Employee Assistance Programs and My Book

“A stirring resource.”

I’m glad Publishers Weekly chose the word “resource” to describe my illustrated book, I MISS MY MOMMY.

The book follows the lives of orphaned adults, documenting their day-to day challenges getting out of bed, walking the dog, sitting at their desks at work, all the while lost in a haze of grief. I positioned the book as something raw, relatable, occasionally funny, that was written and illustrated by a fellow grief traveller, not a clinician or counsellor.

But being a self-published author and entrepreneur, I can’t just rely on book sales through discovery on Google or generative models, like SearchGPT. Nor can I bet on the buzz of social media. I like the idea of creating targeted pitches to potential partners.

Here’s what I’m thinking: Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).

EAPs are workplace benefits programs in Canada, the US, and around the world that help employees resolve issues impacting their lives. The idea is to address personal challenges before they interfere with work performance. EAPs serve employees who need mental health support, substance abuse counseling, financial and legal advice, and ➡️grief and bereavement support.⬅️

Bosses who are good at grief leadership* know that the organization will benefit when employees aren’t struggling with overwhelming personal stressors. When it comes to grief, a heartfelt acknowledgment by your boss and co-workers is a balm, while silence is a blow.

A television producer who came to my studio to shoot a segment about my book said all she had been looking for after her mother died was “validation for my need to grieve, and I found it in your book.”

THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN

If any of you work with, or are in touch with, EAP service providers (LifeWorks, BetterUp, ComPsych, MantraCare), I would love an introduction and/or a good word. Thank you, everyone!

And now back to the book distribution war map,

Alison

You can learn more about my book at PenJarProductions.com, including a TV interview at my studio.

*H/T to Gini Dietrich for introducing me to the concept of grief leadership on her ever helpful SpinSucks.com blog: https://spinsucks.com/entrepreneur/grief-leadership/