Media Kit
Everything You Need to Know . . .
About Kelly and the world of book publishing
About Kelly
Kelly Notaras is an author, speaker, book editor and entrepreneur. She started her book editing career right out of college by moving to New York, where she worked in the editorial divisions at Avon Books, HarperCollins, Penguin USA and Hyperion Books. She then relocated to Boulder, Colorado, where she became the VP, associate publisher at spirituality publisher Sounds True. There she received her education in transformational nonfiction, editing books by Sharon Salzberg, Adyashanti, Krishna Das, David Deida and many more. She went freelance in 2010 and since then has edited a wide variety of books, including Intimate Conversations with the Divine by Caroline Myss and New York Times bestsellers The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner and Pussy: A Reclamation by Regena Thomashauer.
Kelly speaks regularly at the Hay House Writer’s Workshops and coproduces the membership-based Hay House Writer’s Community along with Hay House CEO, Reid Tracy. But her proudest accomplishment is her book studio, KN Literary Arts, whose mission is to amplify positive change in the world through the medium of books.
KN Literary Arts
Founded in 2013 by veteran book editor Kelly Notaras, KN Literary Arts is an editorial studio that has helped over 2,500 authors get their transformational wisdom and stories onto the page and into the world. From helping authors refine their book ideas and outlines to editing and ghostwriting full-length books and book proposals, our extensive network of editors, writers and coaches allows us to handpick the perfect collaborator for each author we meet. We work regularly with traditional publishers, literary agents and book packagers, as well as first-time and self-publishing authors. We are proudly on track to work with over 400 authors in 2022, with an expected $2 million in revenue. Visit us at www.knliterary.com.
Recent Interview
Quick Facts
Kelly Notaras
- 20 years in the US publishing business
- 150-ish books edited throughout career
- New York City Editor: Avon Books, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin USA, Hyperion Books
- VP and associate publisher at Sounds True, running creative division of 25 employees 2006–2010
- Speaker at 20+ Hay House Writer’s Workshops since 2013
- Author of The Book You Were Born to Write (Hay House, 2018)
- Faculty at 1440 Multiversity, Kripalu, Omega Institute
KN Literary Arts
- Founded in 2013
- Woman-owned and operated
- Network of more than 100 freelance editors, writers and coaches
- $1.6 million revenue in 2021
- Clients published with Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Hay House, Sounds True, Penguin Random House, New World Library and Conari Press, among others
- 55+ clients have won prizes in the Hay House Writer’s Workshop contests since 2013, including 12 Grand Prize winners
- Clients in the US, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Singapore, India and South Africa
INTERVIEWS
Topics & Talking Points
Audiences
Aspiring Authors
- Where to start when you have a great book idea
- Top roadblocks aspiring authors face—and how to overcome them
- Why becoming an author is no longer enough—the truth you need to know to sell books
- How to build a following over time (so that your work will be interesting to a traditional publisher someday)
- The legit step-by-step process for becoming a thought leader
- Why “the book you were born to write” might not be the book you were born to sell.
- The difference between self-publishers, “hybrid” publishers and printers
- The questions you should be asking (but probably aren’t)
- The pros and cons of using a pen name
Solopreneurs & Coaches
- Three ways to use your self-published book to build your business
- How to know when you’re ready to try for a traditional publisher
- Why hiring a ghostwriter is the best idea for most entrepreneurs
- Why you should “give away your gold” (include the info your customers pay you the most for in the book)
- The #1 reason a coach needs a book (credibility)
- How finding the right, narrowly tailored hook can uplevel your whole practice
- How to turn your signature offering (workshop, coaching sequence, etc.) into a book
- Three reasons to start a beta coaching group to test-drive your book content
- How to write your book without ever picking up a pen
Common Themes
FAQs
- Is my book idea/writing/platform good enough to find a traditional publisher?
- I want to write my story but my mother is still alive. What do I do?
- What does an editor do, exactly? What does editing cost?
- I’ve been trying to write a book for years; what’s standing in the way?
- What genre is my book?
- What should I do if I don’t have a platform yet?
- How do I sell my book if I hate marketing?
- What if I have great ideas but I’m not a great writer?
- Isn’t it cheating to hire a ghostwriter?
- Should I write a book proposal or a full manuscript?
Kelly's Approach
- Why the questions I get asked most about book publishing are NOT the right questions!
- What no one will tell you about becoming an author (so I will)
- I’ve been a book editor for 20 years and have edited hundreds of books; here’s the truth
- What I learned from working as a book editor, both inside the traditional NYC business and outside of it
- What I learned as the editor of the New York Times bestsellers The Tapping Solution and Pussy: A Reclamation
- Why being a “bestselling author” shouldn’t be the end goal
The Book
After two decades working as a book editor—editing many of today’s biggest personal growth and spirituality authors—Kelly Notaras saw that her clients and readers had important questions about the transnational book writing journey. The Book You Were Born to Write is her answer!
What You’ll Learn
- How the book business works today—and how you can break into it
- Whether to start with a full manuscript or book proposal
- Which book you should write first
- Whether you have what traditional publishers are looking for
- The benefits of self-publishing—and how to do it
- The meaning of the term “author platform” and its role in today’s publishing world
Photo Gallery
Facts & Stats
Self-Publishing
- Average time from manuscript delivery to book (self-publishers): 3–4 months
- Average number of professional edits a self-published author gives a book: 0–2
- Over a million books are self-published each year but 99% of self-published books sell fewer than 99 copies (this is why I teach so much about marketing)
- Print On Demand (POD) publishing is the reason self-publishing has increased tenfold in the last 20 years
- Self-publishing will cost you $1,000-$20,000 depending on services you choose, level of professionalism, and how closely you want your book to resemble a traditionally published book
- You could receive a much larger cut of the cover price per copy sold (up to 100% of gross proceeds if you print a large quantity and distribute yourself out of your garage)
Traditional Publishing
- Average time from manuscript delivery to book (traditional publishers): 9–12 months
- Average number of edits a traditional publisher gives a book: 8 (developmental edit, line edit, copyedit, 4–5 rounds of proofreading)
- Of the 300k books published by traditional houses per year, only 300 sell 50k copies or more
- Publishing traditionally is “free” (or should be) but you will pay your literary agent 15% of proceeds and you receive on average 10–15% of cover price per copy sold
- 30% of traditionally published books are written by ghostwriters, including almost all books written by celebrities and politicians
Myths & Facts
Any other questions? Contact us at [email protected]
