-9 on your calendar now!)—we will be at the Renaissance Denver Hotel again, with all the meeting space bugs worked out that we encountered two years ago. This is the ideal hotel for all our attendees who travel to Denver to the annual event. Watch for details of the Draft to Dream Book Competition popping next month—huge prizes will go to four lucky winners. Open to all authors, but Author U members will get a discount for the entry fee. Continued on page 6 ...
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Back to School: Continued from page 5 ... If you want your books in the library, start by participating in the Colorado Association of Libraries Annual Conference October 16-18 in Loveland, Colorado. All Author U Members in all States are welcome. There are just a few spots available with details on the website. I’m excited… our November BookCamp is with the awesome Publicity Hound, Joan Stewart will deliver an all day workshop on How to Create Killer Book Publicity that Sells Books Far Beyond Your Launch. Get registered for this pronto—info is on the website. Don’t forget … we have a Dinner and a Program this month… Colorado meetings will change to the regular Saturday Brunch format beginning in October. With September, it’s going to be a deep dive into all the critical gizmos and gadgets that authors need. Bring your laptops—you will leave with new tools and repurposing of old ones. Register on the website for the 18th. See you all in a few weeks. Lots happening … yep, summer is over, and it’s back to the authoring and publishing worlds.
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 that 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://togi.us/authoru
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Webinar Gold
Publishing Smarter … Not Harder This fall, Author U rolls out the regular Webinar R Us series. Hosted by Nick Taylor and Judith Briles, twice a month, 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.
September 17, 20
Webinar: Sacred Publishing Myths and Beyond
What’s holding you back or got you in a quandary? A look into the ghosts of the past and what’s in the next, next realm of publishing for today’s author. This session will break up the myths and bring realty to today’s author/publisher. Cost: This event will be FREE to all.
October 1, 4
Webinar: How to Sell Your Books into the Holidays
Holiday book selling isn’t just in December …it’s all year round. Did you know that October is the #1 book selling month. Get ready to knock down old ideas … there’s book sales out there! Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
15, 18
Webinar: Creating the Timelines for Your Book’s Success
Most authors just think “writing” as they move their book forward to printing. Not after this webinar… there are critical timelines to focus on long before a book is even completed and in the hands of an editor. Roll up your sleeves, there’s work to do! Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
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Webinar Encore, to be announced
Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
In the comfort of your own home ...
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Webinar Gold ... continued
Publishing Smarter … Not Harder
November 5, 8
Webinar: How to Sell Your Books to Libraries
Libraries are hot … for print, ebooks, 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
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Webinar Encore, to be announced
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. Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
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Webinar Encore, to be announced
Cost: FREE to paid-up Author U members; $49 for non-members
Register on the http://AuthorU.org website for all Webinars.
Wait … Wait … more’s coming! In January, watch for the Publishing Smarter, Not Harder Learning Labs —ranging from a 4 to 6 week Online Training lab dedicated to a specific topic.
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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.
Here’s what August brought to you —make sure you listen in ... August 7th: How to Get Book Reviews from the RIGHT Reviewers Show The team from ForewordReviews.com joins Judith Briles for an in-depth journey of how a book is selected for review and how to go about get a book to pass the first, critical stage of a book review-listen to podcast: http://ow.ly/A57dO
August 14th: eBooks and Book Design Show Multi-award winning designer Rebecca Finkel joins Judith to probe the latest in eBooks, including what’s happening with Inkling along with critical tips for your book design—listen to podcast: http://ow.ly/AlnAq
August 21st : Working with Libraries Show Kari Williams, President of the Colorado Library Association offers a variety of tidbits for the author who wants to get his or her book into the library as well as create events on site—listen to podcast: From the AuthorU Radio page: http://authoru.org/on-the-air.html ... or on iTunes: http://bit.ly/1qKgpCW
August 28th: Creativity … Juicing Up the Juice Show Jake Williams stepped to the plate and went through a variety of tips of how to use creativity; how to get it restarted when it goes into the snooze zone; and how to use it in repurposing—listen to podcast: From the AuthorU Radio page: http://authoru.org/on-the-air.html ... or on iTunes: http://bit.ly/1qKgpCW
Upcoming in September ... Continued on page 10 ...
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Upcoming in ... September 4th and 11th Publishing Timelines, Part I and II Shows Judith Briles, CEO of Author U and The Book Shepherd explores what you should be doing while your are expecting your book 12 months prior to publication to post publication.
September 18th Creating Videos that Rock! Susie Scott from i25 Productions will boggle your mind with all the latest in video power ‌ including creating the Author and Book videos.
September 25th CrowdFunding with Kickstarter The fall time is a great time to create a crowdfunding project. The granddaddy of crowdfunding is Kickstarter and in the studio today is Margot Atwell, the Publishing Community Manager. If you have questions, get them to Judith early!
taking you
FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY
CREATE | PRINT | MARKET
CHG
Color House Graphics | 800.454.1916 | www.colorhousegraphics.com
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CAL CONFERENCE 2014 October 16-18, 2014 Participate in the Colorado Association of Libraries Annual Conference October 16-18 in Loveland, Colorado. All Author U Members in all States are welcome. AuthorU.org will have a booth. Librarians love books from authors EVERYWHERE …of course. If you have had a great book review in ForeWord Reviews, Blue Ink Reviews, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and/or the Library Journal, you are nuts not to be there! Your options as an Author U member are: • Be represented. Early Bird Cost is $60 per book to display and be pitched by Booth participants; after September 15th, Tardy Bird is $75—there is a limited number of books accepted. Speak up now! • Sign books. Why not … it can be arranged, Author U will handle sales. • Work the booth. Bodies needed … why not you? Interested? You don’t have to be a Colorado resident … all Author U members welcome. What to do: Contact Judith Briles NOW and commit to your spot. Judith@Briles.com or 303-885-2207. Register on the website. http://authoru.org/event/cal-conference-2014
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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 shoe string 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 ezine, etc. Email marketing. So IMPORTANT and something most authors miss! Tips for capturing the email address and what to do with it once you have it. What kinds of emails 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 12 ...
