VIP Author Talks with Jerry Simmons

Now is the best time in history to be a writer! Why? Because writers today have more opportunities to publish their work than ever before.

Of course, more choice makes the publishing process more confusing than ever before, too! If you’re trying to figure out your next steps on the path to publishing success, join us when VIP Author Talks with Jerry Simmons, publishing consultant and author of What Writers Need to Know About Publishing.

On this call, you will learn:

• How the changes in publishing affect getting a book deal
• What it means to “self-publish”
• How to publish your work as an ebook
• Which comes first: the ebook or the pbook?
• Should you do it yourself or get help?
• Plus, much more

Have a question not listed above? Write it down now to ask during the live Q&A at the end of the teleclass.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for this informative teleclass!

Topic: Publishing 2010: You’ve Got Options!

When: Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Time: 8:00pm Eastern Time (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

How to Register:

VIP Authors Inner Circle Members: You are already registered. Log on to the Members-Only page for call-in details. The audio recording of the class will be posted to the members page within 24 hours after the event.

Non-Members: Not a member yet, but want to hear the class? The monthly VIP Author Talks teleclass is free to members, but you can pay for the class only and sample the membership benefits before joining.

Registration for this event is now closed. The audio recording of the teleclass is available for purchase on the VIP Author Talks Audio page. Review this and all VIP Author Talks programs here>>

Speaker Bio

Jerry Simmons is a 32-year veteran of publishing, 25 in New York with Random House and the former Time Warner Book Group as Vice President, Director Field Sales. His sales division generated hundreds of millions of dollars in book sales across the United States and Canada.

Jerry speaks around the country and his articles have appeared in Writers Digest and across the Internet. He spends his time writing, teaching, and speaking with writers about the importance of understanding the marketplace and educating them about the business of publishing while sharing the secrets of the largest booksellers and publishers in the world.

Do you believe that marketing has to be difficult, time-consuming, expensive, and anything but fun? Many authors and other small business owners cringe at the idea of marketing their business. You may be one of those people, no matter how long you’ve been in business.

Find out how to turn that all around when VIP Author Talks interviews Paulette Ensign. Known as the “Booklet Queen,” Paulette will take you step-by-step through easily marketing yourself with tips booklets and other related information products, some of which will cost you literally nothing to produce.

You will learn simple and easy ways to transform your knowledge into products to use for motivating and making money, while marketing your books and other products and services in the process. This entertaining and information-packed class will prompt a new way of thinking about opportunities, many of which are delivered right to you throughout your week.

Discover how to get a large return on your minimal investment of time and money. Get your juices flowing and your actions moving toward successfully developing and promoting yourself with tips booklets and other information products.

During this class you will learn how to:

• Get paid for your business card
• Leverage your content into at least 7 products, with minimal costs, if any
• Identify new and larger bulk sales clients
• Create licensing rights deals for any product, online or offline
• Increase profits whether you like selling or not

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for this informative teleclass!

Topic: How to Promote Yourself with Tips Booklets & Other Info-Products

When: Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Time: 8:00pm Eastern Time (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

How to Register:

VIP Authors Inner Circle Members: You are already registered. Log on to the Members-Only page for call-in details. The audio recording of the class will be posted to the members page within 24 hours after the event.

Non-Members: Not a member yet, but want to hear the class? The monthly VIP Author Talks teleclass is free to members, but you can pay for the class only and sample the membership benefits before joining.

Tuition for non-members: $14.95 (includes mp3 recording download).

Registration for this event is now closed. The audio recording of the teleclass is available for purchase on the VIP Author Talks Audio page. Review this and all VIP Author Talks programs here>>

Authoring a book instantly makes you an authority. A book is a great way to promote your ideas, causes, business or services, and can be one of the most effective marketing tools you will ever create.

But maybe you don’t have time to write a book. Maybe you don’t know how. Or maybe you just like to collaborate.

What can you do?

Find out when VIP Author Talks interviews Kim Pearson, a real, live ghost with six published books of her own and more than 30 ghostwritten titles to her credit.

