The Book Doulas' Incubator Program
Bring your brilliant idea to life
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Join us - New York Times bestselling author Kristine Carlson and acclaimed book editor Debra Evans - and learn exactly what it takes to become a bestselling author
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April 12 - June 14, 2023
Start Your Book
Clarify Your Message
Expand Your Platform
You want to be a bestselling author, an influencer, a force to be reckoned with . . . and you can be.
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What many in the industry don't tell you is that spending money and following a formula doesn't offer guaranteed success. It isn't enough. . . .
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You need the desire, talent, drive, time, and a strong platform - these are the 5 Pillars to making your dream of writing a book come to fruition.
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In the 10-week Incubator Program, we will show you how to have a transformation with each of these aspects of yourself, and how to grow these five pillars into a rock-solid foundation for writing your book and expanding your platform, one that can support you and your career for the rest of your life.
PILLAR 1
Desire
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In this context, desire is
a deep and burning
calling to bring your
message forward.
This desire feeds
inspiration and gives
you the fuel to focus
on the next three
foundational pillars.
PILLAR 2
Talent
Talent, in this setting, includes your innate gifts and the skills you possess. As you uncover these more fully and
expand them, you will simultaneously become
a more effective
and powerful writer
and communicator.
PILLAR 3
Drive
Drive is your passion
in action. In this case,
it's the initiative, energy, and momentum you
bring to your writing
and platform-building. Your work ethic and
drive are intimately interconnected.
PILLAR 4
Time
Time is your creative canvas; your clean slate. Prioritizing
time for your writing
and platform-building activities is one of the
keys to your success as
an author and as a leader
in your field.
PILLAR 5
Platform
Your platform is your structure for success. Figuratively and literally, it's your podium for reaching the world - your website, social media streams, podcast, and more. It's the golden key to having a book that sells.
Meet the Book Doulas
Kristine Carlson
Kristine is an acclaimed teacher, retreat leader, and a New York Times bestselling author of six books. Alongside her late husband, Dr. Richard Carlson, Kristine co-authored the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff book series. Having sold over 25 million copies worldwide, translated in 35 languages and 126 countries, the series is a global brand — a household name everywhere. Kristine has over thirty years experience in the publishing industry.
Debra Evans
Debra is a developmental book editor with over thirteen years of experience as an editor and writing partner to best-selling authors and newly emerging teachers and thought leaders. Some of her clients have included New York Times best-selling author Debbie Ford, award-winning filmmaker Barnet Bain, energy medicine pioneer Cyndi Dale, and the brilliant transformational teacher Lee Harris. To date, Debra has been book doula for the birth of twenty books.
An incubation period is absolutely necessary to become an author.
We have found that oftentimes people have the creative seeds they need to begin growing their dream of writing a book, but they don't have the optimal conditions for allowing those seeds to fully bloom.
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The optimal conditions include:
• The 5 Pillars outlined above - desire, talent, drive, time, and author platform
• Being clear about your message
• Belief in yourself
• Commitment to the process
• Community and support
• The ability to answer theses three questions:
• How are you going to publish your book?
• How are you going to sell it?
• Who are you going to sell it to?
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By the end of this 10-week program, you will be at the peak of readiness, deeply prepared to go to the next phase of birthing your book. You will have . . . .
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• Your branding tools in order
• A recipe for building your platform
• Your content curated and well-organized for your book
• Your book brilliantly structured and your writing fully underway
• Your plan of action for completion laid out within a clear timeline
• An established network of people ready to support your goals
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You will have lift off!
Are you questioning your readiness?
You may be feeling like you’re not yet ready to embark on this kind of journey, however, this program is perfect even for those who feel their book is a far-off dream. It will bring you closer to this dream than you may currently believe is possible.
Who this program is for
People on a mission:
coaches • consultants • doctors • healing practitioners
writers • bloggers • podcasters • workshop and retreat facilitators • seekers
public speakers • transformational leaders • and other experts in their field
Virtually anyone with a message who wants to answer the call of their life’s purpose
. . . and to leave a legacy for future generations
Are you ready to stop thinking about writing your book and just do it? Good!
Go here to watch the 20-minute video message we have for you.
Your 5-Part Success
Curriculum
Together, we will focus on . . .
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1. Your Message
Arising from your authentic expression, this is how you want to serve and what you want to be known for. It addresses the pain or limitation you want to help others resolve.
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2. Your Platform
In short, this is your means for connecting with your growing community and delivering your message. Learn exactly what you need to do to start or grow your email list, blog, podcast, and social media streams. Also, learn how to monetize your platform for the sustainability of your business.
3. Your Book
Whether a self-help book, how-to manual, memoir, or another work of non-fiction, this is the book that only YOU can write. It's your experience, understanding, know-how, and wisdom beautifully articulated on the printed (and digital) page.
