July Tech Tool Box   – 2 SPOTS left

Create Your Own Blog Talk Radio on Tuesday, July 23^rd

Having your own radio show is within your reach from free to a small fee, depending on what bells and whistles you want!

Showcase your expertise through your own radio show on Blog Talk Radio. This will also give you an opportunity to invite guest speakers to your show to reinforce your niche area. Don’t miss this intensive workshop on setting up an account on Blog Talk Radio, features in your radio show account, and strategies for scheduling and planning  your show and show topics. 

Time: 3 – 6 pm
Cost: $60 or both June and July Tech Tool Boxes for $100
Location: Judith’s Offices
Register for July Only at $60: CLICK HERE

for BOTH Toolbox Workshops June 18th and July 23rd at $100: CLICK HERE

Are you ready to promote your new book?

Perhaps you don’t know what questions to ask or what promotional options are available to you. Author U and expert Literary Publicist Stephanie Barko have answers for you.

Brunch and Learn Registration

Cost: $35 for members, $55 for nonmembers

Signups after Thursday, September, 19th will add $10 at the door.
Date: Saturday, September 21st
Time: 10 am to 1:45 pm
Location: Doubletree SE, Aurora

Bonus Session – Author U members only- 3 SPOTS left

Cost: $30
Bonus Mastermind Session from 2 – 4
Location: Doubletree SE, Aurora

NO refunds 30 days prior to event.

Brunch and Learn $35 for members	Brunch and Learn $55 for nonmembers
Brunch and Learn + Bonus session $65 for members	Bonus Session $30 members only

 

1. What works and what doesn’t work for today’s author?
2. What works best for you and your book?
3. What will it cost?

This workshop surveys book promotion from the 50 foot level, exposing the author to a wide panorama of promotional elements.

You will learn the how and why of these elements in book promotion.

• Blogging
• Social Networking
• Media Kits
• Interviews
• Trailers
• Press Releases
• Features
• Live Events
• Virtual Tours
• Timelines

Writers will get a feel for what they might want to do themselves and what might best be delegated by listening to examples from real campaigns and comparing cost to benefit.

Participants will walk away with a general understanding of modern book promotion and a broad sense of direction for their specific project.

BONUS Session

Stephanie is flying in from Austin, TX to present this amazing workshop, and will facilitate a deep-dive MasterMind for a limited number of attendees after brunch. Think of it as personalized laser coaching. Limited to 20.

Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist was voted Preditors & Editors Best Book Promotion Service in 2011. Her award-winning clients include traditional publishers and their authors, small presses, and independently published writers.

Visit with Stephanie at www.StephanieBarko.com

 All Tech Tool Boxes are for Author U paid up members only and limited to 8 participants
to allow for in-depth work with each and are led by Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles.

Attention all authors – you need to set up a Google + Authorship account.

Why?

Authorship is establishing you (to Google) as the confirmed author of an item of content that gets published on a website.

Very important aspect to your online presence!

In this Tech Toolbox workshop, we will walk through the steps in setting up your Google + Authorship.

You will need to have a Google + account and Google + profile.

You will also need to bring:

• the log-in to your WordPress website dashboard or
• the FTP log-in to your server for your website files if you do not have a WordPress website.

*WordPress website dashboard log in consists of a username and password.
*FTP log in includes the host name, user name and password (this is only if you do NOT have a WordPress website).

Cost:  $60 each or all 3 (Feb/Mar/April) for $150
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)
Register for February Only at $60:  

For ALL THREE Toolbox Workshops February 18th, March 18th, April 15th at $150:

 All Tech Tool Boxes are for Author U paid up members only and limited to 8 participants
to allow for in-depth work with each and are led by Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles.

Audioboo is a tool to record, upload and share audio.

A boo consists of any clip of audio, a picture, a location, a title and a description.

The free account has a 3 minute limit, but you can upgrade for more.

Your audios can be shared on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms, you can embed playlists on your sites, and use the mobile apps and widgets as “listen again” players.

