We run regular Book Writing Retreats, with eight authors working with a team of four Rethink Press mentors (Lucy, Joe, Mike and Verity) over three days at a luxury hotel & spa in the beautiful Norfolk countryside.

The authors always have a brilliant time (and so do we), refining their concepts and moving their books further along than they thought would be possible. Each of them has a personalised schedule for the kind of planning, coaching and development they need, along with time for writing, that allows them to get the most out of their time with us.

We’ve booked our next retreat at the Barnham Broom Hotel and Spa, and there are just eight spaces for authors who really want to commit to getting their books out into the world and working for them, their brand and their business. If you are one of those, this is what you’ll experience:

“The Book Retreat surpassed my expectations. I made significant progress and the support of the world class Rethink Team was excellent. We had considerable input throughout as required, and a great environment to get to the writing.”

Dan Janes

ARRIVAL: You arrive at Barnham Broom on Tuesday evening for a meet-up, delicious buffet supper and introduction to the mentors and authors. After that, and throughout the retreat, you’ll be able swim in the pool, play tennis, work out in the gym or use the spa (the Thai foot massages are to die for) before retiring to your comfortable and peaceful room.

DAY ONE:  For those who need it, Wednesday is for positioning and planning. After breakfast, those at the start of their journey or needing to revisit will have a BookPlan session with Lucy, positioning and structuring their book. Mike and Verity will work one-to-one on more advanced manuscripts and Joe will be working with everyone individually throughout the retreat on titles, sub-titles and initial cover concepts. We’ll stop briefly for a buffet lunch and by 5pm, you’ll be amazed at how much closer your book is to the finish line. The evening is yours to eat in the hotel or locally, use the spa, or to keep writing.

DAY TWO: On Thursday, you can work individually with your choice of mentors in the Colton Room, write in your own bedroom, and use the lounge, bar, or terrace as breakout spaces. We’ll de-brief over a buffet lunch and celebrate your progress together over a three-course dinner in the hotel in the evening.

“This is the most unique experience and so amazing to see Lucy, Joe, Mike and Verity bring to life our books in the most fun, elegant way ! Huge thanks.”

Barbara McNaughton Khattri

DAY THREE: Friday is for checking in with mentors, and/or writing. We’ll have lunch together and give any final guidance before you leave at whatever time suits you.

FOLLOW-UP:  After the retreat, we will all keep in touch through the private Facebook page, where you can share progress and frustrations and get advice and support.

“Fantastic Book Retreat with the wonderful Rethink Press team. Great bunch of people and a job well done!”

Lisa Roberts Zevi?

Total cost, for three nights’ accommodation and constant, delicious food (throughout, except Wednesday night), use of the sports and spa facilities, and all the book and writing coaching you need over three days is £1,750 + VAT. Or you can talk to Lucy about an instalment plan. To book your place and arrange payment, email lucy@rethinkpress.com.

“I highly recommend the book retreat – everything about it was absolutely perfect!”

Cheryl Penry

Alison: “This was the culmination of founder Lucy McCarraher’s vision, and as Head Judge I was closely involved in the journey. In this week’s episode I talk to Lucy about how she turned the idea into reality in partnership with ThinkFest, the details of the judging process, how it all turned out alright on the night, and the lessons we learned along the way.”

Listen here:

The Business Book Awards: https://www.businessbookawards.co.uk/

Lucy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucyMcCarraher

Alison on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookstothesky

They know that vanity metrics and reaching random income levels aren’t the goal, but creating an impact and legacy are the way to true success and happiness.

Lucy McCarraher is the Managing Editor of Rethink Press, Founder of the Business Book Awards, and Publish Mentor of the Key Person of Influence programme. She has mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners to plan, write and publish their books.

She is the author of 11 books herself – three novels and seven non-fiction books, including How To Write Your Book Without The Fuss – and Managing Editor of Rethink Press, which has published over 300 niche business and self-development books.

Here’s Lucy’s talk: Positioning yourself as a leader – The book that changed your life.

https://youtu.be/077Nggdcvc0

In its inaugural year, the awards have attracted 150 entries from an amazing variety of publishers. Seventeen different publishers have made the shortlist, with entries ranging from independent publishers such as The Authority Guide, through to household names such as Penguin Random House and Bloomsbury.