Joan Stewart is the Publicity Hound. With an in-depth background as a journalist, publicity coach and master of creating the best of the best in Cheat Sheets for propelling authors to the forefront of media attention, get ready for an action packed and fun day. Her website is PublicityHound.com. When: Saturday, November 15th Lunch and workbook included Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost: Author U members Bird $129 Non-Members Bird $169
Early Bird ends Oct. 10th $99
Tardy
Early Bird ends Oct. 10th $139
Tardy
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September 29th Salon
Blog Goldmining Would you like to get your Blogs out faster? How about content … need some idea goosers? Does working with your website drive you nuts? Are you using your Blog as a maketing tool for your book and your expertise? It’s Monday and that means another Blog is due. Ugh … at least for some. Or, do you tell yourself that you will start Blogging regularly, and you don’t, at least this month? Or is getting a Blog up on your “to do” list? Do you and your Blog need a makeover and some new juice? In this month’s salon, Judith Briles is your guide. She writes five Blogs weekly pulling ideas from a variety of sources including ads on TV. You’ll learn how to: • • • • • •
Never be lost for an idea for a Blog. Using the right topics and phrases for your brand. Create “benefit-driven” and “eye-catching” headlines for your Blog. Tips on creating quick Blogs. How to repurpose old Blogs. And much more!
Bring your laptops, have your blog created before you come (WordPress recommended), bringplenty of questions and be ready to participate in this highly interactive and informative session—EVERYONE is on the hot seat tonight! Dinner is included. Open to Author U paid-up members only. When: Monday, September 29th Time: 6 to 9 pm Cost: $27 (will increase to $35 on September 26th) Register: (need to create link) Where: Judith Briles’ offices, Aurora
“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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Thomson-Shore is a sponsor of Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing Founded in 1972 and located in Dexter, Michigan, USA, Thomson-Shore is a 100 percent employee-owned full service book publishing, production, and distribution company. Our company specializes in fulfilling the needs of book publishers, from an author’s initial Word document to the end reader. Our business solutions span the entire publishing supply chain. Publishers of all types and sizes (authors, self-publishers, independent publishers, trade, religious, and university) benefit from the following services: • • • • • • • •
Short- to medium-run digital and offset book printing Case and perfect binding Layout and design Editorial review ISBN acquisition eBook conversion Marketing of your book Full service Trade distribution and fulfillment
At Thomson-Shore, we know that producing, distributing, and marketing the best books requires more than just the best technologies; it requires the best quality customer service, expertise and commitment to environmental and social values. With these standards of excellence, you can be sure that we will always help you put your best book forward. Our family of brands includes: Bessenberg Bindery As our in-house custom hand bindery, the Bessenberg Bindery offers one-of-a-kind bindings for special editions, book repairs, specialty bindings for libraries, dissertations, periodicals, and more. These services are great for custom author editions, special binding requirements, or high quality short-run case binding. PublishNext PublishNext provides publishing services for publishers and authors. We move titles from first draft to final edition by providing content editorial services , cover and text design, ISBN management, metadata structuring, eBook conversions, print ready file prep, and ancillary services that support the author or small publisher’s needs. If you are an author who doesn’t want to give up all of your rights, PublishNext will train you to think like a publisher. With our Ghost Publishing™ service, we act as your publishing staff by producing a gorgeous book, and making it stand out in its niche market. PublishNext is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association. Seattle Book Company (SBC) As Thomson-Shore’s full service distribution company, SBC helps publishers and authors distribute their titles to major online and brick & mortar retailers, libraries and schools, and other book selling point-of-purchase locations. Services include metadata management, marketing and promotion, distribution to key retailers and wholesalers, and a full suite of warehousing and fulfillment services designed to meet your needs, including a robust POD program. Additionally, SBC has a full-scale retail website where we process orders for printing, distribution, and fulfillment.
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All Tech Tool Boxes are for Author U paid up members only and limited to 8 participants who are paid up members of AuthorU.org to allow for in-depth work with each and are led by Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles. AND … ... a limited number of participants can attend via remote.
September 23rd
Author Central Account: Getting an Author Page for Your Books on Amazon *Please Note: You need to have at least one of your books available for sale on Amazon in order to set up your Author Central account.
Having an Author Page (set up through your FREE Author Central account) on Amazon is a valuable and handy method for authors not only to have customers learn about you, but increase your online presence. Search engines look for recent activity on web pages and sites; authors can add their blog feed and Twitter account to their Amazon Author Page, which helps increase the likelihood of an author “moving up” in the search rankings. An Author Page allows authors to include the following details about themselves and their books: • • • • • •
Author Bio Reviews Product (Book) Description From the Author From the Inside Flap From the Back Cover
Authors may also add Book Extras such as glossary, characters, quotations, etc. when you add them to Shelfari.com (a community encyclopedia for book lovers). How cool is this! – authors may add up to 8 images, 8 videos and events to their Author Page. One of the main “hidden” treasures in an Author Central account: you have the option to receive support by email or phone. Yes – you can select to receive a call from an Amazon Author Central staff member within ONE MINUTE! (There are live people to talk to at Amazon) Join us for this Tech Toolbox Workshop on September 23rd – you don’t want to miss out on having an Amazon Author Page! Date: Tuesday, September 23rd Time: 3 to 6 pm Mountain Cost: $60 Location: Judith Briles’ Office in Aurora CO (you will get directions the day before and what to bring for each session). For our out of state members, we can set up Skype for you to participate.
