Ellen Reid is a Book Shepherd, an author, and a speaker who practices what she preaches: Putting forward your best in all that you do. Her primary focus is assisting authors in producing self- published books that represent the excellence of their message. She does this with an uncanny ability to get inside her clients' minds, grasp their vision, then guide them in creating materials that take them to levels beyond what they had imagined possible. Ellen's background is eclectic and deeply rooted in advertising, promotion and sales. Growing up in a Los Angeles family involved with motion picture distribution, she learned at an early age how to think in terms of target markets and appeal to people in a way that motivated them to action. She steadily built her reputation as one of the field's premiere Book Shepherds by consistently producing top quality, often award-winning books for authors who chose the lucrative self-publishing approach to getting their books to the public. She is able to do that because her unique background gives her the experience and vision to assemble a creative team and, through her direction, inspires them to exceed the vision of her clients. Today, in addition to her one-on-one work with clients, Ellen has become a popular speaker at self-publishing seminars and conventions. Her own book, Putting Your Best Book Forward: A Book Shepherd's Secrets for Producing Award-Winning Books that Sell, is due to be released in April 2010. She also sponsors the National Indie Excellence Awards (www.indieexcellence.com).Ellen makes her headquarters in Southern California and serves clients worldwide.