Stellar Communications Houston

Stellar Communications Houston Stellar Communications Houston is a certified nonfiction book publishing and marketing strategy team Every author and book is a privilege and joy!

Welcome to Stellar Communications Houston, a certified nonfiction book publishing and marketing strategy team. We help self-published authors, business leaders, global corporations, families, and nonprofits who value hands-on guidance and personal attention. We've helped clients publish:

● Memoir
● Corporate history
● Bible study
● Essay collection
● Newspaper column collection
● Training program


● Self-help
● Research report and study
● Poetry collection

Here's a look at our 6-step process:

● Materials development
● Digital and print graphic design
● On-demand/offset printing
● Global distribution
● Digital and print marketing consultations
● Lifetime account support

Visit the website at www.stellarwriter.com to schedule consultations, book speaking engagements, or subscribe to nonfiction book marketing and publishing tips. If you're a nonfiction writer, editor, or graphic designer, contact me to find out how we can collaborate. My team has been called "one of the best if not THE best in Houston" and "tremendous, earning the utmost trust and respect." Happy publishing!

Want to know the top pro move an author can make? I’ve been sharing pros moves for weeks, but the top pro move?Commit to...
11/24/2025

Want to know the top pro move an author can make?

I’ve been sharing pros moves for weeks, but the top pro move?

Commit to a plan to make your book happen.

That’s why I was impressed by the authors who attended Judy Lane Boyer’s Hill Country Inklings Writers Retreat. They were so serious about their work that they dedicated a weekend to focus.

For most authors, a writing plan includes defining a regular time and a favorable space.

Your regular time might be 15 minutes every morning before work. Or every night after the kids go to bed.

Your favorable space might be at your desk or by the pool.

For some authors, a writing plan means enlisting the help of others. You can ensure momentum and accountability by hiring a ghostwriter. Or you can join writers’ groups and webinars to learn the craft and get encouragement.

(Pictured are my writing spaces. My office, on the left, is where I develop clients’ books and marketing plans. On the right is a desk in my bedroom, where I complete personal projects before work.)

👋 Hi, I’m Ella, your missing piece in premium end-to-end nonfiction self-publishing, marketing, and PR. Want to catch all my tips? Visit the link on my About page to receive a monthly email of tips.

Want to spread the word about your book? Here are three tips.This is what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings Write...
11/20/2025

Want to spread the word about your book? Here are three tips.

This is what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings Writers Retreat last month.

For each step of book publishing, I shared a pro move, an amateur mistake, and a marketing opportunity.

Step 5 of 5: Marketing and PR

Marketing is about spreading the word about your book.

There are six aspects to book marketing, including building a buzz-worthy book and reaching your circle of influence.

Marketing also includes prepping your online presence, navigating media, launching your book, and keeping the momentum.

💡Pro move:

Learn the book marketing landscape.

We love to implement campaigns for our authors, but for the most bang for your buck, we can equip you or your team to execute your marketing plan yourself.

❌ Amateur mistake:

Don’t expect effortless sales.

Book marketing isn’t easy. For most new authors, and even pros who’ve been at it for years, sales results can be disappointing.

Your challenge is to convince readers that your book is worth their limited reading time.

📣 Marketing opportunity:

Consider a launch event. Whether it’s a house party, bookstore signing, or business summit, an event is an effective way to celebrate your milestone and spread the word about your book.

(Pictured is the launch party for Jason Ritchie’s Bible study book on God’s response to failure.)

Thank you, Judy Lane Boyer, for hosting an impactful retreat at Camp Buckner.

--
👋 Hi, I’m Ella, your missing piece in premium end-to-end nonfiction self-publishing, marketing, and PR. Want to catch all my tips? Visit the link on my About page to receive a monthly email of tips.

