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Publisher’s Corner
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nderstanding publishing trends that are moving at a rapid pace can be daunting. The past year has seen the cost of paper increase, which impacts the wholesale price of the book. The industry has also seen a change in distribution fees to 55% of retail. Many authors are questioning how they will make money with their books and wondering how to maximize profits in a period of inflation. The importance of planning and budgeting for multiple platforms has now become an essential piece of an effective publishing and marketing strategy.
The doer alone learneth.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche
The current trends are leaning to multiple platforms of distribution. This means that you must have a digital version of your book. Print sales are growing fast, despite inflationary trend. What this means to readers is that softcover/ hardcover books are becoming more expensive. The newest market trend is audiobooks. As more and more people veer away from mass media, they are turning to audiobooks for entertainment and education. Many entrepreneurs listen to books and only buy the print version if they want is as a reference guide. This month, we highlight Tina Dietz, owner of Twin Flames Studios, an independent audiobook production company that helps authors maximize their audio profits. Love and Gratitude, Juliet
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THE POWER OF PERSONAL MYTH Stories are the medium of our lives, giving us a context for relating our key life memories to others. All religion, culture and tradition are based on collective story telling or mythology – You truly have your own personal mythology. Yes, you are mythic! Your personal mythology is your own interpretive framework for the many stories of your trials and tribulations. These highlights and turning points in your life are like the key scenes in the movie of your life. To unfold your myth, you need to discover the archetypes that are at play. An archetype is a word coined by the Swiss Psychiatrist, Carl Jung to describe universal themes our personas take on such as healer, mother, and warrior.
For instance, Artisans are naturally creative, inventive, and imaginative while a healer may be focused on compassion, caring, and resolving the challenges of life – body, mind, and spirit. If you a non-fiction author, you still need to be a compelling storyteller. Discovering your personal myth will enliven your ability to connect on a deeper level. Jared Rosen is the author of several books including the award-winning book The Flip. He is the Founder and CEO of DreamSculpt Books and Media.
AUTHOR BIO Jared Rosen is the founder Of DreamSculpt. As an innovator in digital media publishing, he has published over 50 media enhanced e-books for many best-selling authors and filmmakers and has published dozens of books in print. Jared is the author of three books including the groundbreaking book The Flip. As a thought leader he has presented in venues ranging from TED X Malibu, to McKinsey and Company, Sydney, Australia. In 2000, Jared co-created the Children’s Emotional Literacy Project endorsed by Mayor Richard Riordan and Norman Lear.
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Podcasting Your Way to A Book
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n 2015, I started a podcast called Ask Juliet. It was awful! My idea was to promote authors who had new books. What made it so awful was that I was doing everything myself. None of my guests seemed to have media kits. I was horrible at editing. I had to upload to Soundcloud every week, which was a major pain for a non-techy person. Like most podcasters, I went into podfade. My podcast just went away because I was exhausted. In 2018, that all changed. I met Tracy Hazzard at an event. She convinced me that, with help, my podcast could become an easy piece of content that I didn’t have to worry about. Just record and go. Promote, Profit, Publish was born. This turned out to be the way that I have created and produced content for the last three years. The best part of this is that I look forward to recording. In fact, all I do is record and upload and Podetize takes care of the rest.
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Your book is a tool in your promotional toolkit. Entrepreneurs need to understand that their book is not a calling card or a business card. Your book is a low barrier nurture product to lead readers to big ticket products and services. For some potential authors, their podcast can become the book. Many of us are so busy that it is difficult to find time to write the book we envision. Planning your podcast around the ideas of your book and recording them as episodes gives you the opportunity to get your ideas out of your head and into a format that can be transcribed. It is much easier to edit your transcription than start from scratch.
Promote, Profit, Publish communicated and promoted my company’s brand. I don’t sell anything on the show. The show is simply about providing value to potential authors and authors and giving them choices about how they can promote.
A good start for this is hiring a book coach. Lay out a strategy and outline so that you can start filling in the episodes you need for the book. Your book coach is the sherpa that will keep your book in alignment with your goals and help you avoid the big mistakes that every first-time author makes. Working with a book coach is also the way to make sure that your book developed in a way that is reader-centric. Often first-time writers miss this essential point. It is the difference between having a good book and a great book.
