How To Publish Books That Get Read

How would it feel to publish books that actually get read? You know, as an author, the greatest feeling comes with knowing that readers are actually buying our books. But, we don't want our books to simply be purchased, we want them to actually be opened up and read.

So, how do you manage to publish books that people actually want to crack open and read, page for page?

Well, the first thing you have to do is make sure you have an interesting and catchy title. Sometimes the title alone can be the hook, line, and sinker our books need to make the reader antsy to devour our stories.

Next, make sure that you have a hot cover. I can't stress enough how a boring cover can kill you book. Check out this post to find out how a book cover can either make or break your relationship with your readers.

The storyline has to also be juicy, so much so that it will make your reader get started on the book before they can even make it out of the store. Make your readers feel like your book is required reading.

You want to publish books that will leave a lasting impression on your readers as well; a good one that is. Like it or not, your book is going to be remembered; either for how good it was, or for despicably horrible it was. You get to choose how you want to be viewed.

Last but not least, be sure that the words between the cover are both interesting and intriguing. No one wants to fall in love with a book's title, cover and storyline, only to discover that the actual book is a piece of crap.

Take it from me, if you publish books that look amateurish, you will be viewed as an amateur, and people won't want to take a chance on any more of your books!

I often share my story of how I got started in publishing in the workshops and classes that I teach. My first experience with self-publishing was an expensive nightmare, and it cost me book sales and future support from past readers. You can read about my experience here.

So, how do you publish books that get read? Simple. Follow these rules:

1. Have a catchy title.
2. Create a hot, eye-catching cover
3. Make sure the storyline is great.
4. Most importantly, be sure your story is engaging.

Well, that's it for now. If you like the tips and advice I give to self-published authors, then you need to consider joining the AUTHORity mailing list that includes tips and strategies to help you succeed at self-publishing. You can sign up here.

I also have a group over on Facebook that you may want to be a part of. Click here to become a member.

Until next time,

Let Pictures Tell Your Story

I think I post quite a bit about book cover design. Often times, we as authors may have a vision for our cover, but don't really know how to get people to understand what our book is about. Stock photography is a gem when it comes to creating compelling book covers that sell books.

The best way to have a great cover is to have great pictures. Generally, a good book cover is made up of eye catching photos. Those photos are actual photographs taken either by amateurs or professional photographers that are sold as stock photography. You can pick from thousands upon thousands of photographs to find the right one that matches what's going on in your book.

There are various sites to find great photos to use in your book cover design endeavors. When choosing photos, you first want to think about the book that you have written. What is going on in your book? What is the story you want to tell with your book cover?

When I design ebook covers for myself and my clients, I like to choose photos of people by themselves. They make blending photos together easier because you don't have a bunch of extra stuff happening in your photo.

You also want to think about your audience.
Who is going to be reading your book? Choose photos that not only reflect the story being told in your book, but also, reflect the age group of the people who will be reading your book.

I would like to invite you to check out Deposit Photos for your stock photography needs.
15% off to buy credits. Promo code DC0051053

Until next time,

Meet The Wedding Planner Of The Self-Publishing Industry.

When you plan to self-publish a book, you probably have a gazillion questions?

The first, and most important one, is probably this: where do I start?

Or, how can I publish a book without going broke?

Either way, you are in the right place.

You ever watched a wedding planner at work?

You know how she plans every aspect of the wedding down to the very last detail.

That's the kind of support you're going to find here in the coming months.


In case you have never heard of me, my name is Dr. Sandra Peoples, and for the past decade I have been helping hundreds of authors to successfully self-publish their own books.

And now, I would like to add you to me roster.

• Do you plan to publish your book in the New Year?
• Are you tired of falling for all the hype and lies from people who are only out to get your money and not really wanting to help you publish a book?

If either of these describe you, then I think it's time we talked.

I have a few spots opening up here in the coming weeks and if you are truly serious about building a brand and a career as a writer and author, then I would love to work with you.
I am very selective about the people I work with because with every project I put out there, my name and reputation are on the line. I help authors with every last detail of bringing their projects to print, from making sure their book is edited and proofread, to finding a great cover designer, to securing distribution. I take the load and the stress off of my authors and they thank me for it.

So, if you are ready to add 'Author' to your resume`, shoot me an email to coachsand@gmail.com and we can get started from there.

