Episodes

  • Creating Fire Horse Marketing Swag 03-19-2026

    Creating Fire Horse Marketing Swag 03-19-2026
    Mar 20 2026
    In this episode of the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast, host Judith Briles and book designer and branding expert Rebecca Finkel deliver an hour of show and tell … an hour to enhance your presence and book marketing forward. Your take aways include: -A dozen tools you should using in your Author Kit. -Essential thing you should be adding to website metadata. -Signing event swags to boldly standout. -Idea for depleting old inventory and increasing book sales. -Latest item to add to a bookmark when printing. -eBook makeover time. -Adding QR codes to bookmarks and website. -Don’t forget to use AMInstitue.com headline analyzer. And of course, much more. You’ll come away with tips for expanding your “author beware” chops. Join in ... you will learn a lot! Tune in for lots of ideas and how-to tactics via the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast. It’s ranked in the Top Ten of bookmarketing campaigns. Since its inception seven years ago, the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast with over 22 million listeners downloading various shows for practical publishing and book marketing guidance. Join me and become a regular subscriber.
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    49 mins
  • How to Sell Books in a Grocery Store 03-12-2026

    How to Sell Books in a Grocery Store 03-12-2026
    Mar 13 2026
    What does the Kroger grocery store empire have in common with authors and books? Lots … and now you can discover another alternative portal to sell your books. The Authors In Grocery Stores program is available in half the states in the US … that is if you are working within the portal that 220 authors are using, selling over 30,000 books and retaining over 60 percent of the retail book price. Sound interesting? CEO Ray DePew is the featured guest on the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast. Within it, your takeaways include: -Why it makes dollars and sense to add grocery stores to your book marketing mix. -How to be invited into the program. -What an author needs to have at a grocery signing event. - How to create your author bookselling tour. -How you get paid and how often. And of course, much more. Join in ... you will learn a lot! Tune in for lots of ideas and how-to tactics via the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast. It’s ranked in the Top Ten of bookmarketing campaigns. Since its inception seven years ago, the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast with over 21 million listeners downloading various shows for practical publishing and book marketing guidance. Join me and become a regular subscriber.
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    56 mins
  • How Authors Can Get Sponsorships 03-05-2026

    How Authors Can Get Sponsorships 03-05-2026
    Mar 6 2026
    In this episode of the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast, host Judith Briles has invited author and sponsorship expert Roberta Vigilance to join her for an hour of show and tell … an hour to grow your support network. Roberta is the author of How to Secure Sponsors Successfully and other sponsorship guides. Her website is www.RobertaVigilance.com Your take aways include: -What is sponsorship, and how is it different from donations? -What do sponsors actually look for before they say yes? -What is the biggest mistake people make when reaching out to sponsors? -How early should someone start approaching sponsors for an event? -Why most sponsorship outreach fails (and how to fix it). -How to approach sponsors with clarity and confidence. -The difference between donations and sponsorship. -How to build long-term sponsor relationships. -What is one simple step someone can take today to be more attractive to sponsors? And of course, much more. You’ll come away with tips for expanding your “author support” chops. Join in ... you will learn a lot! Tune in for lots of ideas and how-to tactics via the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast. It’s ranked in the Top Ten of bookmarketing campaigns. Since its inception seven years ago, the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast with over 22 million listeners downloading various shows for practical publishing and book marketing guidance. Join me and become a regular subscriber.
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    57 mins
  • How to Thrive in Writing and Publishing 02-26-2026

    How to Thrive in Writing and Publishing 02-26-2026
    Feb 27 2026
    55 mins
  • Why Authors Need Book Reviews-How to Get Them 02-19-2026

    Why Authors Need Book Reviews-How to Get Them 02-19-2026
    Feb 20 2026
    How to Thrive in Writing, Authoring, and Publishing THRIVE is one of AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast host’s favorite words. When “thriving” is in your mix … it is way beyond surviving. Think being healthy, striving for personal growth, being able to manage challenges that land in your lap, having a positive mindset, and enveloping the strength and power of resilience. Author and leadership coach and expert Laura Belsten shares her insights about writing, authoring and getting published. Her website is CenterForThrivingLeaders.com. Your takeaways include: -Putting into practice GLAD: gratefulness, learning, accomplishing, and deleting -What “Positive Psychology” is why you should embrace it. -Incorporating wellbeing into your thought patterns and practice. -What “toxic positivity” is … -Why authors need to create a“-10” (where what is being done is limp to not working) to “0” (not neutral) to “+10 “ (all is good). -The twelve pillars for author and writing success. Tune in for lots of ideas and how-to tactics via the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast. It’s ranked in the Top Ten of bookmarketing campaigns. Since its inception seven years ago, the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast with over 21 million listeners downloading various shows for practical publishing and book marketing guidance. Join me and become a regular subscriber.
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    56 mins
  • Online Scammer Red Flags for Authors 02-12-2026

    Online Scammer Red Flags for Authors 02-12-2026
    Feb 13 2026
    Ouch … You’ve been stung. There is nothing subtle when it comes to someone or a group of “someones” who go after you and your credit card and bank account. The book thieves, the pirates, and those who penetrate your accounts via lures with their ever-flowing emails and texts that bombard you … that attempt to seduce you and your ego. In this episode of the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast, host Judith Briles has invited author and cyber theft guru Charles Breakfield to join her for an hour of show and tell … an hour to protect you and your intellectual property. Your takeaways include: -The most common scams focused on authors. -Exposing the resurfacing of the literary Nigerian scam. -How AI is a major culprit in the scammers tool kit. -Our book club loves your book scam. -Very bad players to be on alert for. And of course, much more.
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    54 mins
  • Strategies on Creating a Series - Finding Money for Authors 02-05-2026

    Strategies on Creating a Series - Finding Money for Authors 02-05-2026
    Feb 6 2026
    Strategies on Creating a Series - Finding Money for Authors
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    52 mins
  • Help and Scholarships for Up and Coming Authors 01-29-2026

    Help and Scholarships for Up and Coming Authors 01-29-2026
    Jan 30 2026
    Two publishing pros reveal the power for newbie authors … for authors-to-be … for any resident of Colorado over 20 on how to get help … money … guidance via the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame Aspiring Authors Scholarships. Joining host Judith Briles is Mara Purl. Both are founding members of the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame and are the guiding lights for the creation and the implementation of the Asping Authors Scholarships valued at $17,000. In 2026, five will be awarded to Colorado residents who want to write … want to publish at a special luncheon event honoring them on September 11, 2026, at the Inverness Denver hotel. There is no cost to submit … do not wait until the last minute. Here’s the criteria: -You are unpublished in either your name or a pen name in a traditional, independent, or a self-published venue. -You are over 20. -You are a legal resident of Colorado.  You have a desire to be a successful author. -You will submit an essay of less than 1,000 words as to WHY you want to publish and what you will do with the money you will receive. -You will submit a sampling of your writing of up to 20 pages. -You will commit to at least 75% of all coaching/mentoring sessions that are held once a month in 2027. If that is you, you have until March 31, 2026, to submit your application at: https://www.coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/scholarships Tune in for lots of ideas and how-to tactics via the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast. It’s ranked in the Top Ten of bookmarketing campaigns. Since its inception seven years ago, the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast with over 21 million listeners downloading various shows for practical publishing and book marketing guidance. Join me and become a regular subscriber.
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    57 mins