As an author, podcasting has added credibility to my platform. I have always had a mission for my company to help authors become thought leaders with an integrated publishing and marketing strategy.
In 2021, Promote, Profit, Publish became an award- winning podcast. No one was more surprised than me. Click here to listen to Promote, Profit, Publish on Spotify.
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AUTHOR BIO Juliet Clark is a sixtime author, speaker and podcaster who has spent the last twenty years helping authors, coaches, speakers, and small businesses all over the world build expert audiences.
Karie Cassell’s Winning Multiplatform Strategy By Kristy Boyd Johnson
Q: Tell us a little about you, Karie. I had a natural gravitational pull towards nutrition in my teens. My parents sold vitamins, which meant I was immersed into a world with shelves of vitamin bottles and books about them. My interest led me to becoming a dietitian. After hitting perimenopause at 40 and seeing my husband struggle with health, I started to see there were missing pieces impacting health. I could help with strategies on emotional eating, but not the root cause such as struggles in relationships, finances, career, etc. Q: What inspired you to write The Domino Diet? I was led to see a Domino Effect in our thinking and a formula that sprung from that which I call the Domino Diet Formula Thoughts Breath Hormones Feelings Actions Results Freedom When I heard the words Domino Diet, I struggled with the word “diet” since it has a negative connotation. A 4-letter word, if you will. Then I had a flashback to remembering the root
meaning: from the Greek origin word “diata” which means “a way of life.” I am a dietitian on a mission to bring back the true meaning of the word diet and put the “heal back into health.” It is only in the last few decades that we have taken the word diet and created such mass confusion and mixed messages. We blame foods that have been around for centuries, like fruit, and blame the sugar content, when in fact fruit is loaded with nutrients that helps lower the risk of disease. There have been foods pitted against foods with the battle of the macronutrients (fat, protein, carbs) when the focus belongs on the micronutrients in which we are often deficient. Q: If you could share the one most important idea from your book, what would that be? It doesn’t start or end with the diet. It starts with your thoughts and how you breathe. We become what we think, but we are how we breathe, too. So important! Your brain reads how you breathe as indicator for you to be in a state of calm or in fightor-flight, and switches on hormonal pathways accordingly. It is your
Kristy Boyd Johnson is an awardwinning children’s author, and has ghostwritten over 30 books for entrepreneurs over the years. She is a sought-after developmental editor and transformational book coach. She recently launched Starseed Journey Retreats because she can’t imagine anything better than being a beautiful location with beautiful people who want to reconnect with their deepest selves through writing.
hormones that create the feelings in your body, not the other way around. It all happens from the inside out. Q: I understand you have a forthcoming workbook to accompany your book. How can your readers use the workbook to help themselves? The workbook is intended to help implement a new way of thinking. Inspiration alone does not produce change but Inspiration + Participation does. We know that the subconscious mind works well with repetition. We learn new habits, like driving, through repetition. Q: Have you authored any other books? Many articles but not books. Stay tuned for more. Q: How can your readers find you? Amazon and the main bookstores in North America, in e-book, print, and audiobook formats. https://www.amazon.com/dp/ B0985RY3JP/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=karie+cassell+the+domino+diet&qid=1625149733&sr=8-2
As a Dietitian for about 30 years and in wellness overall for 40 years, Karie Cassell worked in acute care, longterm care, community and developed a Chronic care model for a Diabetes Program in the 90’s which was a first in her home city. Karie is a wealth of health with study in traditional/nontraditional medicine, a diabetes educator and IOC Sports Nutrition. Diploma.
