HarperNonFiction lands 'essential toolkit' from Smith

HarperNonFiction has landed a personal development guide from coach and motivational speaker James Smith offering “an essential toolkit" on improving confidence.

Lydia Good, editorial director, Specialist & Thorsons, acquired world rights to How To Be Confident from Luke Betts at Just Develop It. It will be published in the UK on 1st September 2022 simultaneously with HarperCollins Australia and New Zealand. 

How To Be Confident is described as “an essential toolkit that will help empower readers to step out of cycles of negativity–from comparing themselves to others and doom-scrolling on social media to paralysis of choice and chasing external gratification”.  

The publisher said: “With his trademark mix of candid advice, personal experience and infectious passion, Smith teaches readers how to master their true ambitions, realise their genuine strengths and achieve the life they need, but might not know they want.” 

Good said: “Working with James is always a breath of fresh air and we’re hugely excited about the topic of confidence for his third book, written in his signature no-nonsense style. We know that his fans are eagerly awaiting this one, and this subject will reach even further to find new audiences looking for innovative approaches to personal development and empowerment.” 

The publisher said Smith’s two previous publications, Not A Diet Book and Not A Life Coach, have combined sales of over 500,00 across all formats. 

Smith said: “Everyone can harness and utilise confidence for a better life. Writing my third book is a journey into discovering what it takes, and what it means, to gain confidence and audacity in the areas of life that count the most–but also exposing and calling out misplaced confidence and destructive attitudes. Drawing on research, expert advice, and my own experience, this is my favourite writing project to date.”