You can also submit your audios to iTunes as a podcast.

Join us for this Tech ToolBox workshop and start recording today!

Cost:  $60 each or all 3 (Feb/Mar/April) for $150

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)
Register for March Only at $60:  

For ALL THREE Toolbox Workshops February 18th, March 18th, April 15th at $150:

 All Tech Tool Boxes are for Author U paid up members only and limited to 8 participants
to allow for in-depth work with each and are led by Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles.

This workshop will take you through demos of programs that will teach you simple-to-use business tools, such as ShortKeys, Wufoo, and others – you’ll be clicking away and using new tech tools in no time!

Believe us … new tools are added; old tools morph often. The ones that were your old standbys may have undergone a total makeover as well.

Cost:  $60

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)
Register for April Only at $60:

Author U Extravaganza! May 7-9, 2015
 

Join Us for Author U’s Extravaganza
May 7-9, 2015 at the Renaissance Denver Hotel

reserve your room at 800-HOTELS-1 or 800-468-3571 and ask for AuthorU rate

About

Make It So! You will be engaged over the 3 jammed-packed days, learning and working with amazing book marketing strategists, publicists, Internet gurus … all done in an intense workshop environment. A HUGE Thank you for IngramSpark for sponsoring WI-FI for all three days to all attendees and Exhibitors.

Bonus Session on Thursday, May 7^th will be with Heather Lutze, one of the top Social Media Internet Marketing and Social Media Strategists and author of The Findability Formula, Thumbonomics and her just released Marketing Espionage. You and your book can’t afford to miss this session.

Hayley Foster will walk you through how to create a TED and short talk, John Kremer will soar your Boards with his awesome marketing strategies using Pinterest, Hunter Boyle will soar your eMail Marketing, Joan Stewart will divulge Free Graphics Tools for Authors and How to Use Them for Publicity and Social Media Campaigns, Lori Gama will reveal New Social Media Marketing for Authors, Joel Comm will knock your socks off with his moxie on all things marketing and tricks of the trade within social media & how to be an Awesome Author and Daniel Hall will be back to reveal an astonishing variety of new tools to use to boost your presence and monetize your products (a product is a book!), you will get the inside scoop on all things in the Book Review area … and so much more.  

You will find workshops on the latest in eBook Strategies for Creation and Selling, , Google Authorship, Children’s Books (including how to morph yours into one), Selling Your Book to Foreign Markets, Getting the Right Book Reviews and What to Do When You Get Them, The Anatomy of CrowdFunding, Mastering Amazon and so much more.

HOT!  Jimmy Wayne is coming to the Extravaganza to entertain and delight attendees on Friday evening.  A donation will be made to CASA, the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association.  Jimmy is the national spokesperson.

His book, Walk to Beautiful, will be available to purchase onsite.

DON’T MISS: An Evening with Jimmy Wayne…

His Journey, His Book, His Music.

Extra tickets available ($60) for Jimmy Wayne Entertainment and Gourmet Dinner!  

If you’re registered for the Extravaganza, your ticket is already included.

Click here to purchase

A huge country music star, he’s also the author of  the just released Walk to Beautiful which will be available to purchase onsite and get signed.  Jimmy is a former foster kid turned country music singer/songwriter whose songs and story highlight his mission to bring awareness to kids who age out of the foster system and become homeless. With hits such as Put Your Hand In Mine, I Love You This Much, and Paper Angels, he released Do You Believe Me Now, his biggest hit to date for which he earned the millionaire award for having 100,000,000 radio spins in America.

In 2009, Jimmy toured with Brad Paisley and recorded Sara Smile with Hall & Oates. The next year he became CASA’s national spokesperson and released the novel Paper Angels. In 2012, Jimmy helped get the bill passed extending the age of foster care to 21 in both California and Tennessee. Jimmy lives in Nashville and continues to raise awareness for kids by writing, singing, and speaking.