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How Authors Become Thought Leaders
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magine you’re standing on a stage in a huge auditorium. You look out and see thousands of smiling faces staring back at you. There’s music and lots of cheering. Listen closely… everyone is shouting your name. How would that feel? While you may not strive to be the next Oprah or Tony Robbins, you, as an author, certainly have the power to build an audience of raving fans online. These people will love what you post on Instagram, read your emails, and buy your books. They will also join your programs, work with you one-on-one and head to your live speaking events to get your magic in person. But without a VIP platform online, your ideal reader won’t have a way of discovering that magic. Your VIP platform is made up of the thought leader content you share across your social media accounts, email marketing blasts, blog posts, articles, white papers, lead magnets, podcast interviews, and more. If you’re wondering, Am I even capable of building a VIP platform? Who is going to follow me? I’m here to give you the answer.
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It’s a resounding YES! Your ideal audience is out there and waiting to hear from you. But unless you start creating content and putting it out on the right platforms consistently, you’re not going to be able to grow your reach effectively. With a mix of different kinds of content, you’ll expertly show your audience how experienced you are and why you’re truly a thought leader. • When you provide social proof in the way of client testimonials and other reviews of your book and client work, your audience will see how great you are and they won’t just have to take your word for it. • Case studies and other examples of client successes show how well you enable people you work with to undergo amazing, beneficial transformations. • When you create educational content or lead magnets with how-to’s and other valuable tips that provide quick wins to your audience, they’ll see how much you can help them and want to know even more about what you offer.
• Your “why”, your mission, why you do what you do – these make excellent thought leader content. When you tell your origin story, your audience will be able to relate to you and the mission of your book and your brand even more. Since you’ve written a book based on your expertise, you’ve likely created a lot of this content already. Now you can leverage your book for your marketing by repurposing it into your authority-building content. If you’d like more guidance on how to step into thought leadership online, I would love to chat. You can schedule your complimentary Content Strategy call with me at contentstrategycall. com.
AUTHOR BIO Melanie Herschorn wants to make your book and brand sparkle online. As a content marketing strategist for women coaches and speakers worldwide, she’s on a mission to support and empower her clients to create clear messaging and content that shines a light on their individual experience, skillset, and books. With her unique combination of entrepreneurship, awardwinning journalism and PR experience, Melanie guides her clients to attract and nurture leads and position themselves as industry experts. She also loves to provide content marketing tips and interview new authors on her live show AUTHORity Marketing LIVE!
Ryann Dowdy Book Description: I know, no one told you that entrepreneurship was a sales job. And maybe, once you found that out, you weren’t excited. This book was written for YOU. The talented, committed, smart, hardworking woman that wants to make an impact in the world in an insurmountable way. So that you can grow a business that puts YOU in the driver’s seat. Of your income. Of your time. Of your life. I believe that change (the kind of change our world NEEDS right now) happens at home. It happens around our dining room tables. Spending time with people we love. Dropping our kids off at practice and school and picking them up. Doing work that we truly enjoy. I spent 15 years in the corporate world helping businesses generate millions of dollars in revenue through sales. I achieved my dream job and my dream salary ... only to realize it wasn’t enough. Now, I’m teaching WOMEN how to sell in a way that feels GOOD to them so they can grow their businesses and create the income and lifestyle they deserve. I’m on a mission to build the next generation of female CEOs. Because when more women make more money, gain back control of their lives, finances, and choices... the world will be a better place. I want to see more women hitting that 6-figure mark - and beyond.
Book Link : Amazon.com: The 100k Sales Method eBook : Dowdy, Ryann: Kindle Store Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/ENdyJu0a9eI
Entrepreneurship can give you ALL of this (and so much more when you’re ready!). But the only way to be a successful entrepreneur….is to learn how to sell (without selling your soul). This book will teach exactly how to build relationships, solve problems, and get clients in your business. It will teach you the mindset shift that you have to make to be able to truly own your role as the sales driver in your business. It will teach you the basic business fundamentals that will always be the building blocks of successful business. After 15 years in the corporate world and almost 3 years a business owner - I can tell you without a doubt that this book will help you grow your business. Whether it’s the first $100k or the next $100k - this book is for you!
