Your Next Chapter: Re-Writing Your Life Success Story by Evelyn Watkins

September 17, 2020July 22, 2020 | C.E. Flores

If the summer of 2020 were a book, I’d be tempted to skip ahead. Not much is happening in my life. I haven’t been able to go out and have adventures. Civil unrest, pandemics, looming financial collapse are not pleasant bedtime reading.

After reading Your Next Chapter: Re-Writing Your Life Success Story by Evelyn Watkins, I realized that I was doing myself a disservice by trying to speed things along. The story will progress at its own pace, and I am responsible for writing the next chapter of my life. There is no time like the present to begin.

The author urges readers to create a life mission statement. Then to design a life that is true to that statement. It requires careful planning, a vision board, some sacrifices, perhaps some pruning and a whole lot of patience. The alternative is to accept the life you’ve always lived, which is poor consolation when it could be so much more.

The book contains small but meaningful actions you can take during this planning period in order to create the life you want to live moving forward. This movement for change calls for you to rethink how you perceive failures, deciding what your core values are, and finding a supportive network.

What are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present to rewrite your next chapter!

The Green Reaper: Memoirs of an Eco-mortician by Elizabeth Fournier

September 10, 2020July 22, 2020 | C.E. Flores

After Elizabeth’s mother died, she became a little obsessed with death. Her Barbies had elaborate funeral processions, and she became the go to girl when a beloved pet needed a proper send-off. Teenage Elizabeth could often be found relaxing in the cemetery or funeral crashing.

She was in seventh-heaven when she landed a gig as a graveyard caretaker in college. She moved up to the big leagues as an assistant director at a funeral home chain and bought her first hearse she christened Lucrezia. Dealing with the recently departed and their loved ones wasn’t the place she expected to find love, but there it was, in the form of the cremator who worked in the basement.

The two madcap undertakers took a leap of faith when Elizabeth opened her own eco-friendly funeral home in what was formerly a goat barn in the middle of someplace or other. You’ll adore Elizabeth’s look back at how she developed her green funeral options, despaired at the leaky roof, and gave birth to a fairy child who could talk to the dead, named after the Catholic Patron Saint of Widows and Widowers.

The concept of death has become so sterilized over time that we’ve forgotten how to approach death with respect and awe. We’ve also lost our sense of self, as part of the larger whole. After all, “dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19 KJV) The author candidly shares the struggles she overcame to bring to life her vision of a proper service and burial unique to each grieving family. You’ll laugh, roll your eyes, and shed a few tears as you read this amazing memoir, The Green Reaper: Memoirs of an Eco-mortician.

Elizabeth Fournier is also the author of The Green Burial Guidebook: Everything You Need to Plan an Affordable, Environmentally Friendly Burial.

Significance: How to Refocus your Life on what Matters Most by Paul Hannam

September 3, 2020July 22, 2020 | C.E. Flores

I don’t know about you, but COVID-19 has changed how I am spending my time this year. I wake up some days with determined productivity in mind, only to barely manage the essentials that day. Other days, it just seems pointless to try and get anything done. So when I picked up Significance: How to Refocus your Life on what Matters Most by Paul Hannam I was delighted to find how relevant the information in the book was to our current global situation.

The author extorts the reader to take this time to reflect on where we are and where we want to be in our personal development and life fulfillment. When restrictions ease and we go back about our business again, it should be with renewed purpose, not despair that we’ve returned to the same old rut.

Finding significance to our lives doesn’t have to be complicated. We already intuitively know what it is that makes us happy. However, we’ve been conditioned to put that aside, and instead, take up the yoke of employment, marriage, and responsibility. What if we could break free from what no longer serves us? Imagine what we could accomplish!

Because our mortality has been thrust before us like no other time in our lives, it really is the time to reconsider what it means to be fully, wonderfully alive. Significance: How to Refocus your Life on what Matters Most by Paul Hannam can help you do just that.