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4. Your Publishing Options
From traditional publishing to self-publishing, along with hybrid options now available, learn everything you need to know to determine your best options and to prepare for them. In addition, learn the essentials of effective book marketing and content marketing.
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5. Your Author-Entrepreneur Community
Writing a book and growing a business happens with greater ease and elegance - and oftentimes greater speed - when you have the support of others who are working toward similar goals. Between the weekly Wednesday sessions and five Saturday boot camps, you will be a part of a beautiful community of people - and a container of nourishing support. And it's a community that will be shaped by you being a part of it!
Our 10-Week Program
Over the course of 10 unforgettable weeks, you will have a golden opportunity to focus on your body of work with us at your side. Concentrating on your soon-to-be-written book, your platform (your website, blog, social media streams, and online content), and your overall visibility in the world, we will give you the tools, guidance, and inspiration to make the final months of 2022 a defining moment in your career and life.
The components of the incubator program include:
Weekly Zoom Calls
Live group sessions with Kris and Debra packed with teaching, guidance, assignments, and inspiration. All sessions are recorded.
Live Guest Speakers
We are joined by some of the brightest lights in the field of transformational books, publishing, and marketing to further ensure your success.
Community & Connection
Become part of an extraordinary community from around the globe and enjoy continued support for your writing and book-launch journey.
Writing Boot Camps
Optional: On three Saturdays, join us in taking massive action toward your goals. Write, share your work, enjoy! (See below for details.)
The Blueprint
Learn and have lifetime access to our Book Doulas' 10-Part Blueprint. As you weave the ten parts together, you will be crafting a unique and specific framework for your best book.
The Book Incubator Portal
For six months after the Incubator concludes, have access to all Zoom call recordings, our Expert Video Libary, and all other tools and resources included there.
15-Day Writing
Challenge
Optional: Woven into the fabric of the Incubator is a 15-day challenge. Set daily writing goals and get powerful results. (See below for details.)
Expert Video Library
Receive access to our extensive video library featuring guest speakers from previous Incubators ~ providing a wealth of information, instruction, and ignition!
(See below for details.)
Next Steps &
Support
After the Incubator concludes, options include Momentum, our level 2 process. Or utilize our carefully-curated Author Resources directory.
About the 15-Day Writing Challenge
Are you ready to hold your feet to the creative flame?
When it comes to writing a book and publishing it, one of the most essential parts of that process is the act of sitting down and writing. There is no replacement for it.
Our 15-Day Writing Challenge is woven seamlessly into the structure of the Book Incubator for those of you who wish to take advantage of this extended writing sprint. The dates of the challenge are forthcoming.
If you choose to accept this challenge, the pleasure of gaining forward momentum will be unmistakable. The basic architecture of the 15-day challenge includes:
1. Daily Word-Count Goals
Recommended: Write 1,000 words daily. Without missing a day.
The end goal: to write 15,000 words by the conclusion of the challenge.
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2. Daily Inspiration for Real
In addition to the connection provided during our live weekly sessions, you will receive daily emails in your inbox for the 15 days of the challenge. Not automated messages, but real, impassioned cheerleading from two people who know the power of a challenge . . . and a deadline.
3. Two Group Check-ins
2 additional live Zoom calls with us to report how you're writing is going. Dates and times will be announced at the start of the Incubator.
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4. Two Approaches
You can take a structured approach or a more intuitive or free-wheeling approach to the challenge.​ Or you can mix it up - and try both ways of accomplishing your writing goals. We’ll provide suggestions for both ways of engaging the intensive process.
About Our Saturday Writing Boot Camps
As you now know, the Incubator program includes three Saturday Writing Boot Camps over the course of our ten weeks together in the spring.
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• Boot Camp dates to be announced •
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THE BOOT CAMP STRUCTURE
There are two Zoom gatherings on each boot camp day:
Morning session, 10:00 - 10:45 AM Pacific time
Afternoon session, 3:00 - 4:00 PM Pacific time
With a 4-hour, self-directed work session sandwiched between
the two Zoom calls.
These optional boot camps are incredibly popular with our participants as a simple yet super- effective structure for getting down to business!
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You can join us for the entire six-hour time frame, or you can come to the segment that works for you. We meet up via Zoom at the beginning and end of the boot camp, with the time in between being your time to write and/or take action toward your platform-building goals.
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One of the best parts is our Q&A and conversation time together during the afternoon gathering, where you can read something you're working on (a chapter, blog, website content, or another key piece of writing), get feedback on your ideas, ask burning questions, and receive lots of coaching . . . plus great inspiration from the whole group.
