Have you ever felt that you had something deep inside of you that might help others? I believe everyone has something special to share with the world. The Heart of Healing: Break Free From Physical Pain And Emotional Wounds is my most recent example of that.
I believe each of us has unique knowledge, experience, and a potential audience we can serve, whether one person or many.
But how do you share your idea? Your talents? And experience? How do you get what’s in your brain and heart out there for others? I wondered the same thing. And, gratefully, I found a way. One that I think you might find helpful.
The Journey
I will share a few highlights of my journey through professional publishing and self-publishing in hopes you will join me and millions of others and write a book.
My most recent book is The Heart of Healing: Break Free From Physical Pain And Emotional Wounds. I’ve spent the last two years working on it.
I wanted to produce this book ten years ago but I didn’t have a good way to get the word out to the public and make the book available. I also didn’t know whether to write to health care providers or individuals, since the information is useful to both groups. So, I just collected thoughts, notes, articles, and clinical experience through the years. Even though waiting is difficult I believe this rather unwanted pause was a benefit to the book because I gathered insights, information, and confirmation that enhanced the content and I connected with skilled people who could help share the information. Now, more people benefit from this resource that will help heal body, mind, heart, and soul.
It was such a relief to be able to have a supportive community of authors and business professionals who encouraged, offered ideas and suggestions, and guided me through this unfamiliar and daunting world of platforms, process, and the new digital world.
Physical Pain Is Not Always Physical In Origin
This book shares my findings from over 40 years of physical therapy practice and my work with a variety of patients with a broad scope of physical pain and problems. Even though every individual is unique, I found that the cause of physical pain is not always physical in origin. I learned the intricate, close connection and expression of body, mind, heart (emotions), and spirit. We must look at and care for our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, discomforts and limitations if we seek full healing and freedom.
The Heart of Healing is a jam-packed resource with over 59,000 words and is divided into 5 main parts and 41 chapters. The reader can skip right to the sections they feel apply to their current situation or read the book cover-to-cover. Over the years, several of my patients pressed me to write a book of reminders to help them to be more consistent and empowered in their self care. They wanted to review what they learned through the year. Now they have it and so can you. I hope it will be a great resource every reader can use throughout their life stages as they encounter the bumps and twists of life—physically and emotionally.
My First Book
My first adventure in publishing began many years ago when I wrote a couple of Bible study books. I self-published these books. For the first book, I worked with someone who had a small “publishing” business. Looking back I see I made too many assumptions and didn’t participate enough in the process. I let someone else feed, saddle, and ride my horse for me, which you know isn’t the best and not like me.
Unfortunately, the cover and internal design was disappointing, among other issues. I ended up paying a lot of money and having a load of books in my basement and that I could not sell (nor did I really want to because the quality was poor). I ended up giving them away to clear out my basement. It gives me joy in knowing the recipients were blessed, but God calls us to be wise and shrewd and that publishing experience didn’t feel like either.
My Second Book
For my second book, an experiential Bible study book, Choosing Freedom, I found a designer to do my cover and internal design. And it took some time to find that person. This was well before 99 Designs, Fiverr, and other such services were available. But it was worth the time to find a qualified professional who understood my vision.
Once I was happy with the design, I went to my favorite printer who could create high quality products. I worked closely with them to get the quality and product I wanted. This worked out much better than my previous publishing experience. But I still spent a huge chunk of time and money to produce it. I sold this book for my own cost to clients as we worked together.
Several issues kept me from selling this study as widely as I’d hoped. The price break to reduce the cost was exorbitant, and I didn’t have a practical promotion and distribution strategy or process in place. This book sold well, but slowly through “word of mouth” recommendation. I am happy to say it was used in churches, prison ministry, rescue missions, with groups and families, for individual growth and healing, and home Bible studies.