If you haven't already, Join the AUTHORity mailing list.   This is the place you want to be in order to stay on top of things happening in the self-publishing realm, as well as some creative and inexpensive ways to promote your book.

I'm excited. There are lots of new things coming your way.

Stay tuned,

Writing Books Hardly Pays The Bills And Here Is Why

If you want to be broke, write a book.
If you want to struggle as an author, you are not alone. In fact, of all the thousands of authors who choose to self-publish their books, most of them never recoup their investments.
Even in ebook publishing, which you can do yourself, still can spell zero sales for the struggling author.
It is a very sad, but very true fact that most authors never make enough money from writing books to pay their bills.
In fact, most ebook authors sell on average 2 books a month.
So what does the struggling author do?
If you are like me, you will learn quickly that you have to explore other avenues. Click here to see how other writers are making six figure incomes from the comfort of their own homes.

How A Book Cover Can Doom A Relationship

Relationships are a lot like books. If you find a great one, you will cherish it forever.
So what would cause a reader to hate a book?
There are quite a few reasons, but there is one in particular that truly stands out.
The cover design was horrible. Did you know that people honestly do judge a book by its cover; and if yours sucks, your book will remain on the shelf, or in some database, wasting away.
Even though the storyline may be great, the cover has to sell the book to the reader.
If the book cover does not make the reader want to to pick the book up and read it, or download it, you may want to consider redoing it.
Now, if you have a traditional publisher, or went with a company to publish your book for you, you may not have this option.
But, if you followed all of the steps to self-publishing, you will have the option to change your book cover.
If you wonder why your book is not selling, you may want to start with re-evaluating the cover.
I peruse the virtual book aisles of Amazon on a daily basis, and I often come across books with nice titles, but crappy covers.
I would not buy a book that has a plain green background and a few words on it.
For one, I can't even get a visual of what the book might be about, and two, it looks like the author didn't even care enough about their work to either invest in a cover or make one themselves.
So, if you at least want to get your potential reader to give your book a wink, make sure the cover entices them. Same for ebooks.
Your cover must call-out to reader, and beg them to download it.
If you are an ebook publisher, and you are looking for a way to make ebook covers that will beg your readers to download your books, click here to see the software that will make readers drool.
See you next time,

Does A Cheating Lover Automatically Mean Death To A Relationship?

I have never liked people who cheat. I just don't think it's fair at all. So when I find myself involved with one, of course, I wanted to take revenge into my own hands. But then I thought long and hard and realized that my trying to get revenge on someone would not be a good thing; for either one of us. You see, it started in 2010, a few months after my divorce was finalized. I met a guy I used to date in middle school, online. It started out as a really innocent thing, then quickly turned into something else. I fell in love, or lust, or something. I was very blind to the fact that this guy was playing me like a Nintendo game. Long story short, in the end, there were two women; myself and the mother of his kids, whom he happened to still be dating the six months he was dating me. Talk about being a cheat. So what causes people to cheat? Why do some people find it so hard to be faithful? And why do people use the word 'LOVE' so loosely? A cheating lover kind of makes a person want to give up on love. Wouldn't you rather just be by yourself than be constantly hurt by the hands of another? People deal with being cheated on in different ways. It often results in acts of violence that end with undesirable results, such as those in the video listed above. Click here to see how woman nearly lost her life when she cheated on her husband. Cheating hurts families. It causes relationships to fall apart. Trust goes out the door. It is the very reason why so many marriages end every year. Why so many people find themselves single, year after year. Here's my advice to you cheating spouses and you lovers of all things cheating: stop it! Choose one person to be with and stick with them. If you feel that the love is gone, it's better to walk away from the relationship, rather than lead them on and drag a third person into the equation. Until next time,

Need To Sell More Books? Start A Blog.

