With Karen Mechanic at Harvard Medical School’s CME leadership and publishing course
Are you writing a book about health, well-being or related topics? Have you wondered whether Harvard Medical School’s CME healthcare leadership and publishing course is right for you? Or have you attended and wondered if it would be worthwhile to return a second time?
I met Karen Mechanic, MD, two years ago at the course and have served as a sounding board for her from time to time. I’ve been impressed with how the course helped her go from being shy about writing and addressing large groups of people to being comfortable and eloquent. In this interview, Karen shares her writing and leadership journey of the past two years.
The Creativity Cure was written by course participant Dr. Carrie Barron.
Lisa: How did you hear about Harvard Medical School’s healthcare leadership and publishing course?
Karen: Searching the internet for a conference to focus on specific professional skills, including communication, writing and healthcare leadership.
Tara Mardigan’s and Kate Weller’s book is a cookbook and nutition guide for athletes and fitness-philes.
Lisa: What was your primary reason for attending the course the first time?
Karen: I expected to sharpen communication skills such as writing clearer emails and giving more entertaining talks.
Lisa: What did you get out of the course?
Karen: A focus on reading critically and a new feeling of confidence that I have my own story to tell.
Lisa: When you left, what did you plan to do with the information?
Karen: I set an intention of daily journal writing and set a goal to submit one piece for publication.
Dr. Pfeiffer published two books with Yale after attending the course.
Lisa: And so much more actually took place! Can you share what you achieved over the course of the following year?
Karen: I accomplished much more than I’d imagined possible. In writing more to myself, I read more, began to explore more ideas, listened more acutely to how language is used, began to notice nuances of writing like voice and tone.
Lisa: So learning about writing, voice, tone and language at the course helped you pay more attention to that in your rea
Behind the Therapy Door was written after Dr. Randy Kamen attended the course.
ding, speaking and writing. That’s wonderful. You mentioned to me that you were a bit shy about writing and speaking at first. What happened after attending the writing course that first time?
Karen: I began to share ideas with writing professionals. I sought out opportunities to present my ideas to a wide variety of audiences, and noted reactions of others, which stimulated new ideas and new goals. I also sought feedback on my ideas.
Lisa: Such as?
Karen: Did I need comments from a small intimate group of people who weren’t familiar with me or did I need to introduce ideas to a large audience to see if they were interested, engaged, or fell asleep? I noted questions or comments they voiced in the group versus the ones they privately asked me after my presentation.
A lively lunch discussion at the Harvard course, with Karen in the foreground
Lisa: Sounds like the course gave you the confidence and tools to fully explore your ideas and expand them.
Karen: Yes. The steps I learned at the course flowed naturally as my goals shifted throughout the year.
Lisa: As you began to express your ideas in writing to a larger audience, can you share a bit about what happened and how your modest goals grew to bigger ones?
Author Vint Virga attended twice as a participant and recently returned as a speaker
Karen: Once I became more confident expressing myself in writing for the public, I became a Huffington Post blogger. I also wrote a short piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Instead of declining opportunities like interviews, I accepted them because I appreciated the importance of platform.
Lisa: Yes, platform–or reaching an audience before your book ever comes out–is a big theme in the course. Why did you attend the course a second time?
Karen: Once I went into action with ideas and strategies I learned the first time around, I was more ready for some of the more advanced topics including social media and platform building.
Lisa: What were your goals the second time around? What did you want to get out of the course?
Karen: I was interested in advanced workshops with opportunities to interact with my peers. I wanted to pitch my book idea because I was seeking feedback from as many agents, coaches and editors as I could present myself to.
Lisa: What observations do you have about your process? Any surprises?
Karen: I feel more confident, in general. I’ve now had conversations about writing with several very successful authors and learned there is no mystery or special secret about writing. I was more impressed by their discipline and determination.
Lisa: Did you get what you came for in year two?
Dr. Kathleen Trainor attended the course and her book comes out this spring.
Karen: Like last year, I got even more than I anticipated. I’m grateful to Dr. Julie Silver for the comfortably safe environment of her course. I understand why people attend more than once.
Lisa: You mentioned the opportunity to pitch being a big draw the second time around. When and how did you fine tune your pitch?
Karen: I had lots of help from many people at the course both from lecture content and actual stop watch and editing sessions with the professionals in attendance. I also wrote out at least ten revisions on my own.
Lisa: What plans did you leave with last April?
Karen: Continue journaling, self editing, platform building. I also planned to submit short pieces for publication and line up more talks. Plus more blogging and some tweeting.
Victoria Dunckley is another course particpant who recently published.
Lisa: And what took place since the second course?
Karen: Since the second course I have been writing more and speaking more as an expert in major media outlets (on television, radio, online and in print). With improving confidence and communication skills, I have been invited to speak and write more on a level that I didn’t anticipate. During this year I have interacted with many people who have given me invaluable assistance and guidance. In addition, my first book proposal is under serious consideration by a publisher.