Contributing To Other Works
In addition to my solo projects, I was privileged to contribute to a clinical textbook, Pathology—Implications for the Physical Therapist by Goodman, Fuller; Saunders/Elsevier; 2009. My work is featured in Psychosocial Impact on Medical Care in Chapter 3. Working with C. Goodman, PT, I saw the marketing benefit of large professional publishers. But I also learned about the tiny royalty percentage the author receives from a sale and the contract requirements that sometimes take control of your intellectual property and work.
I obtained a letter from the publisher that gave me control of my written contribution so that I could use it in my physical therapy and coaching work, in workshops, training programs, and other books. It’s good to be your own advocate. A publisher won’t offer ways to assist you; you need to know your rights before you begin dealing with them. And work with people you trust.
The Heart of Healing
My most recent publishing experience. I chose a hybrid program which means you get the benefit of experts, an experienced publisher, but you still provide most of your own marketing, formatting, design, and promotional support. Most big publishing companies these days ask the same and they don’t do much for a non-bestselling author either. If you can get published by one of the “big dogs” you’re often still on the hook for your own promotional expenses. And that big “advance” is really a loan. It’s a payment to you against your royalties and sales. So, even though it might sound fun to say you got an “advance”, it’s really, in almost all cases, a loan.
Our daughter, Dana, who also has aspirations to write, found this hybrid option called Author Academy Elite. A program that provides resources, coaching, a platform for marketing, and allows the author to keep property and profits.
Dana and Bonnie
Author Academy Elite turned out to be the best publishing experience—with the greatest freedom to reach potential and have resources to do more. So now, finally, through the required discipline, unforeseen delays, but with guidance, support, and the extraordinarily valuable skills of people I have met through AAE, my book, The Heart of Healing—Break Free from Physical Pain and Emotional Wounds is finally “born”! Now you can find it on Amazon, in stores, on my website, or online at Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores.
40 Years of Experience
After over 40 years of work as a physical therapist and hearing people talk about their health care frustrations and physical pains, I wanted to write and publish another book. This one to equip people with proven tools and useful information. I did not have the time, energy, money, or market to write the book. So I waited for ten more years before finally finding this better way to produce my book, share insights, and serve others. So, I kept gathering information, thinking about the ideal reader, and the best format for the book.
If it is your desire to write a book and share your heart, I encourage you to take the first step and start—and then keep going until the project is completed. The writing and publishing experience is full of hard work and tremendous rewards. I would highly recommend it. You will learn about yourself and grow through the experience.
PRAYER
Here is my prayer for you:
- These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 1John 1:4
Father God, what a blessing to be able to share our lives and learning through the written word. Thank You, Lord, for the amazing resources and possibilities of this time in history. I thank You, Father in heaven, for leading me through this process and for all the blessings of the journey. Lord, I pray You will lead and motivate this reader to fulfill the purpose You have planned. And bless him or her in and through the process. Thank You, Creator God, that You are always with us and that we can do more than we think in Your will, way, time, and according to Your Word. In Jesus’ Almighty Name I pray, Amen.
Bonnie’s Positive Impact
I knew I had been traumatized repeatedly from an early age but I did not know how deeply it had affected my freedom – physically, spiritually and emotionally.
After struggling for many years to find freedom and relief, I began to apply the principles in 4×4 Healing. I am seeing God’s hand at work and my life is changing. Now, instead of being lonely and disconnected from the Lord, I am experiencing greater intimacy with Him and with others. I have found 4×4 Healing materials to be practical, systematic, and thorough – unseen wounds are healed, physical pain is relieved, and the focus on Jesus gives the enemy no place to come back.
Praying the Daily 7 R’s is powerful and efficient for dealing with the challenges and joys in life. Praying the Living 7 R’s is a strong reinforcement to me that the work is done – Jesus has accomplished work in my life and I can see the evidence. The tools and principles in 4×4 Healing bring healing, freedom, joy, love, and abundant LIFE! —Karen—Minneapolis, MN