The founder of the awards is Lucy McCarraher, author of 11 books, and co-founder and Managing Editor of Rethink Press. Lucy McCarraher said, “We’re overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of the books we received this year. It was an extremely difficult task for the judges to narrow down this shortlist and, as a result, we’ve even had to create an additional category – the Judge’s Choice – for books that didn’t quite fit the categories that they had entered under, but were of such a high standard that we felt they should be recognized.”

The nominated books are divided into seven categories: Startup Inspiration, Selling the Dream, Leading the Team, Embracing Change, Thought Leader, Self-Development, and the Judge’s Choice.

Safaraz Ali, the founder of ThinkFest, the organisers behind this initiative, said, “Given this is our first ever Business Book Awards event, I’m more than delighted to have such a high calibre of entries. We’re thrilled with the reception that we’ve received from both writers and publishers. I’m looking forward to the winners being announced in March.”

The Business Book Awards ceremony will take place on March 16 2018 at The Grange City Hotel, London. Tickets for this event can be purchased through the website.

Business Book Awards 2018 Shortlist:

Category 1: Startup Inspiration – Judged by John Williams

It Takes a Tribe by Will Dean (Portfolio, Penguin Random House)
Recipe for Success by Karen Green (Matador)
She Means Business by Carrie Green (Hay House Publishers)
Tested by Alpesh H. Patel (Peshmode)
Thrive Don’t Just Survive by Karen Ingram (Rethink Press)

Category 2: Selling the Dream – Judged by Andy Lopata

Scale Up Millionaire by Gordon McAlpine (Rethink Press)
Secret Skill, Hidden Career by Paul Owen (Rethink Press)
Strategic Tendering for Professional Services by Matthew Fuller and Tim Nightingale (Kogan Page)
The Authority Guide to Pitching Your Business by Mel Sherwood (The Authority Guides)
The Growth Director’s Secret by Andrew Brent (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc)
UnBranding by Scott Stratten and Alison Stratten (Wiley)

Category 3: Leading the Team – Judged by Martin Norbury

Leadersmithing by Eve Poole (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc)
Myths of Leadership by Jo Owen (Kogan Page)
The Change Catalyst by Campbell Macpherson (Wiley)
The High-Potential Leader by Ram Charan, with Geri Willigan (Wiley)
The Joy of Leadership by Tal Ben-Sharhar and Angus Ridgway (Wiley)
The Listening Leader by Emilio Galli Zugaro and Clementina Galli Zugaro (Pearson)

Category 4: Embracing Change – Judged by Ginny Carter

Core by Neil Gaught (Routledge)
Futureproof by Minter Dial and Caleb Storkey (Pearson)
Humanification by Christian Kromme (The Choir Press)
What To Do When Machines Do Everything by Malcolm Frank, Paul Roehrig and Ben Pring (Wiley)
Who Can You Trust? by Rachel Botsman (Portfolio, Penguin Random House)

Category 5: Thought Leader – Judged by Carl Reader

24 Assets by Daniel Priestley (Rethink Press)
Fully Connected by Julia Hobsbawm (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc)
Neuro Design by Darren Bridger (Kogan Page)
The Power of Purpose by John O’Brien and Andrew Cave (Pearson)
The Startup Way by Eric Ries (Portfolio, Penguin Random House)

Category 6: Self-Development – Judged by Suzanne Collier

Influence by Warren Cass (Capstone, Wiley)
Myths of Work by Ian MacRae and Adrian Furnham (Kogan Page)
The Leader’s Guide to Presenting by Tom Bird and Jeremy Cassell (Pearson)
The Reputation Game by David Waller and Rupert Younger (Oneworld)
The Rules of People by Richard Templar (Pearson)

Category 7: Judge’s Choice – Judged by Lucy McCarraher

Almost is Not Good Enough by Andrew R Jennings (Andrew R Jennings)
Client Earth by James Thorton and Martin Goodman (Scribe UK)
Customers the Day After Tomorrow by Steven van Belleghem (Lannoo)
Trusted by Lyn Bromley & Donna Whitbrook (Practical Inspiration Publishing)

ENDS

Lucy McCarraher and the event organisers are available for interview.

