Lose the Diet: An Interview with Kathy Balland on Writing, Publishing and Promoting

Kathy Balland, an expert in the mind-body-soul connection, teaches people how to tap into their own inner power for success. Clinically certified in hypnotherapy, her publications and seminars provide deep insights into the true causes and their remedies that prevent people from achieving their goals. As the author of the award-winning book Lose the Diet: Transform your body by connecting with your soul, Balland provides information to enrich and empower people to achieve happiness and weight loss success. Her website is: www.LosetheDiet.com. Twitter: http://twitter.com/LosetheDiet

Welcome to The Writer's Life, Kathy. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?

Kathy: Thank you for having me. I am a former yo-yo dieter, and I became interested in learning more about the mind-body connection in order to help other people. I studied stress management, addiction and nutrition in addition to becoming clinically and board certified in hypnotherapy. I have written many articles and published spoken word CDs on the subject for several years.

Can you please tell us about your book and why you wrote it?

Kathy: I wrote Lose the Diet because obesity has become a national crisis. More than one third of US adults – over 72 million people in addition to 16% of US children are obese. The cost of health care for obesity related diseases is approximately $200 billion per year. Obviously all of the dieting and calorie counting are not working. I wanted to explain why that is and what you can do about it. Lose the Diet provides tips and tools that will help you to achieve permanent weight loss; in a natural, healthy way.

What kind of research was involved in writing (please italicize book title here – no caps or quote marks)?

Kathy: Lose the Diet is a compilation of my own personal experience, in addition to working with clients. I also did some research through articles, and there are various tools and techniques that I learned from my previous studies.

Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing?

Kathy: It has been fairly smooth.

For this particular book, how long did it take from the time you signed the contract to its release?

Kathy: It took seventeen months for the book to be completed and released.

Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?

Kathy: No I do not have an agent, and did not feel that it was necessary to have one.

Do you plan subsequent books?

Kathy: Yes, I do plan on writing additional books. My next book will be a more general book about achieving success.

Can you describe your most favorite place to write?

Kathy: I love to write at my second home in Northern Arizona. There are beautiful mountain views there, and the wildlife that comes into the yard helps to inspire me.

If money was no object, what would be the first thing you would invest in to promote your book?

Kathy: I would utilize every form of publicity that is available, and at any cost. You can never do too much book promotion, and I would want to touch on all of the bases.

How important do you think self-promotion is and in what ways have you been promoting your book offline and online?

Kathy: Self-promotion is extremely important. I am currently doing a virtual book tour. Lose the Diet has been in book shows, it has received some great reviews, it has won awards and I am also doing seminars and radio interviews.

What’s the most common reason you believe new writers give up their dream of becoming published and did you almost give up?

Kathy: They may give up on their dream because they are not truly passionate about their subject. I believe you must have a strong passion that will keep driving you toward success. I did not want to give up because I am so passionate about the diet/weight loss issue.

Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?

Kathy: Don’t give up. Nothing can take the place of persistence.

Thank you for your interview, Kathy. I wish you much success!

Kathy: Thank you. I have enjoyed the interview.

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