Worth its weight in gold
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Our Expert Video Library
Focusing on:
branding, messaging, website essentials, SEO, social media,
content marketing, podcasting, public speaking, publishing options,
the craft of storytelling, the must-knows of writing & editing,
how to truly build a vibrant online community . . . and more
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Over the past three years, we have been fortunate to have some of the most knowledgeable, talented, and extraordinary individuals join us during our live Book Incubator sessions - offering their best advice, insights, and specific instruction for making the most of the author-entrepreneur journey. While each Incubator includes exciting new guests - joining us live during key Wednesday sessions - the library of recorded videos from our previous five Incubators is a genuine treasure trove of expertise that you can put to use right away or over time.
(The value of our growing library currently stands at $10,000.)
Here are some of the remarkable teachers and guides accessible in our video library.
Karen Salmansohn
SEO basics, website essentials, and more
Marc Allen
What publishers look for in a potential new author
Elle Campbell
Social media essentials and how to make it fun
Lee Harris
How to grow a highly engaged, global community
Chris Van Buren
Publishing options and online course creation
Shann Vander Leek
Building your podcast show - the basics
G. Brian Benson
The pathway and the freedom of self-publishing
Mary Charles Heath
​Messaging, tag lines, and website essentials
Leslie Kuster
Building a brand around your book
Jackie Lapin
Building your speaker platform
Melanie Bates
The art and craft of storytelling
Crystal Andrus Morissette
Hybrid publishing and book marketing
The proof is in the publishing . . .
“I promised myself that when it came to writing my first book, I would only work with the best of the best. And that's exactly what I did by choosing to work with the Book Doulas. The result is that in just a few months, 7 Keys to 7 Figures: The Ultimate Guide to Money and Freedom for Women Entrepreneurs is going to be published. I've done all three of Kristine and Debra's signature programs—the Book Incubator, the Momentum program, and Birthing Your Book (the three trimesters of bringing my book baby into the world), and I can say it's one of the best decisions I've ever made."
— Leslie Kuster, author, mentor to women entrepreneurs, and CEO of Back from Bali
“Working with Kris and Debra provided me with a structure by which I could begin to shape the ideas I had into actual chapters. [It’s] how I came to be standing on the precipice of having my book in the world. I could not more highly recommend the Book Doulas’ programs for anyone who has a dream of writing a book but doesn’t quite know how to get there.”
— Michele Neff Hernandez, author of Different After You: Rediscovering Yourself and Healing after Grief and Trauma
“Debra has been my editor for two books - with a third coming up. She is a deeply skillful editor and writer who I trust to help me articulate sometimes complex ideas into highly accessible pages. Working with Debra is a unique joy.
​I have know Kristine for several years. She stands out vividly in the transformational field as a teacher and writer of unparalleled experience, wisdom, and grace. I recommend her programs and retreats with great enthusiasm.​
Kris and Debra working together is an opportunity not to be missed.”
— Barnet Bain, award-winning filmmaker and author of The Book of Doing and Being: Rediscovering Creativity in Life, Love, and Work
“I’ve gone from an idea of what I wanted to actually having a book written and now published. That wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t have Kris and Deb.
I highly recommend this program. If you have a book in you and you’re dying to get it out, this is something you need to invest in.”
— Amy Eliza Wong, communications expert, transformational coach, and author of Living on Purpose: Five Deliberate Choices to Realize Fulfillment and Joy
“Having worked with both Debra and Kristine, I believe they are your best choice for bringing your book into the world. They are masterful in the multitude of ways you would want them to be - from writing and editing to navigating the terrain of literary agents, book publicists, publishers, and more.
Do not miss the chance to have them at your side..”
— Diana Cole, author of Spirit Translator - 7 Truths for Creating Well-Being and Connecting with Spirit
“There are not enough words of gratitude for what working with Kris and Debra has meant to me. Their carefully designed program allowed me to craft a detailed book outline and chapter composition that had eluded me for years. More importantly, they held the space for me to discover how to integrate my creative writing voice with my academic one. I don't think anyone else could have done that for me. I now have the confidence, the tools, and the structure to write this book, which I always imagined in my heart, and all the others that will follow.”
— Dr. Cathy Collins, social science scholar and author of the forthcoming book, Healing the Beloved Community: A Compassionate Look at Oppression
“By the end of the first Incubator call, my heart cracked open — it was as though all of the resistance I had dissolved.
I've always thought of myself as a writer. But it wasn't until now, that I thought of myself as someone who would write a book.
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Thank you for all the guidance and wisdom.”
— Leslie Indigo Alison, writer, chef, gardener, artist, and creative force of nature
“I wanted to share my appreciation for this amazing experience. I have gained so much more confidence in myself and my voice. I have gained greater insight into my purpose. And most importantly, I have more comfort in expressing myself through social media. Making a platform has been one of my greatest fears and now it feels almost like a 'no brainer.'
Of course, it all still takes time and commitment, and there are some scary bumps I'm still navigating, but my comfort in expressing myself is profound. Thank you.”
— Desireé Childs, body and mind wellness facilitator