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Author U Members Shine through ForeWord Reviews Last month, Judith Briles had Victoria Sutherland and her team as guests on Author U-Your Guide to Book Publishing radio show. The topic was book reviews. Victoria is the Publisher of ForeWord Reviews, the only magazine dedicated to the independent press. The savvy author will listen to the replay of the radio show here: http://bit.ly/1nbI4vu Its quarterly edition is sent to 350 Barnes & Noble stores along with thousands of librarians and features 150 in-depth reviews. ForeWord Reviews annual Indie/FAB Awards is presented at the Summer American Library Association’s meeting and proudly announces Book of the Year winners in several categories. Judith was honored with the Silver Book of the Year in the Writing/Publishing category this year for Author YOU: Creating and Building the Author and Book Platforms. To learn how to submit to ForeWord Reviews, here’s the link: https://publishers.forewordreviews.com/reviews/ And, as a reminder, in the August issue of The Author Resource, there was a detailed article on the key book reviewers and how to submit. Make sure you read it. Several of Author U members have been reviewed in ForeWord Reviews. The latest is Pat Morgan, author of The Concrete Killing Fields, earning a 5 Star review. Here’s the shout-out she and her book got: The blend of memoir and case study balances well and provides a striking portrait of both sides of a homeless shelter. A blend of memoir, social advocacy, and stories about homeless men in Memphis, Tennessee, The Concrete Killing Fields is at once deeply personal and broadly drawn. By delving into the reasons behind homelessness of the individuals she meets, Pat Morgan presents intriguing conclusions about issues related to mental health, government policy, and our social safety net. A political insider who once interned for Senator Al Gore and worked on Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, Morgan settled in Memphis in a bid to save her second marriage and soon found herself volunteering at her church, helping homeless men find shelter and other resources. She soon found the experience to be life-changing and started documenting their stories as a way toward understanding their situations. As Morgan recollects on her decision to become involved with the homeless, she begins to muse on her upbringing in the South, as the daughter of a police officer and a resident of a very small town. She’s able to draw a number of parallels between what she experienced as a child—the support of the Continued on page 18 ...
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community, the nascent understanding of alcoholism, the excitement of sitting in her father’s police car as he waited for trouble—and the paths that later drew her into social work. She weaves in her later difficulties (divorce and raising children as a single mother), providing a unique perspective on how the events of her past brought her to working with the homeless. Perhaps most compelling, Morgan doesn’t hold back about the frustrations of working not just with the system, but with the homeless themselves. Although she’s always respectful in her descriptions of their mental issues and addictions, she is transformed from a wide-eyed volunteer to an advocate who sees far more shades of gray in the “concrete killing fields” around her. The author even proposes a “Twelve Steps for Do-Gooders” based on the model followed by Alcoholics Anonymous. This powerful document, delivered with concision, artfully describes the difficult balance that many advocates and social workers must strike in order to be truly helpful. In step four, for example, she writes, “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself and the ‘help’ I was trying to provide to others, often rendered unrecognizable because of my frustration and anger at the very people I wanted so much to help.” Where the book shines the brightest is in Morgan’s descriptions of those very individuals. Her writing style is straightforward and conversational, as if she’s telling each story to a rapt audience. Note from Author U: You can get a copy of Pat’s book at your favorite book store, request it from library, or order through Amazon at: http://amzn.to/1s0Uc5z
January 14th:
Instagram and Infographics - Share Knowledge or Tell a Story Through Images and Instant info to all things Cyberland and Beyond! Information Graphics or Infographics is a method to share knowledge or tell a story about a topic through a graphic image. Since “a picture is worth a thousand words,” Infographics allow you to present details and content in a compact, easy-to-understand way. Demos of programs to create your own infographics will be covered in the workshop. Instagram is fast and fun. You will laugh and learn this afternoon! Time: 3 to 6 pm Location: Judith Briles’ Office in Aurora (you will get directions the day before and what to bring for each session)
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The Latest in Best Times for Social Media Posting By Judith Briles
For social media and social media posting, the key question is: What is the best time to post to social media? The answer: know your target audience and know your time zones. Adjust accordingly. And, even though the lists below have times to avoid—if your audience is truly global, it means that you are posting at times others wouldn’t be. While the optimal time to update your Twitter or Google+ is included per a variety of resources, your audience may have a different optimal time. It means you need to know—one of the Author U members has a huge LinkedIn and Twitter following and they are quite active late evening, including kicking off regular Twit Chats at 9 p.m.
Note: all times below are all based on Eastern. Facebook … Traffic is highest between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Best times: Between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesdays are hot. Avoid times: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Twitter … Peak time is Monday –Thursday; peters out after 3 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. Best times: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Avoid times: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Google+ … Think weekday and AMs—best time is between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., during business hours-traffic fades after 5 p.m. and weekends. Best times: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Avoid times: 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. A Pinterest … During the week, from noon to 5 p.m. Best time is Saturday morning to post. Primary piners are women—avoid family demand times. Best times: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. or 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Avoid times: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. LinkedIn … Do your posting before or after business hours and avoid Mondays and Fridays. Best times: 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. or 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Avoid times: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The resources used to compile data included: Mashable.com, Infographics/pic, elainefogel.net, smallbusiness. chron.com, blog.bily.com. Always keep in mind: social media morphs often—ideal times this month could be different in three months.
Remember … the Internet is the town hall of most of your book marketing. Use it.
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What to Expect from an Editorial Evaluation By Michele DeFilippo
An editorial evaluation is a cost effective way of determining if your manuscript is marketable and how much work is required to get it market ready. For just a fraction of the time and money it can cost to edit, proofread, design, typeset, and print a book, an editorial evaluation will provide you with an honest assessment of your book’s marketability and how much editing is required (or, how much rewriting is required before you even consider an editor) prior to taking your book to the publishing stage. In an editorial evaluation, a professional editor will assess a portion of your manuscript. Keep in mind that the editor is working for you, the author and publisher; editors provide guidance for the author’s own best interest and not because they enjoy trashing books. They provide an objective assessment of the book’s strengths and weaknesses in an honest and forthright manner. An editor will offer some perspective on the book’s effectiveness and in what ways it could be improved. Here are some areas of appraisal that you can expect in an editorial evaluation. •
The overall strengths of the book: would the editor want to continue reading the book?
