Making a Proposal

Here is a picture of how it all goes down in the writing room. I have a lot of big and heavy reference texts so I usually work next to their bookcase. 

Once you’ve got your north star, what makes your book special, and why you just have to bring it into existence, look at book proposals. 

Pick a publisher and they will have a “submissions” tab on their site where you can download a proposal template. Going through the steps of filling this out will help you hone in on what you are writing. 

Hint: a good deal of this template is asking about your marketing reach. Unfortunately, it’s much easier to get your book picked up if you have an audience of your own who will buy it.  

This brings us to our next topic, marketing. Tune in day after tomorrow! 

What Problem Does Your Book solve?

Here’s the Bulgarian cover, which my friend actually edited!  

When it comes to writing, the question is: what is the problem this book solves? What does it have/ express that no other book does? 

If you don’t have this answer yet, keep cooking. It will come. Do research online and search for comparable titles (you have to do this for your book proposal anyways). 

For example, when I began working on the Everyday ayurveda Cookbook it was because all my clients were scared of their ayurveda cookbooks. Too much text, too many ingredients, too many complicated diagnostics. 

I set out to make a book that was friendly, and easy on the eye. It worked! 

So you want to write a book?

So you want to write a book???

I get asked a lot about how I got into writing books. Taking some time here to reflect on this over a few posts. With my 3 book babies in seven languages so far, there’s a lot to say.

I do believe everyone has their own process. For me, I start with the table of contents. I let it stew for about 6 months and come into focus. Then I start mapping it out.

I sit down and make up chapter titles. The end product is always a lot different than this map, but the point is to have a jumping off point. After a week or two of messing with this, I move on (which requires some OK KATE TIME TO MOVE ON) and I start by writing the chapter that excites me the most, or feels the easiest to bang out.

What about you? Where are you starting at?

Space for Digestion

To optimize digestion, one needs to create a little space. Think of trying to ignite a wood stove when it is overstuffed with sticks and crumpled newspaper- it just fizzles out.  

This is how the energy of the mind and body can feel when there is a backlog of materials needing to be digested, and the fires necessary to metabolize are low.  

Simplify the diet, and slow down when it’s time to eat. 

Give yourself a pat on the back for any amount of heartfelt effort in developing a health-giving relationship with food. 

You are fantastic. 

Top Three Don’t-Dos to Digest Well 

• Eating while standing up, walking, or driving 

• Eating too much at one time 

• Skipping meals (unless you aren’t hungry!) 

Doshas of the Mind

I’m reflecting on the mind a lot while teaching this Sattvic Living Retreat @kripalucenter

Such clear concepts, but sometimes so hard to embody.

Just like the three doshas, a harmonious relationship between sattva / rajas/ tamas is the key to mental wellness.

In a balanced state, the mind sees things clearly, and accepts them as they are, but can instigate changes and resist changes when appropriate.

The right amount of change brings stability as well as empowerment

Ginger Daikon Pickle Recipe

RECIPE ALERT! Ginger Daikon Pickle. 

One of my favorites: a simple and effective condiment.  

Takes minutes to make and is an easy way to add a mobilizing, detox digestive to your meals. Reduce the pickles when it gets hot out to keep your cool. 

4 medium daikon radish (Each about the size of a large carrot) 

1” piece of ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks  

2 Tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar 

2 Tbsp water 

¼ tsp salt (if using cider vinegar) 

Peel the daikon. Cut into thin rounds or half moons. 

Place in a bowl, add ginger, and sprinkle with vinegar, and salt if using.  

Mix well and let stand for 10 minutes or more. 

Keeps in the fridge for up to one week in a glass jar. 

Find more like this in Everyday Ayurveda Cooking for a Calm Clear Mind

Daikon for digestion!

Daikon radish is readily available in the produce section and looks like a large, white carrot. If you eat sushi, you will often find crunchy ribbons of spiralized daikon on the side (that’s what that stuff is). It’s a spicy, incredibly low-calorie, high-detox food that can help the body reduce ama. Peel the skin and slice, steam in kicharis, dals, or even enjoy raw. Stay tuned this week for my favorite recipe to use daikon.

Spring Pointers

Just some friendly reminders for you friends.

For more, check out the Spring Purification workshop on-demand!

Link: https://bit.ly/3LUpe0V

What Makes You Tick

Intention setting, taking stock, and digging for our deepest desires in life are central for our agency. 

It’s not a new idea, simply a timely reminder. And deepest desires learn to hide in the corners.  It takes effort, focus, and intentional space to find and live from this place. Over and over again. 

When I was in my twenties, I fought with everything I had to stay true to my wild heart and follow it anywhere. It meant I didn’t have a job, or a house, but looking back, I’m so glad I was free to be this way, and I don’t regret the sacrifices made to stay true to myself.  

Let us not be afraid to discover what lights us up and call this in. I’m so excited to share a new body of work with you in 2024 that will take us along this path together.

Barley!

BARLEY! Spring Food Favorite! This time of year, the tastes start changing. This month, I’ll be posting about some of those late winter/ early spring transition foods and how to use them.

Barley is a dry grain, but hearty when soaked and cooked well with plenty of water. It has a cleansing action on the bladder and uterus and is a go-to for congestion. Find it hulled (with the indigestible husk removed) or “pearled” which means it's been polished and had a lot of the bran removed. This makes it less fibrous, which can be a good move for Vata-type guts (personally, I digest it better), and it does retain some insoluble fibers still. If you digest it well, go for hulled barley.

Soak overnight and boil with 4 parts water the next day and some digestive spices like ginger and cumin to make a spring kanjee as you see here.