Lies You Tell Yourself about Becoming an Author

You may consider yourself to be an honest person, but I bet there has been a time or two when you have told yourself lies about your ability to become an author. As a book coach, I have heard many lies, but these few stand out to me. Tips for stepping into your truth follow, so if any of these ring true for you, your solution is at hand.

LIE #1—I don’t have time to write a book

Have these words ever escaped your lips? The truth is that writing a book IS time consuming, but you can get it done.

My tips for busting this lie of not having time to write include:

Be clear on what you want to write, for whom, and what you want to gain from the experience.
Outline your book to make it easier to write or speak into existence when time avails itself.
Create a goal and a schedule for writing or capturing your words on a regular basis. Words Count sessions at Prolific Writers Life is a perfect solution.
If you know that your capacity or capability is limited, find a book coach or ghostwriter.

So you see, there are ways to create the time to become an author.

LIE #2—I am not a good writer

The truth is…that is what editors are for! If you have a good book idea or a great story to tell, don’t let your writing skills get in the way.

My tips for turning LIE #2 about not being a good writer on its head:

No matter how well you write, plan to hire a professional editor.
Write your book anyway, then apply self-editing tips before submitting to an editor. See the five-tips handout at https://hallagenink.com/pdfs/FiveTips.pdf (no optin required).
Record and transcribe your book, review it for obvious changes, and run a spell check before sending to your professional editor.

You don’t have to be a great writer to become an author.

LIE #3—I don’t know where to start

This may actually be true right now, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. It need not stop you from becoming an author.

To get an overview of the book writing and publishing process, you can read a short book called The New Writer Workbook that I have provided for free at https://TanyaLoves.me/connect. This book gives an overview of a seven-step process for going from thought to finish.

My tips for busting the lie of not knowing where to start are:

Spend time thinking about why you want to write a book and write those thoughts down.
Decide when you want your book in your readers’ hands. This will help determine whether to publish independently or traditionally, and dictate which trail head to begin on.
Evaluate your level of commitment to writing and publishing a book. It may not be a cakewalk, so you will need determination and persistence to see it through.

You can become an author by starting right where you are.

LIE #4—I don’t know what to write about

So many of us dismiss the importance of life experiences we have had or even success we have had in our business or careers. But the truth is, each of us has something to share that can be of value to others.

Here are a few tips to consider when deciding what to write about:

What made you think of writing a book in the first place? Explore that.
Think about the subjects you enjoy talking about with friends or colleagues. What makes your heart happy?
What are you experienced in or what do you have specific knowledge of that others ask you questions about?
What needs does the world have that you could fulfill or what gaps exist in your industry that you could patch? Could your passion and expertise fulfill that need?

So, there you have it. Just four of the lies that you might tell yourself about becoming an author and what you can do to face the truth.

The blinders are off now, so the question is: What are you going to tell yourself now?

Click here to work with Tanya Brockett to help you on your journey of becoming an author.

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Tanya Brockett

Tanya Brockett skillfully guides emerging authors through the publishing process as a podcast host, presenter, and book coach. Over nearly two decades, Tanya has coached hundreds of authors (including many bestsellers), trained thousands in business and publishing, and reviewed/written millions of pages of prose as an author, editor, and ghostwriter. Tap into Tanya’s expertise, courses, and presentations at Linktr.ee/TanyaBrockett.