Author Audience: Helping You Reach More People With Your Message | Writing | Self-publishing | Book Marketing | Business Grow

There are so many decisions when self-publishing or independently publishing a book. In this episode, you’ll learn one mistake to avoid when working with graphic designers who create your book cover and/or interior formatting. This episode was inspired from a question from Christian Book Academy member, Nancy, and we hope it helps you as well! Download Your Publishing Map If you want to write and publish a book but don't know where to start, this Publishing Map is for you. You will learn Shelley's 9 simple steps inside her publishing map that will help you gain clarity on your next steps. Download it now for free here: https://www.trainingauthors.com/publishing-map/

Do you want to write a book but you're just not sure how you're going to fit it into your schedule or if you have time to actually do it? Keep watching because in the next few minutes I'm going to share with you three different ways to finish a 10,000-word book. I see writers getting stuck in the stage of trying to write their first draft. What I have found is there are three main categories you may fit in where you can actually get your book done and your first draft out of your head and onto paper in a much faster time than you ever imagined. Let’s do a little math together (I promise it won’t make you cry). Then, let me know which way you think would work best for you.

Join Shelley Hitz and several authors from Christian Book Academy who will share case studies + tips they've learned along the way. A few things you'll learn: 1. The easy path Jennifer Nelson discovered to finally become an      author 2. The easy path Jennifer Nelson discovered to finally become an      author 3. How Jan Cox gained both freedom and control over publishing      her books (plus saved thousands of dollars) 4. The pivot Lola Oshinowo made after spending time in prayer          that made all the difference for her first book. 5. How Tanecia Mitchell gained a strategy to take the first draft of      her manuscript to a finished book 6. The strategy Esther Espinoza used to sell over 100 copies of            her book last month. And more! Support each of these authors by purchasing their books below. Jennifer Nelson: Jennnifer Nelson’s Mediakit Jan Cox: www.janiscox.com/bookstore Lola Oshinowo: https://www.iwalolaademodioshinowo.com/ Tanecia Mitchell: https://www.taneciamitchell.com/ Esther Espinoz

In this story of Jesus healing a blind man in Mark 8:22-26, it seems as if this was a two-part miracle where the blind man’s sight was gradually restored. After Jesus lays his hands on the man’s eyes the first time, the man says he can see people but they look like trees walking around. So Jesus places his hands on the man a second time and completes the miracle. In our own journey as Kingdom Writers, sometimes it seems as though we are seeing things like trees walking around. We don’t always receive the instant clarity that we would like. Like the blind man, Jesus may give us gradual clarity as we continue trusting his methods and timing for our writing. This story also reminds us that our spiritual journey is a process of sanctification rather than instant maturity or clarity. In the end, we will look back and see God’s perfect plans for our lives. “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and i

As the holidays approach I want to share 5-holiday sales strategies you can use to sell more books. BOGO deals Offer an extra digital bonus for those who buy your book during a certain time. Put together a gift-giving guide for your target audience as a PDF download.  Sell a book bundle.  Sell bulk orders If you’d like the workshop I taught on this topic as well as all of the templates that will make this super easy for you to implement, you can get it here: https://authors.thrivecart.com/11235-79978/

When you self-publish or independently publish your book, you need to make the decision about which format you will publish your book in.   Some options include eBook, print, full-color, audiobook, translations, and large print.   It depends on your audience, how well your book is selling, as well as your budget and the time you have to invest.   Learn more about this in today’s episode and also enjoy a case study from Christian Book Academy member, Teresa Mills, who found one particular format has sold better than others for her travel books. Join Our Community of Kingdom Writers  In our online membership, Christian Book Academy, we help you write words that outlive you, self-publish books that fulfill your calling, and reach more readers with your message. Join us here: https://christianbookacademy.com/

