Kelly Notaras's Blog

Writer’s block gets a whole lot of attention but writer’s resistance can be even more insidious. 

Our founder, Kelly Notaras, defines writer’s resistance as “any false obstacle, known or unknown, that is standing between you and writing your book.”

Yes, there are some legit obstacles you will likely encounter along your book-writing journey, but resistance is all about the false ones. 

Here are some common varieties of resistance: 

I don’t have enough time. I need more preparation. I have to do ___ before I write. 

Did you notice that these might not feel false to you? That’s part of the sneakiness of resistance. Let’s break each one down a bit.

Writer’s Resistance #1: I don’t have enough time.

There never seems to be enough time, and certainly not in large chunks. Part of the falseness of this variety of resistance is in thinking that you need a lot of time to write your book. 

What would happen if you searched for spare minutes throughout your day to write your book? You could:

Leave yourself voice notes as you wait to pick your kids up from school. 

Type in the Google Docs app on your phone while you sit in the doctor’s office waiting room. 

Use the last 15 minutes of your lunch break to write down a story. 

If your book is a priority, it may be helpful for you to evaluate how you are choosing to spend your time, and see what moments you can carve out for writing. 

Sidenote: Another option is to work with a collaborative writer (a.k.a. ghostwriter)! 

Writer’s Resistance #2: I need more preparation.

If you think you need to have a particular certification before readers will take your nonfiction book seriously, you may want to think again. 

Are most of the self-help books you’ve read written by licensed therapists? Probably not. The wildly popular health book, Zero Sugar Diet, is not written by a nutritionist or doctor. Susan Cain, author of the bestselling book on introverts, Quiet, does not list any particular qualifications in her bio other than the fact that she is an introvert herself. 

What about learning how to be a good writer before you write your book? We would argue that actually writing your book is the best way to become a better writer. From there, you can work with a coach or editor to hone your writing skills. 

Writer’s Resistance #3: I have to ___ before I write.Fold the laundryFind a new jobWait until my kids are out of the houseLose 10 pounds

The list is never-ending! There will always be things you can or feel like you should do instead of writing your book. Think about that. There will never be a time when the only possible thing for you to prioritize is working on your book. 

It happens if you make it happen. 

Do one or all of these varieties of resistance resonate with you? 

It can be frustrating, but your writing resistance is probably a subconscious version of yourself trying to protect you. To lovingly address your misguided protector, follow the steps laid out in this blog post. 

We know you’ve got this.

As you work on building your author platform (aka the audience of people who will buy your book), you will probably question how much you should tell or give away for free.

Giving away too much will make people not want to buy your book, right? Wrong.

This may seem counterintuitive, but if someone likes your content, they are going to want to have easy access to it on their bookshelf—even if they’ve already heard or read 99% of it!

You can teach all the concepts.

You can tell all the stories.

People will still buy your book. 

Let’s look at a few examples!

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

This book is literally a collection of blog posts that got turned into a bestselling memoir and then a movie!

Julie Powell documented, on her blog, her journey of cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The blog posts were then turned into her memoir. This is not even a teaching memoir. It’s a personal memoir.

Did followers of her blog buy the book? Yes! And then some.

The Book You Were Born to Write by Kelly Notaras 

That’s right, we’re using our founder’s book as an example.

The majority of what Kelly teaches about writing and publishing in her book can be found on our YouTube channel or blog. Has that stopped people from buying The Book You Were Born to Write? Absolutely not.

The book provides everything you need to know in one condensed, easy-to-reference package. Many aspiring authors find it supportive to have Kelly’s wisdom beside them, at their literal fingertips, as they write. 

Audiobooks and Paperbacks 

Have you ever listened to an audiobook and loved it so much that you went out and bought the paperback? We have!

This might seem strange but it’s common.

When someone has an amazing experience with your content, they want to have a physical copy, almost like a keepsake. Giving it all away for free in bits and pieces online to build your platform will actually cause your audience to want your book as a way to feel more connected to you.

