Last year, Author U created it’s radio show, Your Guide to Book Publishing, that is available for downloads with the last five available for instant download on the Home page of www.AuthorU.org.  

This year, Author U is kicking it up. We will be videoing many of our workshops and presentations … and the Extravaganza. Those videos will be available for purchase to start your own Video Library. The first available comes from the rock star event that was held in January.

Of the four years we have been doing AuthorU BookCamps, January’s workshop with online expert Amber Ludwig, was the single best one that we’ve done. The topic?

 6 Pillars to Build Your Author and Book Business Online

Have you wondered why celebrities being interviewed on television can look so calm when millions of people are watching them?  And have you ever wondered if you could do that?

At the Extravaganza you will learn how to perform on national television and radio while appearing calm and collected.

The key to any good performance is preparation. Just as actors do, media guests need to know what they are going to say during all their performances and practice their delivery of each word beforehand. Adequate preparation will make you more confident in your ability to perform and help you relax while you are on the air. 

You have probably heard that practice makes perfect. However, that is not necessarily true. Practice makes permanent, so you have to make sure you are rehearsing the right things. At the Extravaganza, you will discover the right techniques that you can make permanent.

Why video:

Hold the salt, are you dangerous or daring in the kitchen — it’s National Cook Something Bold Day … what can you stir up?

Here’s your Top Ten Tweets for the past week —

Tweets are faster than a speeding bird … below are Author U’s Top Ten Tweets from the past week that you may have missed …
 

Success & Resources

7 Distraction-Free Writing Environments for Authors http://t.co/whCuVclJ

Ten ways to save the publishing industry-like the sixth one! http://t.co/ikN5mCv9

Writing Smarts

The No. 1 Tip of Successful Writers – http://t.co/VLnKv7Sa

Social Media and Marketing Strategies

11 Things Not To Do Before Your Book Launch http://t.co/8bYyrQwz

Johnny Depp to launch book imprint at HarperCollins. Do you appreciate his literary taste? http://t.co/denHjcHP

10 ways to syndicate online writing. Have you tried any of them? http://t.co/RsFT9hMh

It’s National Adoption Awareness month … and today is All Saints Day … are they connected? Sounds like a lot of love and caring …

Here’s your Top Ten Tweets for the past week—

Tweets are faster than a speeding bird … below are Author U’s Top Ten Tweets from the past week that you may have missed …

Success & Resources

One of the top 5 mistakes fiction authors make: rushing to publish. http://ow.ly/ehW2j

Calling all authors—there is an agent for you and your book if you look and seek assistance to get published. http://ow.ly/ehVMp

Writing Smarts

Today is Nat’l Writing Month—start your masterpiece! http://ow.ly/ehYsv

10 Rules for Writers in writing ficiton by bestselling authors. http://ow.ly/ehYB3

Social Media and Marketing Strategies

Authors-are you using photos in your blog? Here’s top mistakes commonly made from @publicityhound: http://ow.ly/ehVw0

Oh my, many of Author U’s members can fondly remember Leave It to Beaver and Roy Rogers’ TV shows—it’s their day today …  if you are a musician and the flute is your instrument of choice—get it out … it’s Toot Your Flute Day!  In the heart of falltime, if you who love carrying around sticks and hitting a ball, it’s National Golf Day.

Today, it’s all about niche markets on Your Guide to Book Publishing. It will focus on getting your books into all the nooks and crannies you may not think that book sales can occur. Tune in at 6 Eastern, 5 Central, 4 Mountain, 3 Pacific and for our out-of-the-country members and followers … you are going to have to do the clock crunching for your time zone. Remember—you can go to the AuthorU.org website, scroll down on the Home page and see the last five shows—just click and you are instantly there!

Question: If you are an Author, are you happy with your book sales?

Question: Would you be thrilled with a few hundred copies of your book sold (average is less than 500) or would you like to sell thousands?
 

Answers: Author U Partners with the Tattered Cover in LoDo for an evening about the book—YOUR BOOK-getting it into the Tattered Cover and SELLING on Monday, July 23rd. If you live in the Colorado area, YOU want to attend. Why—simply this—the Tattered Cover is one of the United States’ premier bookstores, that’s why.

You will come away with:

July is Smokin’ Hot all over … If you are in Colorado and new to authoring and publishing, don’t forget to register for the August 18^th Is There a Book In YOU?  half-day program designed for the Eaglet—the newbie—to the authoring and publishing worlds. It’s only $47 and includes breakfast, workbook and a copy of Judith Briles’ book, Show Me About Book Publishing ($20 value). Early bird deadline is July 31^st. Register at: http://authoru.org/is-there-a-book-in-you.html

And definitely don’t forget to attend the Author U-Tattered Cover event on Monday evening, July 23^rd …  http://authoru.org/tattered-cover.html

Tweets are faster than a speeding bird … below are Author U’s Top Ten Tweets from the past week that you may have missed …

Success

Why I Write: George Orwell’s Four Motives for Creation http://t.co/ubKPAUoE

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What successful people do before breakfast.  http://ow.ly/bWvWL

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Love the stuff from @guykawasaki: The secret trifecta for building an engaged audience.  Perfect for authors/speakers. http://t.co/lL77MIy6

Join Judith Briles today on Your Guide to Book Publishing: Everything You Wanted to Know about Publishing and Didn’t Know to Ask radio show. Her guest is Joel Friedlander, known as The Bookman. Joel has one of the best Blogs desgned for authors and self-publishers. It’s live at 6 p.m. EST; 5 p.m CST; 4 p.m. MST; 3 p.m. PST. Plan on a fast paced magazine format. Participate live and download the podcast.

Here’s info for online listening: http://rockstarradionetwork.com/shows/yourguidetobookpublishing And for calling in live and participating: 866-404-6519

Book Publishing Savvy Today:

Do You Know Where Your Book Sales Come From?

       Do You Know Where Your Clients Come From?

              Do You Know Where Your ____ Comes From?

Having a marketing and sales background, it was drilled in that I had to follow my leads, track my leads and know where my business came from. Maybe. Maybe not … at least today. The Internet has changed a lot of the rules of yesterday … yesteryear. It’s fast forward time…

If you have a product—a book, consulting services or any other product—today, it’s all about being “out there”—exposed, talked about, findable.

Maybe it’s time to stop asking the question, Do you know where your business is coming from? Because there isn’t a definable answer. Maybe the answer is in the response zone of “… just because.”

Tis the season … Book award contests are everywhere. What do you do when you win a book award? The savvy author tells others about it. Don’t count on your publisher to do it if you are published by someone other than your own company. Wondering what Book Awards are worth their weight in entry fee costs? Author U posted a detailed list with submission guidelines in the January 2012 Resource news magazine that is currently available on the website. In February, it will only be available to members.

Get your computer open and:

1. Create the publicity to now support your book and drive up book sales. Write a media release that includes who awarded you, in what topic area. Make sure you include your book title (I’ve actually seen this forgotten), you as the author, publisher and where the book is available. For example, I live in Colorado—the top book store in Denver is the Tattered Cover—include that the book is available (and make sure it is). If you have a judge’s comment and appropriate, include it.