Publishing a book is one of the most exciting things a writer can do in their lifetime.
It is the realisation of a long-held dream for most who have carried a vision in their hearts of the day they can finally say: I am a published author.
Every single one of them will have had to overcome barriers of both personal and professional nature to become published.
Self-doubt, self-sabotage, lack of time, lack of support, lack of knowledge and lack of clear direction are just some of the things an author might have had to overcome.
Ultimately though, their resolve to realise their dream would have helped them to push through and do what needed to be done, which is wonderful.
Something I have noticed about most authors, however, is that once they have finished writing their first drafts, they develop a sense of urgency around their book that goes further than simply being excited about getting it published. And this causes unnecessary pain.
It’s like they are suddenly completely dependent upon having their book published or their life will surely fall apart, and they get into a zone where they develop a laser like focus on a deadline and forget why they started down this road in the first place.
They start rushing through things, missing things, and making decisions about their book that are not in their best interests, and all because they are in such a hurry to get it done and get it out there quickly.
But what happens is they end up with an inferior product that they’re not as proud of as they would like to be, it costs them more time and money than they’d budgeted for, and the book doesn’t have the impact they want it to have when it launches.
Plus, there is the icky energy that goes with the whole experience – a sort of desperation – that threatens to steal the joy from the process.
What can you do if you feel yourself getting sucked into this negative spiral?
1. Stop! And breathe.
2. Understand that writing your book is only a small part of the process and there are many more stages that need to be taken care of, and taken care of well, before you can become published.
Once your first draft is completed it needs to be edited and that can be a long, drawn-out process that tests your resolve and makes you want to kill someone.
No not really. It can be uncomfortable though. And it does require you to keep showing up and going over your work several times before it is complete.
The worst thing you can do is to short-change yourself by not giving this stage the attention it deserves.
Then there is the formatting, which is also quite frustrating in parts.
Cover design has to be right or it’s just not right! Right?
And once you get to the stage where you have to approve the advanced reader copy (ARC), you need to go over it with a very keen eye and pick up everything you see that doesn’t look right to you.
It’s far better to give these things the attention they require now than to have to do it later when it costs extra time and money to change.
3. Remember what you set out to achieve with your book.
What sort of difference did you want your book to make? To you? And to your reader?
Did you want to help someone with your writing? If so, who did you want to help? How did you want to help them? And how can rushing this process help them more?
I can tell you that rushing won’t help. If anything, rushing things will mean you miss things and missing things might mean you miss what you set out to do in the first place.
Remember your why.
4. Focus on the outcome you want for your book, not the launch date.
What’s your long-term plan? Do you have a plan in place to continue seeking out your ideal reader and continue putting your book in front of them, way beyond the initial launch?
The launch date is just that – a launch date. It’s a beginning. Going at it hard and fast will not make you a best-selling author who genuinely helps people.
Having a consistent long-term marketing plan that involves putting your book in front of your ideal reader when and where they show up is what will make you that best-selling author who genuinely helps people.
5. Give yourself permission to enjoy the process.
Think bigger. Think long term. Think legacy. A book is forever.
You’ve waited this long to write your book. What difference will a few extra weeks or even months make now? Especially if it means your book looks and sounds more professional and you know it is going to be more impacting than something where corners were obviously cut.
You deserve better.
Your readers deserve better.
You deserve to stand tall and know that you have written and published something of real value.
You deserve to have a book you are proud of.
Publishing your book is going to take as long as it takes, so my final piece of advice is to get out of your own way and give it the time and the attention it needs.
A year from now, you’ll be so glad you did.
That’s it from me for this week. I do hope this has been helpful to you.
If you are looking for a publisher for your book, reach out and talk to us. We can show you how to write, publish and promote your book for yourself, or we can do it all for you.
Take a look at our learning platform The Authorpreneur’s Bootcamp at www.disruptivepubllishing.com.au/jointheclub or if you think you might prefer to invest in having someone take care of your publishing needs for you, then book in for a free information call at www.calendly.com/disruptivepublishing/freeinfosession and we can talk about the best path forward for you.
Or, if you have an idea for a compilation project, tell us about it. We might be able to work together. Email: deb@disruptivepublishing.com.au
Where there is a will, there is absolutely a way.
Authorpreneur’s Bootcamp
Bye for now.