“Hi Joyce. I’m not sure what to say in a testimonial, other than what a great job you did on getting my first ebook edited, formatted, and published on Smashwords. And, I like the cover design too! What comes to me is something I remember from a Robert Anthony seminar many years ago (he was a precursor to the current “life coaches” I guess). His advice was to, if at all possible, not waste your precious energy on anything you don’t really like to do, and pay someone else to do it for you. In this case, that would be YOU!” – Mary Blye Belford, Authoress of “As the Ice Melts: Letters from Antarctica” first ebook on Smashwords.
For Authors and Speakers
Market your book and speaking via a simple website that tells your story.
Writer’s First eBook on Smashwords
One-to-One Coaching Session with Joyce Kaye
I just finished a great one-to-one coaching session with Joyce Kaye. It was excellent! I went into the session with a list of questions and got them all answered. We also wound up covering more than just my questions in the process. It is so helpful to have someone who really knows their way around websites and WordPress to show you things and then have you practice those things. I don’t worry about messing something up on my site.
I have learned a lot from the WordPress workshops but the one-to-one coaching was really focused on specific questions I needed answers to. We fixed a lot in the time we spent together. Excellent!
Thanks Joyce!!
Sincerely,
Bill Murphy
Author of “Driving With The Brakes On”
www.highmesallc.com
Simple Website for Authors
I just heard about your book. But before I buy it, I’d like to know a bit more about the book and about you.
Or, maybe I just read the book and I want to know if you’ve got anything else available for me to read. I’d also like to hear your story – about how you came to write the book.
Perhaps I’d like to contact you – would you speak to my readers group? Would you be interested in a booth at our book fair? Would you consider meeting for coffee to talk with me?
You’ve already addressed these readers and some of their needs on the cover of your book. And, you’ve probably packed a lot into that small space. Your simple website is your opportunity to expand on your book cover – and more.
Here are some examples of what you can present on a simple author website: (more…)
You Are Not Alone!
The thought “I am not alone” became my mantra about 21 years ago when I finally walked into the rooms of the 12 Step way of life. Up until that time it seemed that I was supposed to do It alone… “It” could be going to the movies – alone. Trying to fix the toilet – alone. Walking with a broken ankle – alone. Fill in the action, any action – alone! Without humans, without Spirit.
But then I learned I had a choice – and people who were only too happy to help and be a part of my daily living. And, I realized that this extended to everything!
So when I started my business revolving around (initially) software training and database design well over ten years ago, (more…)
What’s a One-Sheet?
If you’re an author or a speaker, you need a one-sheet. What’s a one-sheet?
The concept originated in the entertainment industry – you are an entertainer, ya know! It’s a single-page document designed to provide a burst of information about a product for the purpose of sales or advertising.
Your speech could be the product. Maybe it’s your book. Could be your entire organization. Or maybe your event.
A one-sheet is sort of like a brochure on steroids. You get the whole message – boom!
The goal of a one-sheet is to spark interest in the product or service being advertised. If the one-sheet is aimed at the public, its content may not be incredibly detailed. But it absolutely must pique the interest of someone who sees it.
If your readers are professionals, including those who might book your speeches, order your book in quantity, or attend your event, you’ll want to include more specific details.
The Computer Spirit loves doing one-sheets. It’s a terrific opportunity to pack a lot in a small space and that takes skill and creativity at the same time – a hallmark of our work.
View some of the one-sheets created by The Computer Spirit by clicking on each of the images below…
How We Serve Authors
Every writer is different. Every story is different. And so every audience is different. Now what?
If you’ve been published, or self-published, or are preparing for publication, you probably understand by now that you’ll be doing the lion’s share of marketing your work. For me, that came as a bit of a surprise. I thought being the expert on my topic and being the writer were enough. I was just getting used to the idea that I had to find and sell myself to a literary agent. Now this.
Of course, if you’re self-publishing, as I did, you also find yourself in the book distribution business. All of this can be overwhelming. I know, because it overwhelmed me. I don’t shy away from a challenge – even twelve challenges-in-one. But still…
Marketing your work means you have to figure out who your readers are – and that doesn’t mean every literate person in the known universe. Then you have to figure out how to get your book in front of them in a way that has them actually read it. Sometimes this means you have to get yourself in front of them first.
