Cornerstone Press joins Meyers’ body positive journey

Cornerstone Press has landed a “powerful” book by Bethany C Meyers, founder and c.e.o. of first body neutral fitness platform the be.come project.

Editorial director Anna Argenio acquired world all language rights to I Am More Than My Body: The Body Neutral Journey directly from the author. Cornerstone Press will publish in June 2023 and US rights have been sold to Michelle Howry at Putnam. 

Meyers has been a part of the fitness industry for more than 15 years – as an instructor, a teacher trainer and workout creator. The publisher explained: “After battling an eating disorder for the majority of their fitness career, Bethany began to heal their relationship with exercise, food and the physical self. Vowing to be the change they so desperately needed, Bethany founded the be.come project in July 2018, with the intention of sharing the powerful message of body neutrality with the world. 

“I Am More Than My Body is an extension of that mission. Based on the belief that no matter how we feel about our body, we can find a way to respect it and reconnect with our self-worth, it will be a book to help readers introduce the life-changing concept of body neutrality into their life. Bethany will guide them on a path to better understand diet culture, free themselves from societal standards and leave toxic positivity behind in order to embrace a neutral state of mind, and find greater joy, peace and fulfilment within.”

Meyers said: “The concept of body neutrality is a new idea for many people and one that can offer an attainable perspective on how we view our body. While the nuances of body neutrality are vast, I always sum it up for those just discovering it with: ‘Some days we may love our body, some days we hate our body, but every day we respect our body.’ And it’s that idea of ‘respect’ that I’m so excited to touch on in this book, because the more respect we have for our bodies, the more we are able to flourish! The concept of body neutrality helped steer me out of an eating disorder and helped me see my body as simply a vessel that carries the most important part of myself throughout the day. I’ve watched body neutrality help so many people that I’m still a little in disbelief that I have the opportunity to write this book, shed more light on such a powerful topic, and work with Anna and the incredible Cornerstone team.”

Argenio added: “I’ve been a fan of Bethany for a while: their work in founding the be.come project to bring inclusivity and a body-neutral approach to the fitness industry is hugely inspiring and that is reflected in the love and support they’ve received in traditional and social media. From our very first call, we connected on our shared vision for the project: a book that guides readers to discover the peace and joy that a body-neutral mindset can bring, gives them the tools they need to introduce its principles in their own lives, and ultimately helps us heal the distorted relationship we have with our body. I have been blown away by Bethany’s commitment and passion to this book and the ideas behind it, and their unbounded compassion, empathy and open-heartedness. It’s truly an honour to be welcoming Bethany to Cornerstone Press.”