Success Redefined: Travel, Motherhood, & Being the Boss by Monique Alvarez

August 27, 2020July 22, 2020 | C.E. Flores

Although the borders remain closed, and nomadism is at a standstill, there is still the opportunity to change how you’ve been doing things up until now. Success Redefined: Travel, Motherhood, & Being the Boss by Monique Alvarez can help you do that!

The focus of this book is how to create an unlimited version of yourself by setting goals and tapping into your adventurous side. Personal narrative alongside practical guidance make this book a timely read, even if you won’t be traveling out of the country this year.

There is no reason to stop dreaming about a different sort of life. Success Redefined can help you find work online, foster a rule-breaking mindset, and create a support network now so that when the time comes for you to hit the road, you’ll be ready.

In 2020, COVID-19 has drastically changed the way we think about school. The heated debates on whether it is safe or not to open in August need not concern you if you start making adaptations in your life now to accommodate homeschool, unschooling, online schooling or whatever combination best works for your family. Success Redefined: Travel, Motherhood, & Being the Boss can help with this process too!

If you are searching for a better way to live, then you’ll want to pick up your copy of Monique Alvarez’s book and start your planning!

Blog to Book Project–Advanced Reader’s/Reviewer’s Copies (ARC)

August 20, 2020June 20, 2020 | C.E. Flores

ARC stands for Advanced Reader’s (or Reviewer’s) Copy. It’s a copy of your book that you give to someone before your official book launch. The idea is for these reviewers or Beta readers to have access to your writing so that you can gather testimonials, feedback, and even reviews before your book is published.

So how do you get an ARC copy if your book isn’t published yet? Well, it depends on the publishing platform you are using and the formatting template you chose.

Amazon allows you to order a publisher’s proof before your print book goes live so that you can check for formatting errors. The publisher’s proof is exactly how your book will look once it’s released, provided you don’t make any changes, except there is a message on the cover that states it is a proof and not for resale. As an author, you can purchase up to five copies at a time. You’ll be able to send these as gifts to Beta readers, reviewers, or book bloggers.

If you are using Pressbooks as your book formatting template, you have a few digital options. You can download your book in PDF, EPUB, or MOBI format to your computer and then just send the file via email. You can also provide the link to your webbook. The address of your webbook is what you see when you click on “Visit Book.”

If you are using Microsoft Word, you can also download a .docx or PDF version you can send to reviewers. Honestly, these are my least favorite format to receive when reading books. When I can, I take the time to use a converter to change the file to MOBI for easier reading on my Kindle. I use Zamzar, which is free online.

You could also publish your book but not publicize the fact. This technique is known as a soft launch. You can gift books to reviewers, or set up a free promotion so that readers can get a copy without buying it just yet. Remember, though, for the review to carry weight with Amazon, it needs to be a verified purchase.

So, another way to provide the book at a discounted is to set the price at $0.99 during the time you are looking for reviews. Then when you are ready for your official book launch, change the price to what you usually would be asking for your book. That way, those reviewers you purchased your book at $0.99 will be able to publish a verified review.

When sending out your advanced reviewer’s copies, be sure to ask what format the reader would like to receive their copy of the book. Also, be sure to include launch day information, so readers have an idea of how long they have to read the book, and any testimonials and reviews will be ready before then. A reviewer should always disclose the fact that he or she received an ARC in their review.

Remember, you can’t force someone to leave a review even if you have given your book away for free. A few reminder emails are ok but don’t start badgering people. Nor can you control what a person might write in a review. You may get some bad reviews. Decide if what the person says is valid or not, then either do some editing or let it go.

Assignment: Decide how you will distribute your ARC.

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ebook cover — Click on the image for a preview!

Blog to Book Project — Blog Tours

August 13, 2020June 20, 2020 | C.E. Flores

A traditional book tour is when an author takes his or her book on the road stopping at bookstores, coffee shops, and libraries to do presentations or book signings. A blog tour involves your book being featured on different blogs and websites over a specific time period. The dates are set in advance like a book tour, and each article or post is unique to the site or blog hosting it. A related idea is the blog blitz. This is when your book is featured on different blogs or websites, but on the same day.

