Training Authors with CJ and Shelley Hitz

We help Christian writers take a step of faith and finally finish your book!

  • Home
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Member Login
    • About
    • Support
    • Legal Information
  • Resources
    • Free Stuff!
    • Blog
    • Podcast
    • Read Our Books
    • Who to hire
  • Sign Up Today!

Submit Your Questions for our Live Q&A Session

February 10, 2014 By Heather Hart 31 Comments Click here for FREE training for Christian writers

ShareTweet

Meeting room

Announcing Our First Live Quarterly Q&A Session

At the end of last year, we asked if you would be interested in live Q&A sessions with us where we answered questions on writing, publishing and marketing books – and you responded with a resounding yes. That’s why I’m excited to let you know that we’re gearing up for the first one.

Here’s the scoop:

When: Wednesday, February 19th at 10:00 am Mountain time (11 am Central)

Where: This event will be hosted with a Google Hangout on Air so you can attend from wherever you are. We’ll also have the replay available on our blog for those who can’t make it live.  Click here to RSVP on Google +.

Cost: FREE – both the live event and the replay will be available at no cost to you.

What: We’re accepting questions on all topics, but we will focus on the topics that generate the biggest response.

Our busy schedules prevent us from answering a lot of individual questions that come into our site or offering private coaching, but we do want to provide a way for you to get your questions answered. So we hope you’ll join us for this event. This session will be driven by you and your questions. No pitch from us, just open, honest answers to help you reach for success.

What do you want to know?

Please submit your questions in the comments below. We’ll also take questions during the live event, but submitting them in advance will help us determine the focus topics. We can’t promise to answer every question, but all questions are welcome and encouraged.

UPDATE:

Thanks to everyone who attended. We’ll be hosting Q&A sessions like this one quarterly throughout the year. You can be notified via e-mail when the next one will occur by signing up for our newsletter at: https://www.trainingauthors.com/newsletter/

You can watch the replay on the video below, the event page linked above, or download the audio version by clicking here.

 

Here are the links we mentioned during the webinar:

Posts with Publishing Options:

  • Print
  • eBooks
  • Audiobooks

Other links:

How to Sell Your Self-Published Book in Book Stores

Getting Your Book In Barnes & Noble

76+ Places to Submit Your KDP Select Promotion for Your Kindle eBook

Writing Good Book Titles

General Trademark Info

Trademark Search

650+ Places for Authors to Get Exposure for Their Books through Guest Blogging

What NOT to Post When Marketing Your Book

The Book Designer: Book Design & Page Layout Software

Marketing Your Book on Amazon

Book Formatting Tools and Resources:

  • Microsoft Word
  • Open Office
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Joel Friedlander’s Book Templates
  • Kindle formatting requirements

We also have a list of recommended resources for publishing your books here on our website at: https://www.trainingauthors.com/resources/#publishing1

 

Share this post: on Twitter on Facebook on LinkedIn

https://trainingauthors-qa-sessions.s3.amazonaws.com/Quarterly%20Q%2526A%20Session.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Related Posts

  • How to Write a Christian Book: 4 Steps To Get Your Book Published
  • Turning Situation into Success – Overcoming Obstacles
  • 3 Things to Re-evaluate at the End of the Year
  • How to Increase Your Book Sales By 20% This Year
  • 3 Reasons Why I’m Launching a New Podcast
  • Tips for Marketing Your Book in a God-Honoring Way by Alisa Keeton
  • Why Should You Have A Webinar To Market Your Book?
  • Messy Middle

Filed Under: General Tagged With: authors, Google+ hangouts, hangout, live webinar

About Heather Hart

Connect With Heather Online: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
 
For close to a decade, Heather Hart has been helping other writers make their dreams come true. As an internationally best-selling and award-winning author, with well over a dozen books in print, she knows what works and what doesn’t. Furthermore, she knows it’s possible to be a successful author without launching your own business. Her desire is to help writers keep writing… and have fun doing it. Find out more at ToolsForAuthors.com
 
Love What You Read? Check This Out!
 
Get Heather's FREE report and learn how to make small tweaks to your book marketing that lead to big changes here.   

