Digital – Skinny Brown Dog Media

4 Essentials Your Author Website Should Include

admin — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 06:13:46 +0000

In today’s digital age, having an author website is not an absolute requirement before publishing a book, but it is certainly recommended. Your author website serves as a home base for your online presence, helping you engage with readers, promote your work, and even build a mailing list for future projects. The good news? Setting up an effective website doesn’t have to take weeks or require a hefty budget. With the right tools, you could have your site live in a couple of hours.

But before you dive into building, it’s important to know the core elements every author website needs to have. Here are the four essentials your author website should include to start strong.

1. Opt-In Offer: Building Your Mailing List

An opt-in offer is the lifeblood of your author website. It’s one of the simplest yet most powerful tools you can use to grow your audience. By offering a freebie in exchange for someone’s email address, you can start building a loyal readership before your first book even hits the shelves.

For your opt-in offer, think about what would attract your ideal reader. It could be a free short story, a sneak peek at your upcoming novel, or a downloadable resource related to your genre. Once you’ve crafted this offer, place it prominently on your homepage. You can also position it in other areas, such as the sidebar, navigation bar, or as a pop-up within your blog posts. The goal is to make it easy for visitors to see the value in subscribing to your email list.

If you’re unsure where to start, a simple landing page with an email sign-up form is all you need. Remember, your mailing list will be a crucial tool for book launches, promotions, and staying in touch with your readers.

2. Bio: Connecting with Your Audience

Your readers want to know who you are—and a clear, engaging bio helps them connect with you on a deeper level. You don’t need to write a lengthy autobiography. A simple “About Me” page that explains what kind of books you write and a few relevant details will do the trick. Aim for 2-4 sentences that capture your personality and give potential readers a reason to follow your work.

On your homepage, it’s a good idea to give a brief introduction as well. Something like “Jane Doe – Cozy Mystery Author” immediately tells visitors what kind of books to expect from you. If you’re just starting out and haven’t published yet, that’s okay. Focus on what you’re working on and why your future readers will love it.

3. Contact: Making It Easy for Readers to Reach You

Having a clear way for people to contact you is another crucial element of your author website. Whether it’s an email address, a contact form, or links to your social media profiles, make sure your audience knows how to get in touch. This could lead to exciting opportunities—whether it’s from readers, other authors, or even media outlets interested in featuring you.

A simple “Contact” page is typically all you need. If you’re comfortable, you can also include links to your social media accounts to make it even easier for readers to connect with you across platforms. However, don’t feel pressured to be everywhere. Focus on the platforms where you feel comfortable engaging with your audience.

4. Books: Showcasing Your Work

Of course, your website should include links to your books. If you have published works, make sure visitors can easily find them, with direct links to purchase. Each book should have its own dedicated page with a description, cover image, and buying options.

If you’re still in the process of writing your first book, don’t worry. You can create a placeholder page where you tease your upcoming project. Include a brief description or teaser and an invitation for visitors to sign up for email notifications about its release. This helps build anticipation and keeps potential readers engaged.

Optional Additions: Enhancing Your Website

While the essentials listed above are enough to get your author website off the ground, there are several optional features that can enhance your site as you grow:

Media Page: If you’ve done podcast appearances, interviews, or any other media, create a dedicated page where people can explore that content.
Blog: Writing articles or blog posts can be a great way to share your thoughts, offer advice, or provide updates about your writing journey.
Speaker Page: If you do public speaking, adding a speaker page is a good way to let people know you’re available for engagements.
Photos & Logos: Some authors choose to include professional photos or a logo for branding purposes. However, if you prefer to remain anonymous, this step is entirely optional.

Start Simple, Grow Over Time

The key to building your author website is to start simple. You don’t need to have every feature perfectly in place from day one. The “essential four”—an opt-in offer, a bio, a contact page, and book information—will provide a strong foundation for your online presence. Over time, you can build out additional content as your author career grows.

And remember, you don’t need to spend weeks or thousands of dollars creating your site. With the right tools, you can have an effective author website up and running in as little as an afternoon. Takeaway: Your author website doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Focus on the essentials—opt-in offer, bio, contact info, and books—and you’ll have everything you need to connect with readers and build your author brand.