Book bloggers are an excellent choice to include in your blog tour. Reedsy has a large list of book bloggers you can find here. Other places you might consider are websites that are in your niche. For instance, if you write about health topics, perhaps a health blogger would be interested in featuring your book.

You can provide an ARC (advanced review copy) to bloggers and website owners that would like to review your book. You also could provide promotional information or an exclusive excerpt for those that don’t have time to read it before your launch date. Don’t forget about podcasts, giveaways, or author interviews as potential promotional material for your blog tour.

You should organize your blog tour about six weeks before your book launch so that bloggers and web site owners have time to schedule your feature post during the time immediately before and after your launch. Make sure to include how readers can purchase your book as well as sharing the post on your social media channels. Take the time to visit and comment on the blog or website that is hosting your blog tour that day.

Assignment: Plan a blog tour.

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Blog to Book Project — Six-Month Book Launch Timeline

August 6, 2020February 1, 2023 | C.E. Flores

After you’ve finished your book, done extensive proofreading, had another set of eyes look at it for editing issues, and check your formatting, you should organize your book launch. In this chapter, you’ll find a six-month book launch (six months before and six months after), but you can adapt the timing and suggested marketing to fit your needs.

Before your book launch, you should have your Author Website, Facebook Author Page, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts already set up and be sharing interesting non-launch information regularly. If not, time to get on the stick about it. Continue sharing value-filled content during the entire launch period, with sporadic promotional posts.

Six Months Before Launch

Post a cover reveal across your social media sites.
Conversely, if you haven’t decided on a final cover design yet, you can poll your followers. Ask them which design do they prefer and why.

Five Months Before Launch

Add your book blurb to your Author Website and share it on your social media channels.
If you’ve already uploaded your manuscript to the publishing platform of your choice, make it available for pre-order.

Four Months Before Launch

Spark some interest in your newsletter.
Offer an incentive for readers to opt-in. You could send them a sample chapter, a character description quiz, a useful checklist based on your upcoming book’s topic, set up a challenge for your readers, or offer exclusive content in the form of a webinar or audio file.
Make sure to include a reference to your soon-to-be-released book someplace in the newsletter and on the opt-in page.
Share the opt-in lead magnet on your social media networks.

Three Months Before Launch

Update your author profiles on all your social media platforms. Include information about pre-ordering your book.
Continue providing content through your newsletter and Author Website.
Share a glimpse of your author’s life while you were writing the book.
Talk about the inspiration behind the book.

Two Months Before Launch

Create some marketing images. Use images from your book or your book cover. Add quotes from the book, author quotes, or testimonials from others if you have them.
Remember to provide a way for readers to pre-order your book as you post them on social media.
Send out the call for ARC (Advanced Review Copy) readers. Get your book into their hands as soon as possible.
Contact Book Bloggers to see if they would be interested in an ARC to review on their blogs.

One Month Before Launch

Create some countdown social posts using Canva. One month, one week, x days until the launch.
Share your book trailer.
Post an excerpt or first chapter on your Author Website. Generate some anticipation.
Create a Pinterest board about the book. Think outside the box here. If you are writing historical fiction, pin relevant facts, locations, even period furniture. If your book is non-fiction, pin articles you used in your research.
Begin your book blog tour.

Launch Day

Send out a launch day newsletter.
Post “Launching Today” posts across your social media networks.
Update your social media headers to highlight your book.
Email your ARC and Beta readers letting them know the book is ready for verified reviews.
Hold a launch party. Broadcast snippets live or share them afterward.
Post public thank you for event coordinators and share pictures of you and your book enjoying the party.

One Month After Launch

Continue your book blog tour.
Contact other authors to do some cross-promoting.
Keep posting to your Author Website.
Set up a live Q & A session on Facebook or Twitter.

Two Months After Launch

Take your book on the road.
Do book signings at local bookstores.
Talk to libraries about getting your book on the shelf.