Wow, congratulations and good luck! Let us know when your book comes out and we’ll add that to this interview!
Karen Mechanic is a psychiatrist who specializes in addictions and consultation liaison psychiatry. She also is interested in integrative care. She blogs on the Huffington Post and writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer. You can tweet her at @mechanickaren.
Readers, have a question about the course? Feel free to ask as a comment? Have an experience of the course you’d like to share? Please do.
Back from Las Vegas and, in my total 17 minutes of gambling, I won $40 at roulette. More than 130% return on the $30 I bet. But I bet you want to hear book writing advice from the publishers at the Medical Fusion Conference.
Julie Silver, MD, headed the publishing panel at the conference
Dr. Julie Silver facilitated the publishing panel made up of Debbie Carvalko (acquisitions editor at the Praeger imprint of ABC-CLIO, Karin J. Craig (acquisitions editor at Sunrise River Press), author Kenneth Kamler and myself.
Julie asked all on the panel for some pearls of wisdom. It was interesting to note what the two publishers said: Karin Craig said, “Be clear who your market is.” She’s not as concerned with a book proposal overview–she might suggest a different angle for the book, but if the author doesn’t know their market, she’s not interested.
Debbie Carvalko said, “Know your competition.” You have to be able to know what’s already out there and how your book fits in. Dr. Silver echoed this by saying that when she mentions a new Harvard Health Publications book proposal to her own agent, often her agent says, “Just send the competitive analysis” to decide whether she’s interested in hearing more.
Of course with the larger trade publishers, you need to have a platform (some exceptions are made for memoirs and fiction, for instance) . Last week, I spoke privately with Michael Larsen and a client of mine who is working with Mike. Mike defines platform as “continuing visibility with potential readers online and off.”
Literary Agent Michael Larsen, author of How to Write a Book Proposal
Mike pointed out that for a how-to book for a wide national audience in a heavily published field–the promotion of which has to be author driven–a promotion plan is at least eight times more important than content in the proposal. Of course that doesn’t mean you don’t need a fresh idea, impeccable writing, and valuable content. It means that these virtues aren’t enough to keep good books from failing.
And you can’t have a convincing promotion plan without a credible platform. Of course, as Mike points out, elements such as an author’s charisma, title, idea, and writing can offset a platform or promotion plan that isn’t is as strong as it should be, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But the only way to get the best editor, publisher and deal for a book is to have the strongest possible proposal, platform, and promotion plan.
What does this mean for you?
1. All the parts of a book proposal are important. Spend time researching and refining each section. Don’t skimp anywhere.
2. If you’re looking at a small to mid-size publisher, their priorities can be different from a larger publisher and, while platform is still important, other issues, such as credentials, might have more emphasis for some. You still need to know your market and competition and make a solid case for your book.
Top 10 Reasons to Attend Harvard Medical School’s Publishing Course
I recently received the brochure for the 2009 course, Publishing Books, Memoirs and Other Creative Nonfiction, which is offered March 26-28 at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Hotel. Several of my writing coaching clients have told me they’ll be there. Will you?
Even if you’re not a medical professional or health writer, I can think of a whole bunch of reasons for you to come:
1.It’s one of the most comprehensive courses on how to become a published author, including information on how to build your platform (and if you don’t know what a platform is, you really need to attend!).
2. You get to meet top literary agents in person with the opportunity to sit down and talk with them. They’ll tell you if they’re interested in your book and, many times, they’ll provide an author with ideas that would make the book more appealing to readers, agents and publishers–taking your book idea from interesting to marketable.
3. You can get expert feedback on your writing and your book concept during the Writer’s Workshop (you can request to work with your favorite writing coach if you want).
4.You can learn how to get into “The Zone” whenever you sit down to write (in the workshop taught by your favorite writing coach on Thursday and Friday).
5.You’ll learn from bestselling authors including, Herbert Benson.
6.You’ll hear cutting edge information from professionals in all walks of publishing: agents, authors, publishers, publicists, writing coaches and editors.
7.Copley Square (Hey, I went to MIT, so a trip to Boston is always a draw for me).
8. Shameless Pitches: Yet another opportunity to grab an agent or publisher’s attention.
9.You’ll learn secrets of compelling writing.
10. Dr. Julie Silver, the course director, over-delivers (Many people take the course year one, put it into action and attend the following year to pitch to agents and publishers, and also to learn more–each year offers new gems).
I’ve often heard aspiring writers complain about how hard it is to get published. Those people just aren’t doing the right things to get published. Attending this course is the perfect antidote. Not only do you learn exactly what to do, but you make those contacts that are necessary to get published. I know many people who attended the course and got an agent or publisher for their book within a year or so.
Lisa: What were your goals the second time around? What did you want to get out of the course?