We hope these examples help you release any blocks you’re having about sharing your knowledge or stories to grow your platform.

Self-publishing and traditional publishing are both great options for getting your book out in the world, each with pros and cons. One option is not better than the other. It all depends on what you want and where you are at in your book journey. 

Many authors actually switch back and forth between self-publishing and traditional publishing because of the advantages that each provides. So let’s break down the pros and cons of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing so that you can choose which is right for you. 

Traditional Publishing

This is how most people think of publishing a book. Big traditional publishers you may have heard of include Harper Collins, Hay House and Simon and Schuster. 

They will pay you an advance (big or small, depending on how many books they think will sell), and they will pay all of the costs to get your book printed. And there are a lot of costs! They will pay for professional cover design, six to eight rounds of editing (yup, that many!) and interior design. 

Traditional publishers have a lot of experience and only bring in books that they believe will make them all of that money back that they spend up front, and more. They are a business that wants to make money, after all.

As you might expect, there is a pretty high bar to getting in with one of these publishers. They are looking for three important things when they consider a book.

Three Things Traditional Publishers Are Looking For:A unique and salable concept. Above average, professional quality writing. A large author platform (especially for nonfiction). 

To publish through a traditional publisher, you won’t write your book first (if it’s nonfiction). You first need to find an agent and then get a book deal with a publisher. To do that, you need a book proposal. 

Sidenote: Some publishers will take “unagented proposals,” meaning you can submit your book proposal directly to them without having to find an agent first. You can get a list of some of the publishers who accept proposals directly from authors by filling out the form below:

Traditional Publishing Pros and ConsPros:The publisher will pay the cost associated with getting your book out in the world.Some authors, readers or bookstores may perceive a certain level of prestige or credibility because of your publisher. You will benefit from the publisher’s in-house team of experts working on your book. Idea validation. A publisher wouldn’t make an offer on your book unless they thought it would be profitable. Cons:You relinquish some control over the final product. Publishers get the final say on your cover design, title and edits. Traditional publishing takes for. ev. er. Okay, not forever, but one to two years.You don’t get to keep all of the profits from your sales.What About Marketing?

You may have noticed that we did not mention anything about traditional publishing leading to more sales. While getting published through a traditional publisher used to help greatly with book sales, the advent of online book buying has changed things.

Here’s the tough-love truth of the matter: no matter how you choose to publish, you are the #1 marketer for your book.

Watch the following video to learn all about this situation.

Self-Publishing

In the last 20 years, self-publishing has become viable for anyone. When you self-publish, you’re putting together the content of the book, getting a cover designed and fronting the costs to have your book edited. This can cost a lot or a little, depending on how you choose to do it. 

Even though you’re the one paying for everything upfront when you self-publish, one of the main advantages is that you remain in complete control. You have the final say on every aspect of your book and get to keep all of the profits.

In years past, self-publishing involved ordering hundreds or thousands of copies of your book to keep the price per copy down. Many a garage has been filled with pallets of yet-to-be-sold books. 

Thanks to print-on-demand, you don’t have to store any copies of your book. Your book can be sold on Amazon or ordered by indie bookstores without you ever having to manage the process. 

Here’s the amazing news: Self-publishing does not hinder you from getting signed with a traditional publisher later on. 

In fact, if you sell about 5,000 copies of your book in the first 18 months after self-publishing, you will likely have publishers contacting you, interested in buying the rights to your book and publishing it themselves. 

Self-Publishing Pros and ConsPros:You have complete control over the end product.You get to keep the money, honey! The process is a lot faster. You can self-publish in a matter of months instead of a year or more. Cons:You have to pay for cover design, editing and interior design out of your own pocket. Lack of support. You won’t have a “built-in” support team with your agent, editor, and any other experts a traditional publisher gives you access to. However! You can build your own support system as you hire an editor or even work with a company that does assisted self-publishing (like us!). 