We can help. Although we have written, edited, and proofed books, designed covers, and formatted and uploaded books, this isn’t our main focus. What we offer are ways to create your online presence and build your community of readers.
We present this in three layers: first we help you take actions that chase readers into your personal web; then we help you set up your website to capture and hold them; then we help you keep in touch with them on a regular basis.
In doing so, we help you create what book publishers call your “platform.” We help you show up in the right places online in order to build your brand as the expert on your book. We make it easy for readers to learn more about you and buy your book. And, we provide information about you in formats beloved by the press and those who book speakers.
Because we’ve been around this block a few times, we can save you time and money, and frustration as you go about the many little things that contribute to your success and the success of your book.
How We Serve Speakers
Generally, we don’t do packages. We customize everything. We believe every person and every message are unique. We make an exception for speakers.
Speakers are treated as packages. You must have a certain set of information, presented in a standard way, in order to receive the attention of those who book speakers. It’s just the way the business is. So, we respond by suggesting – and it’s only a suggestion – some packages that are structured to do the job for you.
Here’s what we’ve come up with:
Speaker Packages
Write My Blog
Search engines love blogs – so do your readers. They want to learn more about you before booking you to speak; they want to learn more about you after they’ve heard you speak.
As an author – and a speaker when I get a chance – I would love to write your blog.
We can agree on topics in advance – either from a list you generate or from one I put together. We’ll agree on a tone and a style that fits your image. I’ll send you a couple blog posts to review and then I’ll make revisions until we’ve got the formula right. Then I’ll take it from there – including posting individual blog posts to your website if you’d like.
We charge $25 per post.
Do My Website
Organizations need speakers – those who book speakers need information. The easiest way for you to provide that information to them is to post it on your website. Strangely, that’s also the easiest way for them to access it.
A basic speaker website includes the following:
- Your bio
- Pics of you
- Audio and video files of you in action
- Your Q&A featuring the ten or so questions you’d like to be asked and your highly-quotable answers
- Your contact information
- Your blog
- Information about your book(s) if you have them
- Testimonials
We’ll create this basic website for you for about $700 – you provide the content, images, audio and visual files.
If you need help with the content, we charge about another $200 to provide finished content from your scribbles and email answers to our questions.
If you need more help or want a more elaborate website, let’s talk. Remember, we also provide e-newsletters for serious speakers who are building their communities.
Our Experience with Authors
Our experience with authors took off with our own writing – publishing – marketing adventure. Before that, both Joyce and Rog served as editors for business book publishers.
Without belaboring the point, we know the author’s world first-hand – we live there.
As we learned the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of becoming authors, we met a lot of interested people, many as lost in the maze as we were when we first got started. That led us to want to 
share what we were learning. At that time, we managed a business that revolved around generating meaningful conversations. We piloted a series of conversations for authors – both our usual two-hour events and a longer, full-day event. Everyone was delighted with the results.
The next step involved our putting ourselves out there as consultants to authors. In this capacity we coached writers to become authors, served as editors and proof-readers, and created collateral material for authors and speakers.
These days we’re focused on doing websites and e-newsletters for authors, as well as collateral material. And, as you might imagine, we’ve got several book projects of our own underway! Our last couple books were published as e-books, so we’ve become more familiar with this scene as it continues to evolve – making author websites more important that ever.
It’s almost always a pleasure to hang out with authors and we enjoy being helpful in whatever ways we can.
Why We Love Working with Authors
We are authors – we love ourselves!
Joyce co-authored a book about Microsoft® Outlook. Roger has published three books – one about choosing joy at work, one about peaceful awakening, and one about gardening with nature.
We love that authors have something to say.
And, that what they have to say is important enough to put themselves out there to say it.
We love the way authors engage with their ideas and their writing.
We love the discipline authors demonstrate around their writing.
We love the way authors grow through their writing experience.
We love listening to authors talk about their work.
We love helping authors bring their work to fruition.
We love watching authors when they first see or feel their work in print.
We love how lost authors are when it comes to marketing – and we love to shine the light on their trouble.
We love to help move great work and beautiful ideas into the world – after an author has birthed them.
We love the feeling authors get when someone reads their work – and likes it!
Reach out and build valuable relationships with donors, clients, and volunteers. 
Market your book and speaking via a simple website that tells your story. 
Manage your ongoing conversation with your clients in ways that keep you present when they most need your products and services. 