Three Months After Launch

Do some giveaways on Goodreads or via your newsletter using Rafflecopter.
When holidays pertinent to your book come along, create some hype. International Event and Special Occasion List: One Year Planner is an excellent resource for this.

Four Months After Launch

Publicly thank readers who provide feedback or leave a review.
Find an organization that relates to your book topic and see if it would be interested in having you speak at an upcoming event.

Five Months After Launch

Make recommended reading lists on Goodreads or your Author Website that include your book.
Keep publishing engaging content on your Author Website.

Six Months After Launch

Release the print or audio version of your book. Use the new format to do another mini-launch.
Start generating interest in your next book.

You might not want to include all of these suggestions, but the more publicity there is about your book, the more likely you’ll sell some copies of it. So try to complete as many as possible, as often as possible without being spammy.

Assignment: Plan your book launch.

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Blog to Book Project — Improving Your Chances of Becoming an Amazon Best Seller

July 30, 2020February 2, 2024 | C.E. Flores

Everyone wants to be the author of a best seller. Once you have that moniker, chances are you’ll sell more books because people are drawn to success. You might also have more opportunities to promote your business, speak as an authority at functions, and make more money. It’s a status thing.

Becoming a best-selling author on Amazon isn’t always easy, but there are a few things you can do to increase the odds in your favor.

Bestseller status is calculated by Amazon with actual book sales. A book that successfully reaches #1 has recently sold more than any other book in that category. Sales aren’t consistent across Amazon sites. Therefore, if your book is selling well in the U.K., it might not meet the count to become a U.S. bestseller.

Amazon’s bestseller algorithm has a predictive component. So a sudden spike in sales might not be enough to launch your book among the stars. You’ll have more success with a sustained period of high sales.

You can increase your chances of hitting that bestseller mark by taking a serious look at your:

Categories
Keywords
Cover
Title and subtitle
Blurb
Reviews
Introduction

Keywords

If you want the right readers to find your book, keywords are another important aspect. You’ll have the option to include up to seven keywords when you upload your manuscript. Don’t be afraid to use phrases instead of single words here. For example, “How to retire in Mexico” is probably more searchable then just “retirement.”

Make sure your keywords don’t violate Amazon’s policies. The key is to think like a reader. If you were searching for your book, what phrases would you use? Do some searching on Amazon and see what results you get.

Cover

A picture is worth a thousand words. Make sure your cover is eye-catching and representative of your book.

Title and Subtitle

An interesting title and subtitle that hints at what readers will find inside, or outright tell them, will improve sales.

Book Blurb

The book description is key to convincing readers who are on the fence about your book. Make sure your book blurb shines.

Book Reviews

Readers give often quite a bit of credence to the opinion of others when it comes to their book selections. Work on getting quality book reviews.

Attention-Grabbing Introduction

With the Look Inside option, you have the chance to dazzle your potential reader with your prose. Don’t waste this opportunity with acknowledgments or other items that can be moved to the back matter.

Once you’ve tweaked these factors to optimize your chances, then the best thing you can do to reach bestseller stardom is to write a great book and market the heck out of it.

Assignment: Optimize your book for bestseller status.

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Ultimate Homeschooling Bundle 2020

July 28, 2020July 23, 2020 | C.E. Flores

Are you considering homeschooling this year? Then you won’t want to miss the Ultimate Homeschooling Bundle 2020!

Contained in this super bundle are 13 eBooks, 10 eCourses, 22 workbooks/printable packs, 4 full curricula, 3 memberships, and a summit with products for every age group. The total value of this packet of information is $1378.79 but you’ll be able to get it this week for just $29.50.

You’ll get:

Preschool & Kindergarten has 9 products worth $222.49.
Elementary School contains 11 products worth $197.89.
Middle School includes 9 products worth $264.54.
High School has 7 products worth $166.94.
Homeschooling Organization includes 6 products worth $111.95.
Homeschooling Support contains 9 products worth $314.98.

If you are unsure how to begin your homeschooling adventure, then this bundle will help you get a taste. If you are an old pro at homeschooling, then this bundle will give you a chance to spice up your regular curriculum.

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