In this one-hour teleclass, you will learn:

• Why ghosts are good for you – reasons to hire a ghostwriter
• Why it’s not cheating to hire a ghost
• What ghosts do and what they don’t do – and what is needed from you
• What ghosts might cost, and how long it takes them to do what they do
• Places to find ghosts, other than haunted houses

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for this informative teleclass!

Topic: What to Know About a Ghost(Writer) Before You Hire One

When: Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Time: 8:00pm Eastern Time (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

How to Register:

VIP Authors Inner Circle Members: You are already registered. Log on to the Members-Only page for call-in details. The audio recording of the class will be posted to the members page within 24 hours after the event.

Non-Members: Not a member yet, but want to hear the class? The monthly VIP Author Talks teleclass is free to members, but you can pay for the class only and sample the membership benefits before joining.

Registration for this event is now closed. The audio recording of the teleclass is available for purchase on the VIP Author Talks Audio page. To review this and all VIP Author Talks programs click here>>

Speaker Bio
Kim Pearson is an author, ghostwriter, and owner of Primary Sources, a writing service that helps others become authors of professional and compelling books and articles. She has authored 6 books of her own, and ghostwritten more than 30 non-fiction books and memoirs. To learn more about her books or services, visit her website>>

What do you see when you hold your book in your hands (or visualize that scenario)? If all you see is a book, then you’re missing the big picture. A multitude of income-producing opportunities lie beyond the book in the form of classes, workshops, retreats, coaching, speaking, products and much more.

Join us when VIP Authors interviews Stacey Joiner, author of You Deserve the Royal Treatment. Stacey will reveal how the essence of her yoga and massage therapy business became her business name and book title and set the stage for classes, retreats, products and much more.

During this class, you will learn how:

• Your book can become a very large business card
• Your book can elevate your status and increase your business (and fees!)
• Your book can lead to speaking, workshops and events
• Your book becomes your brand
• Your book can launch a product line

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for this informative teleclass!

Topic: Creating Multiple Streams of Income with Your Book

When: Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Time: 8:00pm Eastern Time (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

How to Register:

VIP Authors Inner Circle Members: You are already registered. Log on to the Members-Only page for call-in details. The audio recording of the class will be posted to the members page within 24 hours after the event.

Non-Members: Not a member yet, but want to hear the class? The monthly VIP Author Talks teleclass is free to members, but you can pay for the class only and sample the membership benefits before joining.

Registration for this event is now closed. The audio recording of the teleclass is available for purchase on the VIP Author Talks Audio page. To review this and all VIP Author Talks programs click here>>

Speaker Bio

Stacey Joiner is a New York and Florida State Licensed Massage Therapist and a Certified Integral Yoga Instructor. Stacey combines her knowledge of Yoga, Massage Therapy and the human body to give her clients a safe and relaxing experience.

She recently launched her book, You Deserve The Royal Treatment – A Woman’s Guide to Living Royally and her own personal care product line.

Do you think the only way to become  a celebrity is to be a rock star, TV personality or have a Hollywood mega box-office hit? Think again!

Over the last decade, a new kind of celebrity has emerged—the expert celebrity. These are people who are absolutely at the top of their professions, and they find a way to use the media to offer their expertise to their audiences.

Join us when VIP Author Talks hosts guest Marsha Friedman, owner of EMSI, a public relations firm, and author of Celebritize Yourself. Marsha will reveal how authors can follow in the footsteps of celebrity experts such as Martha Stewart, Bob Vila, Suze Orman and Rachel Ray.

During this teleclass, you will learn:

• Why becoming an expert celebrity is an effective strategy for authors
• The qualifications or background necessary to become an expert celebrity
• The first step to gaining expert celebrity
• The 5 questions you must ask yourself before putting pen to paper

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for this informative teleclass!

Topic: Celebritize Yourself!

