Rachel Zinman is an internationally renowned yoga teacher and writer. She was diagnosed with diabetes in 2008 and now writes on how yoga has helped her manage her diabetes.
In our work together, I helped Rachel step closer to her vision for her book, which ended up being a massive process that took grit and determination.
Starting in 2014, Rachel went on a journey of learning how to write and publish a book. Her exploration took several years to complete as she got to grips with how to work with a book editor, how to design a visually beautiful book, how to fund her book with a crowdfunding campaign and how to manage the whole project from beginning to end.
Her work paid off as she eventually got picked up by a traditional publisher. Rachel tells all about the behind-the-scenes of writing and publishing her book Yoga for Diabetes, as well as how it’s all going.
In short, here's what we did with Rachel's book.
What was the problem?
Although she didn't realise it at the beginning, Rachel's project was very involved, because it had so many layers. Planning the yoga poses and sequences, then organising the photography was an enormous undertaking, not to mention learning how to weave the text in with the images.
She found the content easy to produce because it was very similar to the wording she uses when teaching in class. However, she was weaving in her story too, which took vulnerability and careful thought.
Although the practicalities were challenging, it was the workload and timeline that were truly daunting.
How she solved it
As most authors will attest, writing, designing and publishing a book takes a team and Rachel reached out for support. Not only support in the writing stage through a workshop I ran and through editing, but also support funding the production costs.
To see the project through and so that she could pay for a strong team of service providers like editors, designers and photographers, Rachel ran a kickstarter and pre-sold her book to her vast network.
She also did a lot of media promotion during the time that the book was being created.
Who this approach is good for...
Everyone can benefit from learning more about the craft of writing, but only do so if it truly interests you.
The reason Rachel got so much out of my writing workshop was that she's a dedicated learner who intended to keep writing for magazines and other publications. It was worth digging in and working on her writing technique so that she could get future writing opportunities.
Some people just want to get the book done and not work on their writing skills and that's totally valid too.
Every author will engage a team to help them around their book.
Make sure you work with people who have strengths that you don't have, not just people who are exactly the same as you!
Why would you do it this way?
Rachel knew that high quality was non-negotiable, for the words as well as for the aesthetic.
She knew it was worth doing well and taking time over, because she really wanted to bring something of a good standard to this under-served niche.
As the project went on, Rachel could also see how getting it right and doing a really polished job the first time would save her stress in the long run.
About the author
Rachel Zinman found out she had type 1 LADA diabetes in 2008, but it took six years for her to accept her diagnosis. Fortunately, she had discovered yoga in high school and has taught yoga in Australia and internationally since 1992, so she turned to yoga to find ways to heal her diabetes and inspire others.
A published poet and author, award-winning musician, amateur filmmaker, and mother and partner, Rachel launched her Yoga for Diabetes blog to share with the diabetes online community how yoga has helped her manage her diabetes.
Her articles on yoga and diabetes have appeared in Elephant Journal, Diabetes Daily, A Sweet Life, Insulin Nation, Unleash Your Inner Diabetes Dominator, and many other publications, and she is a featured expert for several online resources for yoga and diabetes.
For more information on Rachel's healing methods, yoga workshops and retreats, and training courses, visit rachelzinmanyoga.com and read her blog at yogafordiabetesblog.com.
About the book
In Yoga for Diabetes, regardless of your current state of health, or type of diabetes, you can look forward to learning how to:
- Reduce stress in minutes and thus improve your overall health index
- Achieve healthier and more stable blood glucose levels
- Find the secrets to adapting a yoga practice to suit your constitution and individual needs
- Find deeper meaning in life and thus a holistic healing affecting multiple levels of your well-being
RACHEL ZINMAN
YOGA FOR DIABETES
rachelzinmanyoga.com
I love how Kris turned my draft into a final manuscript, while still keeping my style and my voice.
Editing a book is one thing, but to be able to motivate others to truly express themselves with authenticity and heart is a rare gift.
Not only would I recommend Kris as an editor – get your hands on anything she writes.
You’ll be blown away!
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