Podcast Summary: Private Practice Startup Podcast

Episode 157: Becoming an Authorpreneur – Writing a Self-Help Book to Grow Your Practice
Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Dr. Marnie Feuerman
Date: October 12, 2019

Main Theme / Episode Purpose

This episode explores how therapists and mental health professionals can expand their reach and impact by becoming "authorpreneurs"—writing self-help books to grow their private practices. Guest Dr. Marnie Feuerman shares her journey from therapist and content creator to published author, providing a step-by-step look at the process, the business of publishing, and the powerful impact authoring a book can have on credibility and practice growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis of a Self-Help Book

• Inspiration:
  Marnie explains her move from blogging and content marketing into book writing was a natural segue, built on recurring client themes and popular blog posts.

  "The book came from, in part, a couple blogs I wrote that were pretty popular... The topic had to do with women who are in unhealthy relationships. ...So I thought, 'This is a great thing.'" – Marnie, (03:20)

• Core Focus:
  Her book, Ghosted and Breadcrumbed: Stop Falling for Unavailable Men and Get Smart about Healthy Relationships, addresses women stuck in unhealthy or emotionally unfulfilling relationships.

2. The Writing Process: Commitment & Approach

• Process Details:
  • Total writing time: about a year, with initial months spent on sample chapters and a proposal (05:26).
  • Most traditional publishers only require sample chapters and a proposal to begin.
  • Marnie emphasizes that therapists naturally repeat educational content to clients, which can become the "skeleton" of a book (06:50).
• Key Takeaway:
  You don't need to start from scratch—content from repeated client work, courses, and blogs can form the basis of a book.

3. Repurposing Content Across Mediums

• Versatility of Content:
  Therapists can weave together blog posts, training material, or course content into a book and vice versa.

  "You don't want to just create, let's say, a blog and then, you know, it's just kind of up there. ...You can mold and you could do so many different things with it." – Marnie, (09:27)

4. Where to Start: The “Platform” and Audience

• Platform is Key:
  • Building an audience—through a strong online presence, podcasting, or blogging—is the foundation for attracting a publisher.
  • Publishers want proof of your marketing reach and ability to sell books.

  "You need to be able to prove... you can sell your book." – Marnie, (10:54)

• Timeframe:
  Developing a strong platform and preparing to write can take years.

5. Traditional vs. Self-Publishing

• Traditional Publishing:
  • Requires proposal and sample chapters.
  • Focuses on credibility and audience size.
  • Small to midsize presses (e.g., New World Library, New Harbinger, Hay House) may be more accessible to clinicians than “Big Five” publishers (13:15).
  • Agents can help navigate and negotiate with publishers, generally taking a cut only if you’re paid.
• Self-Publishing:
  • Offers more control but less support with editing, design, and marketing.

6. Crafting a Proposal

• A book proposal includes:
  • Overview of the book
  • Target audience and marketing plan
  • Comparison to existing titles (with a unique angle explained)
  • The author’s credibility and platform

  "You have to brag a bit... Not just your education, your credentials, but anything else, like if you've won certain awards, if you've done certain presentations..." – Marnie, (18:46)

• Proposal functions as a “sales document” for agents and publishers.

7. The Reality of Book Marketing

• Author’s Responsibility:
  • Most marketing is on the author, not the publisher (23:47).
  • Build relationships and networks before and during the process—media contacts, professional connections, mutual book reviews, and leveraging platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out).

  “They help you a little bit... But part of what you're putting in your proposal about your marketing strategy is, you know, you're gonna have to name drop a little bit...” – Marnie, (23:47)

• Long-Term Mindset:
  • Many prior business actions feed into ultimate book success (“the actions you take now are really probably going to help you in the future.” – Katie, (26:40))

8. Impact on Private Practice

• Credibility and Expert Status:
  • Writing a book raises profile and instills immediate consumer trust.
  • Sets you apart from competition in saturated markets.

  "People have to know you, like you, trust you... It puts you out there as an expert. People automatically see you as an expert in a certain topic." – Marnie, (27:31)

• Business Reality:
  • Books generally don't make you rich, but they unlock greater opportunities as an expert.

9. Final Encouragement & Resources

• Main Message:
  Writing a self-help book is within reach for therapists—your clinical experience translates well, and many resources exist to help.

  "You have a lot to offer out there... I want people to feel like it’s more within their reach than perhaps they think it is." – Marnie, (29:16)

• Resource Giveaway:
  Marnie offers a book proposal template and additional resources for podcast listeners at drmarnieonline.com/podcast (30:16).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You find, wow, I'm repeating this thing over and over... before long, it's almost like you have the skeleton of the book pretty naturally." – Marnie (06:50)
• "If you want to do it and there's different ways that the book can come to light, you can self-publish... or you can go with a traditional publishing house..." – Marnie (10:54)
• "You don't want to just create, let's say, a blog and then, you know, and then it's just kind of up there. ... Content is such a wonderful avenue for practitioners to grow their brand and their practice." – Marnie (09:27)
• "People have to know you, like you, trust you... It puts you out there as an expert.” – Marnie (27:31)
• On book marketing gimmicks: "He calls it reverse shoplifting... You can actually take like a stack of your books and go into Barnes and Noble and put it on the shelf." – Katie (31:35), with laughter from all.

Important Timestamps

• 03:20 – Marnie explains the inspiration and client needs behind her book.
• 05:26 – Timeline for writing and submitting a book proposal.
• 06:50 – The value in repurposing existing clinical and content material.
• 09:27 – The flexibility and value of content repurposing across platforms.
• 10:54 – The necessity of having a platform when approaching publishers.
• 13:15 – The basics of traditional publishing, small/mid-sized presses, and the agent’s role.
• 18:46 – Structure of a book proposal and why competitive analysis is crucial.
• 23:47 – The reality of book marketing: heavy emphasis on the author's efforts.
• 27:31 – The impact of authorship on professional credibility.
• 29:16 – Marnie's final encouragement to aspiring therapist-authors.
• 30:16 – Details of the giveaway resource for writing book proposals.

Additional Resources

• Ghosted and Breadcrumbed by Dr. Marnie Feuerman — available on Amazon, Target, Walmart, Kindle, and audiobook.
• Free Book Proposal Template for podcast listeners: DrMarnieOnline.com/podcast
• Collection of recommended books and guides on writing proposals and getting published included in show notes.

Episode Tone

Supportive, practical, light-hearted, and encouraging, with a focus on demystifying the book-writing and publishing process for therapists looking to leverage their expertise beyond the therapy room.