7 Reasons To Self-Publish

Your Book Deserves A Fighting Chance

If you are one the thousands of aspiring authors contemplating self-publishing, here are seven good reasons why you should stop putting it off and put yourself in the running to become 'best-selling author'.

1. Save Time. Most traditional publishers work on an 18 month cycle. By working with Sandra, your book can be completed in as little as 2 months!

2. Control. Self-Publishing gives you the final say on the direction of your book.

3. Bigger Profits. A large publisher may finance the project but may only offer a 5 to 15% royalty. Since all authors must do their own promoting anyway, why not self-publish and earn a 40-400% margin? If your book becomes a hit, publishers will come calling. This will give you the upper hand in negotiations.

4. Sole Owner. As a self-publisher, you own all rights to your book. A traditional publisher owns the rights. If they lose interest in your book, you cannot print additional copies unless you purchase those rights back.

5. Filling a Niche. Traditional Publishers may not take interest in your book, especially if it deals with a very specific topic. They may feel the demand is not great enough to warrant a large press run. Your book may fill a niche that has not been met, and you can test the waters with short run printing. If you are an expert in the field, who better to publish and sell?

6. Local Advantage. Books about local or regional topics are generally produced by local authors in short run quantities. Large publishers will decline publishing these books because of their limited sales potential.

7. Be In Print. Making money is not the only reason to publish. Sharing what you have learned or leaving a legacy to your family are other admirable motives.

If you are considering whether or not self-publishing is for you, I have put together manual to help make the entire process go a lot smoother. It's called 'The Self-Publishing Blueprint: the easy way to publish, promote and sell your own book.' Read more about it and purchase your copy here.

Until next time,

Experiment in Self-Publishing Leads to Ebook Success

 Find A Need And Fill It...With Your Book

Eric Goldman and Rebecca Tushnet self-published a legal casebook on advertising and marketing law as an ebook.

The reasoning behind self-publishing the book was due to the fact that there were no published casebooks covering advertising and advertising law and professors found themselves having to compile their own materials to use in the courses.

Goldman and Tushnet saw this as an opportunity and published an 870 page, 400,000 word casebook to fill the need.

The two utilized self-publishing platforms such as Scribd and Gumroad to publish the book, seeing which medium was the better one to use.

Through their experience, Goldman and Tushnet were able to reflect on some of the pros and cons of self-publishing.

You can read about the pros and cons that they learned, as well as read the entire story on Forbes.com.

Until next time,

What If You Were The 400 Million Dollar Powerball Winner?

Many Dream Of Winning Big, But Few Ever Do

Who doesn't dream of winning the lottery?
On Wednesday, September 18, 2013, the nation's fifth largest jackpot ever was up for grabs. It's amazing how investing in a two dollar ticket could possibly make you a multi-millionaire.
Though millions of people dream of one day becoming an instant millionaire, the reality is, only a few ever get that opportunity.
Honestly, it would probably be better if you didn't win.

A special on ABC's 20/20 shared the story of one man whose streak of luck cost him his life.

Abraham Shakespeare was a truck driver's assistant who won a 30 million dollar lottery jackpot, receiving 17 million of that back in 2006. In 2009, Shakespeare was declared missing by his family and in January 2010, his body was found buried under a concrete slab in the backyard of an acquaintance.

On the fateful day of his winnings, Shakespeare had five dollars in cash on him. Of that five dollars, two were spent on lottery tickets.

Though he won 17 million dollars in 2006, by 2010, Abraham was broke.

Shakespeare was upset with all of the people who had come to him asking for money, pretending to be his friend, only to get a handout from him.

Enter Dorice Donegan "Dee-Dee" Moore, who launched a business with Abraham and gave herself control over the firm's funds.

She used a million dollars to purchase a Hummer, a Corvette, and a truck, claiming the purchases to be gifts from Shakespeare.

On November 9, 2009, Abraham was reported missing.

It would only be a few months before Shakespeare's body would be found buried under 5 feet (1.5 m) of dirt under a newly constructed concrete slab.

Abraham Shakespeare was 43.

It's a very scary thought, but with so many people hurting for money, would winning the lottery actually make you a winner, or would you end up losing something far more valuable; like your life.

Here's my advice. If you do happen to be one of those who experience a lucky streak and end up winning millions in the lottery, make your first investment a bodyguard.

You should also have someone to manage your finances who has actually managed millions of dollars.

And know who your REAL friends and family are so that you don't get  bombarded with bums wanting a piece of your winnings.

 Until next time,

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Shakespearehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Shakespeare

Oh To Be Hated On Twitter

Twitter Is A Powerful Marketing Tool

Twitter has the power to make or break a person. Millions of people take to the microblogging site to post quick updates of their opinions or their 'what I'm doing right now' moments.

I was checking my email this morning and came across a very interesting article for the BET Daily News about how some people are using Twitter to bash their 'favorite' celebrities.

I say favorite loosely because by favorite I mean 'favorite person people love to hate'.

I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but should we really be allowed to abuse that entitlement to bash people, even celebrities?

