Therapy book author follows her passion

by Elaine Luddy Klonicki
(Raleigh, NC)

Thinking About Therapy: What to Expect From "The Talking Cure" was the book I cut my teeth on. And if you remember the pain of new molars coming in, that's what the experience of writing and publishing my first book was like. When I was going through psychotherapy after a divorce, I couldn't find a book to help me through the process. In subsequent years, I met others who had similar questions about therapy. I decided to write a book, in question and answer format, and worked on it part-time over the course of almost five years.

In those days, I assumed that I could sell my book to a publisher as easily as an agent could. I had some bites, and one made it all the way to a publisher's editorial board, but their marketing department told me their research showed that "books on talk therapy don't sell." I was crushed, but I still believed passionately that the therapy book was needed.

Shortly thereafter, I walked into a Barnes and Noble store and saw a huge sign that read, "Do you have a manuscript ready to go? Get published in 60 days with iUniverse." My edited manuscript was all ready to go. Since print-on-demand publishing was a new concept to me, I researched the company to make sure it was not offering the equivalent of publishing. Intrigued by what I read, I decided to try self-publishing.

iUniverse offered the ability to either upload your own cover, or use their designers. I already had an image in mind for the cover, so I decided it would be best to have it designed locally. Since my mother is a painter, I asked her to paint water-color roses in various stages of opening, to represent the growth that can take place in therapy. I knew a fabulous graphic artist and bartered with him (I cooked lasagna!) to create a cover using the roses.

My husband, a computer specialist at his work, helped me upload the cover and interior files to iUniverse over a high-speed network at his office. iUniverse provided a Word template into which I cut and pasted my text. I sent a digital photograph a friend had taken, along with the promotional text for the back cover. It was all quite intimidating, but I was determined. A few weeks later I saw the first layout of the book, and it was beautiful. I was beyond excited. Little did I know that everything I had done so far had been the easy part.

iUniverse allowed for a certain number of text edits at this point in the process. Unfortunately, when they fixed a few text errors I noticed in the layout, they created other problems. It went from bad to worse. At one point even the layout looked different, because I had gotten caught in a software update. For weeks on end I worked with them, learning at one point that they were exporting the work to China. They never were able to achieve the original look, but finally it was as good as I thought it was going to get, and I approved it. I later learned from other iUniverse authors that this was an unusual situation, and that they are generally satisfied with the layout process.

I will say that the quality of the books was wonderful, although on the second printing, the colors on my cover were slightly different than the first. POD companies use a process called quick printing, done on laser printers, and the colors are not as stable as they are with more traditional printing processes. With one printing there were some random black dots on the covers, but they re-ran it at no cost to me, and allowed me to keep the original books.

It was thrilling to see my book listed on the iUniverse site, and I read all their author marketing information. Since self-publishing was so new, few other sites had much to offer on the topic. I developed a marketing plan, and got to work. I created and printed sell sheets, flyers, and book marks. I sent an email announcement to family and friends. My nephew created a website for me, and we added blurbs I solicited from friends and therapists who had read the book.

I got the names of prominent therapists in our area and emailed them. I did a mass mailing to most of the therapists in my city. I sent excerpts of the book to college counseling centers. I even sent books, along with show ideas, to Oprah and Dr. Phil. I tried to get excerpts published in psychology and therapy magazines. I tried to get our hospital book store to carry it. I sent info to the psychotherapy and psychoanalytic foundations and associations. Unfortunately, I got very little direct positive response from any of these efforts.

I set up a book signing at a local Borders store and they advertised it in their regional newsletter. I sent blurbs to the newpaper and independent papers, made posters, and put up flyers all over town. The book signing was a disaster, or so I thought at the time. Only my friends came, and I didn't sell any books (except five copies that the publicity rep bought for the store out of pity). I've since learned that most book signings are not well attended, and that the value in them lies more with the publicity surrounding them than from the actual event.

Like many self-published authors, I've sold fewer copies of the book than I expected. Although I did much right in the marketing of Thinking About Therapy, I did not do some of the key things necessary to sell books. I wrote a press release, but never actually released it. I wasn't sure how, and I was afraid that, if I got calls from the media, I wouldn't know how to handle them. I was not yet able to envision myself on radio or TV, the primary places where people hear about books.

I also didn't get reviews early enough - at least several months before the release. It's not easy to get reviews on POD books, but there are some places, such as the Midwest Independent Publishers Association and Foreword magazine which do them. You can also ask for reviews from celebrities or professionals within a relevant field, rather than relying on traditional review sources, which are often afraid to take risks with self-published books.

Not realizing how important follow-up is, I contacted most of the people only once. Same with the mass mailings I sent out. As we know from seeing the same TV commercials ad nauseum, it takes many times of seeing or hearing about a product before it registers in our consciousness. It's an absolute necessity to get the word out as often as possible if you truly want to make sales.

Finally, I didn't know that selling nonfiction books often has more to do with the platform of the author than it does the particular book. This is why many authors are able to go back and sell their earlier books once they develop a following. It takes a long time to establish a reputation as an author. You do it one step at a time, with every essay, article, or review you publish.

I've since self-published two more books, and helped my uncle re-publish his out-of-print WWII combat book. All of those were done on Lulu, a newer POD publisher with a different pricing model. Recently, a potential agent inquired about us pitching Thinking About Therapy to a mainstream publisher. She had some ideas for re-writing it with a slightly different twist and re-pitching it to some small traditional publishers. I considered it, briefly, but decided to re-release it myself on audio book instead, something which had been suggested to me quite often.

Self-publishing is not for everyone, but if you persevere, you will be rewarded with a published book of your own creation. Holding your book in your own hand, and being told by readers that they stayed up all night to read it, is the best gift anyone can give an author. You will have more knowledge, experience, and confidence with each successive book you publish. Mainstream publishers have been narrowing their scope for years, focusing on best-selling authors and celebrities. As a result, more authors are turning to self-publishing all the time, and they are not only gaining respect, but learning how to sell books. At the moment, the future for determined, patient authors looks promising.

Visit Elaine and Thinking about Therapy.