•
Themes, and for works of fiction, the character and plot development (and the pace of the story). The editor will call attention to weaknesses in the plot and character development, and should use specific examples from your book and make suggestions for improvement.
•
In both fiction and nonfiction, an editor will point out specific errors or inconsistencies in logic and flow.
•
The quality of your research. The editor will offer an opinion as to how well you back up your original writing with research.
•
The quality and force of the prose (sentence structure, word choice, mechanics, etc.), with specific examples and suggestions for smoothing out the language.
•
Assessment of the book’s marketability – whether or not there is a potential market for the book and whether the book is market ready.
Allowing a stranger to review your work can be extremely uncomfortable. Many people fear the criticism contained in the “honest and forthright assessment.” But, when you are preparing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to see your book published (not to mention the hundreds of hours spent in writing your book), an editorial evaluation is a small investment to make to insure your money is well-spent. 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.
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Part 3
Vocabulary Lessons For Today’s Book Industry – Meet the Wholesaler By Amy Collins
WHOLESALERS Last month, I covered Distributors … aren’t they the same as Wholesalers? Didn’t we just cover them? Nope! In the book world, wholesalers are a whole other animal. For our purposes, wholesalers are companies that buy your books at a deep discount and hold them in their warehouses so that Internet and “brick and mortar” stores can order the books from them. Bookstores like to use wholesalers for a number of reasons: namely speed, convenience, and less financial exposure. When a bookstore orders a book from a wholesaler, they will usually get their order in twenty-four hours. Next-day service is the standard from the top wholesalers. The discount a store can usually expect to receive off the retail price of the book from a wholesaler is 40 to 45 percent. What the bookstore loses in profit margin, they often make up in convenience and risk aversion. A book ordered from a wholesaler can be combined and shipped with hundreds of other books. Some stores hire wholesalers to stock, manage, and handle all aspects of their book departments. There are large “big-box” chains that happily hand their title selection and discount negotiations over to a wholesaler that will manage the entire department for them. The same can sometimes be true for libraries. There are many U.S. library systems dependent upon wholesalers for all their new books. People at the chain or library office work with the wholesalers and oversee the choices, but how closely that is managed depends upon each individual situation. If you want your book to have a chance at a bookstore chain like Barnes & Noble or BooksAMillion, and if you don’t want to use a distributor, a wholesaler is your next best bet. The two biggest book wholesalers for the book industry right now are Ingram and Baker & Taylor. You can find their application process for new publishers on their Web sites. The links are listed on the CD in your Write 2 Print Continued on page 22 ...
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software package and at the end of this book. Send your books in with the proper paperwork and try to get your titles into at least one of these wholesaler’s warehouses. If you are accepted, you will be selling your books to the wholesaler at a discount of at least 55 percent. They will usually order only as many as they need to fulfill the demand coming in from their customers ‌ stores and libraries. If they are overstocked or books come back from the stores, they will return those books to you for a full refund. (Having fun yet?) Only you can judge your situation, but now you have a good foundation of knowledge to help you plan your way onto the shelves of a store near you. Amy Collins is the CEO of New Shelves Distribution, www.NewShelves.com and serves on the Board of Author U.
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15 Pitfalls to Marketing Your Book By Brian Feinblum, from the Book Marketing Buzz Blog So many books are published every single day of the year, but few are marketed well. There are many reasons why books are not marketed correctly and here are 15 pitfalls to avoid if you want to successfully market your book: 1. Having A Marketing Plan I’ll bet more than half of all authors never come up with a marketing plan—an actual document that identifies action steps, budget, timeline and details. Without a map, how do you know which way to go? 2. Advance Time I’ll also bet that 75% of all authors do not get started early enough in the marketing process. Some things have to take place three, six—even nine or 12 months before a book is published. Don’t rush or get behind the eight ball—plan ahead so you give yourself enough time to meet deadlines. 3. Resources Every marketing campaign needs resources, namely time and money. How much can you dedicate or budget to this? Can you find a way to raise or borrow funds? Is there someone who will help you for free or at a low cost? 4. Mistakenly Rely On Publisher Or Distributor Do not expect someone else to do everything that’s needed to market your book. In the end, it comes down to you. If you are self-published or published by an independent or university press, you are on your own. But even with a bigger, traditional publisher, don’t be fooled in to thinking they are doing everything possible to market your book. You are one of thousands to them and unless you’re on their short A-list, you need to hustle. 5. Misunderstanding Of What Marketing Is Marketing is the bigger picture. It consists of advertising, sales, publicity, branding, social media, partnerships, speaking engagements and all the things needed to get your book sold and famous. But try to segment things into two categories—sales and PR. Sales is essentially marketing and PR is essentially anything that has to do with the media. Know the difference and cover all the bases. 6. Being Open To All Ideas Initially, you need to brainstorm with others and think freely on your own of any and all possible ideas for marketing your book. Don’t filter, edit or censor them. Let them flow out of you. In the end, you may have a few tangible, achievable ideas but you won’t get them until you register all thoughts regarding how to market your book. 7. Start To Prioritize Once you have a long list of possible ideas, move towards the probable ones. Start to rank each idea by a number of factors, such as potential reward, cost to enact, risk involved, time and resources needed, and likelihood of success. As good as some of the ideas may seem, at this time under your present circumstances, pick the best ones to rally around and don’t look back. Continued on page 24 ...
