The Future of My Book—Where Do We Go From Here?

Hey Guys! Welcome back to the final and 5th part in the 5 part series on working with a designer. We are going to talk about what we do once we have a book in hand…how to make changes in the next print runs, how to sell and market your book, and how to get started working with me on the design and layout of your book. So, let’s get started…

How do I make changes to the book’s content in the future?

• Many authors seem to get confused about future reprints. When there is no more Word doc and the book is already printed it is best to contact the designer or editor directly. You will work with the Editor and Designer just like you did when you were making your final changes.
• Many authors start to look into cutting costs after their initial print. They start to look into print on demand, soft cover books, and also look into distribution savings and inventory control.

As you will hear in some of...

Your Manuscript Layout is Complete - Now What?

Hey Guys Nicole Gabriel here! I hope you’ve listened in on the previous 3 parts to this 5-part podcast series on working with a designer. We are moving into part 4 to talk about what to do next once your manuscript is complete—working with the professional printer, editor, and the costs associated.

You are ready to print your book

• You should have already had some dialog with the printer, but until you are aware of the final page count there really isn’t much they can do prior.
• A general word or character count will give them some idea on the page count for quoting you a rough estimate of cost. But, you might need to discuss the size of your book prior to instructing the layout person.
• You’ll just want to begin the relationship so they are not caught off guard when you call the printer and you’re ready to roll with your print job. Sometimes they do need to schedule you in, especially if they are...

Hey Guys! Nicole Gabriel here!

This is part 3 of a 5 part series on Working With A Designer. I may bore you with the details in this podcast, but we’re gonna plow through them because every author wants to know how this works when they get to this phase in the book production process.

There are a ton of elements that go into making a professional book cover. Obviously, the first is the artwork for the cover. But, understanding and collaborating on all the other elements are the things that divide the professional book cover designer from the amateur. The cover designer plays the role of project manager too, not by just gathering all the elements, but to understand all the working components and stay abreast of the latest technologies and trends. Let’s walk through a few of these vital elements that make up the book’s jacket…

ISBN, Library of Congress Control Number, Pricing Barcode, & Publishing Imprint
The ISBN number is the birth record of the...

The Book Cover Sets the Tone

This is part 2 in my 5-part series of working with a designer. In this podcast we are going to talk about how the book cover sets the tone.

• The book cover sets the look and feel of the entire marketing campaign—business cards, event banners, letterhead, etc.—for the life of the book (unless it gets revised in the next edition).
• If you know that you are going to write multiple books, you may want to carry a theme throughout.
• If you are writing your book to begin your platform, then the book cover might set the stage for your entire branding image, look, and feel for all the work you do going forward.
• A good designer will pay attention to the trends in the industry for all the components that make up the book cover. Be sure to tell your designer why you think something would be a good fit. He or she will also ask to get an understanding of your book project’s goals and objectives.
• A current trend that has been going on for some...

What Does A Professional Book Designer Do?

Hey Guys! Nicole Gabriel here!

Welcome to a 5-part series on working with a book designer. We are going to begin with discussing “what does a professional book designer do”.

First, let me start by saying that I’ve been doing book cover design for more than a decade now. I came from a pretty intensive branding background having worked for all the top ad agencies - McCann Erickson, J Walter Thompson, Young & Rubicam, and in and around brand management for the first decade and a half of my career. I was in executive management in the auto industry in Detroit and sat in on some of the most fabulous branding strategy meetings in my day. I helped create the first websites for all our traditional brands over at McCann Erickson. A team of just 5 of us built the first Detroit Edison, Delphi Automotive, Buick, and GMC Truck websites ever in existence. I sat on the eGM team for GMAC and played roles in many branding...

Here's the transcript for today's interview...

Nicole (00:08):

Okay today, we have a special author interview. I worked with Jason recently on his book project Selling With Authentic Persuasion: Transforming From Order-Taker to Quota Breaker. And I'm happy to have him here today to share with you what the book is all about. What inspired Jason to write such a book, to tell us about the process of writing it, what inspired him and how he plans to use his book going forward. And hopefully he'll give us some tidbits about how he goes about selling with authentic persuasion. So the one thing I love about doing these interviews is really getting to know my clients and of course, sharing them with you because I love them all. I am my client's biggest fan. So let me read you Jason's bio. So Jason cutter has a degree in Marine biology from the university of California, Santa Cruz, and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire university. His life has been focused on selling and helping...

We used to buy books at book stores but now the harsh reality for many is that Amazon has replaced the ability to browse, smell, feel, and otherwise admire books. The delightful physical ability to peruse books (and all those fun little kick-knacks) down the isles of your favorite bookstore…slowly disappearing.

Now instead of leaping off the shelf screaming “pick me up, buy me!” We have to either more or less know what we are looking for or be held at the mercy for whatever Amazon serves up. Of course, there are a few advantages as well…like global distribution and generally we can find books on our subject that we would have never seen in a bookstore due to it’s giant search engine. As well, there is Author Central, which allows us to follow all of our favorite authors. And, as a buyer, we love the prime shipping.

Hey Guys! Nicole Gabriel here! Today’s podcast is all about navigating Amazon. Let’s dive in…

It’s believed...

 Hey guys! Nicole Gabriel here!

Did you know that content marketing strategy is one of the hottest topics on the internet right now?

If you’re not familiar with what this is, let’s start there. A content marketing strategy is how a marketer identifies a particular audience (generally one they wish to market to) and delivers targeted content to them. From a technology perspective, in an online environment, there are technologies that manage and deploy website content…(CMS) content management systems. We are not going to talk about the systems here but we are going to talk about how to effectively build out content for your book project…more the content strategy.

The strategy of building content is an ongoing process that pairs business objectives with meaningful, relevant, and valuable content for achieving particular goals…ultimately to drive a profitable customer action with targeted marketing.

Of course, the most wonderful thing about...

Hey Guys!

Let’s talk about brainstorming book ideas…

I think you’ve heard me say this a few times, but I’ll say it again…you have to identify your passions, purpose, and values before you begin writing!

It’s important that your book and your business line up. You’re going to have a hard time sustaining energy about a topic that doesn’t interest you in six months to a year. You have to build your passion into the topics you write about and into every aspect of your business. You will do whatever it takes to push forward a mission or purpose that aligns with your passion and values. This is your inspiration.

Let me start by asking you…what reason do you have to bring into existence the information you are providing to your readers?

Whatever your answer, this all should be coming across in the branding of both your book (or books) and your business platform and social presence. Anyone showing up on your website or peering...

Hey Guys! Nicole Gabriel here!

So, niche marketing…I’ve never really touched on this topic, but I really find it quite a fun one to talk about!

First, let’s talk about what it is. It’s basically a targeted marketing plan that zeros in on strategically selected and targeted consumers that may have an interest in buying your product or service….or even your book.

Since there is a lot of competition in the book world—considering writing a book is your business—and book categories (and subcategories) are packed with options… you’ll want to stand out against the rest. The best way to do this is with a niche topic. You also want to get very clear on who your audience is.

You have to identify your audience then attract them by appealing to their needs. And, you want to use your book title to capture your niche audience.

Did you ever notice the word AUTHOR is similar to AUTHORITY? What does your book position you to be the...