For further information please contact Mary-Jane Rose, email mary-Jane@famouspublicity.com or Adam Betteridge, email adam@famouspublicity.com or Tina Fotherby, email tina@famouspublicity.com or call 0333 344 2341.

Lucy McCarraher, Managing Editor

Lucy McCaraher started her first publishing company at university, and has been publishing, editing and writing ever since. She has been a magazine and book editor and publisher, print and TV journalist in Australia and the UK; a writers’ agent, and editor for Methuen. As Director of Development at Lifetime Productions International, she developed, wrote and edited UK and international TV and video series, including three series of Runaway Bay, a children’s series shot in Martinique and starring Naomie Harris; Go Wild! with Chris Packham; and the Lovers Guide video series and books.

Lucy became a national expert in work-life balance, writing academic and business reports for clients and authoring The Work-Life Manual and The Book of Balanced Living. Her clients included multinational and blue chip companies, large public sector and voluntary organisations, and SMEs. She has also worked as a coach with many individuals on their work-life balance and personal development.

Lucy is the author of 11 published books, including her latest, best-selling How To Write Your Book Without The Fuss, with her business partner Joe Gregory; and the acclaimed How To Write Fiction Without The Fuss. Her first novel, Blood and Water, was shortlisted in a major competition and published by Macmillan New Writing, followed by Kindred Spirits and Mr Mikey’s Ladies. Lucy’s self-help books include A Simpler Life and The Real Secret, both co-authored with social psychologist, Annabel Shaw. The Real Secret was published by Bookshaker and Lucy subsequently became Commissioning Editor of the publishing company, contributing to its 14-year experience of niche business and self-development books.

Lucy became the Publish Mentor for KPI UK in 2013, for KPI Singapore in 2015, and enjoys working with the wide variety of talented KPI entrepreneurs to plan, write, and publish their business books.

She mentors and coaches individual writers; gives keynotes, workshops, masterclasses and webinars in all aspects of writing and publishing; and has a post-graduate diploma (DTLLS) in teaching Creative Writing and Literacy.

Lucy McCarraher

The story of Lucy’s impact on the wider entrepreneurial world is best told through the success of Rethink Press and its authors. This year, the hybrid publisher has helped around 65 entrepreneurs become authors, and in total Lucy, with her business partner Joe Gregory, has published over 300 books of a business nature.

In fact, 83% of Rethink Press published books achieve Amazon #1 Best Seller status, and at any one time three or four of the top ten business and entrepreneurship books on the site have been published by Rethink Press.

Such is the breadth of Lucy’s impact on entrepreneurs in the UK – as well as Singapore, Australia and Europe – that the organisers of the NatWest Everywoman in Business awards nominated her from a list of impressive women in business.

Speaking about the nomination, Lucy said, “It’s a great feeling to have been shortlisted for an award as prestigious and far-reaching as the NatWest Everywoman awards.

“From day one everything that we’ve done at Rethink Press has been focused around a top-quality offering at great value. It’s rewarding to support first time authors through the stages of planning and writing a book, before finally having something they can be proud of publishing, and which has the power to transform their career and the opportunities that are open to them.

“The publishing industry has changed drastically in the last 20 years, and traditional publishers are struggling to make enough book sales to be profitable, in all but the most successful cases.

“By changing the business model of publishing this type of book, while most publishers focus on authors who sell books, we can focus on books that sell authors.”

In her role at Rethink Press, Lucy McCarraher assists entrepreneurs, businesspeople and coaches gain impact, income and influence through writing their own business or self-help books.

Rethink Press is a quality-focused publishing house that serves clients from around the globe with its diverse team of specialist coaches, writers, editors, designers and typesetters. It guides people through the often-daunting process of publishing their first book.

With her business partner Joe Gregory, Lucy has pioneered a radically different business model to that of traditional publishing houses, and this allows them to focus on the business needs of authors.