Comments

  1. Thomas McGann says

    February 10, 2014 at 9:26 pm

    My question is:
    How do I connect my blog postings with the various groups I belong to on LinkedIn as well as connecting to FaceBook and any other social media outlets? These blogs are not promotions. They are blogs I write that I believe others will find interesting. I am trying to get exposure for my writing skills.
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      February 19, 2014 at 11:30 am

      Hey Thomas, we didn’t get to your question today, but just to give you a quick tip – you can use a service such as TwitterFeed to do it automatically (http://twitterfeed.com/) Or there are also WordPress apps or widgets that will do that for you as well and even Facebook apps that will pull them for you.

      Reply
  2. Alana Terry says

    February 10, 2014 at 10:42 pm

    Hi there, I’m insterested in book distribution channels for paperbacks, ISBNS, Createspace vs. Ligthning Source, etc. Basically, how to get paperbacks into bookstores (online and physical.)

    Reply
    • Shelley Hitz says

      February 19, 2014 at 2:14 pm

      Alana – I think this post will help you. Book Print On Demand offers expanded distribution which includes Christian bookstores as well: https://www.trainingauthors.com/publishing/self-publishing-print-books/

      Reply
  3. Jane Bettany says

    February 11, 2014 at 3:10 am

    Hi ladies,

    Thanks for this. I will listen to the replay as I’m in the UK. However, I have a question. I’m in the process of finishing off an iBook at the moment. It’s aimed at 11 year olds and is about interesting creatures of the sea (it’s going to be called Ocean Oddities). I’ve commissioned some great illustrations and there’s going to be plenty of interaction with videos, quizzes etc.

    My question is this: I will obviously want to create a Kindle version of the book and realise that I won’t be able to retain all of the interactivity that I’ll be including in the iBook. However, I know that videos can be included with Kindle Fire. Where can I find out more information about how to embed videos for Kindle, and do you know if there are any other interactive features that can be included?

    Thanks and best wishes. I look forward to listening in to the replay!

    Jane

    Reply
  4. Carlos Hernández Soto says

    February 11, 2014 at 5:33 am

    Can you develop a step by step way for setting up a system of e-mail and newsletter marketing? Thank you in advance.

    Reply
    • Shelley Hitz says

      February 18, 2014 at 10:37 pm

      Carlos – at the bottom of this post we have 5 steps for starting your e-mail list: https://www.trainingauthors.com/aweber-vs-trafficwave/

      We do plan to publish a book with more training on this topic later this year. Thanks!

      Reply
  5. N.M. Watkins says

    February 11, 2014 at 7:21 am

    Hello: I really need as much help as I can get to get my middle grade novel Quicksilver Traveler out into the public. I have zero money to work with. Thank you Nancy

    Reply
  6. Albert Boz says

    February 11, 2014 at 3:43 pm

    Can I change the title of my eBook only on the KDP site without re-upload a modified eBook?
    thanks

    Reply
  7. christina degano says

    February 11, 2014 at 11:56 pm

    Pls advise on the following..

    1. Best software to prepare/format a book.
    2. General first step suggestion for an obvious newbie.

    Grateful and cheerful salutations!

    Reply
  8. S. Barry Hamdani says

    February 13, 2014 at 5:03 pm

    Hi Shelley and Heather.

    Do authors err on the side of Giving away too much content during pre-pub promotions or do we withold too much?

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      February 19, 2014 at 11:56 am

      That’s a great questions, Barry! We didn’t get a chance to answer it during our live session, but I would say it depends on the author. Every author is different. Every author gives away a different amount of content. I know authors that won’t give away anything, and authors that would give away all of it. So it really depends on you, your goals, marketing strategy, etc.

      Reply
  9. Christine Brooks Martin says

    February 14, 2014 at 11:00 am

    My question for the hangout: I want to republish one of my books in Spanish. Do I need to file for copyright for the Spanish version.

    Reply
    • Shelley Hitz says

      February 18, 2014 at 10:31 pm

      This document might help answer your question: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf

      Reply
  10. Jane Joseph says

    February 15, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    Heather, I would like to know more about enhanced Kindle eBooks. Also have you looked into the new comic program that recently came available though Amazon? I am intrigued by the idea and would love to know more ideas on the subject!

    Thanks, both of you, for all you provide for free. That is just heartwarming. You are the best.

