Penguin Michael Joseph signs self-published Helmstetter’s guide to seizing the morning

Penguin Michael Joseph has signed Coffee Self-Talk by Kristen Helmstetter which, according to the publisher, has sold more than 150,000 copies worldwide since the author self-published it in August 2020.

Publisher Fenella Bates acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Rachel Berkowitz, director of foreign rights at Rodale, Random House US. Rodale is publishing the book simultaneously with PMJ on 3rd November 2022.

The book focuses on the “brilliantly simple, effective idea” of seizing the morning to own your day. “Through spending five minutes with their first cup of coffee talking to themselves in a positive, affirmative way, readers will learn to transform their lives,” the synopsis reads.

“The book includes an explanation of the science behind self-talk and ‘Self-Talk Scripts’ to guide readers through their journey. This beautifully refreshed package will have decorative line art throughout, two new ‘Self-Talk Scripts’, new summaries and exercises in each chapter, and lined pages for journaling and writing your own scripts. Kristen Helmstetter has used self-talk to find the man of her dreams, travel the world, and become a successful author."

Bates said: “Coffee Self-Talk struck a profound chord with readers around the world as soon as it was self-published in August 2020. The best ideas are the simplest ones, and Kristen struck gold when she came up with the idea of pairing her first coffee of the day with spending a bit of time focusing on changing her ‘self-talk’. 

“This deceptively simple morning routine completely transformed Kristen’s life – taking her from a place of negativity to one of hope, confidence and joy. Kristen went from being over £100k in debt and feeling stuck and miserable in her life, even though on paper nothing was wrong – to living her long-cherished dream of travelling the world and becoming a bestselling writer. I can’t wait for many thousands more readers in the UK to discover the life-changing magic of Coffee Self-Talk.”

Helmstetter said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have Penguin Michael Joseph publish Coffee Self-Talk in the UK and the Commonwealth. This helps me reach my own goal of sharing this simple, life-changing technique with as many people around the world as possible.”