Here is the press release that was submitted to PRWeb, in case you do not see it there.
Saint Paul Self-Published Author Continues Helping Survivors After a Death
Need for Definitive Guidebook Exceeds Expectations
March 17, 2011 || Saint Paul, MN: Begin Here: helping survivors manage, the definitive resource on what to do when a loved one dies, enters into its second stage. What began as a personal spreadsheet has become an invaluable tool for others in the same boat. As proof of the need for just such a resource, overwhelming demand has warranted a 2nd Edition, just released in the first quarter of 2011.
This hands-on workbook guides survivors through the seemingly overwhelming practical and necessary tasks that remain after a death, from residential to financial to personal. Author Kat Reed based the guidebook/toolkit on her own experiences after her mom’s death. Discovering the lack of resources available to help her and her predominantly deaf dad with these tasks, Reed was forced to research and investigate solutions to the practical matters for herself. In turn, she self-published her user-friendly book in 2009 as a way to ease this burden for other survivors.
According to 2008 preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control, between 1979 and 2008, approximately 6,131 individuals died every single day in the United States. The survivors of these deaths are the foundation of this book. “When someone dies, there are countless organizations around the world that offer grief support, but none that provides the product that we offer,” Reed explains. “Helping Survivors Manage was created on the foundation of most new ventures: a void in the market. We hope to fill that need with our experienced team of subject matter experts (those who have been through it, as well as funeral directors, professional organizers, hospice, health and death care professionals) to help others through this difficult time.”
Begin Here: helping survivors manage has garnered national attention and earned acclaim as a 2009 Book Award Finalist in the Midwest Independent Publishers Association and a winner in the North American Bookdealers Exchange Fall 2010 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award. A dozen local and national mainstream and industry-specific publications have also recognized the book’s immense value and shared positive reviews and endorsements, including the following:
- Mary Divine, Pioneer Press: “It covers everything from whom to notify at the time of death to how to delegate.”
- Bill Ward, Star Tribune: “A guidebook/workbook covering everything from bills and pills to wills.”
- Kim Stacey, Association of Women Funeral Directors: “I can’t say enough about the value of this book.”
As of this press release, Reed has sold over 1,450 units with no marketing budget, only using Facebook, LinkedIn and her own website and blog to generate interest. Sales are attributed to word of mouth, press coverage and speaking engagements. The book is available on her website (www.HelpingSurvivorsManage.com), select bookstores in Minnesota and New Mexico, and a few online stores. The website also provides online forms and letters at no cost.
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Begin Here: helping survivors: ISBN 978-1-61623-273-3, spiral bound, sturdy soft cover, 52 pages, 7”x9”, $24.00. Order at www.HelpingSurvivorsManage.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kat Reed has more than 25 years experience in the financial/business world. Her background in bookkeeping and office management gives her the unique ability to address both the details and the big picture. She has been a hospice volunteer and has an affinity for the elderly. She became interested in the issues survivors face when both her parents died in a thirteen-month span. Kat lives in Minnesota with her husband and two cats.