Interactive Storytelling: Revolutionizing Client Engagement in Coaching

admin — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 13:11:15 +0000

In the ever-evolving world of coaching, finding innovative ways to connect with clients is crucial. Enter interactive storytelling – a powerful tool that’s transforming the coaching landscape. Let’s dive into how this approach can elevate your coaching sessions and create lasting impact.

The Power of Interactive Storytelling

In the digital age, storytelling has evolved beyond traditional narratives. While most people understand the basics of storytelling, technology has opened up new avenues to make our stories more engaging and impactful. Interactive storytelling is at the forefront of this revolution, especially in the realm of coaching.

Beyond Passive Listening

Imagine a coaching session where your client isn’t just a passive listener, but an active participant in the story you’re weaving. This is the essence of interactive storytelling. It allows clients to:

Step into the shoes of the protagonist
Make critical decisions that shape the narrative
Experience the consequences of their choices in a safe environment

Creating Personalized Experiences

Every client’s journey through an interactive story is unique. By making choices that align with their thoughts and instincts, clients create a personalized experience that resonates deeply with their own situation. This personalization leads to:

1. Increased Relevance: The story adapts to the client’s choices, making it more applicable to their specific challenges.

2. Enhanced Emotional Connection: As clients see the story unfold based on their decisions, they become emotionally invested in the outcome.

3. Improved Self-Awareness: The process of making decisions within the story encourages clients to reflect on their decision-making patterns in real life.

Turning Lessons into AHA Moments

Interactive storytelling has a unique power to transform theoretical lessons into profound realizations. Here’s how:

Experiential Learning: Instead of being told what to do, clients experience the outcomes of different choices.
Immediate Feedback: The story provides instant context for the consequences of decisions, leading to quick insights.
Safe Exploration: Clients can explore different approaches without real-world risks, encouraging bolder thinking.

Examples in Coaching Contexts

1. Career Transition Scenario: Create a story where the protagonist is considering a career change. Let the client make decisions about networking, skill development, and job applications, showing how each choice impacts the character’s journey.

2. Leadership Development: Craft a narrative about a leader facing a team conflict. Allow the client to choose different leadership styles and communication approaches, illustrating their effectiveness in various situations.

3. Work-Life Balance: Develop a story about balancing professional ambitions with personal life. Let clients make choices about time management, prioritization, and boundary-setting, revealing the long-term impacts of these decisions.

The Magic of Interactive Storytelling

Imagine your clients not just listening to stories, but actively shaping them. That’s the essence of interactive storytelling. It’s an approach that turns passive listeners into engaged participants, creating a uniquely personalized experience.

What Makes It Special?

1. Active Participation: Clients make decisions that influence the story’s direction.

2. Personalized Experience: Each story unfolds differently based on client choices.

3. Deeper Engagement: By being part of the narrative, clients stay focused and invested.

Why It’s a Game-Changer for Coaches

Interactive storytelling isn’t just engaging – it’s transformative. Here’s why:

Boosts Learning Retention: Active involvement dramatically increases information retention.
Builds Stronger Connections: Shared decision-making fosters trust and deeper client-coach relationships.
Enhances Problem-Solving Skills: Clients practice decision-making in a safe, controlled environment.

Implementing Interactive Storytelling in Your Practice

Ready to revolutionize your coaching sessions? Here are some practical tips:

1. Use Relatable Scenarios: Create situations mirroring your clients’ challenges.

2. Leverage Technology: Explore interactive eBooks or custom apps for a dynamic edge.

3. Offer Multiple Endings: Let clients explore various solutions and learn from different outcomes.

The Accountability Factor

Interactive storytelling goes beyond engagement – it’s a powerful tool for fostering accountability:

Choice-Driven Outcomes: Show clients the ripple effects of their decisions.
Reflective Discussions: Use story outcomes to spark conversations about real-life goals.
Goal-Oriented Narratives: Craft stories that align with clients’ objectives.

Bringing It All Together

By incorporating interactive storytelling into your coaching toolkit, you’re not just telling stories – you’re creating experiences. It’s a fresh, dynamic approach that makes your coaching more personal, impactful, and memorable.

Remember, the key is to make your clients feel like active participants in their own growth journey. With interactive storytelling, you’re not just a coach; you’re a guide in their unfolding narrative of success.

Ready to Transform Your Coaching Experience?

If you’re excited about the potential of interactive storytelling in your coaching practice but unsure where to start, we’re here to help. Skinny Brown Dog Media specializes in creating tailored interactive storytelling solutions for coaches and educators.

