Author U Your Guide to Book Publishing

This week's show focuses on all the gizmos and gadgets, online shopping carts and email marketing/newsletter services that can make the author's publishing, writing and marketing life sane. Kelly Johnson, Judith's favorite Geek Girl, joins her today. Kelly is the owner of CornerstoneVA.com. You will learn about: -Mail Chimp -AWebetr -Constant Contact -Vertical Response -CloudNet360 (Premium Web Cart) -1ShoppingCart -InfusionSoft and much more. Get ready for a great show on Authoru U-Your Guide to Book Publishing with Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd!

Throughout the final quarter of the year, Judith features top members of "her team" in the creation of THE BOOK. This week's show comes back to the cover and interior... with a different voice, Michele DeFlippo, the CEO of 1106Design.com. Critical advice: love your book cover because buyers look at it, and buy it. Starting with the COVER, they explore: What is a book cover? A package that answers the buyer's only question: What's in it for ME? How should it look? Like similar bestsellers. Capture the correct mood. How should it work? The right words, arranged in the right way, on the front, back and spine. All marketing roads lead to your book cover. This is not the place to save money. How to hire the right designer. Someone who cares enough to challenge your thinking. Concepts vs. variations. No financial surprises! Continuing with the INTERIOR ... Why you should never use Word to lay out your book. Why Do-it-yourself templates are plain vanilla, boring. You are sold the level you can work with, not the level you need. How to compare a Word page to a designed and properly typeset bestseller and see the difference. Rules of Book Typography = better reading comprehension. Love your book interior because it's beautiful in the hand and easy to read. Get ready for a great show on Authoru U-Your Guide to Book Publishing with Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd!

How would you like to win a contest that is based on the quality and creativity of your work? You can. AuthorU.org is sponsoring, along with two dozen other majors--likes IngramSpark, Thomson Shore, New Shelves, The Book Shepherd, Tattered Cover Book Store, the BookBar, Total Printing Systems, Cornerstone Virtual Assistance, WaveCloud, Color House Graphics, 1106 Design, NZ Graphics, F+P Design, the Publicity Hound, Creative Journey, US Book News Awards Editing, Ashography and Daniel Hall Presents. There are four main categories: Fiction, NonFiction, YA-Juvenile, Childrens The one single catch: you cannot be already published (meaning you have books for sale) in the genre you are entering. You will get all the details in the show aired on Thanksgiving--the how-tos, what-fors, and the prizes. DON'T MISS IT! The Early Bird entry ends on November 30th ... all manuscripts must be received by January 15th. Today, on Author U-Your Guide to Book Publishing, Judith will deep-dive into the Draft to Dream Book Publishing Competition ... where 4 winners will get $10,000 each in prizes and 20 runner-ups will get $700 each. You can get all the Details ... the Rules ... and How to Enter at the AuthorU.org website: htttp:AuthorU.org Get ready for a great show on Authoru U-Your Guide to Book Publishing with Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd!

Are all printing options alike? Do you have a clue on what happens once you engage a printer--what happens before the ink goes on? And what happens in the cover printing and binding? Most authors don't think about it all ... and as an author, you should. Good questions to ask and the answers are within today's show PLUS 21 Answers to questions you should be asking ... for what is best for you and your book. Today, on Author U-Your Guide to Book Publishing, Judith will deep-dive into the Top 20 plus 1 Questions that every author, every publisher should ask a printer. Think of it as Part II of the session early this month on printing books--this round with Sandy Gould who brings 17 years of printing experience to produce your best book. Sandy is one of the expert voices from Color House Graphics. 1. Do you provide printing services for self-publishers and authors? 2. What types of files do you accept? 3. What should my designer receive from you before they prepare files for my book? 4. How long will it take to produce my book? 5. What type of proofs should I request? 6. What are overs and unders? 7. What is the difference between offset and digital printing? 8. What does the acronym PPI stand for and why does it matter? 9. What is the difference between natural shade and white paper? 10. What are bleeds on text pages and why do they matter? 11. What is the difference between matte and gloss lamination? 12. What binding styles and trim sizes fit you best? 13. Why does hard cover cost more than soft cover? 14. What should I know about case-bound cover options? 15. What are signature breaks and how would this affect my page count? 16. What would be considered a good page count? 17. What choices do I have for packaging my books? 18. What are your normal shipping procedures and what information do you need from me? 19. What happens to my files after you finish my project? 20. What should I do if I need more books? 21. Will a reprint be significantly less expensive than my first printing? Get ready for a great show on Authoru U-Your Guide to Book Publishing with Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd!

