Episode 118: Lessons from Writing and Publishing Collaborative Books

[00:00:02] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The MESH. I have now been a part of multiple collaborative book projects both writing in them and publishing them and today I want to talk about the lessons that I've learned

[00:00:19] And why you might want to consider becoming a part of a collaborative book project I'm so excited you're here for today's episode of The Written Compass. Let's get started Hello and welcome to another episode of The Written Compass. Shayna Hartman here

[00:00:36] I'm super excited to talk with you guys for today's episode And we are in full summer swing here in North Carolina and in the states and I

[00:00:46] find that summer is a nice time to kind of reflect and we are right in the midst of finishing one of our newest collaborative books and I want to talk about it today and just some of the lessons that I've learned from

[00:00:59] Writing and participating in collaborative books as well as publishing them. So first just a little backstory around how I started to work with and help create and write in collaborative books, so Laura Wick is

[00:01:15] one of our clients she has an amazing book out called The Body Mind Method go check it out if you have not already and She's also been my coach off and on over the years I am a certified body mind coach, which is her personal

[00:01:30] ISE International Coaching Federation approved coaching certification program and it was really what helped me shift my career my life all kinds of things and so she has a high-level program that she has done before called fiercely aligned and as

[00:01:48] We were I was supporting her with that group and one of the outcomes was that they were going to put together a Collaborative book and it was all about claiming coach

[00:01:58] that's actually the title of the book and just talking about the journey of being a life coach and supporting people in coaching and So that was my first

[00:02:07] Efforts in both contributing because I got to contribute to the book is and be a published author in there as well as Well as supporting other people in writing for a collaborative book process

[00:02:18] And after doing that and experiencing that it became really clear that this is a really powerful Tool so that led us in our company my company to start to create these collaborative books and so we put together a group and

[00:02:35] We created our first collaborative book from synergy publishing group called capturing the in-between and it was all stories all from people who identify as women and It's available on Amazon and Kindle and paperback

[00:02:49] And it was all about that in-between space where we're not where we used to be in life and in our goals and we're not quite where we want to be or hope to be and how do we navigate that in

[00:03:01] between space and so just beautiful stories and experiences that were shared in that book and Now we have Last year we created what was going to be we thought we were going to be doing just one collaborative book a year

[00:03:13] That was our goal. So in 2022 we did capturing the in-between in 2023 We did unveiling the secrets which was subtitled in encyclopedia by women for women and those who love them and we had a live event in October celebrating the authors of unveiling and

[00:03:32] As we were finishing up kind of promoting the book and it's still carrying on and having a life all on its own We realized we had more stories to tell we had more things we wanted to share

[00:03:43] we had more secrets that wanted to be revealed about all kinds of aspects and and things that go on in our life and that we experience as humans and So we have this big aha boom that this needs to be a series and

[00:03:57] so we wanted and are continuing and now on book two of The unveiling the secrets series. So our second book is coming out later this year We're very excited. You're gonna hear more about it over the podcast. I'm sure and on social media

[00:04:13] so if you're not following me make sure you had to the Shayna underscore V at Instagram and follow me there you'll hear all about it And so I wanted to talk about all of this history and experience with collaborative books now

[00:04:28] The lessons that I've kind of learned again from being a part of them contributing to them as well as being on the publishing side of them So the first lesson kind of takeaway that I see happening with collaborative books is

[00:04:44] You receive all the benefits as an author of publishing Being a published author with way less words Just the practical aspects of you don't have to write as much now

[00:04:56] What's cool about our unveiling the secrets book series and I'm gonna tell you how you can be a part of that series if you choose to Here at the end of the episode but

[00:05:07] Part of the unveiling the secret series that we do is we actually allow people to contribute multiple pieces We call them we often don't wind up with what we consider chapters in a true form, but rather pieces

[00:05:20] Some of our people write poetry some of them write kind of essays personal essays some kind of intermix different genres together Some have included Drawings and artwork and stuff before so it winds up being this really interesting collage of voices that come together and