Take the Next Step:

1. Explore Custom Solutions: Let us design interactive stories that align perfectly with your coaching style and client needs.

2. Learn the Techniques: Join our workshops to master the art of interactive storytelling in coaching.

3. Implement with Confidence: Get ongoing support as you integrate these powerful tools into your practice.

Don’t let your coaching sessions remain static. Embrace the power of interactive storytelling and watch your clients’ engagement and progress soar!

Contact Skinny Brown Dog Media today to start your interactive storytelling journey. Together, we’ll create coaching experiences that truly resonate and transform lives.

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.skinnybrowndogmedia.com

Transform your coaching. Empower your clients. Contact us now!

3 Issues with Selling Books on Amazon KDP in 2024

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:30:09 +0000

Selling your book on Amazon has never been easier as an author and I am grateful for all Amazon has done for indie authors. But in working with more than 500 authors over the last seven years, I can tell you there has never been a more difficult time to deal with Amazon KDP than we are experiencing right now. If you’re wondering what is up with KDP or you’re about to upload a book to Amazon KDP and you want to know what to watch out for? Well, this video is for you. Hey there, I’m Julie, the book broad founder of book launchers, a full service self publishing company helping you write publish and promote a nonfiction book that is set up to sell. Well, publishing a book on Amazon has not been without its challenges and issues. We’ve seen more issues this year than ever before. Let’s run through the three key ones we’re seeing and what you can do about it. Number one, publishing rights. Amazon has started asking some authors to prove they have the rights to their own work. This can be tricky for self published authors and can be upsetting, especially if Amazon suspends your account until you can provide the proof it asks for this issue is a great reason to file for copyright as soon as your book is complete, rather than waiting until after launch, so that you have the documentation to submit. If you do get caught up in this one, this actually happened to me last year. So it’s not a brand new issue. We’re just seeing it more and more. They flagged, self promote and succeed we sent in the copyright letter I had received when we submitted it and all was well as always having the right documentation and giving them a prompt reply. When they flag something is always important. a delayed response can trigger an account suspension. So make sure you’re monitoring the email that you submitted your book through to delays, delays, delays, things that used to take 48 hours are taking so much longer. Now. We’ve been seeing this for the last few months, many authors have been caught in what KTP support calls, a technical glitch that led to tons of books getting caught in processing purgatory for weeks at a time with nothing the author can do except wait. This is extremely frustrating, especially for us because authors are looking to us for guidance. And we have set timelines based on years of experience, not on months of glitches. So we will tell you that what we’re telling our authors now is to give yourself weeks more time than you think you need. If you’re an author that thinks you’re going to load to launch as in skip any sort of pre sale, I would not start promoting that launch date until your book is live. Because of this number three suspensions and terminations Amazon maintains the right to suspend or terminate your KDP account at any time, and withhold any outstanding royalties you might be owed at that time. This has always been the case. Sometimes these account issues stem from very legitimate causes, like if you try to publish a book that isn’t yours, or you violate KTPs terms and conditions by maintaining multiple active KDP accounts, or starting a new account after your old one was terminated. All of those reasons are things you should not do. And it’s totally legitimate that Amazon would suspend or terminate your account. But this year, and while it’s happened to authors in the past years, as well, this is the first year we’ve run into it multiple times. And in this situation, there doesn’t seem to be any justifiable reason why it’s happening. And it’s super scary. And we’re seeing this in the forums and the chats that were a part of and one of them said, Oh, well, my father’s friend had his high up in KDP. And that’s how I got it resolved. A friend of mine has a built has built a relationship with someone in KDP. That helps him out of his own snags. But for most of us normal folks were stuck resolving issues with tickets, chat boxes, and a lot of hoping and praying and just trying to get a human that will help us and if the account is terminated and all other methods of resolution fail, hiring a lawyer to step in and resolve it for you is the answer. One of the legal firms that’s come recommended and you can hire will charge at least $2,500 for the resolution of your issue. It’s well worth it for many authors to get back in business on Amazon. But there’s no compensation for the sales you lost while you were terminated or suspended, even if it was without a good reason. So what can you do? Well, you can boycott Amazon and KDP altogether. Many authors are doing that if you’re big enough, like David Goggins, you can sue Amazon, although he’s not suing for an account termination. He’s suing because Amazon didn’t do anything about the fraudulent books that were being sold. So they didn’t shut down the accounts that weren’t legitimate. Amazon still made money, so they didn’t seem to be motivated to do anything about it, according to him. So here are legitimate authors getting their accounts terminated, while others are stealing the work of other authors and selling it and successfully doing so. Anyways, my approach is to always remember the fact that self publishing, owning your own rights and making more money per book is now largely possible thanks to Amazon, and while they could do a lot more to help us authors out, they aren’t the enemy. While waiting weeks and weeks and weeks it takes to sort out the issues that you might encounter with KDP. I would highly recommend you set yourself up to be wide while Like your KDP account can be terminated Ingram Spark can continue to sell your print book on Amazon, and even potentially your ebook. You could also be selling direct to your reader, which is something we recommend strongly. Now, I owe you all a video on setting up your direct sales for print books as I’ve updated how we do this. So subscribe to the channel, make sure you turn those notifications on if you want that. But there’s also this video right here on selling your audiobooks wide with aggregators. And this one right here on selling books direct to your reader and this one on what to do if your Amazon account is in fact suspended. So go ahead choose one of these are eight fabulous videos. I’ll see you there.