Stellar Communications Houston invited me to contribute to a blog post on how creatives use AI. If you're wondering how...
11/20/2025

Stellar Communications Houston invited me to contribute to a blog post on how creatives use AI. If you're wondering how other creatives are using AI, check out this post it may answer some of your questions. Click on the link to read the whole post.

https://stellarwriter.com/are-you-using-ai-like-this/

Want to distribute your book globally? Here are three tips.This is what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings Writers...
11/12/2025

Want to distribute your book globally? Here are three tips.

This is what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings Writers Retreat last month.

For each step of book publishing, I shared a pro move, an amateur mistake, and a marketing opportunity.

Step 4 of 5: Distribution

Distribution is about sharing your book with the world.

It’s a process that coordinates your printers, distributors, and retailers.

It involves metadata like ISBNs, book descriptions, pricing, categories, and keywords.

It may also include a PCIP block, Library of Congress Control Number, and U.S. copyright registration.

💡Pro move:

Pair two or more distributors for optimal reach.

❌ Amateur mistake:

Don’t use free ISBNs. The hidden cost of “free” ISBNs is freedom.

(Let me know if you want my article on why.)

📣 Marketing opportunity:

When you’re ready to announce your book release, don’t copy and paste the long URL from your browser. Instead, share a unique Amazon link that counts each click as a unique visitor.

(Let me know if you want my article on how.)

Thank you, Judy Lane Boyer, for hosting an impactful retreat at Camp Buckner.

Stay tuned for more pro tips, amateur mistakes, and marketing opportunities in this series!

--
👋 Hi, I’m Ella, your missing piece in premium end-to-end nonfiction self-publishing, marketing, and PR. Want to catch all my tips? Visit the link on my About page to receive a monthly email of tips.

What a happy hour!We had a wonderful time at Dr. Alanna Bree's Happy Hour FUNdraiser at The Health Museum Houston for Ma...
11/10/2025

What a happy hour!

We had a wonderful time at Dr. Alanna Bree's Happy Hour FUNdraiser at The Health Museum Houston for Made A Masterpiece.

The pediatric dermatologist and twice-published author hosted an evening of raising awareness and funds for children with skin conditions.

Here's to achieving new goals and supporting more children! 🥂

Here are three tips for authors when printing their books.That's what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings Writers R...
11/05/2025

Here are three tips for authors when printing their books.

That's what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings Writers Retreat last month.



For each step of book publishing, I shared a pro move, an amateur mistake, and a marketing opportunity.

Step 3 of 5: Printing

Printing is about producing your materials in book form.

It includes on-demand or offset printers and print-ready book files.

It also includes digital proofs, print proofs, and your final book order.

💡Pro move:

Prepare for printer account setup by gathering all necessary information before starting the process.

Your publishing partner can help you round up the essential information to ensure a smooth setup.

❌ Amateur mistake:

Don’t underestimate the timeline. Especially if you’re planning a book event.

Allow time to print, ship, and proofread your paperback print proof. Longer for a hardcover.

If you make revisions, you may need to print a second proof to ensure that no errors were introduced.

And then you’ll need time to await the final book order.

If you’re aiming for a book by Christmas, submit your files before Thanksgiving to beat the holiday rush.

📣 Marketing opportunity:

Leverage direct sales by inserting bookmarks that call your readers to action, like these we inserted into Joe Crisara - Service MVP's book for home service pros.

Thank you, Audience Granted Ghostwriters, LLC, for hosting a great retreat at Camp Buckner.

Stay tuned for more pro tips, amateur mistakes, and marketing opportunities in this series!

Are you making these pro moves or amateur mistakes with your book?That's what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings W...
10/29/2025

Are you making these pro moves or amateur mistakes with your book?

That's what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings Writers Retreat last month.

For each step of book publishing, I shared a pro move, an amateur mistake, and a marketing opportunity.

Here's step 2 of 5:

🎨 Graphic Design

Graphic design is about presenting the beauty of your story.

It includes the marketing copy and cover design for all formats of your book.