Many authors fail to understand why they need to start a blog. Blogging is in fact one of the most beneficial things you can do in order to gain exposure for your books. But the key to success is not to to just stick up a blog and forget about it. Consistency is what will brings massive results. There are few things for you to take into consideration when deciding to start a blog. First of all, you have to decide what topic you want to talk about in your blog. Do you want to focus on the topics and themes in your book? Do you want to talk about relationships? Do you want your blog to teach something? It is up to you. But if you are going to start a blog, you have to keep it updated. You should plan on blogging a minimum of 3 days a week, twice a day. The more you post to your blog, the more it will rank in the search engines. The more you rank in the search engines, the easier it will be for people to find what you have written about. You can start out on a free platform, such as this one, just to get yourself used to posting. It takes practice. It also takes discipline because sometimes you will not want to sit down and write. You want to make your posts informative, educational and even entertaining. You want to give your visitors a reason to come to your site and why they should stick around once they do visit. If at all possible, you should try to make your posts at least 350 to 500 words. So, if you want to sell more books, dust off that blog, or, get one set up and get to writing. Make sure that you mention your book or books in the title of your posts, and in the first paragraph of your posts if the title of your blog has nothing to do with your book.
 Until next time,

Love Lifetime Movie Network? Then Brad's Girl Is Just The Book For You.

I LOVE LMN, the Lifetime Movie Network. There is always a good, drama filled movie on there, right. 24/7. Well, the book I am about to recommend to you, seems like it was ripped right from the storyline of a Lifetime movie. It's called "Brad's Girl," by Shay Collins.

Brad's Girl touches on the very sensitive subject of teen dating abuse, which happens to be a growing epidemic. More and more young girls are reporting that they have been abused by the boys that they are dating; some as young as sixth grade!

The short story by young adult fiction author Shay Collins is the story of Jennifer Duncan, a senior in high school who falls head over heels in love with a high school jock, Bradley Jennings, or 'Brad' for short. What starts as an innocent study date quickly escalates into a high school romance. But little does Jennifer know, she is not the only woman in Brad's life. Bradley is still very much in love with his ex-girlfriend.

Jennifer soon discovers that she is nothing more than a ploy to get back at Brad's ex and make her jealous.

Unfortunately, she may have uncovered the secret a little too late.

If you would like to read more about the story of Brad and Jennifer, you can do so here.

Until next time,

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Foolish By Sandra Peoples Shows Consequences of Having A Cheating Lover

No one wants to be involved with a cheating lover. We all would like to hope that one we get involved with will be faithful and true to only us. But, that is not always the case.

Foolish is the gripping tale of Sharee` Haskins and her husband Jeremy, a young and wealthy power couple who dominate the publishing industry.

They have what most people would consider to be the perfect life. Fame, riches, beauty and prestige are among the most coveted possessions in the world; and the Haskins couple possess all of the above and then some.

The downside of this seemingly perfect black romance is the fact that Sharee` Haskins becomes what she once despised: a cheating lover.

Unfortunately, Jeremy is unaware of the signs of cheating, and does not recognize that the strong bond he and his wife one shared, in now tainted and cracking at the roots.

Especially since Sharee` has begun an elicit and torrid affair with her former boyfriend and convicted ex-felon, Damion Fuller. When Damion enters the scene, 'Foolish' really starts to heat up.

Not your typical urban fiction novel, the book does pay homage to the poor neighborhoods and unfortunate circumstances which set the backdrop for the current lifestyle of the Jeremy and Sharee` Haskins.

Foolish is available as a romance ebook at all major online retailers. A new paperback version is being made available for print retailers.

If you are looking for a black romance with a good mix of urban fiction and the juiciness of unraveling a cheating lover, download your copy of Foolish by Sandra Peoples today.

Three Ways To Succeed At Self-Publishing

Self-Publishing can be a pain in the butt.

You not only have to write a good book, but now you have to promote it, get people to buy it, ship copies to the readers, etc, etc.

The faint at heart will be ready to give up and throw in the towel at the drop of a hat.

Making the decision to self-publish can be scary.

There is always some level of uncertainty.

You wonder if people will really like your book, or will people like it enough to turn your words into a best seller.

There are three ways that you as an author can succeed at self-publishing, and they are as follows:

Know your audience from the beginning. Who did you write your book for? Knowing the answer to this question will save you a ton of heartache and pain in the end.

Write a good story. You would be surprised at the number of people who will write a boatload of crap and then get upset when they sadly discover that either no one wants to read it, or the story sucked all together.

Be prepared to face rejection. The reality of this business is that if you want to succeed, you have to have a tough skin. There are going to be some people who are going to tell you no. They don't want your book, they don't want to sell it in their stores, and so on and so forth. The reality is that you have to take it with a grain of salt and keep pushing on until you get to a yes.