We hope this discussion of the pros and cons of traditional vs. self-publishing helps you decide which path is worth it for you to pursue. Neither one is good or bad. They’re just different. 

Whichever publishing option you choose, we’d love to help! Book a call with us today to learn about book proposal editing, agent consulting services, assisted self-publishing and more. 

When you’re watching a movie and one of the characters sneezes, it’s for a reason. It’s either to show you something important about that character or it will come up as an integral part of the plot later on. (Something like… His DNA was on the murder weapon because he had a cold and sneezed on it, not because he was actually the murderer…)

If it didn’t add to the story, it wouldn’t be in the movie. Every filming location, line of dialogue and sneeze are included to propel the story forward. 

This is how you need to think about writing your book, especially your memoir. It’s not just about what to include, it’s also about what to leave out of your memoir.

Unless you are writing a full autobiography, chronicling every major event in your life, you need to limit what you share to the moments that drive the narrative of your book. 

Literary Memoir

A captivating memoir is essentially a “true novel.” 

This is often the hardest thing for first-time authors to wrap their heads around. Not every significant experience in your life needs to make it into the finished book. 

Your life may have been shaped, in part, by the fact that you were bullied in the 5th grade. But unless sharing that experience truly relates to the overall theme and plot of your book, save it for memoir #2. 

You can study how to do this effectively by reading memoirs and paying attention to what is included and what is left out. 

For example, Dani Shapiro has written multiple memoirs, each covering different themes: marriage, identity, tragedy and more. 

Each book tells various childhood stories but not the same ones. Only the stories related to the theme of each particular memoir are included because they contribute to the narrative. And you can bet there are plenty of important life events that haven’t made it into any of her books yet. 

Evaluate Your Outline or Rough Draft:Is anyone sneezing for no reason? Are there stories included that don’t drive the narrative? Why does each scene need to be included in the finished product?

BTW, it can be extremely helpful to get an outside perspective on this! Book a call with us today to learn about working with an editor to make your memoir unputdownable. 

What happens if you finish your manuscript and your book is either way too long or way too short? 

First of all, what even counts as too long or too short? 

If you’re writing “for your heart or your art,” it really doesn’t matter. You do you. But if you’re writing your book with hopes of big sales it is important that your book fit the conventions. 

Here is a list of recommended word counts based on genre:

Word Count Cheat SheetHow-to/Self-help/Spirituality: 50,000-70,000Memoir: 60,000-80,000General Fiction: 75,000-100,000Genre fiction (Romance/Science Fiction/Crime): 100,000 words-ishNew Adult (YA Fiction): 50,000-70,000Children’s books: 800-2,000 ( more about children’s book word count )

It bears mentioning that these word counts are averages. And I often recommend that first-time authors—especially those who are planning to self-publish—aim for the shorter side of the average.

A 150,000-word memoir… too long. A 10,000-word personal growth book… too short. What’s a writer to do?

If your book is too long: 

This commonly happens because you weren’t clear on the trajectory or intention of your book.

Maybe you wrote without an outline or included sections that are not 100% relevant. 

The best thing to do at this point is to make a retroactive outline, based on the manuscript you wrote. Then evaluate to look for excess. 

Are there parts that you could rewrite in a more concise way? We’re reminded of the quote often attributed to Mark Twain: If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter. It’s harder to get your point across in fewer words, but an important exercise for the loquacious author.  

It’s also so possible that your book should actually be two books! 

If you’re struggling to see what you can cut out or condense, an outside perspective can be invaluable. Get feedback from a writer friend or work with an editor to gain clarity and direction. 

If your book is too short:

The first thing to do is to figure out: is this actually a book? 

Do you have enough to say on the topic to reach the recommended length? 

There’s absolutely no shame if not! You can use what you wrote to create dozens of blog posts, YouTube videos, short stories, or maybe a course. Our founder, Kelly Notaras, recommends that you consider repurposing anything less than 35,000 words. 