Are all book designers alike? It's a good questions and the answer is, No way ... and you need to know what's out there and which is best for you and your book. Today, on Author U-Your Guide to Book Publishing, Judith will deep-dive into the latest in what's between the sheets and on top of your covers when it comes to book designing with a multi-award winning cover and book designer, Nick Zelinger of NZ Graphics. Nick knows books inside and out. -Learn Tips and Tricks on how to prep your manuscript for the designer. -What types of designs work best with different genres? -Cover options ... so your book isn't the ugly one. -How to work with your designer to maximize your return. -How to use parts of your cover within your interior. -Differences in Fiction and NonFiction designing. -How to make your cover and interior competitive. And, as always ... much more. Nick Zelinger is a graphic designer for over 20 years, has worked for ad agencies and printing companies; been an art director for an aviation magazine; has designed product packaging for manufacturers; created large signage for storefronts and company vehicles and Rapid Transit; designed promotional material for the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, KOA Radio and Clear Channel. The majority of his work has been book design. His cover designs and interior layouts have earned him numerous awards, such as Best Cover Design by USA Book News, National and International Awards, Indie Excellence Book Awards, IPPY Awards, Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Award, the Beverly Hills Book Awards, and many more. Nick also produces misc. marketing materials for his authors: posters, sell sheets, postcards, bookmarks, banners, business cards, and company logos. He is the co-author of “Another Nightmare Gig from Hell: Musicians Tales of Wonder and Woe.” Nick is also a working musician since the age of 16, and currently performs with the rock band, Thin Ice. Get ready for a great show on Authoru U-Your Guide to Book Publishing!

Are all book printers alike? It's a good questions and the answer is, Nope ... and you need to know what's out there and which is best for you and your book. Today, on Author U-Your Guide to Book Publishing, Judith will deep-dive into the latest in all things relating to book printing with Dave Raymond, the Regional Sales Manager at Thomson Shore and knows books! www.ThomsonShore.com -Are printing fees negotiable? -What types of paper are best for certain books. -Cover options ... the good, the bad and the oh-so-ugly. -IDing the best print methods. -Differences in digital vs. offset. And, as always ... much more. Join Judith Briles, the Book Shepherd, and Author U - Your Guide to Book Publishing

This week's show on Author U - Your Guide to Book Publishing is all treats, no tricks. Using social media to sell your books is the portal that every author needs to understand, to use, and remove the resistance roadblocks that hinder their results. Today's guest is Aliza Sherman, a pioneer in all things "web"--she is an co-author of the best-selling Social Media Engagement for Dummies. Her early work on the Internet and in the early days of Silicon Alley helped pave the way for today's new media industry. You will learn: -How much time do you need to invest in social media. -How much money do you need to invest in your social media strategies. -How to build your author platform through social media. -How to create a community and get it thriving. -How to create pre-sales via your social media channels. -How to convert your postings to purchases. -How Fiction authors can develop characters and narrative with social media tools. -How to avoid social media pitfalls.

Nope, eBooks didn't eliminate print books, contrary to what many thought would happen--print books are doing well, in fact, sales were up 4.3% this summer. BUT, eBooks are an important part to your mix. Today's show will focus on some of the old, but lots of the new--especially with what's bubbling up with eBooks for kids. Today, on Author U-Your Guide to Book Publishing, Judith will deep-dive into the latest in all things eBooks with Nick Taylor. Nick designs eBooks for authors and publishers, is based in the U.S. and has the skills to make your book look awesome. Nick is an author of several fiction fantasy books--he gets what authors are facing in today's world. •What's hot with ebooks today. •KIDS' ebooks... a whole new world. •How to market your ebook--is there a twist from print books? •How to create a stellar book promotion campaign including promotions. •Yes you can, how to include illustrations. •When to bundle your book sales with print book. •How to prep your book for ebook conversion. •What to pay ... and what not to pay for. And, as always ... much more. Another great hour with Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd and CEO of AuthorU.org.

Today, on Author U-Your Guide to Book Publishing, Judith will deep-dive into Creativity with a Twist--how to develop the skill that we all have. Her guest is Ronda Sheya, principal in the Sheya-Group.com in Colorado. AND, one of the creative forces when Radio Disney started. •How to break the creative block. •Why is creativity different from invention. •How to use creativity in your book marketing and promotion. •How to create a stellar book promotion campaign including promotions. •ID the key steps in getting your creative juices salivating. •Why "clutter" is the enemy of all creativity. •How to capture ideas quickly. *Why "play" is essential to creativity. And, as always ... much more. Another great hour with Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd and CEO of AuthorU.org.

Your photos are a critical component to any author's online and offline presence. The questions: What photos are on your website?, What photos and images are in your social media outreach? and What photos and images are you using to support both you and your book? become critical in your overall Game Plan. Today, on Author U-Your Guide to Book Publishing, Judith will deep-dive into what's what in photos today with master photographer, Ashlee Bratton. Ashlee is an award winning photographer (Ashography.com) who has the skills to make authors look awesome? Ashlee is also the author of the just released, Life Before the Lottery. -What types of author pics do you need? -Different locations to use. -How much should you pay and how to negotiate. -How to create a stellar book promotion campaign including promotions. -What are the key components of putting a video together. -Is any video better than no video? “Done is better than good.” -What works for you, your pics, your books, your promo ... everything ... -And, as always ... much more. Another great hour with Dr. Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd and CEO of AuthorU.org.