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HR Executive Transitions to New Career with Professionally Designed Art Journaling Book

Susan Hensley · Recorded 10/23/2024

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Share One · October 23, 2024
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Susan Hensley used Book Launchers to publish her book, Art for Your Sanity, transitioning from a corporate HR career to a new professional path. She reports that the process would have taken three times as long without their expertise. The service provided professional interior and cover design, completing the project in approximately ten months.

At a glance

Primary Use Case
Professional self-publishing for a career transition
Reported Result
Published professional color book 3x faster than DIY
Time to Value
10 months (August to June)
It would have taken me three times as long - if I ever would have done it - if I hadn't used Book Launchers.
The number one benefit that I experienced working with Book Launchers is their design and layout team. My book is beautiful.
They were by far the quickest, highest quality, and most efficient way to get my book to the world.

The interview

How did you first discover Book Launchers and decide they were the right fit?

I really knew Book Launchers was right for me after I heard Julie on a different podcast. When I spoke with her, the process she laid out and the low sales pitch really instilled a lot of confidence in me. I could tell she was ethical and her goal was to run a company that did what it said it was going to do.

What was your professional background before writing your book?

I had been working full time in a corporate job as an HR executive for more than two decades before I left that job, and I'd had a first career as a journalist. The book was the first thing I did in retirement as I thought through that transition.

Why did you choose self-publishing over traditional publishing?

I started to explore writing a book and I thought, 'oh, I can tell self-publishing is going to be the way for me.' I knew right away I didn't want to try and get a traditional publisher. I didn't want to spend the time to pitch to publishers or to try and do it on my own.

What was your timeline for publishing 'Art for Your Sanity'?

I believe I talked to Julie in August. My goal was to get the book out by May, and we made it out by June because I really wanted to be able to talk about the book at a wellness retreat that I knew I was going to that coming May.

What were the most significant benefits of working with the Book Launchers team?

The number one benefit was their design and layout team. My book is beautiful, and because it was about art journaling, it needed to be in color. The design of the cover gets comments from everyone who sees it, and the interior look is so professional. It would have taken me three times as long if I hadn't used them.

What did you learn about the publishing industry through this process?

The learning curve is really high if you've never done this. I realized how much I learned about publishing and the industry, even though that wasn't my primary reason. As I think about my next book, I'm so much smarter because I learned so much.

Frequently asked

Is Book Launchers a high-pressure sales environment?

No. Susan Hensley specifically noted she appreciated what she called the "low sales pitch" when first speaking with Julie, which instilled confidence in the company's ethics.

Can I pause my book publishing process if needed?

Yes. Susan Hensley highlighted that a key benefit of the Book Launchers monthly service was the ability to pause the process if her schedule required it.

How long does it take to publish with Book Launchers?

Susan Hensley started the process in August with a goal of May; the book was completed by June, which she described as the quickest and most efficient way to get her book to the world.

Full transcript

I really knew Book Launchers was right for me. After I heard Julie on a different podcast. And then when I spoke with her, the process she laid out and what I would call, the low sales pitch, I really appreciated. I could tell that she was ethical. Her goal was to run a company that did what it said it was going to do. And that really instilled a lot of confidence in me. So I think very early in the process, I knew Book Launchers was a good fit for me. I'm Susan Hensley. The name of my book is Art for Your Sanity: How Art Journaling Can Help You Manage Chaos and Unleash Joy. So My life before I wrote the book, I had been working full time in a corporate job and really, the book was the first thing I did in retirement. And as I was thinking through the transition into retirement, I realized what an incredibly powerful tool art journaling had been. I was an HR executive for more than two decades before I left that job and I'd had a first career as a journalist. And someone I was working with suggested writing a book about the power of art journaling - not so much for learning art, but the process for helping us through transitions. Big life transitions. Research shows we go through a transition about every year to year and a half, and sometimes we go through huge ones. So I had no idea how to write a book, but I just sort of told myself I would write every day for 30 days and see what I had. And I started to explore writing a book and I thought, "oh, I can tell self-publishing is going to be the way for me." I knew right away I didn't want to try and get a traditional publisher And so I reached out to Julie at Book Launchers, and we did a call, and she explained the process to me and within a day or two, I had signed up because I could tell Book Launchers' service is exactly what I needed. I didn't want to spend the time to pitch to publishers or to try and do it on my own. I believe I talked to Julie in August. My goal was to get the book out by May, and we made it out by June because I really wanted to be able to talk about the book at a wellness retreat that I knew I was going to that coming May. What I really appreciated about the monthly service with Book Launchers is, if somehow I needed to pause, I could. They were really able to help me meet my goal and they brought the expertise every step of the way. It would have taken me three times as long - if I ever would have done it - if I hadn't used Book Launchers. I saved a ton of time and it really launched me into a new career. The learning curve, if you've never done this, it is really high. So I put a lot of faith and guidance into Book Launchers to help me through the process. It was really fun, actually, to learn the process. I realized how much I learned about publishing and the industry, even though that wasn't my primary reason. But I really did get terrific, terrific learnings. And as I think about what my next book may be, I will tell you, I'm so much smarter, right? And that I learned so much. The number one benefit that I experienced working with Book Launchers is their design and layout team. My book is beautiful. And because it was about the process of art journaling, and it needed to be in color. And although there were many, many other benefits, the design of the cover - which gets comments from everyone who sees it - and the interior look, is so professional. I think one of the strengths of Book Launchers is getting very clear that You're not writing a book to necessarily become a bestseller. That would be fantastic. But you're really writing a book in service of something else. Either an existing business or, in my case, wanting to take my career in a new direction. I recommend Book Launchers because you can spend so much time and so much money and energy spinning your wheels. If you know you have a book and you're clear that you want to put it out into the world, Book Launchers will help you do that. They were by far the quickest, highest quality, and most efficient way to get my book to the world.

About Book Launchers

Book Launchers is a full-service professional self-publishing company specializing in high-quality non-fiction. They serve thought leaders and professionals like Susan Hensley, providing comprehensive support from writing coaching to professional design. Their process helps authors transition into recognized experts by delivering books that serve as foundations for new careers and personal brands.

Industry
Publishing Services

Topics

  • self-publishing
  • non-fiction
  • career transition
  • book design
  • author branding

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How this story was recorded

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