It’s also possible that you need to elaborate more on your ideas. We’ve seen authors write a short book with only the basics included when a little extra context could have gone a long way. 

Look for ways to add stories that illustrate your points instead of only giving step-by-step instructions. 

For your book to find fresh readers who don’t know you, it needs to be both:

Short enough that readers are not scared to make the time commitment to read it. Long enough that your book is worth the money. 

We hope this helps you write and edit your book!

If you get assigned an editor when you publish your book through a traditional publisher, why would you pay to work with a separate editor?

It might surprise you to learn that we work with a lot of authors who already have book deals or who are hoping to go through a traditional publisher. 

The publishing industry has changed massively in the last few decades. In fact, editors at a publishing house might not spend their days doing what you think they do.

Our founder, Kelly Notaras, recorded a video to explain what in the world is going on here and who should hire an editor even if they want to go through a traditional publisher. This video is an important part of your book publishing education! 

Pop Quiz! Which of these two sentences do you think is correct?

I don’t have a very big platform, so I need to make sure my book appeals to more people. 

OR

I don’t have a very big platform, so I need to make sure my book appeals to a very narrow, specific audience. 

You’re not alone if option #1 sounds better, but the correct answer is actually #2! 

The smaller your platform, the more narrowly tailored your book needs to be. This is because when your book is meant for a very specific audience, you have less competition. 

Let’s look at this from the perspective of a reader/book buyer, we’ll call her Jessa. 

If Jessa goes to the bookstore looking for a book about how to be happier, she’s likely going to pick a book by a well-known bestselling author, like Gretchen Rubin’s book The Happiness Project. It seems like a safer bet than an author she’s never heard of. 

BUT… 

Jessa recently got divorced after being married for 32 years. If Jessa were to see a book about how to be happier post-divorce after a long marriage, she won’t be able to resist that book. 

Sure, it’s by an author she’s never heard of, but it’s so relatable to her specific situation! Plus, it’s the only book on the shelf covering that topic.

If you have a smaller platform (aka audience that wants to buy your book), you want your book to be specific enough that the readers who can relate to it won’t be able to resist it. They will choose your book over a book written by a famous author. 

Let’s play with some examples, going from general to specific:

Mindfulness Mindfulness for moms Mindfulness for moms of toddlersMemoir of a woman Memoir of a Hispanic woman Memoir of a Hispanic woman growing up in a predominantly white communityADHD diagnosis Getting an ADHD diagnosis as an adult Getting an ADHD diagnosis as an adult male

The more narrowly tailored version of each example is by far the most compelling, right? 

If you’re trying to decide which book to read, and one of those specific topics is relatable for you, that is hands down the book you’re going to buy. 

You will feel seen. You will feel like the author must get you. 

That is why writers with smaller platforms need to be specific. 

It’s a classic “Which comes first? The chicken or egg?” kind of question: Should you build your author platform or write your book first?

We get versions of this question ALL. THE. TIME. So buckle up, because we’re breaking it down just for you. ​​​​​​​

(By the way, we’re mostly talking to non-fiction writers on this one. However, the bigger your platform, the more books you’re going sell, no matter what kind of book you’re writing.)

If you want to publish through a traditional publisher and sell lots o’ books on launch day, you need to build your author platform first.

Any agent looking at your book proposal is going to care about the size of your platform. They honestly might care more about the size of your platform than your book itself. Publishers these days are very dependent on the “baked-in” buyers that the author brings to the table.

Do we love it? Not necessarily. But it’s how the publishing world works.

If you want to go the traditional publishing route, you might need to shift gears for a bit and build that platform up before you work on your book. But never fear, brave writer! We’ve got the info you need to get started. Snag our quick-start guide by filling out the form below

If you want to self-publish your book and use it as the cornerstone of your platform, you can write your book first. 

A lot of writers who want to build businesses around their book content choose to do things this way. 