Lucy McCarraher is also a successful author in her own right, with ten books to her name including How To Write Your Book Without The Fuss. She says, “It might seem paradoxical, given the current trends for micro-communications on platforms such as Twitter, but being able to put your name to a longer piece of original work really helps to convince people of your expertise.

“Potential clients and partners want to work with the best in the business, and a book helps to prove that’s what you are.

“Without doubt, books about your business methodology have a tangible benefit to business development and lead easily into conversations with the clients you want.

“For example, Tim Farmer, who is a mental capacity specialist, published a book for the medical and legal markets. His book, Grandpa on a Skateboard, summarised his knowledge and process, and was designed with an eye-catching, humorous cover. He did very little marketing but within two months of his book being published his business had doubled.”

Passionate about recognising authors who take different routes to publication, Lucy McCarraher has also founded the Business Book Awards, which celebrates business books from all forms of publishing. Speaking at the launch of the new awards, Lucy McCarraher said, “New methods of business book publishing have come of age and authors, coaches, service providers and publishers in this area deserve to be celebrated.

“Of course, there are other awards for business books, some of which are very prestigious and longstanding. However, they either cover a very niche subject area or they will only accept entries from traditionally-published books. Some of them lack stature because they are judged by the public rather than by professionals.

“The Business Book Awards welcomes every good book and every method of publication. I want to recognise business book publishing and authorship in all its forms, and bring the best authors to public recognition.”
The Natwest Everywoman Awards will be presented on 6 December 2017.

ENDS

Media information supplied by Famous Publicity. For more information, please contact Dom Hogan at dom@famouspublicity.com, George Murdoch at george@famouspublicity.com or 03333 442 341 or Tina Fotherby at tina@famouspublicity.com and 03333 442 341.

Lucy McCarraher, Managing Editor

Lucy McCarraher, Founder and Managing Editor of Rethink Press, started her first publishing company at university, and has been publishing, editing and writing ever since. She has been a magazine and book editor and publisher, print and TV journalist in Australia and the UK; a writers’ agent, and editor for Methuen. As Director of Development at Lifetime Productions International, she developed, wrote and edited UK and international TV and video series, including three series of Runaway Bay, a children’s series shot in Martinique and starring Naomie Harris; Go Wild! with Chris Packham; and the Lovers Guide video series and books.

Lucy became a national expert in work-life balance, writing academic and business reports for clients and authoring The Work-Life Manual and The Book of Balanced Living. Her clients included multinational and blue chip companies, large public sector and voluntary organisations, and SMEs. She has also worked as a coach with many individuals on their work-life balance and personal development.

Lucy is the author of eleven published books, including her best-selling How To Write Your Book Without The Fuss, with her business partner Joe Gregory; and the acclaimed How To Write Fiction Without The Fuss. Her first novel, Blood and Water, was shortlisted in a major competition and published by Macmillan New Writing, followed by Kindred Spirits and Mr Mikey’s Ladies. Lucy’s self-help books include A Simpler Life and The Real Secret, both co-authored with social psychologist, Annabel Shaw. The Real Secret was published by Bookshaker and Lucy subsequently became Commissioning Editor of the publishing company, contributing to its 14-year experience of niche business and self-development books.

Lucy founded Rethink Press Ltd with Joe Gregory (of Bookshaker) in 2011: the company works with entrepreneurs, experts and business owners who want to gain impact, influence and income by writing and publishing their well-written, high quality business or self-help book, blogs and other content. As Managing Editor, Lucy has successfully built the brand, based on a wrap-around suite of quality services for entrepreneurs who want to plan, write, publish and publicise an authoritative, professional and beautiful book, both inside and out.

Lucy became the Publish Mentor for KPI UK in 2013, for KPI Singapore in 2015, and enjoys working with the wide variety of talented KPI entrepreneurs to plan, write, and publish their business books.

She mentors and coaches individual writers; gives keynotes, workshops, masterclasses and webinars in all aspects of writing and publishing; and has a post-graduate diploma (DTLLS) in teaching Creative Writing and Literacy.

About Rethink Press:

Rethink Press works with entrepreneurs, business owners, coaches and consultants to get their book planned, written and published. The publisher draws on 14 years of publishing hundreds of business and self-help books to bring the best possible service to their authors.