In this episode, Shelley answers this question from Christian Book Academy member, Stephanie... “How do we balance our author life and regular day-to-day job life? When and how do we know to take the step of quitting our job to move into focusing more on our writing author life? I feel I am not focused enough on writing because of my other job. What do you do?"  We know many of you have full-time jobs and therefore thought this would be a great topic to cover on the podcast. Enjoy! Christian Book Academy In Christian Book Academy, we help you write words that outlive you, self-publish books that fulfill your calling, and reach more readers with your message. Join the waitlist here: https://christianbookacademy.com/  

“What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”  - 2 Kings 4:2a (NLT) Have you ever been in a situation where it was difficult to make ends meet? When there was more month than money? Where the butter was spread way too thin on that slice of bread? Running on fumes and coasting into the gas station is a regular occurrence. And the bills continue coming in like one crashing wave after another against the shores of your life. That’s the scene playing out in the lives of a widow and her two sons (2 Kings 4:1-7). The family breadwinner has died and now a creditor has come knocking on their door to collect. Unable to pay, the only other option is for her boys to work off the debt as slaves. But she knows a man of God in the area. In fact, her husband used to serve alongside this man known as Elisha. Down to her last thread of hope, the widow shares her predicament with this man who served under and succeeded the great prophet, Elijah. “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked.

Do you have fear of marketing your book because you wonder what other people will think of you? Do you worry that they will think you are being self-promotional, greedy, or prideful? If so, you’re not alone. In this episode, we have some encouragement for you regarding marketing. “What you do is between you and God. What other people think about what you do is between them and God.” ~ Shelley Hitz This was a question asked by someone during our 2021 Kingdom Writers Conference. Did you miss the conference?  If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this short encouragement blesses you today!

In this episode, we have some encouragement for you regarding publishing a book that has Biblical undertones without being too preachy.  This was a question asked by someone during our 2021 Kingdom Writers Conference. Did you miss the conference?  If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this short encouragement blesses you today! 

Do you ever struggle with anxiety when you sit down to write? Does it stop you and keep you moving forward on your book? In this episode, we have some encouragement for you when you face resistance.  This was a question asked by someone during our 2021 Kingdom Writers Conference. Did you miss the conference?  If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this short encouragement blesses you today! 

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” – Romans 5:8 (NLT) On February 5th, 2017, things looked pretty bleak for the New England Patriots in Super Bowl Fifty-One. By the middle of the third quarter, they found themselves down 28-3 to the Atlanta Falcons. No team had ever come back to win a Super Bowl after such a deficit. But as can happen in sports across the spectrum, a swing in momentum can change things in a hurry. There would be no Falcons blowout that day. Instead, the Patriots would score thirty-one unanswered points to win the game 34-28 in overtime. As baseball legend, Yogi Berra used to say, “It ain’t over til it’s over.” When it comes to a momentum swing in life, two little words can change the outcome… But God. From Joseph to Paul, we see so many But God moments. There will be moments in our own lives when the odds seem overwhelmingly against us. Defeat is a foregone conclusion. A comeback? Impossible. But God.

Disappointment is part of every writer's journey but when used the right way it can help you find your target audience, clarify the message God has equipped you to share, and expand your platform. This was the first recording with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith for the Kingdom Writers Conference. We had some bizarre tech issues and so he graciously re-recorded his presentation. This one will be slightly different than what you heard at the conference. By the way, did you miss the conference?  If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this teaching blesses you today!  

Many people want to write and publish a book but feel they don't have the time to succeed. Learn productivity principles that will help you accomplish your writing goals regardless of how full your calendar is today. This was the first recording with Dr. Tim Riordan for the Kingdom Writers Conference. We had some bizarre tech issues and so he graciously re-recorded his presentation. This one will be slightly different than what you heard at the conference. By the way, did you miss the conference?  If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this teaching blesses you today!  

We are the Priestly Pens in the author of Life as we are writing our books. However, does your “pen” ever feel dry? If so, enjoy this encouragement today which is an excerpt from the kickoff presentation of the Kingdom Writers Conference. Did you miss the conference? If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this short encouragement blesses you today!  