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8. Have A Vision You need to dream and dream big—but at some point you need a dose of reality to temper your marketing efforts. You should have a sense of how you’ll achieve what you’re setting out to do. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, but don’t substitute blind optimism, hope and passion for hard work and a reality-check. 9. Be On A Mission Your convictions will drive your success. Always believe in who you are and what you are doing. Once you let doubt or negativity to creep into your mindset, you’ll be thrown off course. Have a sense of being on a mission—with clear objectives and goals for the short- and long-term. 10. Chart Progress Using your marketing plan as a checklist, take note of your progress every step of the way. Identify challenges, potential roadblocks, and remove obstacles ahead of time. 11. Be Willing To Experiment, But Do The Basics Too Don’t dream so high and far that you forget or ignore the basics to be executed. There’s low-lying fruit that needs to be picked. As long as you are achieving what is expected or reasonable to obtain, go ahead and experiment a little or take a chance on a big idea. 12. Diversify Your Approach Often, the book marketing war is won on multiple fronts. You rarely can do just one thing well enough to carry you to the finish line. For instance, you can’t rely just on social media or just speaking engagements or just Facebook ads or just a big mailing to organizations—you need to do many or all of these things and to do each one well enough to make a difference. 13. nvest In Research Knowing who you want to contact and finding a way to reach them is vital to your marketing success. You may have a genius idea to collaborate with Starbucks but you must research who to contact, how to reach them, and know all that you can about that person and to anticipate what might influence or drive his ability or willingness to work with you. 14. Persistence Good ideas are a start. Repeatedly reaching out and following up with those you want to be in touch with is the key to getting results. Persevere until you get an answer and if the answer is no, find someone else who will say yes. 15. Get Help From Your Connections Build up your network—all the time—and don’t shy away from reaching out to them to ask for help. Be specific in what you need and where possible, give them a real incentive to assist you. Too many people don’t network or don’t cash in on the network they’ve built up. Book marketing is not a mysterious art. It’s quite straight forward, but it involves a lot of moving parts. Take a time out and formulate a plan and identify where you can find help. You’ll need every good idea, friend, and resource that you can get your hands on.
Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at mailto:brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014
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Once is never enough … 2014 Extravaganza DVDs and CDs Are Available! If you were at the Extravaganza, you know that many of the sessions had “your name” on them … beckoning to you that this was “your next step” … or you may have missed a session. Experts cite that to get it, truly “get it”—repetition is critical. Listening and/or viewing learning modules is the ultimate to implementing an idea. Author U was able to post within a week of the Extravaganza all main sessions, including Penny Sansevieri’s Deep Dive Workshop on Thursday night. All you need to do is indicate your preference from the AuthorU.org website and Mark Camacho and 81 Media International will get your order to you promptly. Summertime is a perfect time to watch, listen, review, and create a plan of action for you and your book.
NOW … take home all the main speakers from the Extravaganza in either audio of video. Complete details are on the website—get yours today! http://authoru.org/ex14-order.html
Reserve Your Spot now ... MAKE IT SO… the Author U Extravaganza slated for May 7-9, 2015
May 7, 2015, Deep-Dive Dinner Workshop with Heather Lutze, author of The Findability Formula, Thumbonomics, and the forthcoming Marketing Espionage from 6 to 9 p.m. Prior to Penny’s first session is the Eaglet/Newbie sessions. 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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Best and Worst Words to Get Retweeted By Melody Barnes Jones As authors, we know active voice produces the strongest writing, readers get bored with the mundane, and using too much slang alienates some readers and dates your work. The same can be said for social media. You want to capture the attention of your followers and you don’t want to be boring or self-serving about it. When it comes to Twitter, the words you use count, in part because you only have 140 characters to work with. You must use the space allowed so effectively that it inspires others to retweet (RT) you. Dan Zarrella, known as the Social Media Scientist, completed a study of his own most RT’d tweets to determine the best and worst words to use for getting retweeted. In general, idle chit chat, slang, and mundane activities get the least engagement. The number 10 gets good engagement, something to remember for top ten lists. Try using words from the ‘best’ list below and see if your retweet level improves. Worst Words
Best Words
Going
You
Haha
Watching
Please
Work
Retweet
Home
Post
Night
Blog
Bed
Social
Sleep
Free
Gonna
Media
Hey
Help
Tomorrow
Please retweet
Tired
10
Source: www.danzarrella.com
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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Do you want to master authoring and publishing? If yes, you need to be on The Author’s Ark. Each quarter, a new Ark begins--it’s a three-month commitment for a limited number of authors that includes a combination of sessions done online and over Skype: • • •
2 webinars - sessions are done online and over Skype each month Monthly Group Coaching Monthly One-on-One Laser Coaching with Judith Briles
The Author’s Ark with Judith Briles ... Surviving and Thriving in the Flood of Authoring and Publishing There are only 12 spots—grab yours NOW under the Events tab on The Book Shepherd website: www.TheBookShepherd.com
Judith Briles, known as The Book Shepherd, is 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, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers, and is a speaker at publishing conferences. Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. 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://togi.us/authoru. Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.
