The Real Life of “Selfies” (Self-Publishers)—Five BAIPA Members, from First-timers to Pros—Tell Their Stories.
That’s what you have to look forward to at the next BAIPA meeting on June 13.
There will be a blog post about each of the speakers prior to the event. And now, meet John Brooks.
“There is no road map for dealing with suicide survivors. We all grieve differently, many of us feeling as if we have post-traumatic stress disorder, like combat veterans. So don’t give us distance. Stay with us, hug us and listen because we need to talk—a lot.”
—from John Brook’s November 30, 2014 opinion piece in the SF Chronicle
After several decades in corporate finance and investment banking, John Brooks changed his life as a result of losing his teenage daughter Casey to suicide in January, 2008. Now he has dedicated himself to mental health and suicide prevention activism through public speaking, volunteer work, and writing – primarily including his blog www.parentingandattachment.com and his memoir The Girl Behind the Door, which has won the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Parenting and Family Issues. This accolade is administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association and is regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers.
John’s memoir integrates a tragic personal adoption story with information from experts to help other adoptive parents. His story recounts his journey to understand what led his 17-year-old to take her own life. His research took him back to her abandonment at birth and adoption from a Polish orphanage. He discovered a condition known as attachment disorder, a broad term used to describe mood, social and behavioral disorders arising from a failure to form normal attachments in early childhood.
John has discussed his experiences and research on the Dr. Phil Show, and his opinion articles have been featured in the SF Chronicle and Marin Independent Journal, as well as on KQED-FM.
His first visit to BAIPA in 2013 led him to Ruth Schwartz, who helped him turn his manuscript into a book and Joel Friedlander, who helped him begin is online marketing campaign. John will outline his self-publishing adventure as part of the June 13 panel, where attendees can ask how “Dumb Luck” nabbed him a publishing contract with Simon & Schuster.
Author
One of my favorite things about BAIPA is its culture of generosity, the willingness — even eagerness — to share what we have each learned in the process of bringing stories to life. We provide educational programs, networking, marketing opportunities, encouragement, and information on industry vendors and services. And lots of one-on-one advice and mentoring.
We welcome all who have an interest in making connections within the world of independent publishing and learning more about how to publish and sell their work successfully. Together we are raising the standard of independent publishing and helping our members thrive.
Do join us!
—Becky Parker Geist, BAIPA Board of Directors, President
Quick Resources
Current BAIPA members do not need to register for our monthly meetings. The night before the meetings, they will receive the Zoom info. For workshop registration, members can buy a member ticket and will receive the Zoom info the night before the meetings, as well as in the confirmation email.