We recently connected with Karen Kelsay and have shared our conversation below.
Karen , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I had a good role model in my mother. She was productive and never let negative things hold her back. My husband was a motorcycle road racer in England, a three-time British Champion many years ago. He never gives up on a goal; I have also learned to keep pushing ahead from watching him.
Working with people most of my life has helped me learn patience and practical communication skills. However, my most valued trait is the ability to deal creatively with setbacks. I do very well when unplanned things come up or when disaster strikes.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Kelsay Books is a poetry publisher that accepts manuscripts from mid-career poets who have been published in journals and anthologies. Our four imprints accept different types of poetry, including children’s books, free verse, formal poetry, and chapbooks.
We started our fourteenth year in business in October 2024 and have published 1600 titles worldwide. Our authors’ books have won many prestigious contests. KB strives to give all our poets a beautiful paperback to promote and enhance their work with professional-looking layouts and covers.
Our services are free of charge once the submission is accepted. We have a well-trained team and an award-winning cover designer who work together to streamline the books into beautiful works of art, giving the poet a tool to promote their work, whether it is through poetry readings, contests, or submitting to book reviews.
Our website, blog, newsletter, and bookstore are at kelsaybooks.com. We hold in-person readings in Manhattan, NY, each May and biannual Zoom readings for our poets to participate in. Everyone is welcome to attend free of charge.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The most important quality for me is adaptability. When something knocks me off my path, I can switch gears quickly and not get too caught up in my feelings. I try to keep up my enthusiasm for work despite circumstances that might negatively affect my life or business.
The second and third skills are patience and willingness to start from nothing.
I taught myself how to publish books, create layouts, create covers, interface with printing companies, and manage customer relations. I also spent many years learning how to write formal poetry and free verse, having my work critiqued online, using a mentor, sending poetry to journals, and having my poems rejected and accepted. I have a lot of empathy for poets, and my company is a culmination of many hours of following my passion for poetry, turning it into a viable business, and working hard.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I do a few things. I record good things in a gratitude journal to give myself perspective and write a list of short-term goals to see how much I need to do. Sometimes, the feeling of being overwhelmed comes from an exaggerated amount of information in my head. Once I write it all down, separate the chores into time categories, and give myself a timeline, I can relax more and see that it is doable.
I also take advantage of emails, meaning I don’t always have to respond immediately if I feel exasperated. I take my time to try and understand the other person’s point of view before I go back and reply.
Our whole team gets a lot of satisfaction from finishing books for poets and knowing they are happy with what we do. There’s a shelf near my desk where I keep thank you notes that come in. All I have to do is look at them if I feel overwhelmed, and they cheer me up.
We produce 15-20 titles a month, and that requires a lot of team effort. Delegating jobs and having cross-trained team members helps keep things from becoming too stressful.
Contact Info:
- Website: Kelsaybooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkelsaydavies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelsayBooks
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kelsay-61651179/
- Twitter: https://x.com/BooksKelsay
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KelsayBooks
Image Credits
Credit to Austin Miller for the pictures of Karen
