Happy Place Books pre-empts book by therapist Rawlinson in six-figure deal

Happy Place Books has pre-empted Reclaiming You by online therapist, Abby Rawlinson, in a six-figure deal.  

Ru Merritt, senior commissioning editor, bought world all language rights from Oscar Janson-Smith at Gleam Titles. Happy Place Books will publish on 6th July 2023. 

The publisher said: “In this self-therapy toolkit, integrative therapist Abby Rawlinson guides readers on a journey to reconnecting with their selves to help them build resilience and be better equipped to take on both good and bad days. With a specialist focus on the mind-body connection, Abby brings a life-changing holistic approach to her clients and online followers, helping them recognise the many ways signs from our bodies can help us improve and optimise our mental health.” 

Rawlinson shares simple graphics on her Instagram page @therapywithabby to condense therapeutic tools into easy-to-understand visuals. She is an integrative therapist with a private practice based in east London, and regularly contributes to articles in the likes of Stylist, Elle, BBC, Harpers Bazaar, Sheerluxe, Women’s Health, and Psychologies.

Rawlinson said: “I am beyond thrilled to be working with the team at Ebury to publish my first book. I truly believe that the most profound life changes occur when we harness the power of the mind-body connection, and I’m hoping that the support and tools in this book will help people feel more confident, resilient and able to thrive in their work and life. It’s the book I wish I’d read before becoming a therapist.” 

Janson-Smith added: “Abby is utterly brilliant, so, unsurprisingly, there was a lot of interest in her. I had a list of around 20 extremely keen editors drawn up at one point, many of whom had reached out to Abby directly. However, the proactivity of Ru and her team, and their passion for the project, and for Abby, meant that it was impossible for us to look elsewhere. We’re delighted to be partnering with Happy Place on this book and look forward to it continuing Abby’s invaluable work in democratising therapy.” 

Merritt also commented: “When I first came across Abby’s Instagram page, I was immediately hooked. Her way of sharing the tools of therapy in bite-size takeaways – through everyday language but with an eye-catching visual approach – felt instantly distinctive from other content creators. We all have moments when we feel lost, overwhelmed or just a bit ‘meh’ and Abby’s book will be a practical, empowering and uplifting guide for those times – to help us get back on track to what makes us happiest, and feel most ourselves.”