Crowdsourcing experience, strength and hope

CENTER CITY, Minnesota (Feb. 9, 2021) – Instead of a single author, Hazelden Publishing is asking the public, including veterans in recovery from addiction and sexual trauma survivors, to help write upcoming volumes in its bestselling series of self-help meditation books.

"Hazelden Publishing's books and other recovery resources have always relied on the wisdom of people with lived experience, but never before have we sought to assemble a collection of so many voices from, and for, such specific communities of healing," said Joe Jaksha, vice president and publisher at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. "With our new meditation anthologies, we want to connect the experience, strength and hope of our contributors to people all over the world who can relate and draw on the inspiration and insights shared to help them on their own daily journey of healing. It's an extension of the digital crowdsourcing strategy we've seen work so well in other areas of modern life, and we're excited about it."

Hazelden Publishing is part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit system of addiction treatment, co-occurring mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services. The publishing division began in 1954 with the publication of Richmond Walker's daily meditation book Twenty-Four Hours a Day, which has sold more than 9 million copies and is affectionately known throughout the worlds as "The Little Black Book." While Hazelden Publishing has grown into a diverse business engaged in education and consulting as much as consumer publishing, its meditation books—of which there are now 45 are as popular as ever and vital to millions of people in recovery from addiction.

"We've found that our meditation series has grown more valuable as the pace and complexity of people's lives has increased—providing a simple and structured way of slowing down for a moment every day to quietly contemplate our most meaningful priorities," Jaksha said.

Hazelden Publishing's first two crowdsourced meditation anthologies will draw from and help two communities uniquely impacted by addiction and recovery: 

• Leave No One Behind: Daily Meditations for Service Members and Veterans in Recovery
• How We Heal: Meditations for Reclaiming Our Voices from Addiction and Sexual Trauma

"We've heard from both veterans and sexual trauma survivors that a resource like this has been needed in their communities for a long time, so we're happy to collaborate and begin this new anthology approach with them, and we're actively seeking contributors now," Jaksha said.

For more information about Hazelden Publishing's new meditation anthologies, or to contribute, visit hazelden.org/writeyourown.

About Hazelden Publishing

An integral part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Hazelden Publishing offers innovative educational resources as well as inspirational media. The print and digital resources guide individuals and their families through treatment and recovery from addiction. Through the distribution of these resources, Hazelden Publishing extends the reach of healing and hope to individuals, families, and communities affected by addiction and related issues.