    Reply
  11. frederick carmichael says

    February 16, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    i just written my first eBook the Intrepid Explorer and i went through lulu.com to get my eBook distributed on the barns and noble nook and iTunes, everything has been up and running for couple of months now and i’v sold about 12 copy’s, and that was it, nothing else has been happening its as if i ran into a brick wall or something, i have also tried my hand in self promoting by starting a website. guiltystyles.com , posting links on Facebook and twitter, honesty that’s where i think my 12 buyers was from…….please help

    Reply
  12. jane joseph says

    February 17, 2014 at 7:17 am

    Question for Q&A session:
    If I were to use Amazon’s CreateSpace for print on demand through them, can I also print the same book through another printer like Lightning Source?
    Thanks.

    Reply
  13. Malva Tarasewicz says

    February 17, 2014 at 8:45 am

    I read about the service that guarantees “10,000 downloads” of one’s ebook during Kindle Select free promotion days. I tried to research it a bit, worried that it might be a scam, and the folks on “Warrior Forum” where the paypal button for the service is located couldn’t come up with answers — in fact, they didn’t seem to know which of their many offerings I was referring to! Can you share more of your experiences (or people’s experiences that you know of personally) about this – is it really legit? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Shelley Hitz says

      February 18, 2014 at 12:58 pm

      Malva,
      Thanks for your question. I had the same concern. Here are a few places you can find my answer to this.

      General information: https://www.trainingauthors.com/47-places-to-submit-your-free-kdp-promotion-for-your-kindle-ebook/#downloads

      Another author who commented with the same concern and my response: https://www.trainingauthors.com/47-places-to-submit-your-free-kdp-promotion-for-your-kindle-ebook/#comment-5331

      My case study when I personally used their service: https://www.trainingauthors.com/free-kdp-select-promotion-case-study/

      If you would like to contact the company with more questions, just contact us and we can send you their e-mail address. https://www.trainingauthors.com/contact/

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Shelley Hitz says

        February 26, 2014 at 8:11 am

        Malva,
        2/26/14 UPDATE: Previously we recommended a service called, “Free Book Service.” In December I had e-mailed Amazon to make sure it was okay to use a service like this and they said yes. However, Amazon has changed their mind. This was brought to our attention from other authors and we e-mailed Amazon directly to confirm. This was their reply…

        “While we support the legitimate promotional efforts of our publishers, we have determined that Free Book Service’s services manipulate Kindle sales rank. We take activities that jeopardize the experience of our customers and our publishers very seriously and may take action against publisher accounts that engage in sales rank manipulation.”

        Therefore, we no longer recommend you use that service. However, there are many websites you can get paid advertising and we outline these in our book, Author Publicity Pack.

        Reply
  14. Heather Hart says

    February 18, 2014 at 10:50 am

    Great questions, everyone! We’re gearing up for tomorrow and are excited to start giving you answers.

    Reply
  15. Kristi says

    February 18, 2014 at 1:10 pm

    I have questions about publishing a children’s book with illustrations through CreateSpace. Is it even an option? How do I get started?

    If CreateSpace isn’t the ideal publisher for children’s books, who would be your next suggestion? The least amount of money upfront, the better!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Shelley Hitz says

      February 19, 2014 at 2:19 pm

      Kristi – there are options to print children’s books via CreateSpace, but they are limited in what they can do. They don’t offer hard back covers yet and the costs tend to be high with full color images. I recommend calling their support and talking to them about your options.

      There are great options for eBooks though. Here is a video on a template I’m using for ours: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV_-61kWvpE

      Once our book is published, I will write an entire post on children’s books so be looking for that (hopefully soon).

      Reply
  16. Travis Rusko says

    February 18, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    Hey guys!

    First of all thank you so much for your awesome article!

    https://www.trainingauthors.com/47-places-to-submit-your-free-kdp-promotion-for-your-kindle-ebook/

    I used your suggestions and had wonderful success. I had 14,564 FREE downloads in FIVE days!

    I also SOLD 94 copies of my ebook that same month and 7 copies of my paperback! My best month before this was 9 or 10 ebook sales!

    Here is my question. I was enrolled in KDP Select. I didn’t auto renew my enrollment because I was planning to add my book to other storefronts (Nook, iBooks, etc.). However, life has been crazy busy and I do not know if I will get the time in the next several weeks to add my book to those other stores.