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What Is Old Is New Again: Promoting Your Backlist
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emember the childhood days of going to Grandma’s house and asking if playing in the attic was allowed? Those were times of great discovery, mystery, and excitement. Searching through old, dusty boxes and trunks for ‘hidden gems and treasure’ was exhilarating. The pinnacle of these fantastic discoveries led to story time with Grandma. Learning the back story to all of the knick-knacks, books, clothes, and countless other items gave a glimpse into Grandma’s life in her younger years and what she held dear to her heart. Everything we hold dear has a story, like a beloved novel or a favorite vinyl LP record. Sometimes we should take them out, dust them off, and enjoy them all over again.
again; books, for example. Authors who have spent countless hours pouring over hand-written notes and chapters of a work that drove them to share labors of love with the world deserve to be read and enjoyed by the next generation.
The same can be said for taking something old and making it new
For the authors who have not thought about promoting backlist
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Gone are the days of getting published and put on a shelf in one of the big book box stores. Backlisting is a process that allows authors to re-release/ re- promote their work with a fresh look and an updated perspective. Over 75% of book sales each year are backlist titles. There are many media platforms available to aid in this effort bringing the old to life again in print and the internet, on social media channels, and through audiobooks.
work, now is a great time to think about getting some updated cover art, engaging someone to format the book for digital release, and making those tweaks to coincide with a topic that is trending in the news, appeal to a new generation or even an older one. Backlist promotion is especially effective when you are thinking about releasing a new book. One of the benefits is discovery of old titles that lead to new titles. Many fiction authors find that when one of their books sells well, readers go back to the backlist title that they missed. Promoting your new title and the old titles together makes your back titles more discoverable. What else do you need to promote those works? A well-written press release, a business, book, product, event, or service can achieve
Shannon Short Bio Shannon Procise has successfully attained over $3.2M in FREE publicity and is notorious for being the owner of the “Million Dollar Rolodex” and teaching others how to do the same. She has trained and coached thousands of individuals in marketing, event production, business development, and personal growth. Shannon is the creator of a magnetic community - the Business Acceleration Network, where she guides businesses to build a successful enterprise while having fun and making lots of money.
the recognition and publicity it deserves by getting coverage in major media outlets like Fox News or MarketWatch. Superbrand Publishing knows how to deliver well-polished content, whether in print or social media, and effortlessly reach large audiences. They do this while incentivizing them to inspire others that they need to have or should be a part of what is being announced in the press release. As authors write and publish their books, they should remember that using their backlist will be necessary for digital release. To ensure the success of marketing efforts, it’s best to work with a professional team that knows how to deliver coverage across major media outlets such as AP News or MarketWatch on your behalf. To learn more, go to www.ShannonProcise. com/SuperBrand Authors should take the time to go into the attic and find some old gems and treasures. Consider a re-release of the hard work they did to bring it to life, however long ago it may have been. Consider letting professionals such as Superbrand Publishing handle the rebirth of your work of art for many more generations to come!
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Susan Haworth About the book:
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f you’ve ever felt that something was “off” in your life and you needed a change but didn’t know where to begin, this book is for you. A Change Would Do You Good is a contentrich guide that combines research and ancient philosophy with proven strategies for overcoming limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging behaviors. From flexing your brain to infusing meaning in your work, this engaging book explores five areas of change. Learn to: • • • • •
Change Your Mind: practice mental agility Change Your Attitudes: feel good enough Change Your Habits: meet your health and financial goals Change Your Work: find meaning and purpose in your life Change Your Relationships: lead with empathy and compassion
A Change Would Do You Good provides a positive and concrete approach to feeling comfortable in your own skin and being your best at home and at work.
AUTHOR BIO Susan Haworth holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and two master’s degrees—one in counseling and the other in management—as well as postmaster’s credentials in counseling. She has provided counseling, coaching, and training to individuals, families, and executives for over four decades. In addition to publishing articles in numerous trade journals, Susan has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on national and international radio and television programs. She is a contributing writer to StepMom Magazine. Susan and her family live in Northern California.
Link to purchase the book: Amazon.com: A Change Would Do You Good: Proven Strategies for Creating the Life You Want eBook : Haworth, Susan: Kindle Store
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Are You Ready to Be Heard?