So, if your dream is to succeed at self-publishing, develop your tough skin, learn to handle rejection and get to know your audience. Doing so will make your dream of becoming a best-selling, self-published author, that much more attainable.

Do you have a book that you would like to self-publish? Consider purchasing 'The Blueprint' , a user friendly guide which breaks down the entire process of self-publishing from start to finish. This manual was put together out of a need to educate people on the right way to get started in the publishing industry and avoid many of the pitfalls I endured when I published my first book.

You can learn more and download your own copy here.

Thinking About Self-Publishing? Consider These Publishing Services.

When considering a self-publishing services partner, look no further than Dr. Sandra Peoples.

A resident of Michigan, Dr. Peoples offers one on one assistance to aspiring authors looking to break into the into the self-publishing industry, but also assists authors and entrepreneurs with marketing their books, products and services online.

Celebrating 10 years of service to aspiring authors in August of 2014, Sandra Peoples is the one to choose for professional publishing services.

Some of the services Ms.Peoples provides includes:

• Professional cover design
• Book editing
• Proofreading
• Online and offline book distribution
• Book design and layout
• Typesetting
• Promotion and branding
• Ebook publishing services

Based in Michigan, Dr. Peoples is available to assist clients virtually all across the globe. Since 2004, Sandra has worked with clients from as near as her home town, to as far away as Africa.

To get started on your publishing project, you can email Ms. Peoples directly at coachsand@gmail.com. Be sure to include "Publishing Services" in the subject line.

Compliance Manager Lorie Hardy Pens Book About Learning From Troubling Relationships

Author Lorie Hardy

This month's spotlight focuses on Lorie Hardy, a compliance manager, who has written and published the book, "There are no good men, because there are no good women", in an effort to educate others about learning from troubling relationships.

BIO

Lorie Hardy, is CEO/Founder of Empowerment4life.com, an organization focusing on the four main aspects of life; finance, health, employment and love, with an emphasis on love. Blessed with a genuine love for humanity, a positive outlook on life, she believes there is someone for each of us and desires to see everyone in happy and healthy relationships. 

Lorie works as a Compliance Manager for the County, but has a passion for writing.  She is the mother of three beautiful children, Amanda, Shannon, and Houston who were partially responsible for the completion of her first published book “There Are No Good Men, Because There Are No Good Women”.  Her goal was to take what she’d learned through her troubling relationship experiences and share it with them to ensure that they would be better equipped to understand and to deal with the complexities of similar problems that might arise in their futures.

During her life journey, Lorie experienced things that would cause her to question God, "Why am I going through all of this grief?"  She was a good person and didn't think she deserved being treated in such an extremely undesirable way.  We always think we know what is best for us. I had to learn that God was in control and knew what was best for me and mainly to seek Him before we make decisions.

Without pointing the finger at anyone else, she learned from a previous involvement, that you can’t always put the entire blame on the other person when your relationship isn’t working.  “Even if you’re not causing the friction, you are equally as responsible if you’re not holding the other person accountable for the friction they’re causing.” It took 17 years for Lorie to understand and acquire the knowledge to pen her first book.

Once out of the storm, she realized that what she had experienced, wasn’t just for her personal growth and benefit.  She had a testimony and a duty to share her story to empower every woman she encountered.  She slowly began the task of writing her book, but it wasn't until random women, strangers with similar plights, began to share their personal stories with her that she really became driven to complete her book.

Listening to the women, she began to realize that at some point in time, women had lost their self-esteem, their self-worth, and their power.  “We as women have so much power, but we have relinquished it just to say that we have a man or simply because we don't wish to be alone.”

 “There Are No Good Men, Because There Are No Good Women” is geared toward single women, single men and married couples who desire to be in healthy, successful, and loving relationships.

Lorie is currently a Board of Director for Praying Single Mothers and is a weekly co-host on the “Straight Talk” show broadcasting on starplanettv.com.  She will soon begin broadcasting her own show entitled, Empowerment for Life, which focuses on those same aspects of life.

Lorie also is currently working on her second book and a play that will coincide with her first book. Lorie can be booked for speaking engagements through her website, www.empowerment4life.com, @empowermnt4life, lhardy@empowerment4life.com, or facebook.com/empowerment4life