5 Limiting Beliefs that Prevent You from Writing and Self-Publishing Your Book

I encounter many aspiring authors who want to write and self-publish their books, but often their mindset stops them.

If you don’t believe in yourself, there is no way that you can actualize your dreams of becoming an author.  As cliched as it sounds, you have to have the right mindset.  Here are the top five limiting beliefs that every aspiring author needs to kick to the curb:

Limiting Belief 1: I lack the right credentials.

If you lived it, then those are good enough. Not every skilled writer received a writing degree. I suggest if you want to improve your writing, enroll in writing courses. Purchase a book that have writing prompts. I want to encourage you that you are good enough.

Limiting Belief 2: I don’t have enough time to write a book.

Friend, we make time for things that we find valuable. Do you have at least an hour to spare per week. If you can’t do an entire hour in one block, can you find at least two days out of the week where you can commit thirty minutes.

Limiting Belief 3: My story isn’t important.

The devil is a liar. Your story can impact someone’s life. Don’t you dare tell yourself that your story is meaningless. You are important and your story is worth telling.

Limiting Belief 4: I need to have a lot of money to write a book.

You don’t need to be wealthy to write a book. What makes a great book is your story. Now, it will cost you money if you decide to go the self-publishing route and you may need to invest in an editor and designer, but truthfully, all you need to start your book are your thoughts, creativity, and a computer to type your manuscript.

Limiting Belief 5: I will write my book someday.

Future author, only today is promised, not tomorrow. Not setting a date will have you carrying around your story for years. Don’t let that be you. Start today, friend.

The takeaway: Once you get rid of your stinking thinking, you then can become ready to write and self-publish your book.  You can do it, future author!

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Do you want me to teach you how to self-publish your book?

I created “Publish It!: The 7-Day Blueprint for Self-Publishing Your Amazing Book.” This is a great resource for any aspiring author who wants to learn how to self-publish their book from a book publishing expert. Learn more about my 7-day e-course HERE.

 

The Independent Bookstore

Street Magic is now at Atomic Books for $12!  

If you’re an indie publisher or self-published author, the independent bookstore should be your best friend. Unlike the “super chain bookstores” such as Barnes and Noble and Borders, authors and publishers can approach the bookstore owner about carrying his/her books usually through a consignment agreement. With a consignment agreement, you receive a percentage of the book sales–the books aren’t bought alright. For example, Street Magic: Stories and Tales now available at Atomic Books (see photograph at left), located in the Hampden area of Baltimore. When I saw Street Magic on the table with the other fiction books, I felt so proud…but just because your book is in a bookstore, you still need to promote your book, which is very challenging and arduous. Your book is competing with bestselling authors who are signed with major publishing conglomerates (Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Penquin, HarperCollins, and Random House) who can shell out the big bucks to market their products. Even though you might not have thousands of dollars to spend on advertising, publicity is free. Contact editors of your local magazines and newspapers. Get the word out about your book, before it is officially released. Most publications such as Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Review want to receive galleys or manuscripts. However, I noticed that most of the national trade publications do not accept work from self-published authors, but don’t let that stop you. If you want to self-publish your book, make sure you hire an editor to ensure your writing is grammatical and error-free. Hire a book designer to typeset your book interior and design your book cover. If you have an unappealing, poorly design book cover, the average person will skip over your book. The road of an independent author is a long one, but it can be worth it–only if you strategize and know the rules of the publishing game. And don’t throw in the towel, even if the fat lady is singing.    

E-Publishing: The Wave of the Future

If you haven’t heard of Amanda Hocking, you must have been living under a rock. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t have heard of Hocking if it weren’t for the publishing newsletters I receive in my inbox. According to The New York Times, the self-published young adult writer who sold more than 1 million books, was offered a  four-book deal with St. Martin’s Press. Hocking’s advance reached beyond $2 million! Can I say, damn that’s a lot of money! And do you know how she started her career? Selling her e-books on Amazon’s Kindle. When I read Hocking’s blog describing her “big break,” I couldn’t believe it. I had no idea that writers could make money utilizing Amazon’s e-publishing platform. After reading about Hocking, I read an interview where Barry Eisler stated that his electronic short story, The Lost Coast, has netted him $1000. I never thought about selling my short stories on Amazon. But after reading about the success of Hocking and Eisler, I can’t knock the new wave of e-publishing. And for those who aren’t aboard the e-publishing train, they need to jump on it.