[00:05:39] They just don't have to write as much because they're not carrying the whole book We usually have around ten authors sometimes a little more sometimes a little less So they're each receiving the benefits of another publication or their first publication

[00:05:51] their first published author experience with way less words and We don't put a lot of people are like, what's the average length for a contribution and I put no limits on it

[00:06:03] Because typically and you can go back and listen to other podcasts where I talk about this if you're asking about length There's probably something else that I want to coach you on and talk you through as a writer

[00:06:14] Over length because it's not about how many words are there. It's about the quality and the embodiment of those words So I really love supporting people and my team and I love supporting people in receiving the benefits of publishing but with just way less words

[00:06:30] So that's the first lesson that kind of aha that we're having around this experience The second one is probably the most important if I'm honest and that is that community Community is everything with a collaborative book. It's literally a

[00:06:45] Multi authored book so you're literally bringing multiple people together and what I've seen before is that a lot of times people just Send in the contribution and they have no support they have little to no feedback their

[00:06:59] Chapters is accepted, but they don't really know like how's it landing with the people who are putting the book together? And we really have created a community. We have writing days together. We get feedback Cindy our lead writing coach reads every single word multiple times that our

[00:07:16] authors our contributors include and It's that powerful recursive back and forth of hearing other people and what they're writing and then you get inspired It's the affirmation that you feel when people oh man

[00:07:31] I read your draft and it is just so amazing. It gave me ideas for my own draft and so on and so forth It's just this really nice Community that gets developed and so a collaborative book literally in the title of the type book

[00:07:45] It is it is about collaboration it is about connection and it is about building a community So I think then the number one lesson, but I'm putting it as number two today is

[00:07:55] That community is everything so if you really want to be a part of something you want to feel and experience it then considering and being a part of collaborative books or

[00:08:06] Even in your own communities, you know considering bringing people together and saying hey, let's share what we've been learning and doing And putting it out there in the world as a collaborative book is something that's just really really cool

[00:08:18] The third lesson that I've realized is it really increases your reach so More authors equals more potential readers and the reason is you know when you're a single author for your book You really have a little bit of limitation in that

[00:08:33] You are working and activating your network the people who are around you and who you know follow you on social media Or if you have an email list or just you know been people you're connected with in life your friends your family

[00:08:46] acquaintances community so on and so forth But when you have a book that has multiple authors imagine 8 10 12 15 authors in it you are By default being activated into their networks as well, so it literally multiplies the potential readers and the reach

[00:09:06] More than you really ever could so that's really really exciting It's a way to get your words and yourself out into the world And reach more readers and that was something I hadn't really thought about too much

[00:09:18] But as each of these books come out, it's really cool to see who they connect with in our Networks like who winds up reading them and then the feedback and the reviews that we receive are just from so many readers

[00:09:33] And yes, they'll talk about maybe the author that they did know And kind of what led them to read the book in the first place. Oh, this is my friend Cindy or I'm Shayna's aunt or whatever

[00:09:46] And then it's really cool to see how they respond to all the other writers All the other authors that they read in the book and that just is just such a really unique Experience so it really increases your reach to be a part of

[00:09:59] A collaborative book and that's why i'm really excited to talk more and share about our unveiling the secrets series So as our second book comes out

[00:10:08] We kind of had it as a wild card book meaning we didn't have a distinct theme in the same way that we did the first Book which has the subtitle an encyclopedia for women by women And those who love them

[00:10:21] And that book was really focused about the things that people don't know about And that book was really focused about the things that people don't tell us as women that we kind of have to learn in hushed rooms Or just by accident because we experienced something

[00:10:37] And as we were putting together the second book, we weren't really sure what the theme would be and so people started writing Here's that community piece. They started seeing what wanted to show up

[00:10:45] The words started to tell us what wanted to show up and then all of a sudden this book Really revealed itself as a kickstarter for The rest of the series so we've got all kinds of opportunities and options that are Showing up for us through this particular

[00:11:06] Next book that's going to be coming out later this year And some of those themes are from surviving to thriving like the artistic endeavor and and creativity and what that process is like body image aging mental health relationships Trusting ourselves as humans health crisis healing asking questions

