Congratulations!
You are now part of The Gifts of Pain family!
Please fill out the form below at your earliest convenience and study the information below it to get started with your transformational chapter.
There are questions and answers about the program right below this form. Please read the instructions on that page carefully because they will save you time, energy, and stress, and will assure your success in this program.
It will be helpful to save that page and come back to it from time to time, as needed, even after your form is submitted.
And speaking of that, be sure to click the submit button. You will receive a copy of your answers by email.
Let’s get started!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the title and subtitle of the book?
The title of the book is: The Gifts of Pain
The Subtitle of the book is: Courageous Stories, Reflections, and Journal Prompts to Overcome Adversity and Rise in Hope
How do I send in my draft?
You received a Google Doc where you will type your daft and where we will work on your draft together. Please do not create new drafts or submit a Word document, PDF, Pages, or Evernote, or any password protected files. This takes our team extra time to get permission, convert and download, and hinders progress editing process.
What is the overall goal and audience of the book?
Our collective credibility will be enhanced and so will our collective ability to provide a valuable resource and to get to the core essence of our story and message and communicate it with just a few words. The book will appeal to any audience – any person who is in pain and wants insight and hope to process their trauma.
All promotional efforts will be based on your chapters, using that will make sense for each and all the authors. As you share your authentic story, you will also promote to each other’s audiences, whether it’s online or as we speak for college students, teenagers, associations, faculty, administrators, non-profits, community groups, corporations, entrepreneur groups, organizations, podcasts, public events, etc.
What is the theme?
The intent is to have a central theme of general healing and empowerment that helps a reader who has been through or is going through adversity achieve more in any area of their life. The title, The Gifts of Pain, conveys that approach. The general concept of the book is that of combining our various perspectives on different areas of success as they pertain to various topics.
How many words should I write?
The word count for your S.T.O.R.Y. is 300 words MAXIMUM. Check out this IG post I made using the S.T.O.R.Y. system, which is 229 words. 🙂 Your title is not included in the 300 words.
In addition to your title and your 300-word S.T.O.R.Y., we will be adding an implementation page and a quote page that will make up for your chapter.
If you would like to see more 300-S.T.O.R.Y. examples, you can get a digital version of Volume 1 or Volume 2 of The Gifts of Pain for only $2.99 each.
Is my contact information included in the 50-word count in the Bio?
Yes. Your 50-word bio includes your name, titles or designations, and expertise, and any relevant information to your chapter you wrote. It will be placed on the back of your customized book cover and the space designed for your bio will hold 50 words or less, no more. You will follow the format provided on your intake video.
Make sure you write your bio below your chapter draft on the Google document provided for you and that you include the name exactly as you want it to show on the front and spine of your custom book cover.
How do I title my chapter?
The title format for all chapters in The Gifts of Pain series is “From __ to ____,” or “From <PAIN> to <GIFT>.” The first word is the state you were in the moment of pain and the second is the state you are in right now as it relates to that specific painful situation.
Your title is a separate section from your S.T.O.R.Y. and, therefore, will not be counted toward the 300-word limit.
You can see examples of previous chapter titles on the Amazon description of Volume 1 or Volume 2 of The Gifts of Pain.
What should be written for my chapter?
You received a video learn Transformational Storytelling using Elayna’s S.T.O.R.Y. System to create a narrative that engages, inspires, and empowers readers as you share ideas and strategies that will help them to achieve more personal and/or professional success.
You can use previous pieces that you may have already written as an article or in a book and repurpose parts of your work that fit within each section of the S.T.O.R.Y. System, as you answer the 5 questions and use the 5 prompts provided. Do and NOT to use A.I. for any of your materials (title, story, bio, implementation page, quote).
NOTE: You MUST be the owner of any/all content that you choose to submit. You CANNOT legally use the work of someone else. That is plagiarism. I also prefer you do not quote or cite anyone else in your chapter or that you mention brands. Please ONLY submit your own story and work. Any/all others will be rejected and not included.
What is the style of the chapter?
You are sharing a story, so it is important that you show and don’t tell.
- DO NOT use AI for any aspect of your work in this book. Using A.I. compromises the book. If you need support with your material, we’ll work on it together during our group support calls.
- Make your S.T.O.R.Y. conversational: act as if you are talking to a safe friend on the phone.
- Remember to write in the first person.