    Do you recommend I enroll in KDP Select again if I am not currently able to add the book to other store fronts? Do you find that your sales on Amazon tend to go lower over time if your book isn’t enrolled in KDP Select?

    Thanks for everything!

    Reply
    • Shelley Hitz says

      February 19, 2014 at 4:30 pm

      Travis,
      How many borrows are you getting through the KDP select program? That is one factor I use to determine whether to keep a book exclusive with Amazon. If you are getting a decent # of borrows, it may make sense to keep it in KDP select. Another option if you enroll in the second 90 day period is to use the Kindle Countdown Deal this time around vs. another free promotion. You can lower your book price for a certain period of time to help boost sales.

      Reply
      • Travis Rusko says

        February 19, 2014 at 5:18 pm

        Thanks for asking. I forgot to mention that. During January (the month of my 5 Day Free offer) I had 16 borrows.

        In February I have only had 4 borrows, but that is because my KDP Select enrollment ended on February 8, so it was 4 borrows over the course of 8 days.

        As you know I am new to this and these borrows I am getting are without any kind of website or real marketing as I am just getting off the ground. So does it sound like I should enroll for KDP Select again?

        Also, do you have a post for a list of websites to add your Kindle Countdown Deal to, much like you had the post I listed above filled with pages to add your FREE Kindle book to? That would be an awesome resource. Keep up the great work!

        Reply
        • Shelley Hitz says

          February 19, 2014 at 5:28 pm

          Travis – sounds like it would be the best thing to do right now. We did just publish a post for $0.99 book promotions. So if you offer your book for $0.99 in the Kindle Countdown Deal, you could use these sites: https://www.trainingauthors.com/places-to-promote-99-cent-ebooks/

          Reply
          • Travis Rusko says

            February 19, 2014 at 7:19 pm

            Thanks so much. Just switched it back on.

  17. Carole says

    February 19, 2014 at 9:38 am

    I have a WP tech guy who is dragging me out with finishing installing new theme and widgets. Q: He has a mockup of my site up on new theme (old one doesn’t show up when G’d) Can I just go in & change the administrator & PW, and remove him from the action? He’s been paid to date. I don’t want to take a chance in losing my website info, What would you do?

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      February 19, 2014 at 12:04 pm

      I’m hesitant to answer that without more information. It is your website, so you can remove an administrator at any time. But if it’s just a mockup I would make sure that you have all the rights to leave it up as is. I would recommend contacting him and letting him know you’d like to pull out and see where that would leave you.

      Reply
  18. Roscoe says

    March 1, 2015 at 9:30 pm

    I wwas able to fiond good nfo from yor content.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!


Meet CJ and Shelley Hitz

We understand the struggle of wanting to write your book while also wondering if it will be good enough.

Since 2010, we have helped over 1,000 writers overcome self-doubt and become published authors.

Join our community of Kingdom writers.

Finish Your Book in Just 15 Minutes a Day! Join the Free 5-Day Challenge


You don’t need more time. You need a proven plan. In just 5 days, get 5 quick tips to finally finish your book.

Save My Spot — I’m Ready to Write

50+ Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024


Are you looking for a list of the must-have resources for Christian writers in 2024? If so, we’ve got a list we curated from nominations from writers like you. Enjoy!
Check out the list now.

Get Your Book Out of Your Head and Onto Paper


Choose your book topic, write an outline, and create a writing plan in just 90-minutes! Finally feel confident that you will actually finish your book.

Get Started Now.

Move Forward in God’s Call to Write


Want to see God move in even greater ways through your writing?If so, get your copy of our book, Kingdom Writers here.

Subscribe to Our Podcast

author audience podcast
Subscribe to the Podcast:
 Apple Podcasts |    RSS

Connect With Us Online!

Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel



Get Email Updates from the Blog

 Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe by Email

Take a Step of Faith and Finally Publish Your Book!



Join Christian Book Academy www.christianbookacademy.com

Contact Us | Legal Information | Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms of Service



Copyright © 2025 Training Authors, a division of Body and Soul Publishing LLC - All Rights Reserved. Log in


Disclosure: Some of the links in the page above may be "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."