Client Case Study: Annick Ina

In a nutshell, here's the behind the scenes of Annick's book process.

What was the problem?

Annick remembers having an inner knowing that it was just time to write her book and that was the day she decided to do it. Although that got her started on writing, it kind of fizzled out from there.

The moment that made her actually sit down and write the book, she realised something felt amiss in her personal life. She knew there were emotions she needed to process.

As a writer, she felt that writing about these things would be the best way to process them and heal herself.

How she solved it

Annick took some time at a friend's place where she could have quiet time to write.

Her self-led writing retreat was an experience purely for her; she gave herself the space and chance to process the stuff she was going through and work through the healing privately as the book came together.

I always recommend that you give yourself the freedom to write what you need to write in that first draft. Let it all out and let it be as raw as it needs to be.

But then, gather your team, edit the heck out of it, and polish it up until it’s ready for publishing.

Who this approach is good for...

Annick’s approach is good for anyone who has a raw story they need to process through writing.

But remember – that raw version is for yourself!

There’s a huge difference between writing for yourself and writing for publishing.

With the right team, you can take what you’ve written for yourself and turn it into something that is ready for publishing.

Don’t feel put off from sharing your story because it feels too raw. It doesn’t have to stay that way.
Annick says that there is immense value in simply writing your story for yourself, even if you never publish it.

But if you want to write something to put out there, there needs to be some kind of direction or purpose in the text.
Annick likens the first draft to a huge, shapeless block, which then needs to be chiselled away to reveal the artfully crafted narrative underneath, which is the publishable story.

Why would you do it this way?

Annick can’t say enough about the value she got from the writing process and how it helped her to heal from past hurts. The key is writing freely and ignoring the inner editor as you write.

And after publishing, Annick found that both her story and her newly gained skills in self-publishing opened up the doors for her to meet and connect with so many new people.

Writing the book about her journey free from alcohol led Annick to reach out and connect with Annie Grace, author of This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, which has led to ongoing collaboration between the two, including Annie writing the Foreword to Annick’s book and Annick recording videos and interviews for Annie’s programs.

This connection happened because she wrote the book, but has also led to greater reach and sales for the book.

What connections might be just around the corner for you, once you get your story out there?

About the author

Annick Ina is a coach, author and Book Doula. Her mission is to help women uncover and fully embrace their unique skills and qualities.

She runs a business that provides authors and aspiring authors with end-to-end services to transform their ideas into a published book, allowing them to experience the magic of becoming published authors, without being distracted by the overwhelming aspect of the publishing process.

About the book

There comes a time when the excruciating pain of the past becomes so unbearable that you just can’t keep running away anymore. The faint hope of freedom is worth risking it all. Exhausted and breathless, heart pounding in your chest, you finally stop. And in the most powerfully graceful move, you swerve, turn around and face your Darkness.

One year into after her last hangover, Annick Ina opens up and shares her journey in a series of essays and letters from the Soul, as she uncovers how she dealt with her demons and finally found peace.

Her storytelling talent and her distinctive voice, as humorous as it is gutsy, will transport you to explore your own experience and see it under a new light.