Before you hear my brief story, I want to mention that what I am about to share with you has already attracted folks at Jack Canfield's camp (Chicken Soup books) and The Washington Post (to mention just a few) to sign up for a program that is being offered by yesterday's guests on Conscious Dialogues.
A few months ago, after about a year of procrastination, I made a phone call that changed my life. Feeling lost in my own confusion (and doubt), I had been virtually paralyzed over what to do next with my new book. For years I had heard such negative things about traditional publishing that I had all about given up on ever getting it published. The thought (negative expectation) of shopping agents, only to get rejected dozens of times, was the true cause of my avoidance. I was sharing The Power of Our Way Medicine Wheel with private clients and at workshops and retreats (with incredible feedback and amazing results) but I couldn't get out of my own way.
Then, during a Compelling Conversation with Lorraine Cohen, I had an exchange with Neale Donald Walsch, author of the Conversations With God Series, that jolted me out of my own self-imposed stuckness. His no-nonsense feedback to me was the metaphysical kick in the butt I needed and I made a mental commitment to call a contact for a literary agent (Ja-Lene Clark) that had been given to me by my good friend Kimberly Marooney.
The next day, during a conversation with my hypnosis teacher, Laura West, she asked me, "What's up with your book?" I told her about my commitment to reach out to Ja-lene and she asked, "When are you planning to call her?" I said I was planning on making the call immediately following our conversation. "Great!" she said and promptly hung up on me. Laughing (and ever so grateful for such wonderful friends), I dialed Ja-lene's number.
Long story short, Ja-lene and I immediately made a connection and within two weeks, I was having lunch with her (the Universe saw to it to arrange a trip to Florida) and gave her my manuscript. We began to have weekly developmental review sessions and before I knew it, she was back in Jacksonville for a retreat where she experienced the immense power of The Power of Our Way Medicine Wheel firsthand. I was also given the honor of giving her a few healing sessions and she was "blown away." When she said she was divinely called to share my work with the world, I knew my angel had arrived in living form.
Following the retreat, we spent the next day and a half going deeper into the manuscript. For the first time in a while I knew how profoundly important this book was going to be. I saw my longing to share it in a bigger way being supported by someone who really "got it" as God's way of nudging me along this seemingly uncertain path. Her experience and knowledge, paired with her unique ability to bring soul into our co-creative sessions, were responses to silent prayers I didn't even know I had made.
Prior to driving her to the airport, I found myself pushing her to share her knowledge (I had learned more in 4 months about publishing than I had in all of my years combined) with people outside of her intimate and somewhat tight circle of literary clients (agents are in extremely high demand).
A few days later, I was honored to coach her through a creative birthing process (one of my favorite things to do with Soul Based Entrepreneurs) and within a few days, she and her business partner, Jo Ann Deck had launched a teleprogram for authors, agents, literary professionals and publishers called All About Publishing and I scheduled them for a Conscious Dialogue. The rest, as they say, will be history and I am excited to have played a small part in getting the word out.
Yesterday, we received so many great questions that the dialog went for almost two full hours! You can listen to it right here and I can not encourage you enough to check out their upcoming teleclass at http://www.shiftinsight.com/publishingteleclasses.html. The content for this 9 hour series of classes is absolutely amazing. And, for only $99 (this price is good thru April 20), you would be crazy to pass up this rare opportunity to receive such a wealth of information from two seasoned publishing professionals.
I could list all of the things they so generously touched on but I think you'll just prefer to hear from Ja-lene and Jo Ann, The Book Angels that are helping me make my dreams of my next book a reality! Enjoy and take lots of notes!
If you don't see the little red arrows, you can click on this link: http://playaudio-345.com/play.asp?m=564929&f=ZYMNXC&ps=7&p=1 or go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Anita-Pathik-Law and grab it there. Then, go reserve your spot and sign up for the All about Publishing Class at http://www.shiftinsight.com/publishingteleclasses.html
Anita -
Great story. I love how your friend hung up on you immeditately to help you out!
Posted by: Scott Desgrosseilliers | April 17, 2009 at 06:40 PM