Navigating the Challenges of Amazon KDP in 2024: What Indie Authors Need to Know

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:21:44 +0000

Selling your book on Amazon has never been easier for indie authors, and I am genuinely grateful for all Amazon has done to support the self-publishing community. However, in working with over 500 authors over the last seven years, I can confidently say that dealing with Amazon KDP has never been more challenging than it is right now. If you’re wondering what issues to watch out for before uploading your book to Amazon KDP, this blog is for you.

The Top 3 Issues with Amazon KDP in 2024

1. Publishing Rights Verification

Amazon has stepped up its efforts to verify whether authors have the rights to publish their books. This means that authors are now frequently asked to provide proof of their publishing rights. While this might seem straightforward, it can be quite tricky and upsetting, especially if your account is suspended while you’re gathering the necessary documentation. To avoid this hassle, it’s crucial to file for copyright as soon as your book is complete rather than waiting until after launch. Promptly responding to Amazon’s requests with the right documentation can prevent delayed responses that might trigger an account suspension.

2. Delays in Processing

Over the past few months, we’ve noticed significant delays in the processing times for book submissions on KDP. What used to take 48 hours can now take weeks due to technical glitches within Amazon’s system. This can leave your book stuck in processing purgatory, with nothing you can do but wait. These delays are incredibly frustrating, especially if you have set timelines based on years of experience. To cope with this, we advise our authors to allow for weeks more time than they think they need. Avoid promoting a specific launch date until your book is live to prevent any last-minute disappointments.

3. Account Suspensions and Terminations

Amazon maintains the right to suspend or terminate KDP accounts at any time, often withholding any outstanding royalties. While this policy isn’t new, 2024 has seen an increase in account suspensions and terminations without clear reasons. This can be a nightmare for authors who find themselves caught in the crossfire. Resolving these issues can be arduous and may require legal intervention, which can be costly. If your account is terminated, and other resolution methods fail, hiring a lawyer might be necessary to get back in business on Amazon.

What Can You Do?

While Amazon KDP offers incredible opportunities for self-publishing, these challenges highlight the importance of being prepared and having a backup plan. Here are a few recommendations:

File for Copyright Early: Ensure you have all the necessary documentation to prove your publishing rights.
Plan for Delays: Allow extra time for the processing of your book and avoid promoting a specific launch date until your book is live.
Diversify Your Distribution: Consider using IngramSpark to sell your print books on Amazon and other platforms. Selling directly to your readers is also a great option to maintain control over your sales and distribution.

Remember, self-publishing, owning your own rights, and making more money per book is now largely possible thanks to platforms like Amazon. While they could do more to support authors, they aren’t the enemy. However, it’s wise to set yourself up to be wide, ensuring you have multiple channels for selling your books.

If you’re looking to avoid these pitfalls and need professional guidance, contact Skinny Brown Dog Media. We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of self-publishing and ensure your book reaches its full potential. Visit [Skinny Brown Dog Media( https://skinnybrowndogmedia.com) to learn more.

Navigating Amazon KDP can be daunting, but with the right preparation and support, you can successfully publish and promote your book. Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. Reach out to experts who can guide you through the process and help you achieve your publishing goals.