The Therapist Writer: Helping Mental Health Professionals Get Published

The Therapist Writer: Helping Mental Health Professionals Get Published - Sylvia Cary, LMFT

Getting a book published is the quickest way for a mental health professional (or anyone in any profession) to become known as an expert, which can lead to more attention, more referrals, more business, and hopefully more money. This book is a step-by-step guide for therapists to make their book idea into a completed manuscript. Written by a licensed psychotherapist and published author who knows the ropes.
Part I (Gearing Up) talks about therapists as writers and the 10 main perks of getting published. It also talks about some of the special issues therapist writers face if they want to write about their work (such as maintaining client confidentiality),along with legal concerns that all writers have to deal with -- copyright issues, trademarks, and piracy. You'll get a quick overview of the current publishing scene, how it impacts you, and you'll learn some work-arounds for pesky obstacles. Part I helps you prepare for the job ahead, including ways of positioning yourself as a credible expert and getting the word out that you've written a book so people will be eager to buy it.
Part II (Writing It Down) deals with what is most often the hardest question facing writers: What should I write about? Should you consider trends or ignore them? Who's your audience? Where do they hang out? There's a chapter on "Nailing Your Niche" and seeing if there's a book in it. What angle should you take? What's your hook? Should you write a novel instead of a self-help book? What about memoirs? Is too much self-disclosure wise for a therapist? There are hints and tips to help you face that blank page, decide if you're a daytime or nighttime writer, and help you get clear on your writing goals.
Part III (Getting it Out) is where you'll reach a fork in the road. Which publishing option should you pick? Traditional publishing? Self-publishing? An e-book only? If you go the traditional route, then you'll need to write a book proposal and send query letters and deal with agents. There are chapters on how to do this. If you self-publish, you'll need to spend time educating yourself on the subject so you don't make costly mistakes or get scammed. Chapters 16 and 17 deal with the most important thing of all, marketing. There are 25 pages of marketing suggestions from A to Z. Whether you are traditionally published or self-published, you won't sell your book unless people know it exists. Publishers used to do marketing for you, but that's not a given anymore. Unless you're a celebrity author or already a good money-maker for your publisher, you'll be expected to spread the good news about your book yourself. You'll need to learn the latest marketing tips and tools and utilize them to the best of your ability. Or you can write a book just for friends and family and do no marketing at all. That's always an option.
This book is a basic overview of how a therapist (or anybody else, for that matter) can get a book written, produced, published, distributed, marketing, and sold, all the while actually enjoying the process. The basics of what you'll need to do in order to get the job done are here.

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