Audiobooks Give Your Book A Voice Audiobook publisher receipts totaled
1.3 Billion in 2020
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s an author, knowing the next step(s) to take, to get your book out there, can be daunting and often stops authors from taking any action at all. Decision fatigue is real. Add to that thousands of pages of Google telling you what you ‘should’ be doing and you might find yourself lost in the mire, held back by too much information and bad advice. This alone is one of the reasons I absolutely love jumping into a podcast episode with an expert who can easily break down the dos and don’ts and send content creators in the right direction. With that, I want to share a conversation I recently had with an authority in the publishing and producing world. Tina Dietz, CEO & Founder of Twin Flames Studios, is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and influence marketing expert who has been featured on media outlets including ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post and Forbes. Our conversation was a true deep dive into what it takes to be an expert in your industry and successful author – and we zeroed in on something plenty of authors aren’t doing – but absolutely should be.
Making the Most of Your Content Did you know that the audiobook industry is worth over 3 billion dollars? Add to that the fact that less than 20% of authors take advantage of this opportunity to increase audience, sales and influence… and this feels like a conversation we need to have. So many authors have the “if you build it, they will come” mentality until their book hits Amazon and they realize how vast their competition is. You’ve already put so much time and energy into creating your book and you should get the most out of that content as you possibly can, which means offering your book in multiple formats, even audio. “Authors can keep falling in love with their work and audio is so overlooked in this process. When we offer our readers a new way to consume, we often find that we’ve tapped into a different audience altogether, thus growing our fanbase so to speak and creating more impact with our words.” Content Fatigue Is SO Real Often, I hear authors say they absolutely cannot read their own book one more time. Through the writing, editing and publishing process, it’s hard to be discerning with our own content, especially when we’ve read it so…many… times. Our minds tend to
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skip read, shut down, or stop absorbing altogether when we’ve spent too much time with any piece of content, even if its our own masterpiece. However, experiencing your own content in audio form allows you to take a different perspective completely. Quality and Quantity When it comes to turning your book into an audiobook, you never have to choose one or the other – quality and quantity are equally compelling parts of the recipe for success. If you’ve decided that the stats I shared above are enough motivation for you to hit ‘record’, there are a few things you need to think about, tidbits Tina shares with all of her clients. 1. Consider a narrator: Recording your book is not the same as public speaking
or doing an interview. There are so many caveats that need consideration like consistent pace, breathing, tone, energy and even phlegm. As Tina put it, “Recording an audiobook is almost an exercise in embodiment where the author or narrator is challenged to show up as their best self, to bring their voice to a place that embodies their best self, and this is incredibly difficult. Even highly trained narrators only narrate for two hours at a time because of these factors that can make or break a recording.” 2. Keep it human: The human element we crave when we listen to audiobooks, podcasts and even speeches, doesn’t always come through when you’re in an empty room talking to a microphone. If you decide to be the voice of your book, there needs to be intimacy, emotion, and a
connection that reduces the space between you and your listener. The timing needs to be consistent throughout and the quality of the sound must follow suit. 3. Hold onto your rights: Plenty of publishers will contract you so that you are handing over control of your author dashboards online, your royalties and your ownership. Be wary of this. Both Tina and I make it a rule of thumb to always leave these rights with the author so they can monetize, utilize ads and control their content as they see fit. If you’re reading this wishing you were listening to it instead (hello audio lover!) check out the full episode here, where you can get even more expert advice on how to turn your book into a successful audiobook.
Tina Dietz bio Tina Dietz is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and vocal leadership expert who has been featured on media outlets including ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes. Tina’s first podcast, The StartSomething Show, was named by INC magazine as one of the top 35 podcasts for entrepreneurs. In 2016, Tina was the recipient of the Evolutionary Business Council MORE award and in 2017 she received the award for Outstanding Audio Company from The Winner’s Circle. She is also a member of the EBC leadership body and a founding member of the Forbes Coaches Council. Tina was also the lead interviewer in the podcasting documentary “The Messengers” and featured in the film. Tina splits her time between the US and Costa Rica where she’s part of the leadership team building a community of conscious leaders called Vista Mundo.
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