[00:11:27] Over having answers And so what we are doing now is putting out an invitation that will always be out in the world. We are Constantly going to be putting out unveiling the secret series. So I want to informally Formally invite you to potentially become a published author

[00:11:47] So we now have a new process for becoming a part of our unveiling the secret series It is open to anyone and everyone who feels like they have something they want to contribute As a part of this series and to support the mission at synergy publishing

[00:12:03] And i'm going to share that mission here just so we have a reminder of what it is At synergy publishing group. We envision a world where all voices are heard and all experiences are valued We believe writing is a pathway to connecting with self and honoring our experiences

[00:12:18] We encourage the sharing of our voices with the world because we believe it promotes community connections and collective healing Through embodied writing experiences synergy publishing group guides and supports writers scribblers and storytellers on their unique journey To leave a legacy with their words so

[00:12:37] The unveiling the secrets author submission Process is now available. You can go to shana hartman.com author submissions and we'll have this linked in the show notes And you can fill out a form learn more about the process

[00:12:52] There is a fee to submit your work and we've got a couple of different ways you can submit you can either Write a piece all on your own and submit that kind of you know, full complete piece and potentially get accepted

[00:13:05] Um, either way you're going to get editorial feedback from us as the writing coaches Or if you've just got an idea and you want to receive our support and help you finish your polished piece

[00:13:16] Then we've got a process for you and that's all on the website shana hartman.com author submissions So we are opening up the unveiling the secrets series. We want as many voices and people to come together

[00:13:31] We cannot wait to see we have big big goals for producing multiple collaborative books over each year so that we can really really really unveil our voices and really Speak truth out into the world. So whether you have written something or

[00:13:49] And you want to write something on your own and submit for a potential publication or you have an idea And you want to become a part of the unveiling movement and want support to write your contribution

[00:13:59] We've got two pathways that you can do and again when you head to shana hartman.com Author submissions it will give you all of the details on that So i'm super excited for what is next for our collaborative book series

[00:14:12] And next I want to continue to share the excitement around our sponsor This is our first sponsor for the written compass. We have a partnership with heather bartos She is a medical professional She

[00:14:26] Has been advocating for women's health and kind of goes along with our unveiling the secrets series. She is a doctor And she has been a part of corporate medicine And for many many many years and eventually just felt like she wasn't doing her patients justice

[00:14:43] And she felt like she was just becoming another doctor on the conveyor belt of health care and really wanted a different path She's also a reiki master an energy healer along with being a physician And she really envisioned a sanctuary where medical excellence converges with soulful wellness

[00:15:02] And that is the space that includes her powerful program that we are supporting and promoting here through the written compass Uh all around menopause rocks and she has an amazing Collaborative group called menopause mothership. I'm actually a part of this group. I've been working with heather

[00:15:20] And have just been so excited about finally being heard About being understood about where I am on my journey and my health and actually receiving genuine authentic experience medical professional health and in a much quicker way and a much more efficient way than

[00:15:41] Um any of my previous experiences kind of as a human who uses health care So we are going to make sure you have all the information that you need to um Consider joining the menopause mothership community. She has all kinds of resources

[00:15:58] There's q a there's live calls. There's recordings. There's so much information That I just can't wait to get out into the hands of as many people as possible We'll have the link in our show notes as always

[00:16:09] So thank you so much heather for the work you do in the world And for supporting the work we do here at the written compass as always take care. We'll see you next time Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the written compass

[00:16:23] If you are enjoying this content do me a favor and go and review the podcast This allows me to share and get these messages out to the people who really need them who we want to read their books

[00:16:35] In the future, you can also go and share your thoughts and tag me at shana hartman underscore on instagram Again, this is just a way for us to get connected and share the writing love

[00:16:47] And if you know that you are ready to write your book that message that's been burning inside of you for a long time Then I want to talk to you my team and I want to talk to you head on over to shana hartman.com

[00:17:00] And click work with us From there, you'll see an application to explore and see if writing your book is your next best step You've been listening to the mesh an online media network of shows and programs ranging from business to arts sports to entertainment music to community

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