Meet Kelly
I've always loved words.
From the time I was very young, I remember feeling the sizzle of anticipation every time I picked up a new book.
In school I loved writing of all varieties, and I remember feeling exhilarated when my 8th Grade English teacher gave us the assignment to write a historical short story. (I wrote a gothic nightmare tale about a man in a mental institution who was later revealed to have been the driver who killed James Dean. The horror! The drama!)
After college I headed straight to NYC, and landed positions in the editorial divisions at HarperCollins, Penguin, and Hyperion Books. But about 5 years into my career I did something you should not do if you want to maintain your life as it is: I started to meditate.
With that, life whisked me off to the mountains, plunking me down as V.P., Associate Publisher at Sounds True, a multimedia spirituality publishing company in Boulder, Colorado.
I ❤️ Transformational Nonfiction
At that wonderful job I edited books by major personal growth luminaries like Adyashanti, Sharon Salzberg and Krishna Das. Along the way, I got a graduate-level education in the contemporary spiritual landscape, while managing a division of 25 people.
In the process, I learned two important things about myself. First, I love transformational nonfiction. Second, I sincerely dislike management.
So when a ghostwriting opportunity came my way, I took the “out” to go freelance. For the next few years I wrote and edited and sat in a lot of coffee shops. I also got invited to attend the Hay House Writing from Your Soul workshop, headlined by Hay House CEO Reid Tracy—and the one and only Dr. Wayne Dyer.
Reid, who I knew via the small world of spirituality books, invited me up to the mic to answer a participant’s question about book editing. And with that, I had a line out the door of writers wanting to talk to me—and I had inadvertently started a whole new business.
Since that time I’ve had the honor of editing New York Times bestsellers The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner, Pussy: A Reclamation by Regena Thomashauer, and Two Weeks Notice by Amy Porterfield. Reid also invited me to join him in teaching the Hay House Book Writer’s Bootcamp and two online memberships: the Hay House Writer’s Community Membership, and Authorpreneur by Hay House.
What about KN Literary Arts?
So glad you asked! We’re thriving. I’m deeply proud of our team and the authors we serve every day. We work on all types of books, from fiction to business books, but our sweet spot is (no surprise) transformational nonfiction.
“But I thought you didn’t like management?” you ask. Oh, I feel so seen! Thank goodness I have an extraordinary General Manager who handles the day-to-day business with grace, authenticity and deep book-industry know-how.
While I’m no longer taking on editing or ghostwriting projects of my own, I am still yapping about books, writing and publishing to whoever will listen. If you’re curious, you can follow my KN Literary YouTube channel, read my book The Book You Were Born to Write, get on the waiting list for one of the Hay House memberships, or attend an upcoming live retreat with me.
But if you’re in the market for hands-on help writing, editing or publishing your book, and you long for a warm relational partner on the journey, I know you’ll find what you’re looking for at KN Literary Arts.
Are you looking for something deeper?
If so, I may be able to help. Because in addition to building a multiple 7-figure business, I’ve been meditating for 21 years, and doing my inner work (read: therapy) for 24 years. I’ve studied with Thomas Hübl for over a decade; have done lots of study and retreat in various Buddhist and non-dual lineages; and am in several ongoing relational practice groups (T-Group primarily, if you’ve heard of it). I am also a certified NLP Master Practitioner in the school of NLP Marin.
What I love most is—in a word—helping. I know that sounds vague. If you used that for the title of your book, I’d tell you to make it much more narrowly tailored. (IYKYK, haha.) But the honest truth is that I love helping people.
Helping people with their books, you mean? Yes! But also with the underlying experience of life. I love helping encourage your creativity, your sense of well-being, the curation of the life you have and the roadmap toward the life you want.
So if you’re in the market for a writing coach to help curate the kind of life you most want to live, give advice on your spiritual unfolding, or help make the inner changes that lead to outer changes—write to me on the contact page here and I can send you some information to see if we might be a good fit to work together.