Case in point, if you watched this year's VMA's (Video Music Awards), you probably saw the Miley Cyrus performance that has everyone still talking. (And if you didn't, you can watch it here). Her shocking performance garnered over 300,000 tweets per minute.

Aww, the power of Twitter.

If only authors could realize magical power Twitter holds for them when it comes to book promotion.

Imagine having your raving fans running to post their opinions about you and your book, every minute.

It would spell more books sold and more clout for the author in general.

Yet, so many authors have no idea of just how to tap into the brilliance of Twitter.

So, here is an assignment for you.

• If you haven't registered for a Twitter account yet, you need to do so.
• Second, think of the hashtags you want to use in relation to your book.
• Third, start to tweet, using your hashtags, and reaching out to your fans and followers. Be sure to tell them to follow you on Twitter if they are not already and think of something exclusive that only your Twitter followers can receive.

Twitter is a powerful marketing tool and if used correctly, could propel your writing career to astronomical heights.

Until next time,

Bunkr to replace Powerpoint? Twitter is going public?

Everyday it seems we get introduced to a new form of social media.

Now, even our presentations are getting a dose of it.

Welcome Bunkr. 

 Think Pinterest, teamed with Powerpoint, HTML 5 and Evernote all rolled into one.

For my fellow bloggers and other content creators, this may be a must-have tool to add to your arsenal.

You can learn more about Bunkr on the B2B online blog.

Also, I have a note about our dear friend, Twitter.

As you may have heard, Twitter is going public.

I wonder what that means for the millions of people who use the social media tycoon on a daily basis.

Most companies, when they go public, change the way they do things.

Take Facebook for example.

We saw a lot of changes when it joined the ranks of other publicly traded companies.

Do you think it will affect you as a blogger, writer, or other content creator?

Here's my take on it.

I don't know. But I do think it's something to definitely keep your eyeballs on.

Now the question for many is how will Twitter make money once it goes public.

Will it continue to be free, or will they start to charge for things.

Like maybe they will actually start to charge per tweet.

You can find a great explanation of how Twitter makes it money on Slate.com.

Until next time, take care, stay safe, and thanks for reading.

Want To Sell More Books? Find Your Tribe.

Sometimes, Being A Self-Published Author Can Feel Cold And Lonely

Making the decision to publish your own book can be both scary and exciting. It is exciting because you will get to see something that you have written in print. Scary because you are embarking on a journey that may forever change your life.

You must understand that just because you decided to follow your dreams and publish your own book does not mean that everyone is going to be happy for you. In fact, be prepared for the vast majority not to be.

Be prepared for reviewers to turn your book away because you did not go through a traditional publisher.

Be prepared for family and friends NOT to buy your book.

Sometimes you may feel as if you have no support system.

You may even start to wonder why you even wasted your time self-publishing anyway.

If there is one thing that can be said about self-publishing it is this: you must have tough skin.

Just because one person told you they didn't want to purchase your book does not mean every reader feels that way.

What you have to do is find your tribe.

You have to find those raving fans of yours who will support you, encourage you and be on the lookout for EVERYTHING you write.

Once you find your own flock, the world won't seem so cold and lonely afterall.

Instead, you will feel like a celebrity.

Your tribe will not only read your book, but recommend it to others, who will in turn offer to write a review for you.

Your tribe will direct you to those blogs (like this one) that do review the books of self-published Authors.

Find your tribe and your life will change for the better.

So, here is your action step: get busy defining who your tribe is and get to work finding them. These are the people you need to have in your corner to help boost your readership and increase your sales.

Without them, your raving fans, life in the self-publishing arena will always be a cold and lonely place.

The Truth About Self Publishing: No More Excuses! It's Time to Write Your Book!

The Truth About Self Publishing: No More Excuses! It's Time to Write Your Book!: Many people believe that they have a book in them. The sad part is, though they may believe it, those same people will never put the pen to ...

No More Excuses! It's Time to Write Your Book!

Many people believe that they have a book in them. 

The sad part is, though they may believe it, those same people will never put the pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard and actually write the book. It could be because they lack the encouragement they need to pursue writing their book. Or, they may feel as if they don't have the time because their life is very busy and hectic. Well, guess what, it's time to put all of those excuses to the side. It's time to write your book. And I'm going to help you to do so. Beginning Tuesday, October 1, 2013, I am going to be hosting the 'Write The Book' 10 week course. The beauty of this course is the fact that it is a teleclass; which means that all you need to have in place to attend is a phone and an internet connection. I am so excited about this course because I will get to work with you all one-on-one to help you accomplish your goal of finally getting that book done.

This class is for you if:

• You have been wanting to write a book but have no idea where to start or how to get your ideas organized. 
• You have been told that you should write a book but maybe you have been afraid to actually pen your story because you're not sure if you should really write it. 
• You have not been able to find the time to write your book because your schedule is super busy. 
• You have a story idea in your mind but don't really know how to develop it into a story. 
• You need someone to push you to finally write the book.

As a published author and writer, I know how hard it can be to actually sit down, and write a book. It is much easier to simply say that you are going to write a book rather than actually write one.

Over our ten week period together, I want to make this the most exciting and fun time you have ever experienced.

