About Lisa Erickson:
I am a chakra-based energy worker, writer, and teacher specializing in women’s energetics and sexual trauma healing, and the author of Chakra Empowerment for Women through Llewellyn Publishing. I have trained in multiple energy healing modalities and am certified in both mindfulness meditation instruction and trauma sensitivity. I am a member of the International Association of Meditation Instructors, the American Holistic Health Association, the Energy Medicine Practitioners Association, and The Breathe Network, a non-profit dedicated to supporting holistic healing for sexual trauma survivors. I am also the creator of a popular DailyOM course Awakening Your Feminine Chakras.
A major focus of my work is energy work for women sexual trauma and abuse survivors. I have published a free e-book on this topic on my longstanding blog Mommy Mystic, where I have long shared insights and resources on sexual trauma healing, energy work for women, chakras, women mystics, and women’s spirituality. In my private session work, in addition to helping women survivors of sexual violence and abuse, I also focus on helping women through major life transits, especially those linked to reproductive phases such as pregnancy, post-partum, perimenopause, and menopause.
What inspires you to write?
I really wanted to share the tools I had developed in private sessions work with more women, especially those who cannot access private healing sessions. I believe we all have healing capabilities and these are a tool for helping women find their own.
Tell us about your writing process.
Because I teach, I first decided what tools I wanted to include in the book and then recorded myself talking about them. I then came up with the images for the book because they are central (each tool has an image.) Then I have a very consistent format for each chapter, and so it was easy to work one section at a time from my recorded talks. I did not end up using much of my recorded material directly as transcribed – that part of the process was mostly to get ideas flowing. The most enjoyable part was coming up with my 'case studies' as they involved trying to relay true-to-life stories that would resonate and demonstrate certain principles and healing trajectories.
What advice would you give other writers?
Make a schedule and give yourself dedicated time to just write. This was particularly important to me because I am also a teacher and healer so I have private client sessions all the time. I had to block out days where I saw no clients in order to write, and also took personal retreat time to write full time.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I originally thought I would self-publish, but decided to submit to the handful of mind-body-spirit publishing houses that accept non-agented first time authors (not many!) To my surprise Llewellyn made me an offer. After doing some research I decided to go with them so I would have their editing, design, and distribution support. I would undoubtedly make more per book self-publishing, and I definitely am still doing a lot of my own marketing, but I have learned a lot from this process and so far don't regret going with a publisher.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
It's great that so many people are now able to self-publish but Amazon's tight control on this market (they no longer let authors who have published with other platforms advertise or do giveaways), and mixing of sponsored and 'true' listings, is potentially hurtful to quality. It's difficult to discern what books have been 'vetted' through a publishing process and which have not, or to determine valid reviews. So there are pros and cons. I hope a niche will remain for publishing houses so expertise remains.
What genres do you write?: self help, mind body spirit, new age, energy healing, alternative medicine, mental health, sexual trauma healing
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Lisa Erickson Home Page Link
Link To Lisa Erickson Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