It also includes interior formatting, image editing, and design of marketing assets.

💡Pro move:

Discuss a design brief.

Compile all the marketing angles and specs of your product into a creative brief.

Then schedule a meeting with your designer to walk through your vision for the best results.

❌ Amateur mistake:

Don’t forget to request your native source InDesign files.

Many authors are provided PDFs of their cover and interior.

But you’ll need editable files if you ever need to make future changes to your book and can’t track down your designer.

📣 Marketing opportunity:

Involve your audience early and throughout the publishing journey.

One approach is to ask for their input on your book cover design samples.

Thank you, Audience Granted Ghostwriters, LLC, for hosting a fantastic retreat! And thanks to Camp Buckner for a beautiful place.

Stay tuned for more pro tips, amateur mistakes, and marketing opportunities in this series!

Are you making these pro moves or amateur mistakes with your book?That's what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings W...
10/23/2025

Are you making these pro moves or amateur mistakes with your book?

That's what I presented at the Hill Country Inklings Writers Retreat last month in beautiful Burnet, Texas.



I explained the five steps of publishing a book. For each step, I shared a pro move, an amateur mistake, and a marketing opportunity.

Are you working like a pro or an amateur? And are you seizing these marketing opportunities along the way?

✏️ Step 1: Materials Development

Book publishing begins with developing and finalizing your story and images.

It includes writing, developmental editing, copy and line editing, and proofreading.

It also includes optional elements like image selection and organization, permissions, and citations.

💡Pro move:

Use beta readers.

They’re people who access your manuscript ahead of the book release to give feedback.

They play a valuable role in shaping a book into its best form.

❌ Amateur mistake:

Don’t neglect your publishing path.

Get educated on your options and select your publishing partner for early support and guidance.

📣 Marketing opportunity:

Plan your promotional pages.

Define the calls to action you want to inspire in your readers. Collaborate with your designer to include call-to-action pages in your book.

Consider how you’ll measure the success of your pages.

Thank you, Audience Granted Ghostwriters, LLC, for inviting me to speak at a fantastic retreat! And thanks to Camp Buckner for providing a calm, gorgeous environment.

Stay tuned for more pro tips, amateur mistakes, and marketing opportunities!

💡Two more tips to improve word choice:Last week, I mentioned slowing down to let your work "cool."When you revisit your ...
10/15/2025

💡Two more tips to improve word choice:

Last week, I mentioned slowing down to let your work "cool."

When you revisit your work and make no further edits, you're ready for tips 2 and 3.

Tip 2: Let someone else read or hear your words.

Having something to say is one thing. Having something to say that is received well by your audience is an entirely different thing.

Case in point: A college hopeful used words in his entrance essay that implied a negative attitude toward his high school teachers. Forget the fact that the essay was well-structured. He was putting down educators, the very people who would judge his essay!

Luckily for him, he sought another set of eyes before submitting his final draft. Just a few changes in his choice of words shifted the tone of the essay from arrogance to confidence.

(He got accepted.)

When writing a book, be sure to employ editors to review your work. Different editors help with different aspects of writing.

A developmental editor considers the big picture, like organization, flow, and pacing. A copy editor or line editor works at the line level, revising aspects such as sentence structure, transitions, clarity, and redundancy.

After your editors, equally necessary is a proofreader, who makes sure your written delivery is free of any typos that would distract from your message.

Also, consider recruiting beta readers. Beta readers are people who review your manuscript for free ahead of the book release. They give early, honest feedback on how readers are responding to your words.

Tip 3: Be receptive.

Letting others review your work is useless unless you’re willing to consider their feedback.

I remember an executive who practiced a speech with me before a work function. I suggested that he replace a questionable joke, but he decided to keep it for laughs.

The joke didn’t sit well with a colleague, who later complained. He resolved the issue well, but the incident could’ve been avoided if he'd heeded another’s gut instincts.

You don’t have to accept every piece of advice. If you don’t agree with a comment, put it on the back burner and ask others.

