#179: Dr. Lana Scroggins has self-published 50+ books and loves all the training inside Christian Book Academy

Welcome, everyone. My name is Shelly Hitz.

And I'm CJ Hitz.

And today we're here with Christian Book Academy member Lana Scroggins. Welcome, Lana.

Hi, Shelly and cj, thanks for the opportunity to visit with you.

Yeah, we're just wanting to have kind of a series featuring some of our different Christian Book Academy members and all that God has been doing through your books and your ministry. And those of you that don't know Lana, she has a website called givingjesus.com and you've published how many books now?

I think it's a little over 50 plus books.

Yeah, 50 plus books. Congratulations and thank you. She focuses on low content or no content books. So like coloring books, activity books, journals, but also devotionals. And there's all sorts of different resources that you've created. But what would you say is one of the things that you've really benefited from after joining Christian Book Academy?

Well, I will have to say that with joining Christian Book Academy, I have found that there is an abundance of resources. Actually, I got into the academy and I started looking at all the different options that there were. And I have to say, I kind of got a little overwhelmed where to actually even start because it was just so much. And so then I started looking at different videos and then I started thinking, okay, well now instead of popping around looking at different videos, well, maybe I should go through a module. So then what I would do is I would start at the start of the. I would pick a module. There are many modules. And so I would pick a module and I start at the beginning and I just start working through it with the videos and then I download the resources and then I'd start filling out the resource. I'd print out the resource and then I'd fill it out and then I would like, you know, just go through. It was just. It was just mind blowing how much there was. But it also in my research, when I was researching on how to like self publish a book and how to launch a book and how to how that all works, because I had no clue about how that worked. I actually stumbled on writing a book because God gave me the book to write. I never really don't think I've ever set out a dream to write a book. But one day God gave me a project and then there was a book that went with the project and he gave me all the words. All the words that are in the book are words that God gave me that I would sit down and I would type on my phone really quick because I'd never have a piece of paper and pencil when God was giving me the words. So anyway, the first book I wrote was a book that God gave me all the words.

So yeah, and with the academy we do have a lot of resources. We've had the Academy now since 2015 and so there's a lot of experience and training for you. But we have organized it in the Kingdom writers path so that you can stay focused where you're at in the path. If you're in the first draft, we have a first draft module, final draft, there's a final draft module and then there's a self publish module. When you're ready to publish, we lead you through the steps in different types of books. But then the book launch module and then the ongoing marketing is called Impact Lives and so just, you know, giving you the different things. And you know, you said before that you've just found like a ton of value from the training.

Yes, I have. I have found a lot of value from the training. And as we've talked in the, in the kind of past and that is, you know, I know that maybe you don't want to be presented as a rock star, rock star status or whatever is that be called. But the truth is, is the Christian Book Academy is you, Shelley. I mean everyone wants to come and they want to hear what you have to say. And actually now that CJ has started popping in every so often and I'm starting do some more, then I am finding so much inspiration and the things that CJ brings to the videos as well. But I believe that a lot of the.

People want to come to the Christian Book Academy because they know that they are going to receive really good information and training and inspiration and you're going to help build everyone up, especially with the new many marketing messages. I tell you, I have been like just on fire with that new program that you've been doing with the many marketing messages. I think that was just a godsend and that everyone that I've talked to in different groups of the CBA group just really believe that their marketing has gone to another level. I've seen other people in our group actually doing some of the posts that they hadn't ever even done any posts in the whole time I've even been in there. So. But it gave them the freedom to start doing the post with simple small tasks and they didn't feel overwhelming. And so I believe that the training is just top notch and you being the trainer actually brings everyone together.

Yeah, I'm so glad to hear that, you know, those are those God ideas and the mini marketing messages there. For those of you that don't know, when you're a Christian Book Academy member, you get a new kit every month which comes with different social media post ideas, graphics, as well as an email and, and a courageous writer idea. And it's just a way to help jumpstart your marketing. And you get a new one every month. So.

Yeah, and you can take, and you can take that kit and you can actually fill out a month worth of different activities and tasks that you can do on your personal profile or in a group, if you have a group or, or email list and you can actually tweak them or just take them straight off the, the way they're written and just post them. And I tell you, I have a Facebook group and I, and I, and it's pretty good sized group and I never really was getting a lot of engagement out of my group. But then when I started using those many marketing messages, I started getting engagement, people started responding. I mean, it was like, wake up, this is cool.

Yeah. And it's like, you know, marketing is about creating those relationships and you know, God uses us to impact people one person at a time, one book at a time. And so that's really what it's all about. And just, it's just exciting to hear that you're, you've been using them and having success. But thank you so much for sharing and we can't wait to see what your next 50 books will be. Lana.

Oh yeah, me too. I know that I'm working on some children's activity books that I've created as comic books, so.

Oh, well, you are just an explosion of creativity all the time. And we're so glad to have you as part of Christian Book Academy, Dr. Lana Scroggins. And.

We appreciate you sharing a little bit today.

Thank you very much. I appreciate being a part of Christian Book Academy.

Love having you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Bye bye.

Bye.