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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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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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How Social Media Really Measures Up By Susan Gilbert Social Media Statistics That Will Surprise You How Social Media Really Measures Up When it comes to measuring your social media strategy it can be difficult to know exactly on how hone in on the effectiveness of each network. This especially important to know in order to be aware of how to create engagement and influence. Most of us think of Facebook and Twitter as the two most powerful tools for business. While these are a given in today’s online climate as part of our marketing practices, it’s also a good idea to take a look social behavior elsewhere online. Here are several key facts to help you understand your own social network activity. 1. Email marketing is a vital component to social media A stunning statistic from the Direct Marketing Association shows us that the ROI on email marketing is a whopping 4,300 percent! This is way above how social media marketing performs, and is also growing in influence. Just take a look at the eCommerce chart on Custora and you will see the numbers climbing each year. The lesson learned here is that a large portion of your budget should be spent on email marketing – more so than on social media. 2. Video creates a high level of engagement If your brand or business is not taking advantage of social networks like YouTube and Vimeo take a look at these statistics from Shareaholic, which places YouTube especially at the top of the list for click rates with a low number in bounce rates. Danny Wong writes in the article that “YouTube takes home the crown is because viewers are simply used to spending minutes — perhaps, hours — educating and entertaining themselves with awesome video and may have fewer qualms about taking extra time to discover more great content post-click.” 3. Get more referrals with Facebook Shareaholic also did a study on this massive social network, and discovered that Facebook has been climbing steadily and has remained at the top of the list for referrals over the last couple of years. In just one year this grew by 38%, which makes this the place to be for business for driving traffic. 4. Amp up your social media referrals with Pinterest While this social platform is not right for every business, it is a great place for many who would like to use social media to drive traffic to their website. According to a study by Piquora, a website can have two views per six Pin visits. This is in turn can be monetized, as their research shows that an average Pin generates 78 cents in sales. An important point to remember is that this type of activity occurs after two to three months
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of pinning. Pinterest is a great place to generate sales and traffic, but keep in mind that the process is slow growth. 5. Be sure to be quick to respond on Twitter Customers and leads are looking for trusted businesses and brands on Twitter, and you could miss out on a golden opportunity by simply not staying in touch. Take a look at this powerful study by Lithium Technologies, which shows that 53 percent of users expect a reply with an hour, and that 72 percent expect a response when they have a complaint. This means that brands must act quickly and pay attention to the communication going on in their network in order to build a strong level of trust. Marketing trends can change, but these facts speak for themselves. The takeaway here is to keep email marketing at the top of your list while staying in the game with the top social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Google Plus. Knowledge is power, and hopefully this data will help your business hone in on what is working (or not working) in your online strategy. Reprint Article from SusanGilbert.com/blog with permission. Thank you Susan. Susan Gilbert, author of Klout Score: Social Media Influence. Susan is a Digital Marketing coach and provider for website development, social media marketing, and all things digital for authors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Follow her on Twitter @susangilbert and read more of Susan’s Online Marketing Tips and Tricks at: www.SusanGilbert.com
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AUTHOR PORTRAIT PACKAGES CKAGES • 1 hour portrait session • Multiple wardrobe changes • Professional editing • Full copyright release for author usage • 15 – 25 digital images • Online album on Ashography.com for viewing and sharing Package may be customized Portrait Packages $250 – Author U Members $215
Photographer Ashlee Bratton Tell me about your book so we can tell the world who you are.
303.250.6054 info@ashography.com www.ashography.com
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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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Danger Ahead: Your Book Cover Is Always Your Business By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
We all know that bookcovers are an important sales device for books in bookstores. It’s not just about art. It’s also about marketing. There is danger in not knowing enough about them, even for an author who will be traditionally published by the biggest and best. Some authors still insist on doing their own covers—or interfering with the professional judgment of the cover designer assigned to them by their publisher. You may have been told that the latter is a no-no, but that advice is only partially right. It’s important for do-it-yourselfers to have some knowledge of the what constitutes a good book cover, but traditionally published authors should also have a handle on it so they can better partner with the pros—one assigned by a publisher or hired by the author. There is a difference between a partnership and a demanding author who only knows what she likes, not how the process works. For this article I’ve included some essentials for any great book cover—and then some additional tips for bookcovers for e-books or paperback books that will also be published as e-books. Some of what makes a great cover for a paper or hardback book are the same for online sales, but some are different. I always suggest that those who can afford a great cover designer might find that money spent on a cover gives an author or self-publisher the most bang for her budgeted buck. At least it’s right up there with a hiring a great editor. Anyone who knows the covers of the two editions of my Frugal Book Promoter will be able to see the difference a great cover can make. (Chaz DeSimone http://chazdesimone.com did the cover for the second edition with the coins as part of the font and it’s a winner.) He also recently did the cover of the second edition of my The Frugal Editor, now in release as an e-book with a paper edition soon to follow. All Book Covers •
The font must be easy to read. The color shouldn’t blend into the background of the cover. It also shouldn’t be in a style that shouts a cut-and-paste sensibility.
•
All covers benefit if the title is big. Look at the books in the window at Hudson bookstore when you travel. Those huge titles are that way for a reason.
•
The name of the author should also be big. You may think “I’m not famous enough for my name to be up in lights.” Don’t even think it. If the name is big, many readers assume you’re an author to reckon with. Take another look at those books in Hudson’s window.
•
Use a subtitle. It’s your second chance after the title and the author’s name to sell the book. Your book of fiction might benefit from a subtitle, too, especially if it isn’t immediately recognizable as a fiction title rather than a nonfiction title. And creative writers of fiction should be able to come up with something better than “A Novel.”
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Use a killer second subtitle on the back of the book. It’s your third chance to sell your book after your title and first subtitle. Don’t let the second one go to waste on your online bookstore pages. Use it in your synopsis.
•
Authors often are very concerned about the artwork, and they should be—but not at the expense of that title and author name! Picture a book that’s mostly art with a thin little title at the top and a thin author’s name at the bottom or tucked into the corner of the artwork. That cover is probably not much of a sales tool.
•
In addition to graphics, some book covers need eye-catching photos or illustrations, especially genres like children’s books. This may be an additional expense because even the best illustrators may not have the instincts or training of a cover designer.
Think about the back of the book. Think about it a lot. You’ll find ways to make sales tools like endorsements, blurbs, bios, QR codes, etc., work better for you in The Frugal Book Promoter, http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromo. Online Book Covers I’m not talking exclusively e-book covers now. Even paper books must be sold online these days. So the cover for your paperback generally must do double duty for online sales—both e-book and paper. And making them different isn’t a good idea because that interferes with branding—in this case meaning the recognizability (if that’s a word) of your cover in a reader’s mind. •
Your online book sales will get a real boost from those subtitles if they include keywords that help prospective readers find you. You’ve probably noticed that subtitles are getting longer and longer. Find all the keywords in The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher. Even that “how to” part of the subtitle is a keyword.
•
Your book’s branding benefits if the same design can be used for both the paperback and the e-book so you may have to balance the importance of branding against a busy design. One compromise to consider: Use a single element in the hardcover design on the e-book design—one that ties the two together.
•
Your online book cover may be very tiny, perhaps as small as three-quarters of an inch wide. Test the cover for your paper- or hardback by “photoshopping” it to a thumbnail. Look at it critically. Will it sell your book online?