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT) In his classic book, Miracles, author C.S. Lewis gives us a wonderful illustration of Christ representing a pearl diver in search of hidden treasure. It’s a beautiful passage that your own eyes should read, “One may think of a diver, first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing in mid-air, then gone with a splash, vanishing rushing down through green and warm water into black and cold water, down through increasing pressure into the deathlike region of ooze and slime and old decay; then up again, back to colour and light, his lungs almost bursting, till suddenly he breaks the surface again, holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing he went down to recover. He and it are both coloured now that they have come up into the light: down below, where it lay colorless in the dark, he lost his color too.” (Miracles, chap. 14).

What a fun month of celebration this has been!  This month marks 10 years since I took the big, scary step of faith of quitting my physical therapy job (and a regular income behind) to be full-time in our ministry and business alongside my husband CJ.  And we just finished our first-ever Kingdom Writers Conference. WooHoo! Thank you to everyone who joined us. What a fun week it has been! And right now our doors to Christian Book Academy are open. We only open a few times a year so if you've been wanting to join us now is the time to get in. Go to www.christianbookacademy.com and join us.  We have so many great resources for you including monthly two-day Virtual Writing Retreats to help you get your book done or your marketing finished for the month.  We also have a new Mini-Marketing Messages kit for you every month. These are social media templates and email templates you can use in your marketing to easily engage with your audience and sell more books.  We have so many trainings for you that go in the order

Can you believe it? This month marks a decade since I resigned from my physical therapy job. We have been working full-time in our business and ministry since that day.  Honestly, it hasn't been easy.  There have been so many times we wanted to give up. But God has provided what we needed and He has brought us to the place where we are today. One of the things we're doing to celebrate is hosting our Kingdom Writers Conference...and it kicks off today the 15th of September. WooHoo!  So if you have not joined us yet, make sure to go right now and claim your free ticket at www.kingdomwritersconference.com before registration closes.  You will not want to miss 15 speakers over the course of five days helping equip you to move forward in God’s call to write.  Today I want to introduce you to one of our Christian Book Academy members and one of our conference speakers, Ruth L Snyder.  She has been taking some action in her marketing and she's going to share how using a simple tool that we provide in Christian Book

If you haven't heard yet, September 2021 is an incredibly special year for CJ and me. It marks the 10th anniversary of taking that big scary step of faith for me to quit my physical therapy job and getting a regular paycheck. CJ was already working full-time in our business and 10 years ago I took that crazy step as well. We have been two full-time entrepreneurs since that day and it has been a wild and crazy ride.  We've been mentoring writers for over 11 years and also have had Christian Book Academy for 6.5 years. Therefore we wanted to celebrate! We're celebrating and kicking off this month with our Kingdom Writers Conference and we want you to be part of it. It's going to be 15 speakers over five days and starts September 15th. Join us for free at www.kingdomwritersconference.com and tell all your writing friends.  It's going to be a fun, inspiring, and amazing time to come together as Kingdom writers for such a time as this.  This month we also wanted to highlight some of our speakers. By the way, all o

This year we wanted to do something a little bit different for September it is the 10th year anniversary since I quit my physical therapy job and went full time in our ministry and business with my husband.  This is a significant milestone for us. We have been leading Christian Book Academy now for 6.5 years, mentoring writers for over 11 years and we have so many things to celebrate. We're kicking this month off with a bang by opening registration to our very first Kingdom Writers Conference. The theme this year is Battle Plan: equipping you to move forward in the writing God has called you to do. Make sure to get your free ticket at www.KingdomWritersConference.com and invite all your writing friends, it's going to be fun.  We are celebrating this month all that God has done not only in our lives but in your lives as well. Therefore we want to feature different members in our Christian Book Academy and in fact all of our speakers this year have been in our academy at one time or another and now they are als