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Written by Terri Kozlowski
Over the past thirty years of my life, I’d been asked if I would pen my story, and I’ve always said no. Although I would willingly share my story, writing it wasn’t something I planned to do. But in the summer of 2018, when I turned 50 years old, I became pregnant with a book. I’ve always been a writer for newsletters and articles for other publications. Still, my story came pouring out of me when the time was right.Â
Writing My Memoir
I wrote my book through complete inspiration. It flowed out of me each time I sat down to write. I had no outline or plan other than to let my story out. My goal was to get everything I could out onto the page as quickly as possible. In nine months, the book flowed out of me with little effort.
My memoir is the story of overcoming childhood trauma and abandonment by my mother. The journey I take the reader on is personal, from an abused, fearful child to a put-together adult. To write this kind of narrative, I needed to be far enough along my healing journey to tell about the experiences without angst or pain. If you started down the path of healing, you wouldn’t be able to write about it.
What’s unique about my book is that I’ve walked through what I’m teaching. I’ve gone into the pit of despair and have come out the other side, thriving. It provides an excellent road map for the reader to follow to find their way to self-comfort, self-love, and the ability to be truly happy in one’s own skin. Now I want to help others with a bridge from suffering over hopelessness and into thriving. That’s why it’s so important to me to serve those who are suffering. That is the ultimate goal.Â
I am fortunate to have taken my passion, helping others overcome their fears and limiting beliefs and turning it into a business. Kozmic Soul Solutions, LLC is where I do the coaching, writing, and teaching to help others bridge away to thriving faster than I did. It developed from writing my book and needing to build an author’s platform.
The Editing Process
Although the writing process didn’t seem to take long since I only worked on it nights and weekends, the editing and publishing phase took two years. First, however, I set aside my manuscript for about a month before I went back to revise it. Second, the editing process was lengthy because I understood that my writing had two parts: personal healing and teaching the reader.
I went through three different revisions with two editors. The first revision was me paring down what was for me and what was for the reader. I had to determine what I was comfortable sharing, but get them to identify with me as the heroine in the story they were reading. The reader didn’t need every gory detail, but they needed to understand my narrative and thought process.
The second edit concerned the content with KN Literary Arts. This period was intense as they wanted to reformat my thirteen chapters into seven. They also were cutting away of stories I thought were essential to me versus helping the reader. What I realized during this phase was the focus on the reader. If I will not seek publication, then writing was only for me. But if I want others to benefit from my experiences, it’s vital for them only to have what they need to understand and learn.
The final revision was a line edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation, readability, style, and consistency throughout the book. I found Shelley Mann on Fiverr. We worked closely for about 30 days before I had the ultimate book ready for submission to a publisher.
The Book Proposal
Once the manuscript was ready, I started writing the book proposal. This task seemed more daunting than penning the memoir. Which format to use, what to include, gathering all the information to get the publishing houses interested in my story. Once I had the draft of my proposal ready, I sent off the 40+ page document to another Fiverr editor who specializes in book proposals.
When the proposal was completed, I started pitching publishing houses that would be interested in teaching memoirs. Although the list is long, I didn’t want to get an agent, so I submitted my book to 30 publishers, accepting unsolicited proposals. Getting kind rejection letters week after week can be disheartening. Still, on October 12, 2020, I got an acceptance letter from Higher Ground Books & Media, a small independent traditional publisher.
Publishing And Promoting
Once I had a publisher, everything happened quickly because, on February 12, 2021, they released my book on Amazon. Since then, I have promoted my book by doing interviews with over 60 podcasts, author showcases, and local book signings. I love the opportunities to speak with people about their healing journeys and discover their authentic selves.
My writing experience has been a series of beautiful connections with people who’ve helped me learn about the publishing industry and connect me with audiences so I can help them overcome their fears and limiting beliefs. I’ve enjoyed it so much. I have a second book waiting to be written called Soul Solutions; I hope to write next year. Â
Find More From Terri Kozlowski:
Website: www.TerriKozlowski.com
Soul Solutions Podcast: www.SoulSolutionsPodcast.com
Book: www.RavenTranscendingFear.com
https://www.facebook.com/KozmicSoulSolutions/
https://www.instagram.com/terrikozlowski/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrikozlowski/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbT3ygWLAxEcPqOOgCflL_A
https://linktr.ee/TerriKozlowski
FREE Mini eBook Blueprint To Overcoming Fear: https://page.terrikozlowski.com
FREE Checklist for Why You Need Personal Boundaries: https://page.terrikozlowski.com/boundaries
The Guide to Setting Personal Boundaries Online Course: https://terrimk.mastermind.com/masterminds/25609
Medium: https://medium.com/@TerriMKozlowski
Thrive Global: https://thriveglobal.com/authors/terri-kozlowski/Â
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