Jimmy walked halfway across America to raise awareness for foster kids–from Nashville to Phoenix. Don’t miss this amazing man!

Walk to Beautiful is the powerfully emotive account of Jimmy’s childhood and the unconditional love and acceptance Russell and Bea Costner gave to Jimmy. This elderly couple provided a stable home and the chance for him to complete his education. Jimmy says of Bea, “She changed every cell in my body.” After his high school graduation, Jimmy went on to earn a degree in Criminal Justice because, as he says, “I knew a lot about it.” But in his heart Jimmy wanted to write songs and sing. 

A music company opened its doors to Jimmy, and he moved to Nashville to pursue his dreams. He had several memorable hits, such as I Love You This Much, Paper Angels, and Do You Believe Me Now, which remained at #1 for three consecutive weeks on the Billboard Chart.

But success was not satisfying. Jimmy remembered where he came from, and he wanted to give back. With his Meet Me Halfway campaign—a 1,700 mile walk from Nashville to Phoenix—Jimmy walked halfway across America, raising awareness for foster children. Along the way he not only found a lot of crazy things, such as coins, keys, a plastic Jesus, and a Lucille Ball ashtray; but he also found himself. And more important, he found a way to forgive the people who had hurt him. Jimmy learned how to walk to beautiful—and so can you.

 ~~~~

Are you ready to Make It So? … as in make your book a success? Make you a success? Sell your book for foreign rights? Take your branding and positioning to the next level? Get the latest and greatess the social media worlds? Be totally findable in the cyber world? Be an awesome author? Get your book reviewed? Create a killer podcast that brings you sales and business? Do your book marketing on a shoestring budget? Working with the latest in the “E” world? Getting your book distributed and book orders fulfilled? Crafting a speech that brings in money and sells books? Designing the book you’ve always wanted? Creating and Crafting products from your expertise and book?

BONUS TIME

Bonus #1 The Author Shark Tank is back and will be held late Thursday afternoon. There are 4 spots in the Tank–are you ready to dive in and see what AuthorU’s Friendly Sharks can do for you?  Cost is $500 … ONLY 2 spots left.

There are a total of 4 HOT sessions available  … only ONE Attendee can get his or her toe in the Author Shark Tank at a time. Our panel will listen for a few minutes to your pitch (hear/read that: LISTEN) and then decide IF and HOW they will help the author in the book and publishing quest. The Author Shark Tank will be held late Thursday afternoon, May 7th. ONLY 2 spots left.

The Friendly AuthorU Sharks like passion, persistence and excellence. They will provide incentives to writers and authors who demonstrate it in publishing and authoring through a variety of awards that pertain to their own expertise and product line. To enter the tank, there’s a fee.

Bonus #2 Don’t miss the Deep Dive Dinner Workshop that will be presented by Heather Lutze on Thursday night right after the Eagle and Eaglet sessions. Findability for You and Your Book is the Focus PLUS How to Spy on Your Competition. Be there–it’s included for all who register for Friday and Saturday through March, then it’s a separate pay item.

Bonus #3 The WINNERs of the Draft to Dream Book Competition will be announced on Thursday during Dinner and just before Heather’s Lutze’s not to be missed Deep Dive Workshop.

Bonus #4 The Exhibits will OPEN at 2 pm on Thursday … and be available to the public until dinner starts. Tell your friends–it’s a great time to meet those who make books happen right here in Denver.

Bonus #5 EXTRA TICKETS are available for the Evening with Jimmy Wayne–these include the complete dinner.

 Bonus #6 Sizzling Hot! AUTHOR PHOTOS Award winning author photographer Ashlee Bratton will have her lenses ready to focus on up to 20 attendees for personalized Author Portraits. There’s magic in her eyes as she creates photos for your books, blogs … anywhere. The cost is only $250 per session. You get a CD to use anytime, anywhere. Call 303-885-2207 to book your slot now!

At A Glance

Who’s speaking at the Extravaganza this year?

You and Your Book

Exhibitors

Accommodations

Note: Be conference savvy … stay at the hotel, even if you are a local–these are long days. Author U has a block of rooms at the Renaissance Denver Hotel, our Extravaganza site, at a reduced rate of $119 that can include days three days before the Extravaganza and three days post–online booking is higher than this rate!