•
And do know that occasionally you can’t have it both ways. When Chaz and I were working on the cover for The Frugal Book Promoter, I wanted him to try dark green (the color of all that money the book will save authors). It would have popped online better. But by darkening the background of the cover, that great coin-font didn’t show up. So I went with his original design, knowing the font would be the eyecatching element of the cover rather than the contrast of cover against the online bookstore’s white pages. Continued on page 36 ...
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Many self-publishers are now using templates offered free by printing services like Amazon’s Createspace. You can do a reasonably good job on your own with one of these, but give yourself enough trial and error time. And do know that the pros out there will most likely be able to tell you used a template. That means your book may be judged less than professional by reviewers, contest judges, feature editors, and others. I think templates can work well enough, though, especially for books that aren’t intended for wide commercial distribution. My poetry coauthor Magdalena Ball and I used them for our Celebration Series of poetry chapbooks. You can see them all in one place at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm.
Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the classes she has taught for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. The first edition of The Frugal Book Promoter was named USA Book News’ “Best Professional Book” and won the coveted Irwin Award. Now in its second edition, it’s also a USA Book News award winner and received a nod from Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards. Her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success was also honored by USA Book News and won Readers’ Views Literary Award. Her marketing campaign for that book won the marketing award from New Generation Indie Book Awards. The second edition e-book was honored by Next Generation Indie Awards in the e-book category.
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The Technology and Tips Toolbox
7 Online Shopping Tools: Ensure You Get a Great Deal Online By Kelly Johnson
As summer is coming to a close, the back-to-school shopping is well under way. In many stores, sales on everything from clothes to school supplies to dorm room essentials are being offered. Let’s extend those great offers and deals to online resources. Here are 7 Online Shopping Tools to check out before you make a purchase. Coupons For Change - http://www.couponsforchange.org Give back to a charity with every coupon code you use. DealNews - http://dealnews.com Broken down by category, here are the best 200 deals available on the Internet daily. CouponCabin - http://www.couponcabin.com/ Free sample codes, printable coupons, online coupons and grocery coupons. YipIt - http://yipit.com/ Brings together the best deals available in your city from today’s most popular deal sites, such as Groupon. FreeShipping - http://www.freeshipping.org/ Free shipping codes and coupon codes from thousands of outlets and online stores. Priceblink - http://www.priceblink.com A free browser add-on that locates the lowest possible prices from 6,000 websites. InvisibleHand - http://www.getinvisiblehand.com/ This site works like Priceblink, but it is for hotels, car rentals, and airfare as well. Let me know what deals you find! 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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PHOTO TIPS – “ABOUT THE AUTHOR” BIO PORTRAITS RTRAITS
BY ASHLEE BRATTON
Tips For A Great Bio Shoot If A Picture Says A Thousand Words, Start Talking! g!
1. Schedule It. Don’t be afraid to schedule a professional shoot. No selfies! You can’t get a good picture if you never actually pull the trigger and schedule your shoot. Go ahead, you’re worth it. Your project deserves it. Represent yourself in the best way possible through a professional portrait session—your readers want to connect with you. Research different photographers and styles, and then do it!
2. Go Prepared.
3. Smile!
T best shoots are ones where you bring a few options in The w wardrobe choice and have a variety of outfits that represent y you and your genre. Try and avoid solid white shirts if it’s a an outdoor shoot, and stay away from extremely busy prints. Do wear colors you feel good in. Feel free to bring a prop or two. Pull pictures from the Internet that you like a and tell your photographer why you like them. (Lighting in tthis one, the pose in that one, the brick wall in the background, etc).
Really. Flash those pearly whites. Relax. You may be nervous, but cut loose and enjoy the moment. In today’s digital age a lot can be done in postprocessing, but the photographer cannot change your facial expression. If you are irritated, grumpy or unhappy, it will show.
4. Know What You’re Getting. Make sure your package includes copyright privileges or ownership so you can actually use your photos for your book, website, and other promo materials. Need a certain type of file format? (JPG/PNG/RAW/300 dpi) Communicate that and make sure it’s included in writing in whatever portrait package you choose.
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STRATEGIC DESIGN AND BRANDING FOR AUTHORS AND EXPERTS
8 Tips for a Compelling Book Cover By Kathi Dunn, Dunn+Associates Design 75% of booksellers agree that the cover design is the single most important element of a book. The truth is, a book is judged first and foremost by its cover. And so are the covers of audios, videos and other information products. Studies indicate that a potential buyer spends only 8 seconds (or less) looking at your front cover and 15 seconds looking at your back cover before making a buying decision. If you want your book to have a fighting chance among the thousands of new books published each year, your cover must provoke an instant response. And it’s not just customers who are influenced by your book cover. A well-designed book can help you land a publishing contract, secure fabulous reviews, establish your credibility as the expert, open all kinds of doors of opportunity, and generate a frenzy of book sales. That means your cover must be designed to attract powerfully and inform succinctly. So, how do you do that? 1
Answer these four questions in detail: Who is your target audience? Who is your competition? What sets you apart? Where and how will you sell your product? A well thought-out cover design will incorporate all of these considerations prior to its development.
2 Create a compelling, unique title and subtitle which relate to your defined market and offer concise benefits, features and advantages. Remember, KISS: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!