You won’t sell many books for the first year (or more) after your launch while you are busy building your platform around your book—a bit of a bummer. However, some good stuff comes out of this method:

Having a published book in your hands can get you in the door with local media or smaller-scale speaking engagements.You can use the content from your book to teach a course, create YouTube videos or record a podcast. Basically, your book becomes the foundational content for your business.A really well-written, amazing book can lend you credibility and might increase your confidence as you build your platform.

If you decide to self-publish, be sure to snag our self-publishing checklist!

So what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Should you build your author platform or write your book first? It depends on how you want to publish your book and the purpose that you want your book to serve. Decide those two things and you’ll know how to move forward.

Leave a comment to let us know what you’re going to do first!

What would it look like to write about what you’re passionate about? How do you handle the negative self-talk that pops into your brain while you’re trying to write? How can birdwatching help you overcome life’s challenges?

For some insight into these questions, we’re thrilled to share this chat we had with first-time author and KN Literary Arts client, Tammah Watts. Her new book is called Keep Looking Up: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

In short, my answer is a resounding YES! And really, it hasn’t been so much about always wanting to be a writer because deep in my soul, I have always identified as a writer who had not written my book—yet.

Tell us about your book and what made you decide to write it.

Oh wow. My book—that is indeed a story unto itself! First of all, Keeping Looking Up is a descriptive narrative memoir and transformational self-help book about the powerful healing of birding.

I share my story related to each chapter’s theme and also offer practical toolkits, reflective exercises and prompts to deepen the reader’s connection with our feathered friends in meaningful ways.

Second, I was inspired to write Keep Looking Up after reflecting upon advice that Reid Tracy, Hay House CEO, had given during a Hay House Writer’s Workshop in-person event. He said, “write what you’re passionate about!” During the lunch break, I sat alone in a cafe and realized that I am passionate about birds and how they’ve changed my life for the better.

I knew then what my book was going to be about instead of the children’s book I was pondering. I still plan on writing the children’s book, but for now, it’s all about celebrating living life with the wonderful birds that are all around.

What surprised you most about the writing process?

Oh my goodness! I found myself surprised by so much. What surprised me the most was reckoning with my internal dialogue about my writing process, particularly when it involved being vulnerable.

On the days that were exceptionally challenging for me to write what was formulating in my head, I found myself at times devolving into subtle and not-so-subtle negative self-talk and criticisms about my lack of perceived progress.

It forced me to evaluate why I was writing the book and to acknowledge my fears and concerns as being valid so that I could move forward with my creative process.

I hope this makes sense for fellow writers. In other words, I was most surprised by how loud my critical voice could get and it adversely affected my writing process which was usually directly linked to increased levels of stress.

Who is your ideal reader and what do you hope they will learn or experience from reading your book?

My ideal reader is someone who is curious about birds and how forming connections with them can support their own healing from depression, anxiety, chronic pain, stress, and isolation.

Or perhaps it is a reader who has noticed birds already and will find resonance from the various ways in which they can deepen their understanding and communion with them and therefore, with themselves and heal.

Did you self-publish or go with the traditional publishing path?

I am on the traditional publishing path. This is my first book and I am the 2020 Hay House Online Writer’s Workshop Grand Prize Winner and I am very grateful for having been chosen for this.

What advice would you give to someone choosing the same path that you did?

My advice for someone thinking about joining the Hay House Writer’s Workshop is: ABSOLUTELY DO IT!

Please submit your proposal. You are being called forward to write about your experiences and your sharing it will most certainly benefit others. Remind yourself of this daily as a motivator to carry onward. Listen to your knowing what it is you need to write about and do that.

How did KN Literary Arts support you in your book journey? Can you describe that experience?

Again, oh my goodness! I would not have been able to submit the book proposal that I did without the assistance and expertise of KN Literary Arts. Period.

I was fortunate to listen to and even briefly speak with Kelly Notaras at the Houston HHWW in the Fall of 2019 and that is what led to me reaching out for book coaching and developmental editing.