Make your reservations NOW  … call 800-HOTELS 1 (800-468-3571). Make sure that you ID the Renaissance Denver Hotel and the AuthorU group rate.

ORDER NOW

Bonus-You may register additional friends, colleagues or family members for a reduced fee who are not already AuthorU members. Most meals are included. You will be invoiced and your credit card charged the balance split on  February 15th.      Make It So and Count me in for the Author U Extravaganza 2015!

Just click on the price below that is for your event(s)-or print out and fax in to 303-627-9184 … and we will Count YOU in!

     Total Extravaganza 2015 Registration: $ _____          *Please add me as a new member for $99 _____

Name(s)__________________________________________________________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________Zip ________________________
email __________________________________________ Cell Phone ________________________________________
Credit Card # ______________________________________________________ Exp ____________ CVV ________

*Join Author U and receive AU Member price.

Checks should be payable to Author U, a 501(c)6 organization.    Registration may be faxed to 303-627-9184 or mailed to: Author U % Judith Briles ~ 14160 E Bellewood Dr. ~ Aurora CO 80015 or completed online. 

There will be no refunds for cancellation 0- 31 days BEFORE the start of the Extravaganza. There will be a cancellation fee of $200 if cancelled 32 or more days before the scheduled Extravaganza. A non-refundable deposit of $100 reserves your registration cost.
Reserve your room at 800-HOTELS-1 or 800-468-3571

Authors and books love  … love publicity. Are You Getting Your Share?

And, is it the right publicity at the right time? AuthorU’s March Saturday Mornings will be like an onion … each layer will reveal new ahas, tips and the secret sauce to connect with print, radio and TV that could create a tipping point for your and your book.

Led by Rocky Mountain’s PBS Executive Producer and Colorado Matter’s host Cynthia Hessin, get ready to flip what you are doing to propel your publicity forward. Additional members of the Colorado community will be joining Cynthia from print and radio.

• Does being on and in the media work for a book? For the author … or is it a waste of time?

• What publicity should you be seeking?

• How should you pitch “you”?

• What type of follow is acceptable and what should be avoided?

• What materials do you need and what are unnecessary?

Our morning session is dedicated for a Panel of local media pros (TV, radio and print). You will connect, get tips and tricks on how to reach out and connect for you and your book. Cynthia Hessin and Susan Gatschet will open your eyes and your ears.

Who is Cynthia Hessin?

As a member of the Rocky Mountain PBS News team, Cynthia is the executive producer and host of the weekly news/discussion program, Colorado State of Mind, and produces a variety of other projects for the statewide PBS network. A longtime Denver broadcast journalist, Hessin is familiar to the PBS audience for hosting a variety of award-winning specials, including coverage of elections and public policy issues, and appearances on the national PBS NewsHour.

Chnthia has also earned seven regional Emmy awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) for writing, producing and performance. In 2013 she was also admitted to the NATAS Silver Circle, an honor society which recognizes broadcast professionals who have worked in the industry for 25 years and have made substantial contributions to both their craft and their community.

A Denver-area native, Hessin previously worked as a news reporter and anchor at Denver television stations KCNC News 4 and KMGH Denver’s 7, where she specialized in government and policy news.  She began her broadcast career at Denver radio stations KHOW and KOA.

Susan Gatschet started volunteering at KUVO radio in 1996 and quickly gained a spot on the airwaves. Wearing a few hats, one is that she books guests for various spots of KUVO and she hosts Take Note, offering a richly diverse listening experience weekdays from 1-4 pm.

Susan is also a voice over artist, promoter, producer and camera operator. An avid photographer, Susan has shot thousands of live performances across the nation. 

GOLD AU 