When: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Time: 8:00pm Eastern Time (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

Registration for this event is now closed. The audio recording of the teleclass is available for purchase on the VIP Author Talks Audio page. To review this and all VIP Author Talks programs click here>>

Speaker Bio:

Marsha Friedman doesn’t like sitting still. As a prominent business woman, she has run her pay for performance public relations firm successfully through prosperity and adversity, ironically having one of her best revenue years in the midst of the 2009 recession. As a publicity expert, she recently debuted her new book, Celebritize Yourself, and began a national media tour.

VIP Author Talks with Shelley Lieber

Your mother may have told that “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” but people do it all the time. And, you don’t have to be an publishing industry expert to spot a poorly done, unprofessional cover that screams “self-published.” Most people can tell immediately if the book looks like it is worth picking up in a bookstore, or clicking the “Buy” button on a web page.

Join Shelley Lieber as she shares the experts’ secrets and tips about how to:

• Get endorsements for your front and back cover
• Write copy that will invite interest and sell the book
• Decide whether to use a graphic, illustration or photo on your front cover
• Hire the professionals you need to get the job done right
• Combine all the elements (design, copy, graphics) for a winning look

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for this informative teleclass!

Topic: How Many Experts Does It Take to Create a Winning Book Cover?

When: Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Time: 8:00pm Eastern Time (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

Registration for this event is now closed. The audio recording of the teleclass is available for purchase on the VIP Author Talks Audio page. To review this and all VIP Author Talks programs click here>>

VIP Authors who want to write a book in 2010 will be off to a great start after our first VIP Author Talks of the year! Our guest is Stephanie Gunning, a publishing strategist and former senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell. She’s mastered the art of transforming powerful ideas into marketable books and her Get a Book Deal™ program is designed to help writers get started on the road to success in as little as 60 to 90 days.

During this class, you will learn:

• How to set a powerful intention for your book
• The stages to get from idea to bookstore shelf
• Why you absolutely must draft a book proposal
• Tools from brain science to support your creativity
• Spiritual techniques to support your creativity
• Where & how coaching can be an assistance

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for the VIP Author Talks with Stephanie Gunning. Here are the details:

Class*: VIP Author Talks with Stephanie Gunning

Topic: How to Get a Book Deal

When: Wednesday, January 27 at 8:00pm Eastern Time (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

Registration for this event is closed. The audio recording of the teleclass is available for purchase on the VIP Author Talks Audio page. To review this and all VIP Author Talks programs click here>>

Speaker Bio:

Stephanie Gunning is one of the most sought-after nonfiction writers in the publishing industry and a well-regarded book proposal coach. She is the coauthor or ghostwriter of (at last count) 22 published books. Her essays have been featured in well-known anthologies compiled by Arielle Ford and Doreen Virtue.

She has worked with numerous bestselling authors, including Hale Dwoskin, Gregg Braden, Ruby Payne, Thomas Moore, Stephen Mitchell, Marlo Morgan, and Ruth Montgomery, to name a few.

“Build your platform” was the advice most often given to writers by agents, editors and publishers in the past 10 years. The idea was to establish a waiting market for your work  by connecting to your audience via email, newsletters, speaking engagements, media appearances and so on.

Today the platform concept has been extended to incorporate a more personal connection between you and your audience, and the more appropriate description is to “build community.” The word community implies “interaction” and “communication” with others who have common interests or goals. Social media such as blogs, podcasts, videos and social networking sites can bring you in direct contact with your readers and enable two-way conversations.

Nancy Mills may have started the trend several years ago when she created The Spirited Woman, a woman’s empowerment community on the Internet, long before the term “build your community” was ever uttered. The Spirited Woman community that Nancy began with only a newsletter to a small list of women today includes a website, newsletter, blog, mastermind groups, events plus much more and serves thousands of women globally.

Don’t miss VIP Author Talks with guest Nancy Mills on Wednesday, October 28, when Nancy will share how she grew her list (& business) and reveal the strategies authors can use right now to build their own communities of loyal readers.

On this call you will learn:

• The tools Nancy Mills used to build The Spirited Woman
• Why authors must build communities and lead their “tribes”
• The best resources authors can use to build their communities
• Whether to go it alone or use a team to build your community
• What else authors must do to effectively communicate with their audiences
• What strategies authors can employ to stand out in a crowded genre or marketplace

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for the VIP Author Member Event on Wednesday, October 28 at 8:00pm Eastern Time.