I needed support to complete my proposal in a timely manner and so I chose to have four book coaching sessions to create productive accountability. I also had a developmental edit done of my final draft so that I could submit a proposal that best depicted my ideas and knowledge.

I consider KNLA’s support to be an invaluable investment in me, the writer, which in turn allowed me to share this gift with others throughout the world. I am so very grateful for KNLA and proudly proclaim to be one of their biggest fans!

Where can everyone find you and your book online?

You can find me with the birds in one manner or another—oh and at tammahwatts.com.

Keep Looking Up is available everywhere you buy your books including in a number of Barnes & Noble, indie bookshops, Amazon, Hay House website, and other online retailers. I’m also on Instagram (my preferred space) and Facebook.

Curious about how to become a spiritual writer? Wonderful! The wisdom you’ve learned, the obstacles you’ve overcome, the methodologies you’ve created—the world will benefit from you sharing them!

From our decades of experience, we’re going to share the three keys to becoming a spiritual writer. These are based on the mistakes we often see budding writers make as well as the paths to epic success others have forged. 

But first, let’s get on the same page:

What is a Spiritual Writer?

We’re referring to any kind of transformational nonfiction: self-help, personal growth, inspirational memoir, straight-up spirituality books, as well as books exploring more  “woo-woo” topics. 

If you are writing to help people grow, change, heal, or simply realize that life is going to be ok again, we’re talking to you! 

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into how to write a spiritual book. 

Spoiler Alert: one or more of the three keys might not be what you want to hear. But they will put you on the path to success, so please take them to heart. 

Key #1: The Wisdom Must Be Yours

Many first-time spirituality writers have been deeply touched by other authors’ books and want to share how those books have transformed their lives. This is a big no-no. 

Your content may be informed by others but it should not be a redux of content from other authors. It needs to come from your own experience. It needs to be synthesized and made unique through your story, experiences and application of it. 

There really is nothing new under the sun. But the message and ideas you want to share are original when they come through you because you are unique! 

Key #2: Workshop Your Material

Think of the books that have transformed your life. We’re willing to bet that most of those books came after that author refined their message many, many times. We’re talking about speaking events, one-on-one coaching or counseling, leading workshops, sharing YouTube videos and more. 

The book that touched you so deeply was the last step, not the first. 

READ THAT AGAIN.

Spiritual writers should be teaching before they write a book. You will not know whether your stories or methodologies resonate unless you test-drive them. This is the way to make the greatest impact with your book. 

We like to call this step R&D. Research and development. 

This might feel painfully vulnerable. It can bring up fears of not being good enough. You may not want to feel so exposed. 

Rest assured that you are not alone. The authors that have inspired you have felt many of those same things. They moved through their fears so that you could be helped by their wisdom. You, too, can do this. 

When you’re ready to start outlining your book, we’ve got a set of classic outlines that you can use as a template. Enter your info in the form below to download them: 

Key #3: Give Yourself Time

Writing and publishing a book takes longer than most people realize. 

If you have the desire to be a spiritual writer, we’re guessing that you’re already on your own spiritual journey. Think of writing your book as the next phase of your personal spiritual journey. There will be learning, growth, obstacles, and you will feel the full range of human emotions along the path. 

It is often said that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success and this is especially true for spiritual writers. 

Give yourself time to grow and learn as a teacher before putting your book into the world. The more surrendered you are to the process, the more proud you will be of the results. 

If writing and publishing your book feels too long and arduous, listen to this time-tested wisdom: it is best to take the long journey to produce a book that you are proud of, that helps the most people, and that you will be thrilled to talk about for years to come. 

If you feel called to write a spiritual book, we hope you’ll do it! The world needs your story and wisdom. If you follow these three keys, you’ll be well on your way to creating a book that changes lives and makes the world a better place. 

If you’d like help along the way, KN Literary Arts specializes in working with spiritual writers. From idea development and book proposals to editing and self-publishing assistance, we’d love to help you get from wherever you are to holding a finished book in your hands. Book a free call with us today!