- Make sure we can see you as a character in the story. We want to see you in a scene.
For example, “I was in a car accident with my brother” turns into:
“My brother and I were in the back seat, making small talk, grateful to get a ride home from school – when in a matter of seconds, the car crashed, flipped, went across the median into the opposite lane, and slammed against a palm tree, ejecting everyone safely from the car. Except for me – I was trapped.”
Read THIS award-winning BLOG Post. Comment on the blog post sharing what you learned about what elements, principles, and techniques you could incorporate in your book chapter.
Why 31 Authors? This is a devotional-style book where each chapter set (From/to title, 300-word S.T.O.R.Y., implementation page, chapter quote) is designed to be consumed daily. 31 days and 31 authors, 31 stories.
How will the chapter and bio developmental editing be handled?
Upon receiving your filled out form above, you will receive a Google Document where we will work on your chapter draft. All developmental edits will occur on this draft. This means that you will work on the same document each time there is an edit.
We will be using Suggestions and Comments to track changes and edits. Here’s a tutorial about working with suggestions.
Suggestions: When I leave a suggestions, it is something I did myself on the document, and as you accept it, it happens automatically. Please accept or reply on them with your thoughts. Do not reject them.
Comments/Questions: When I leave a comment, I am asking you to do something or answer something. Address/answer them and reply. Do not resolve them.
As you accept suggestions and we address comments, the green lines and yellow highlights will disappear and it will result in a clean, edited document. As you accept the suggestion, the suggested action (whether it’s to move, delete, add, or format) will happen automatically.
Any communication about your chapter, quote, and exercise needs to be addressed within the draft document. You can also suggest changes of your own, by using the same Suggestions feature.
Again, do not reject suggestions, and do not resolve comments without addressing them. Instead, comment on them (sharing your thoughts, objections, clarifications, questions, etc.) so we can work together in making progress.
How will copyediting be handled?
Once Elayna approves all authors’ 300-word S.T.O.R.Y., title, implementation page, and quote, the manuscript will be submitted for a copyeditor’s review. Elayna will communicate any substantial changes the editor suggests.
How will the book layout be handled?
We will handle professionally typesetting your chapter: 300-word S.T.O.R.Y., your title, your implementation page, and quote page. You will have the opportunity to proof-read your chapter before publication. and bio and picture.
What kind of picture do I need for my headshot?
We will need your picture for your custom back cover. Send your headshot by email to elayna@thepositivemom.com. It must be a headshot of YOU. Do not upload a group picture!
Picture Size – The picture is a high-resolution picture color picture. It’s about the size of a passport photo. Head must be between 1 -1 3/8 inches (25 – 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
Picture Format – MUST be jpeg or png. Do not send from your phone in HEIC, HEVC or any other image format. We cannot convert these. The best backgrounds are solid. Scene backgrounds sometimes take away from your picture. The background does not need to be white.
Do not send multiple pictures or multiple chapters and say, “You pick”. This is YOUR information. That choice is YOURS!
When do I announce my participation in The Gifts of Pain?
I will be creating a Meet The Author image and a quote card that will be published on Instagram. I will be uploading these into a folder and you will get access to them and will receive specific instructions to share. You’re going to also receive tutorials, captions, hashtags, and everything that you need to do the promotion. My goal is that you learn not only how to do it, but what the strategy is behind it and that you can continue to use those same techniques moving forward.
What is the implementation page?
This page is for the reader to write on and to use as a journal. It’s usually going to be either an experiential exercise or it’s going to be prompts or questions that you’re going to add. This is a different page for reflection, integration, and implementation, so it is separate from the story and allows the reader to go deeper into the invitation you had for them. There’s no specific word count because it’s a low-content page where the reader will do most of the writing. I will provide suggestions for you when your S.T.O.R.Y. is close to the approval stage.
Quotation
An excerpt of your book will be highlighted in the book and shared on social media. This is your own content, not anyone else’s. You do not need to submit it separately, since I will suggest one from your chapter right on your draft document. If you feel strongly about an excerpt of your chapter that you want as a quote, please place it at the bottom of your draft document for my consideration and note that. It needs to be in the text or a slight variation so it stands alone. You can see the quotation examples on Instagram here.
What if I need one-on-one support?
One-on-one coaching support is not a requirement of this program. I want to make sure that support is available. Here’s where you can book a call with me, if needed.
Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.
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