Classic formula for great title: 1. Benefit 2. Feature 3. Advantage
3 Use an experienced professional designer. For a winning product, you will need strong ideas, innovative design and excellent technical execution. A veteran cover designer will ensure quality results and a cost-effective process through their design experience and by acting as your liaison who speaks the same language as prepress, printers, and manufacturers. Best of all, a professional designer takes care of all those niggling details, freeing you to do what you are really good at: writing your books and running your business. Your cover design is one of the most important investments you will make in producing a successful book or information product.
bestselling book cover design | www.dunn-design.com | 715·634·4857
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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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New Members Annette Slade not only has the ability to see beauty in all things, but is able to capture it with her camera and share it with her audience. With over 20 years experience as a commercial and editorial photographer, Annette has a true passion and eye for creating unique, emotionally charged images. She approaches each project and each client with her undivided attention. No detail is too small. She is a great collaborator and prides herself on giving her clients exactly what they need and more. Annette is known for her warm and inviting images and the comforting and affective quality she incorporates into her photos. Annette’s creative specialties are food, editorial, florals, product, and still life. Annette is available for assignments in her Denver studio or on location. Connect with her at Annette Slade Photography, Inc., Sladephoto.com or call 303-477-7362
Patricia Berry, M.A., is the founder of Essential Concepts for School, has worked in education for 35+ years teaching high school and college speech courses prior to transitioning to educational intervention systems in 1991. Patricia moved to Colorado in 2012 from Illinois and established Essential Concepts for School focusing on professional development and technical assistance to schools on tiered systems of intervention. She has served as president of both the Illinois Association of Student Assistance Professionals and the National Student Assistance Association. She has authored numerous professional articles, guidebooks, training manuals, and other professional resources, and has twice been awarded the Editor at Large Award for contributions to the Student Assistance field. Patricia received her bachelors and masters degrees from Eastern Illinois University.
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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Member News
Congratulations to Author U members and regular contributors to The Author Resource who were honored for awards for their eBooks: Juvenile Fiction Gold: Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom, Cheryl Carpinello Thriller Fiction Silver: Blatant Deception, Mary Jo Fay Writing/Publishing Non-Fiction Honorable Mention: The Frugal Editor, Second Edition, Carolyn Howard-Johnson Inspirational/Visionary Non-Fiction Honorable Mention: Fine Black Lines: Reflections on Facing Cancer, Fear and Loneliness, Lois Hjelmstad
Hot Tips for September
ForewordReviews.com is a quarterly hard cover and online magazine—all libraries get hard copy magazine as well as all B&N stores—this is the only magazine dedicated to independent publisher and the one you want to be in. And listen to this podcast Judith Briles with the ForeWord Reviews team … http://ow.ly/A57dO
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Hot Tips for September Crowdfunding Tip #1: Thirty percent of your support will come from family and friends. Make sure you have that lined up so it comes within the first few days that your campaign opens. Why? Because those who check out the sites—key for books are Kickstarter, IndieGoGo and PubSlush, want to see that there is “interest” and “support” for the book idea. If there isn’t, they pass you over and by. These same friends and family are the ones that you go back to in the final push if needed. Crowdfunding Tip #2: Social media is critical in your crowdfunding campaign. Make sure you have built followers and fans as you start your shout outs. Do updates throughout the time your campaign is in force, including progress of funding, new ahas, comments that have come in, if one of the Rewards has been sold out (add a duplicate—it’s hot). As you get to the finish line, remind all that have contributed that you are close—would they consider an add … and maybe you give another perk as the tipping point. Crowdfunding Tip #3: Have backup Rewards … sometimes they don’t hit or attract, so replace them/ add to the mix. Rewards are progressive. The giveaways increase each time someone adds money, so make sure you budget for your Rewards. Crowdfunding Tip #4: A video—better yet, videos—are a MUST HAVE. Short and to the point—they can be goofy or quirky if it fits your project. Keep under 90 seconds … talk from your heart what your book is about, what value/benefit it brings to the reader, what you are doing with the moneys. And have a call to action. Short and Snappy.
New Book Award to Consider: USA Regional Excellence Book Awards USA Regional Excellence Book Awards recognizes and rewards excellence in books that take readers into the heart of a “place.” If your book delivers the experience of a locale—whether it’s the glitz of Hollywood of any era, the historic sense of New England, the glamour of a Beverly Hills, the grandeur of one of the great plains states, the high powered bustle of a New York City, the distinctive character of any locale–and your book is produced with excellence, then it is a perfect candidate for a USA REBA award. Submissions accepted through Sept. 15, 2014. http://usaregionalexcellencebookawards.com/
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Hot Tips for September Quick way to find quotes and create posters to Tweet and post to other social media platforms If you are looking for quotes, yet feeling “stuck”, here’s a resource that takes care of two things in one: quotes and a no-brainer tool (takes less than 15 seconds) to convert them into a visual board that you can post anywhere. Think Google+, Facebook, Pinterest, Tweeters—anywhere. Choose from thousands of quotes or create your own with your URL or name and message included. And you can download them to your hard drive, post directly to social media, and even purchase imprinted items featuring your OWN created words of wisdom. http://behappy.me/generator
Writing Tip #1 Always spell out the name of a state or countries; don’t use abbreviations. E.g., CO should be Colorado; Can should be Canada, Eur should be Europe, SC should be South Carolina. (An exception would be DC for District of Columbia.) Ditto with companies and associations. You may know what they stand for, but your reader may not.
Writing Tip #2 Read out loud what you have written. The combination of your mouth and ear will quickly pick up words that are stumblers, don’t make sense, and are duplicates.
Writing Tip #3 Mix your sentence lengths up. Long sentences are, well, long. The reader gets lost and either starts over or starts skipping.
You can use a Private Google Hangout to create videos for training and to record interviews. You can record a video and do a private version so it does not post publicly.
Publishers Weekly Book Life http://booklife.com/about-us/review-submission-guidelines.html
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Did you miss a show? Listen to any of the previous shows either on your computer or via iTunes. They are always packed with useful information for the author who wants to succeed. Past shows are listed on the home page of Your Guide to Book Publishing and AuthorU.org. All you need to do is click on the one you want, and it starts immediately. http://togi.us/authoru
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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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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 right now at (see below) http://authoru.org/contact-author-u.html
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Make your publishing dream come true ‌ with the Author U Draft to Dream Book Publishing Competition What you need to know is on the next page ...
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Make your publishing dream come true … with the Author U Draft to Dream Book Publishing Competition • • •
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, e-book 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, as well as 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
All entries must be in by January 15, 2015. Finalists will be notified by April 20, 2015.
Full Details will be in the September Author Resource e-zine 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 it 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