Our guest on this segment is, in fact, a book shepherd. Ellen Reid is the founder of a company called Book Shepherding—her full service consultancy helps authors tackle a and orchestrate the range of essential considerations authors face around branding, promotion, building their platform, and getting their book produced and into distribution?

But there are a zillion options to consider rendering the process of getting a book market ready quite daunting—-and very difficult to pull off if you don’t have any experience. That’s where a book shepherd can help.

Joining us on the line from her offices in Beverly Hills, CA to help us understand how authors can navigate the publishing world is Ellen Reid, founder of Book Shepherding, Ellen, welcome to the program…

1. The publishing world, like many industries has been re-inventing itself for some time. From your perspective-how do you describe the changes you’re seeing?
2. What is a book Shepherd?
3. How does your experience in sales, marketing and advertising inform the work you now do for authors?
4. What do authors most need from a Book Shepherd?
5. You have said that it’s difficult for an author to create the best name for their work. What do authors not get about creating the names, the titles for their books and why is it hard for them?
6. When you look at the entire range of pieces or elements required to accomplish to release a book successfully—-what do find that authors often think they can do that they really can’t pull off alone?
7. It’s been said that releasing a book is not always the END, but a means to an end-that, in fact it’s only a part of creating a complete business. In a world where many author’s first question is…“how much will I make when I release my book”…tell us why that’s not always the question they should be asking.
8. You have a new book out entitled, Put Your Best Book Forward. Why did you write it and tell us a little about what’s inside?
9. Where can our listeners find the book?
10. Where can we learn more about Book Shepherding and the services you provide to authors and indy-publishers…

 

CONTACT ELLEN REID: bookshep@mac.com