More By: Judith Briles

Authors: Your Big Four Questions for the 2019 New Year

Authors: Your Big Four Questions for the 2019 New Year

It’s that time of the year … you’ve just completed the Holidays; you have good intentions pouring from everything cell of your being; and then, January progresses to February. The diet ends; the New Year’s resolutions start to tank; and you are back doing the same thing as you’ve always done.

Here are four questions to ask yourself as your kick-start your authoring and publishing year:

Authors Need to Ride Surfing the Publishing Wave

Authors Need to Ride Surfing the Publishing Wave

Thirty plus years ago, one of my author friends coined one of my favorite book titles: Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers. It’s all about change and slashing through the things that continually hold people and companies back. Fast forward 20 years. I ran into the author Bob Kriegel at a conference we were both speaking at. He was still talking about burgers and he reminded me of a story he told me long ago …

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Is There a Book in You? How’s It Doing? Get Resources for Success

Is There a Book in You? How’s It Doing? Get Resources for Success

Question: If you are an Author, are you happy with your book sales?
Question: Would you like to be an Author of a successful Book?
Question: Do you really know how Authors become rock stars who get minimal advances, if any, yet soar?
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: The answers are in front of you. Within the …

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Stop the Book Insanity … Or Why I Don’t Want to Market My Book

Stop the Book Insanity … Or Why I Don’t Want to Market My Book

Stop the Book Insanity …
Authors sometimes don’t want to hear what works in creating a successful book campaign—campaigns that include the creation, the marketing and the sales of a book … they would rather keep doing the same thing … the thing that has produced no results. Which is usually sitting on their tush. Or if they did try “something” and it didn’t work, that they then choose to sit on their tush because …

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Book Editors & Publishing Are Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Book Editors & Publishing Are Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Book Editors & Book Publishing Are Like Peanut Butter and Jelly
Why so many authors think that their friend who teaches literature at the local college, or their sister who
loves everything they write and do is the perfect editor for their work is beyond me.

Your editor can make or break your work—she can shape and shore it up … or, put in some commas and check your spelling. There are now more self and independent …

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Book Publishing Today … Are You the Sardine in the Sea?

Book Publishing Today … Are You the Sardine in the Sea?

Are You the Sardine in the Sea?
Are you ready to learn the Art of the Niche? With over 2,000 books being published everyday, is yours drowning in the sea? Yes, there are millions of books out there.

Is yours contributing to book pollution?
Do you have a unique voice, something new to bring to the party, a twist to something old … in other words, can you break from the pack?
Or, will you continue to be …

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Essential Question for ALL Authors: Who’s in Your Mind When You Write?

Essential Question for ALL Authors: Who’s in Your Mind When You Write?

It was interesting to hear many authors stumble when asked three simple questions:

Who is your book for … really for?
What’s your target market?
Can you summarize your book in less than 30 seconds? Better yet, how about 15 seconds?

And too many couldn’t respond with clarity, or quickly. Oh, they loved the idea and the art of writing.
But, really, “You want me to tell you who is supposed to be reading, buying my book? Me?”
Why yes, …

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Traditional Publishing, Self or Independent Publishing: Which to Choose and Why…Advice from the Book Coach / Book Shepherd

Traditional Publishing, Self or Independent Publishing: Which to Choose and Why…Advice from the Book Coach / Book Shepherd

Ahhh, times have changed—which publishing road does an author take today? With the Internet and today’s technology, traditional publishers are being turned on their heads, self and independent publishers have morphed into new critters—ranging from “Wow—look at these books, they are amazing” to “Wow—these like they were done with Elmer’s Glue at the kitchen table.”
The publishing road answer: it depends. Authors are choosing to bypass the traditional method that had been so coveted by the …

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Authors, Books and Webinars Go Together

Authors, Books and Webinars Go Together

One of the challenges that every Webinar seems to encounter is the talking head syndrome. In TV land, this is typical of your news shows. Your Webinar needs even more energy and when your attendees can’t see you. Your challenge is to create action in their eyes with your words, your phrases, your pausing, your illustrations, your speaking style, your examples, your stories, your segways, your everything … it’s your show and whether the attendee comes back for another Webinar will be based on whether you can connect with your audience or not.