Launch a Product and a Book with Dr. Maya Shetreat

Dr. Maya Shetreat never imagined herself writing a book about psychedelic plants. A neurologist, speaker, entrepreneur, and author, she had already published a book with Simon and Schuster. But writing a second book, for her, wasn’t an expectation, especially in order to promote a product launch.

Using Indie Publishing to Create a Product Launch and Attract the Right Audience

“I was talking with Angela about maybe writing a memoir,” Maya said, referencing Dr. Angela Lauria, publisher and founder of Difference Press. “We actually did a lot of development of that memoir. She said, ‘You know, I really think you should write a book about psychedelic master plants.’ And I was like, ‘No, I’m not interested in doing that for a litany of reasons.’”

And that was that. A few weeks went by and something about that idea of writing a book about psychedelic master plants just wouldn’t disappear. So, Maya reached back out to Angela. 

“What do you think this could look like?” she asked Angela. Ultimately, she participated in one of Angela’s Three Days to Done program in which authors work with Angela one-on-one to write an entire book. 

 “I don’t know if I’m one of the few people [who has], but I definitely presented a challenge to Angela, and she was up to the challenge happily,” Maya said with a grin.

According to Maya, Angela has a gift for structuring books. “It is some sort of mad genius, wizard drinking mad genius, or just genius. But whatever we want to call it, she is endowed with an incredible gift. I think that ability is the difference between someone writing a book who has something to say and just running around with a lot of brilliant ideas of their own right in their minds,” she explained.

Leveraging a Book to Enhance Revenue Streams

Initially, Maya envisioned the book as a concise companion piece she could use to generate buzz for the product launch of her psychedelic certification program (which she actually calls a de-certification, unlearning program), allowing her to provide some context about her quantum drops, a plant-based vibrational product she developed. But the project ballooned far beyond her expectations, turning into an 85,000-word tome.

“It went from being, maybe a 30,000 to 35,000 word book to being an 85,000 word book,” she said with a laugh. 

The completed book, The Master Plant Experience: The Science, Safety, and Sacred Ceremony of Psychedelics, serves as a substantive introduction to Maya’s unique perspective for those considering her de-certification program.

“I’m a neurologist. I’ve studied the science very deeply. The science of the body, the gut-brain connection, the heart-brain connection… the microbiome, the ways that nature affects us, all of those things,” she said. “I’m very well versed in all of the science, and I’ve studied sacred practice with indigenous teachers and done a lot of work in there.”  

The book lays all of that background out so readers understand who Maya is and whether her intensive de-certification program aligns with their goals and interests.

“For me, my book really does that because I really put my ideas out there,” she said. “You don’t seem to hold back ever. Which is kind of important to a lot of people. Because they will, especially business owners. They’ll hold back parts of their personality. And then, suddenly, there is that disconnect between clients and owner.”

Transparency Is Key

For Maya, transparency is key. As she put it, “I think my responsibility is to transmit what I uniquely can share.” 

Maya acknowledges profit is also a consideration as a business owner. “I need to make money. I must make money. I want to make money,” she stated plainly. This a nod to her multiple revenue streams, which includes her quantum drops. However, monetary gain can never compromise her integrity.  

“Money comes and goes, but integrity is forever,” she said.

The book has proven itself invaluable as an introduction to Maya’s de-certification program. 

“Somebody who is the right person for my training can self-identify by taking a look at my book. Either they’re going to be like, ‘Yes, this is for me. I want a teacher, a guide, and a program that’s designed by somebody who believes that everything is alive and we’re all connected.’ And then there are other people who are going to say, ‘No, I just want to know the science and the compounds. I think it’s a really important thing for people to know who you are if they’re going to be in your program because you want to attract the right people to your work.”

The De-Certification Program: Coaching People Back to Connection

The de-certification process, which is now open to applicants, aims to address that pervasive sense of disconnection people feel from each other and the world around them. The book acts as a substantive lead-in, allowing readers to fully understand Maya’s perspective before committing to the intensive de-certification.

“They start to know your voice. They start to know your heart. And they know some of your ideas,” she said. “It’s an introduction.”

Although Maya never planned on writing a book, with Angela’s encouragement and guidance, she produced one that helped promote her product launch. Now, it perfectly supports her existing business. So, her advice to others looking to write a book for a product launch is to know that writing a book is a serious commitment. It will likely take more work than anticipated. The process itself has to have value, not just the end goal of promoting a business.

“You have to really want to write the book. The book itself has to have inherent value. But if you put your heart in it, it will help. It will help your business, and it will support your work in beautiful ways if you do that,” Maya advised.

Though the book required significant effort, Maya has no regrets. It has introduced the right people to her certification program, precisely as she had hoped.

Introducing Plant Medicine to New Audiences Through Quantum Drops

For those interested in exploring psychedelics safely and legally, she recommends her quantum drops. These drops contain the vibrational essence of plants like ayahuasca and mushrooms but none of the actual plant matter. Made with ceremonial intention, they provide access to plant wisdom gently and consciously. 

“I would love for people to engage with quantum drops, and because they are safe and legal. They’re safe for pregnant people, for children, for people on medications, for people with mental illness,” Maya added.

Just as her book has served as the ideal entry point to her certification program, she hopes the quantum drops can serve as an entry point to the healing power of psychedelics. Because as Maya has shown, supporting an existing business sometimes starts with an unexpected idea.

To learn more about Dr. Maya’s de-certification program and her quantum drops, visit Dr.Maya.com.