March 2019
March is Women’s History Month, and March 8 is Women’s Day. According to holidayscalendar.com, Women’s Day was originally organized in 1909 to commemorate and honor the women who took part in the 1908 International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union Strike. It has grown to a day of appreciation and respect for all the social, economic and social accomplishments women have achieved, and is observed worldwide on March 8th. It is often celebrated by giving gifts to the important women in a man’s life, such as a husband doing his wife’s chores, or bringing her flowers or chocolates (hint, hint). It’s a perfect time to think about the value that women bring you, and to show your appreciation.
New Course
I have nearly finished creating my second online course, Publish It! This course provides guidance on the steps needed to go from manuscript to publication, how to get your book on Amazon, and how to promote and leverage your book. I am offering the opportunity for the first 20 people who sign up to take the course for only $25, a 95% discount! Email me at judy@skillbites.net if interested, and I’ll fill you in on the details.
1. The SkillBites Show
Each month, we bring you an expert to help you get your book done, leverage your book, grow your business or improve your life. The shows are recorded, so if you can’t listen to one live, you can listen to the recording by clicking here.
Our next SkillBites Show will be held on Wednesday, March 20, at 1 pm ET. Our guest will be Derek Doepker, a rock guitarist turned seven-time #1 bestselling author. He discovered a proven process that took him from struggling author to selling over 50,000 books. Don’t miss this program, during which Derek will share this process so you can turn your writing into a thriving business.
To listen to the live presentation, you can call in at (641) 715-3660, Access Code: 467398.
Last month we heard from Chris Spurvey, a serial entrepreneur, sales growth consultant andauthor of the book It’s Time to Sell: Cultivating the Sales Mind-Set. Chris spoke on the sales mindset and mistakes that entrepreneurs frequently make when it comes to sales. If you missed this presentation, you can listen to it by clicking here, or you can read some of the answers to the FAQs from this show on the SkillBites blog at http://resources.skillbites.net/blog/.
Do you have expertise that you believe would benefit the SkillBites community of entrepreneurs and authors? If you would like to be the guest on the monthly SkillBites Show, contact me at judy@skillbites.net or 610-783-4519.
2. In the News
This month, I joined Chris Spurvey on his podcast, It’s Time To Sell. We talked about the huge growth Chris experienced in his business after he published his book, and what is involved for business owners to become published authors. The podcast is available at www.chrisspurvey.com.
I also joined Engel Jones on his podcast, 12 Minute Convos. We talked about a number of topics, including the importance of asking for help. You can listen to that podcast at https://player.fm/series/12minconvos/judy-weintraub-is-an-accomplished-entrepreneur-business-executive-attorney-and-bestselling-author-ep2142
3. New Publication
Recently, SkillBites published Samuele Bagnai’s first book, The Tuscan Who Sold His Fiat to the Pope: Stories from Tuscany to California about Family, Food, Religion, Sex and the Art of Laughing the Italian Way. The book contains stories of a Tuscan, his family, and some of the many cultural differences between Italians and Americans. Epic, funny, and moving, the book will make you laugh enthusiastically, and infuse you with Italian passion that will stay with you forever. The book is available on Amazon.
4. It’s About Time
Earlier this year, I ran a 4 week workshop on book writing. The reviews were so favorable that I have decided to run the workshop again. As one participant exclaimed, “Wonderful program and enjoyed the group energy! Gets the momentum going!” If you’ve wanted to write a book but are struggling with finding the time, or aren’t sure what topic you should write on, or don’t know how to proceed, this would be a perfect program for you. The workshop is virtual, so you don’t need to go anywhere. If you miss one of the sessions, you can listen to the recording. The fee for the 4 one-hour sessions is just $197. To sign up for the upcoming workshop, contact me at judy@skillbites.net.
5. Tip of the Month: Using Amazon Ads
You’ve undoubtedly seen Google Ads, at the top of search pages and along the right side, as well as Facebook ads. Ads enable you to get your message in front of significantly more eyeballs, and in particular, you can target the ad to be seen by the eyeballs you want to know about your message. You might not be aware that Amazon also provides the capability to advertise your book (and other products) that you are selling on Amazon so you can reach your target market.
As with Google’s and Facebook’s ad campaigns, Amazon’s ad campaigns are based on a pay per click basis, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. You can set a budget of as little as $1/day, and you can set an end date or have the ad run continuously. Even if you only break even on the spend, you have gained because your ad will have been seen by hundreds of people who might otherwise be unaware of your book.
Amazon has 2 types of ad campaigns – sponsored product ads, which is based on keywords and which appear below the line “Customers who bought this book also bought …”; and product display ads, which appear in the right margin. Authors tend to prefer the sponsored product ads, but both can work.
We’ll be discussing Amazon Ads on this month’s SkillBites Show, and I’ll provide more detail in the next newsletter.
6. Earn Commissions For Referrals
Do you know anyone who has been wanting to write a book but has been stalling? Let them know that SkillBites offers a variety of services to make book writing and publishing easy, quick and convenient. When you sign up to be a SkillBites affiliate, you can get a commission for each person who signs up to purchase SkillBites services through your unique referral link.
Thanks for supporting SkillBites. If there is anything you think we ought to be doing better or anything we should be doing that we’re not, please let us know. We value your input.
Cordially,
