Shep Publishing House

You want to learn the publishing process, but don't want to spend all of your time and energy handling the small, important details that come with having a professional book.

You want guidance to write your book, but also know you have work or a business, a family, or life all on your plate. These things might make it a challenge to release a profitable book on your desired timeline, but you use them as encouragement and not an obstacle.

You're successful in your work and are pretty "put together".
You order groceries or have meals delivered.
You've hired someone do to your lawn care.
You have a standing appointment at your hair stylist.

But getting your ideas out of your head and into a published book feels abstract or like it's out of your reach.

You don't typically DIY things, so why not get professional support to write and publish an asset that's going to leave a legacy that outlives you?

My Profitable Publishing® Partner Service combines the benefits of the done for you aspects from a book deal with the freedom and flexibility to keep full creative control from self publishing....but without the stress.

My team and I project manage and complete your publishing process for you while you keep your rights, royalties, and creative control.

Within 90 days, you'll have a fully published book that is created to

💜support your existing clients or audience
💜generate leads within your business or speaking engagements
💜fit within your existing offer suite or develop a new one

This year is halfway done. Having a partner alongside you that understands the process and understands *you* is the key to your success. You have the strategy and framework, and now it's time to package that into a profitable book that builds your brand.

If you're ready to take action to move towards this goal, book a call here to discuss if it's a good fit for you: www.ProfitableSelfPublishing.com/Partner.

📸: Sharing my books as well as clients' books (on the right and on the banner) at a speaking engagement last month because even after your project is over, I still make sure to highlight my past clients!

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 11

Shep Publishing House

Just got word that my client’s book got approved by Amazon first time, with no issues and her release is scheduled

It makes a difference when you work with professionals and don’t have to worry about the guess work or tussle with files.

I can’t wait to be her first book buyer when it goes live later this month. 💪🏾

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 4

Shep Publishing House

A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with one of my sales coaches about how a well written book can actually shorten down on sales calls.

(She was curious about how this worked since she's not an author just yet, so this was a bit of a new concept for her.)

If there's one thing I've learned: if someone has a question, then another person is also wondering the same thing.

So, I figured that it'd be worthwhile to record an episode sharing the rationale with you.

Take a listen to Episode 21: How your book can shorten sales calls and better qualify clients

In the episode, you'll learn:

✔️How a well written book can shorten sales calls
✔️4 ways your book can better support your leads and current clients
✔️Why book buyers make better clients

Take a listen to Ep 21 below, and let me know: is this a new idea for you?

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

Shep Publishing House

For some, it can feel really tempting to use AI to write or edit your book.

The reality is that most people are not skilled enough AI prompt engineering to be able to coach the tool to get what they want it to do in the first place.

So that it:

1. doesn’t sound like AI
2. doesn’t wording that sounds nice but is actually full of nothingness.

In fact, most in the author space are REALLY against using AI to create your book.

I agree to some degree, but also understand why some people might be tempted to do it.

When potential clients come to me with a draft that’s clearly written by AI, I’m honest with them about the limitations and considerations they need to take into account. (I share those below 👇🏾).

Now, there are SOME elements that I can see why someone might find it beneficial to use generative AI to create their book, but none of them involve
drafting
or editing
or cover design
or any of the book creation processes we do for clients.

I hire and work with contractors who are real people who use their expertise to design what aligns with the author’s brand, business, and book. Each of my books were written before AI blew up.

I’m not anti AI.

It’s inescapable now a days, but we have to use it in a mindful way.

Even that little paper clip from Word (Clippy) back in the day was AI. We’ve obviously come a long way since then.

Back to the main point: I understand the value customers are looking for when it comes to buying your book or signing up for your services.

There are ways to incorporate AI in the creation of your book without having it write or edit your book for you.

🤖Things to consider if you’re thinking about using AI to write or edit your book:

1. Your info is inside models for other people to use to build their things (I just don’t 100% trust the toggling off of not using your content to train the modules.)

2. Unless you’re particularly crafty at proper AI promoting, then you may end up with something generic and/or incoherent enough to elevate your authority or help you stand out…or stand the test of time.

3. You may/will have issues copyrighting your book if it’s mostly AI (depending upon where you live). It’s hard to claim ownership over

When you’ve writing your book, you want your voice to be clear.

You don’t want a watered down version of you that doesn’t align with how you actually sound.

So if you’re going to use AI to draft, my first answer is “Don’t do it! “Reconsider, read some liter-ature on the subject”
(Let me know in the comments when you get the reference.)

But if you’re going to do it anyway, at least be aware of what you’re committing to and the associated effects.

📸: from a speaking gig this weekend at Media, Faith & Fear where I shared perspectives on how AI is changing the marketing landscape, trust, and consumer consumption on social media

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

Shep Publishing House

The biggest strategy I’ve found to to sell books as an indie author is having a book launch and not just releasing book after book.

Unfortunately, the publishing industry advice is to just keep releasing more and more books.

That can work, because there are more opportunities for you to be seen.

However, if you don’t have a way to market them, then that can cause a back log of headache instead of a backlist of profitable books.

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

Shep Publishing House

One thing most self published authors don’t realize: you get to decide what’s good enough.

The idea that your book is “good enough” comes from the traditional publishing industry (think book deals and agents). When you have to spend months or years finding an agent and/or publishing company, countless rejections can definitely make you start to question your book.

But let me ask you this: if you’re not trying to get a book deal, then why are you adopting that mindset?

Maybe you forgot…your ideas are already:
💜getting results for your clients in the day to day work you do together.
💜helping people have breakthroughs when they hear you speak on stage.
💜elevating your coaching clients to see what they’re capable with the right strategy.
💜empowering your clients to be better versions of themselves in both personally and professionally

So why would you assume that packaging that expertise into a book “good enough”?

Gentle reminder: You can’t expect someone else to believe in your book more than you.

Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work with an editor or other professionals to polish it.

So yes,
1. Do the market research (or hire the help) to know that there’s an audience for it.
2. Get advice and support on the execution.

(And respectfully, I don’t mean mama and ‘em. Your family and friends are rarely your ideal reader.)

Not sure where to start?

Episode 17 of Profitable Publishing®: The Podcast helps you to know what really matters when helping YOU decide if your book idea is “good enough”. Because you’re the one who makes that choice.

Take a listen wherever you stream podcasts or head to the comments to find the episode.

Link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p_6iKfE...

And remember, don’t allow someone else to tell you whether or not your book deserves to exist in the world.

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

Shep Publishing House

Invest as much time or energy into marketing as you do in publishing.

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

Shep Publishing House

For those of you who have been following my podcasting journey, Profitable Publishing®: The Podcast reached 2000 downloads this week!

YouTube is still the platform with the most views, but Apple Podcasts was the most popular last week.

I'm learning which episodes resonate with my audience and which episodes I either need to change the titles on adjust the topic.

I did however, break my four month streak one week by not releasing an episode. But that's ok! Sometimes you gotta take a beat to reframe and get jump back in later.

What topics are you wanting to learn more about when it comes to publishing and/or marketing your book?

2 months ago | [YT] | 1

Shep Publishing House

Sometimes my clients cry during our sessions.

It's not because I'm mean to them though.

It's because the Holy Spirit drops tidbits in my mind, for them, that feel I was a fly on their wall earlier in their day/week.

I'm just the messenger.

2 months ago | [YT] | 1

Shep Publishing House

Just sent a client’s 40 day devotional off to formatting last week

She loved the interior design and is excited to see the finished product

2 months ago | [YT] | 2