Standard Fee: $32

BEST SELLER AU Members $0:

ALL OTHERS (including BASIC): $45

REMOTE: Video and handouts one week after event (you must be registered BEFORE March 5^th to take advantage of this) AU Members only $32

HOT new webinar on Wednesday, March 9 ( 6 ET, 5CT, 4MT, 3PT).If you want to sell thousands of books on Amazon, there are a few things you need to do to make it happen. One of those is to get BOOK REVIEWS.

Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5310974687142252546

You need far more than a handful of them.

Book distributor and AuthorU Board member Amy Collins recommends 25 REVIEWS within one week of your launch date. Gulp … do you have at least 25 on your Amazon book page right now?

How would you like to find the most powerful influencers on Amazon to goose your book sales … and do it for free?

If you can eventually amass more than 100 legitimate reviews, Amazon becomes your cheerleader. It will consider paying for Google pay-per-click ads, and ads on Facebook and other sites, to pull people onto your Amazon sales pages. AuthorU member Steve Snyder (Shot Down!) garnered three special email blasts from Amazon recommending his book (that would have cost him thousands of advertising dollars … he got them for free. How? He had a 747 plane load of BOOK REVIEWS posted on his book page from happy Amazon buyers. Amazon’s mighty robots knew it had a winner in play.

What this means is that you should be contacting as many Amazon reviewers as possible–and not just the top 100 or even the top 1,000.

In other words, more social proof = more books sold. Simple, yes?

Here’s the problem: Sifting through all those reviewer profiles to find the ones that would be interested in your book can take days—weeks even.

There’s a much easier way.

I’m hosting a free webinar with online marketing expert Debbie Drum. She has published more than 50 books under various pen names, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, March 9th, on “How To Find Powerful Influencers on Amazon to Review Your Books and Help You with Your Marketing–for Free.”

Debbie will explain how to find reviewers quickly, pitch them correctly, and avoid many of the landmines, like review swapping, that can cause major trouble for you and force Amazon to close your account.  She’ll also introduce you to a powerful tool that’s helping authors crush it by collecting dozens of Amazon reviews super-fast.

Register for the free training here:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5310974687142252546

P. S.  Think about how many times you read reviews before you buy anything online, visit a restaurant, or see a movie. Book buyers LOVE BOOK REVIEWS …

I’ll be there … will you? 

Details

Register here: https://www.meetup.com/AuthorYOUSalons/events/260321129/

June opens to warming weather on the outside… and sizzling ideas on the inside. Let’s dump what isn’t working and reveal new avenues for your author success… about you; about your book… what else? It’s part of your expanding author infrastructure. See you Saturday a 9.00 a.m.

This Event is exclusively for AuthorYOU Members.

To Join AuthorYOU, visit https://authoru.org/join-author-u/why-join-author-u.html, and sign up for a VIP AuthorYOU Membership.

• AS ALWAYS, All gatherings start with a virtual flip chart and a question: what do you need? The morning is then off… who knows what paths it will take? Is there a book in the works? Are you stuck? Curious about the various publishing options? Ask your questions… AND participate.

The value of the group is to give, not just take. The Author YOU SALON participants are true masterminds. The SALONS created with expand your projects and the breadth of your success. If you want to make your book happen… here’s the inner circle that has ideas and experience to kick start it, goose it and just get the launch started. Your answers are in the room.

There is no charge for AuthorYOU Members. No question goes unanswered! –come at 9, stay till noon if need be.

For AuthorYOU members only.

It’s an ONLINE Saturday AM gathering for the AuthorYOU Salon community. Grab a COOL beverage–who knows how hot it will be outside? Bring your questions … you get answers. Catch up with old and new friends. August is often a “laid back” month… get ready to rev up your marketing engines for Fall time. What are you going to position yourself for the prime selling season?

REGISTER HERE: https://www.meetup.com/AuthorU/events/rrbcjsycclbsb/