Now, if you have never attended a teleclass before, let me give you a heads up on what you can expect. First off, all you have to do is call in at the times you will be given when you register to listen in on the lecture or to participate in the live Q&A sessions. You will need access to the internet to answer emails, and to view webinars, which will be a presentation with slides. Be sure to have a pad and pen in front of you to take notes and jot down any questions you may have.

In this class, we will have lecture days, where I will talk about different topics in writing a book, and you will get to ask your questions and get real time answers, all over the phone. Then, there will be days when you will have assignments to complete. These assignments are all geared towards helping you to get your book done during our ten week time frame.

Then, there is the feedback you will get from me, your instructor. My goal is that with each assignment, I will be able to guide you towards to getting closer to completing your book so that when our ten weeks together are over, you will have a manuscript that you can be proud of.

This course will run from Tuesday, October 1, 2013 until Tuesday December 3, 2013.
You will receive a syllabus that you can refer to in order to know when lectures will be done, when a webinar will be available for viewing, and all that good information. You will also have access to a private Facebook group where you will be able to interact with other classmates, share your materials and get feedback. This will also be the place where you will turn in your assignments and where you will have access to any recordings you may have missed during class time.

I have some other goodies in store for you as well, but I don't want to give it all away here. If you want to find out all the details, you have to become a student.

Now, if you know that you want to write a book, and have been in search of the perfect opportunity, then now is the time. No more excuses.

The tuition for this course is just $97.00 for the entire 10 weeks. Enrollment is limited to 25 students per session.

If you have been wanting to work with me in the past, why not take advantage of this opportunity to work with me now. Let's tackle getting that book written over the next ten weeks so that you can finally cross that off of your list of things you want to do this year.

Here's a summary of what you will get when you register for the 'Write the Book' Course:

• 10 weeks of class time with me, taking you through the entire process of writing a book from start to finish
• Live lecture and question and answer sessions with me and the rest of your classmates
• MP3's of all lectures for you to listen to at your convenience
• Personal feedback from me
• My personal secret formula for getting your book written no matter how hectic your schedule may be
• ...and more

Don't you think it's worth it to invest in yourself so that you can finally write your book?
If so, click the button below and I will 'see' you in class October 1.

'Brad's Girl' Mirrors Some Real-Life Teen Relationships

I was so happy to be Brad's Girl.

Bradley Jennings was his name. Brad was the boy that had managed to steal my heart.

He was also the boy who would kill me.---From "Brad's Girl"

DID YOU KNOW?

• 1 in 3 teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner?
• Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend had threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a break-up13% of teenage girls who said they have been in a relationship report being physically hurt or hit?
• 1 in 4 teenage girls who have been in relationships reveal they have been pressured to perform oral sex or engage in intercourse?
• More than 1 in 4 teenage girls in a relationship (26%) report enduring repeated verbal abuse?
• Nearly 80% of girls who have been physically abused in their intimate relationships continue to date their abuser?

Boys can be abused too? Some research shows that males are hit by girlfriends as often as females are hit by boyfriends, although males are much less likely to sustain physical injury than girls and less likely to report abuse. This issue is controversial, but the fact is that it is NEVER okay for anyone to hit anyone else.
---From pbs.org

'Brad's Girl' by Author Shay Collins is a short story that shines light on an alarming situation: teen dating violence. The author penned the book with the hopes of 'helping the save the life of at least one teen.' The book, published by Borderhouse Publishing is part of an initiative to help end domestic violence among teens.

 'Brad's Girl' is available on Amazon.com.

Get Free Exposure for your Book

Hey my fellow authors.

I know it's been a good while since I last posted on this blog.
I didn't realize how much this blog meant to so many new authors.
Until I started getting emails asking me why I didn't do it anymore.

So, I have decided to get back to blogging here on a more consistent basis.

So here's what's changing with this blog:

• I will still feature new authors who want the exposure for free, but the same rules apply: if I feature you on this blog, you have to share the link on Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.

• If you want to be featured on this blog, please feel free to contact me at coachsand@gmail.com; be sure to put 'New Author' in the subject box so I know exactly what your message is about. I get thousands of emails per day and it helps me to know that your email is of top priority.

• I will send you an email of all the information I will be needing from you. I must have all of the required information from you by the deadline given in order for your feature to run as scheduled.

• The goal is to feature one author interview per month, but you can submit your books to be featured in the sidebar of this site.Having your book featured in the sidebar is NOT a free service, but it is an inexpensive way to gain exposure for your book as this blog is seen internationally. To have your book featured in the sidebar is just $25.00 and your book will be displayed for one month. You can pay for more than one month if you wish. The book must be available for sale online in order to be featured in the sidebars. If you are interested in advertising your book in the sidebar of this site, please email me at coachsand@gmail.com with 'sidebar advertisement' in the subject line.

I also welcome your questions about self publishing, from marketing to how to self publish in the first place.  You can submit your questions to me directly at coachsand@gmail.com and if I feel that it is a question that many others may have, I will post your question anonymously along with the answer.

So, I am glad to be back. You can look forward to weekly tips and strategies to publish a book that you can be proud of, and make lots of money from.

Until next time,
~Sandra~