Employ the “two people in agreement” rule. If another listener, beta reader, or editor makes the same comment, then it’s a signal that you should reconsider.

The important thing is to resist arguing or taking offense. Most beta readers aren’t out to get you.

Give the benefit of the doubt and assume they just want to help you, even if they’re wrong. Handle negative comments with graciousness and humility, then say, “That’s a good point. I’ll take that into consideration.”

Thanks to the Nonfiction Authors Association for publishing this series as a guest post!

I had a terrifying moment on a flight last week.A flight attendant suddenly crowed into the microphone that there was a ...
10/08/2025

I had a terrifying moment on a flight last week.

A flight attendant suddenly crowed into the microphone that there was a “surprise” for us passengers.

Let me pause by saying that I’m not the best flyer.

On the spectrum of regular business travelers to fearful hermits, I’m somewhere in the crowd of white-knuckle advocates of all things road trip.

So, believe me when I tell you that a “surprise” was the last thing I wanted mid-air.

In the space of that single word, my body instantly launched into panic mode.

My hands started sweating.

My head pushed stiffly into the headrest.

My breathing stopped.

The attendant went on to say that the airline was offering a great deal. A credit card that combines the perks of miles and savings.

I don’t remember any details beyond that – I was busy regaining feeling in my limbs.

We make the same mistake, don’t we?

Sometimes we say and write things without considering the impact our words might have on others. As a result, our readers are left to make sense of our words the best they can, which can lead to misunderstandings.

So, how can we improve our words to reach our audience as effectively as possible, whether in books or business communication?

One way is to slow down.

Your timeline for every piece of critical writing should include time devoted to reviewing your work. Resist the temptation to work right up to your deadline without letting your work “cool.”

With short but critical statements, like important emails, give yourself 24 hours to revisit your work the next day with fresh eyes.

For longer works, such as book chapters, allow yourself days or weeks. In that time, you may become aware of a word or line that hits the wrong tone or could be explained better.

When I revisit a piece of writing without making any further changes, this is my signal that a piece is ready for the next step.

Stay tuned for two more tips to improve your word choice!

When Cheri Ben-Dov Williams' book was released last month, she emailed early that morning: “It’s out! Can I tell the wor...
10/01/2025

When Cheri Ben-Dov Williams' book was released last month, she emailed early that morning: “It’s out! Can I tell the world?”

(𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦-𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵. 𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺.)

“Not yet!” I responded.

As exciting as it was, I wanted to share two “clean” links before her big announcement.

These two links will help boost your marketing efforts:

1. A clean link to your Amazon book page. (Not the long link copied from your browser.)

It matters because it counts each click as a unique visitor, boosting your Amazon page.

It ensures readers are just a click away from your page, without the fuss of searching for your name or book title.

It's also shorter, less cluttered, and more professional-looking.

2. A direct link to your Amazon review page.

It matters because it makes it easier for people to leave book reviews.

It takes readers directly to your review page, without needing to scroll and search for the review button on your Amazon book page.

To learn how to create your two clean links, visit the blog in my About page.

Congratulations, Cheri! 👏

“What’s a mistake you made in the publishing or marketing of your book?” Here's what Bob Rich said: (He's the author of...
09/23/2025

“What’s a mistake you made in the publishing or marketing of your book?”



Here's what Bob Rich said:



(He's the author of 20 books, including his latest, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦: 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, by Loving Healing Press, 2025.)



“I wrote a book in a few weeks.

I had a very successful self-help book with Penguin called 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬. So, when I expanded into fiction, they agreed to have a look at it. I had spent centuries polishing the first volume of the fiction.

But I had a brainstorm and wrote another book in a few weeks. This was my new favorite book. I did a last-minute switch.

They said, 'Thank you, but no thank you.'

The lesson? A highly polished jewel is better than a rough diamond."



Thanks to all six authors for contributing to this series!

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