How To Register for This Event:

If you are not an VIP Authors Inner Circle member yet, find out more about  Membership Benefits here>>

If you are already a member, you can find the call-in number on your Members-Only  page. If you no longer have this information, please e-mail us at support@vipauthors.com.

Speaker Bio:
Nancy Mills is the founder of The Spirited Woman, a leading women’s empowerment community, the publisher of the international Spirited Woman Blogger Team. She is known for being a creative out-of-the-box marketing expert. She also mentors women in her “Nancy’s Inner Circle” program. On a more personal note, through her Tales of Downtown blog, she loves to write about her adventures living in a loft in downtown Los Angeles. That blog is gaining quite a local following.

Myths & Reality: Where’s the Money?

Every writer wants to know how to get paid for his or her work. If anyone knows where writers can find markets (and money) for their writing, it’s C. Hope Clark, founder and editor of FundsForWriters.com.

During this class, Hope will reveal how you can earn income from these “funding streams”:

• Grants: Arts commissions, Foundations/Nonprofits, Conferences
  Retreats, Fellowships
• Contests: Scams, Entry fees, Boosts to publication
• Freelance Markets: Queries and pitches, finding paying markets, what to avoid
• Jobs: Freelance, Fulltime, government positions, be a reporter
• Plus, tips on being a writer: pride and promotion!

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for the VIP Author Member Event on Wednesday, September 23 at 8:00pm Eastern Time.

How To Register for This Event:

If you are not an VIP Authors Inner Circle member yet, find out more about  Membership Benefits here>>

If you are already a member, you can find the call-in number on your Members-Only  page. If you no longer have this information, please e-mail us at support@vipauthors.com.

Speaker Bio:

C. Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters.com, an online resource for writers seeking grants, contests, markets or jobs. The nine-year-old site has almost a million hits per month and has received the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Web Sites for Writers designation for each of its nine years of existence. Hope’s newsletters reach over 26,000 readers. She’s published nonfiction in commercial magazines and websites. She also writes mystery fiction, and her Carolina Slade series is in the hands of an agent, making the rounds of New York publishers. The highlight of her career will be publishing that series and proving how diligence and practice can pay for writers.

Ebooks are hot, hot, hot! It’s the biggest buzz in publishing today because digital books represent the fastest (and perhaps only) growing segment of the industry. Publishers and authors aren’t asking if they should publish an ebook anymore; they’re asking when they should publish the ebook–with the print editiion, before or after?

Are you still sitting on the sidelines, wondering how to get on top of this burgeoning publishing trend, which is quickly becoming the standard? Well, now’s your chance to ask the expert.

On Wednesday, August 5, at 2:00pm ET, The Wordy Woman will interview guest Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, during an all-new teleclass “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Publishing Digital Books.” Mark is a popular speaker on the topic, serving on panels and making presentations at industry events all over the country.

During this teleclass you will learn:

* What an ebook is, what it’s not and why it’s hot
* If ebooks will lead to the death–or rebirth–of print books
* What DRM is and if it’s necessary
* What you need to know about formatting an ebook
* How to get your book on Kindle, iPhone and other ereaders
* How to price your ebook
* Plus, whatever else you want to ask!

Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to learn from Mark during a free class and ask your questions! Recently,  120 participants at Mark’s teleclass at IBPA University paid $49 - $69 to attend. This really is a one-time chance to learn from a digital publisher and ask questions live at no cost to you.*

Class: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Publishing Digital Books

Date: Wednesday, August 5

Time: 2:00 pm to 3:30pm Eastern (1pm Central, 12pm Mountain, 11am Pacific)

Sign up below to receive the teleclass call-in information:

*The presentation is free to attend, but long distance charges may apply. Please note that anyone may call in and listen, but the audio recording will only be available to VIP Author Inner Circle members. If you are not yet a member and would like a recording of this call, find out more about all the benefits of VIP Author Inner Circle membership here>>