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Training Module
How to take control of your book's future by becoming the producer, publisher, and promoter of your next best-seller.
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Those of us who are authors over the age of forty often run from the tools that are so readily available at our fingertips – technology! We don’t just run, we often times are pulling on our hair and screaming, “I hate change!” Sorry, but it is time to deal with change by embracing it and making it work for you. First of all, you have to come to grips with the fact that as an author, publisher, and marketer you ARE a self-employed businessperson. In order to make your business grow at the rate you have imagined you must incorporate all the tools you can to achieve those goals.  

Fearing technology is actually a mental block that you have to overcome. Determination has to be your constant companion which causes you to want to know, to learn, and to utilize all that is available. In getting there, you need to come to understand several simple points:

Technology builds on itself. Once you know the basics of one software platform it builds on itself as you move from update to update and from program to program. Just starting is the hardest part of the learning so make up your mind to conquer it, reminding yourself that “Successful people aren’t born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don’t like to do. The successful people don’t always like these things themselves; they just get on and do them.” William Makepeace Thackeray".

1 - Begin with a computer and a word processing program – we recommend Microsoft Word which can also be used for formatting, but that is later down the road. 

2 - Make email your friend and learn how to send group emails. Not only will you be able to send out communications to your readers but, as you learn, you’ll be able to attach documents and hyper-links. It isn’t that hard – it is a matter of learning, determination and commitment. 
3 - Become familiar with KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and/or Ingram Spark platforms where your books will come to life and be made available for your audience.

4 - Social media is not the bane of your existence. It is a way of putting yourself ‘out there’, introducing yourself to the reading world and building your followers. Think of it as a growth tool that will help you develop your business. Choose one – Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, and learn to use it in a manner that will grow your contact base.

5 - Learn to research on the web. This is not difficult to do – with a little determination and practice you will become very proficient at doing online searches to learn more about your subject, your craft and even take online classes in almost any field you wish. The web is your friend – it is not your enemy. 

There are so many things you can do using technology, ranging from emails to shared documents to video posting to recording and transcribing. All of these can and will make your business more professional and will give you time for writing and moving forward once you’ve managed the first step – getting started. You can do it. Make up your mind that “I can’t!” is no longer in your vocabulary. You can – you really can. 

You have been given the greatest tech tools in all of history - your brain! Your brain is everything you need to learn, so apply it to learning and conquering technology. Because of that, you have every capacity, every ability, and all of the potential to master WHATEVER you decide to master – the decision is yours. IF you will learn to love the learning curve you will make this experience a lot more enjoyable. Soon, you will look back and wonder, “What was the big deal?”

Remember – we make publishing easy!

About the Authors: Daniel J. Mawhinney & Darlene Shortridge

Dan & Darlene have a passion and a heart for helping independent authors to successfully publish and market their stories worth telling and messages worth sharing.
40 Day Media LLC, PO Box 950794, Oklahoma City, OK 73195
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