5 Powerful Things I’ve Learned Through My Author Journey

I’m thrilled to once again hold an actual book that I wrote in my very own hands. Seeing a dream come to completion is a special joy that is worth celebrating, and this post is part of my *celebration for the release of Fountains and Secrets.

However, this post is mostly a reflection about how I have changed through this journey. Since I am prone to pondering such things (ie. navel gazing), and because I’m always on the lookout for subject to fill the pages of my blog, I sat down and made a list of things I’ve discovered about myself over the past year of my becoming-a-published-author journey.

Here’s what I’ve learned…

5 insights I’ve learned about myself in the past year (that have some remote tie to my author journey).

I need to erase any soundtrack that says I’m not worthy enough to ask.

If you’re a non-assertive introvert like me, you probably hate asking people for favors. Especially important people or famous people.

You may hear a soundtrack in your head like this: That person is too busy doing important things. I shouldn’t bother them with my request.  Or perhaps your soundtrack is harsh, like this one: Who do you think you are to even consider asking? You’re not good enough to deserve their help.

Does that sound familiar to any of you?

So, imagine the angst I feel when it’s time to ask established authors for endorsements. But I need to do it—so I did. Thanks to attending conferences, I knew some authors I could ask. They were all very gracious, whether they said yes or no.

The second time around, I challenged myself to think bigger. Through my work as editor of Almost an Author, I had an opportunity to correspond with bestselling author Davis Bunn. (You can find his inspiring column here.) This seemed like a God-given opportunity to ask for an endorsement. But the moment I had the idea, my negative soundtracks kicked into gear. Loudly.

I decided not to listen to them. It took some angsty wrestling, but I made myself send Mr. Bunn a request.

Being the generous and encouraging writer that he is, he wrote me a very nice endorsement that now has pride of place on the front of my new book.

If I’d chickened out, I wouldn’t have gotten such a wonderful gift.

Speaking of negative soundtracks…

My attitude and my confidence improved when I deleted a few old soundtracks and rewrote my identity

Pre-published Lisa had a dread fear of “all that marketing stuff” because I’d been listening all my life to soundtracks that said things like:

• I’m not good at selling things
• I hate marketing
• I don’t have the right personality for promoting myself

These negative messages were defining an identity that was no longer true, so I have been working to adopt a more positive identity, using the steps in this post.

I rewrote those negative identity statements, creating the positive identity I aspire to:

• I’m not good at marketing yet, but I’m learning
• I’m the kind of person who enjoys promoting worthwhile books
• I’m the kind of person who enjoys spreading a positive message, and I have a message worth sharing
• My personality has strengths that I can leverage to become successful at promotion

I’ve done many (scary, intimidating, people-y) things for the first time—and I not only survived, but mostly enjoyed myself.

Book promotion involves getting myself out there in front of people, both in person and virtually. It involves talking about myself and my art. To strangers.

These types of activities are NOT in my comfort zone. But I did them anyway, and you know what? I survived and I’m alive to tell the tale.

Here’s a brief list of (to me) scary promotion activities I’ve done this year.

• Pitching my book to dozens of bookstore owners
• Doing a book signing
• Being interviewed on a podcast
• Replying to people I’ve never met who’ve taken the time to send an email or comment.

And here are a few of the observations I’ve gleaned from doing these things:

• I was able to stretch myself and rise to the challenge.
• They went better than my fears told me they would.
• It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
• For the most part I enjoyed myself.
• It gets easier with practice.
• God has a habit of providing someone when I need them to help me, encourage me, and guide the way.  
• Christian authors and bookstore owners are encouraging, kind people.

These are valuable lessons that apply to much more than book-promotion. I hope they encourage you the next time you face a decision that requires you to step outside your comfort zone.  

A good coach is worth paying for.

After my first book was published, I floundered around trying to figure out what I was supposed to do to sell books. I tried some of this and some of that, but I felt overwhelmed, bewildered, and ashamed at being a book-selling failure.

I kept saying inside my head: I wish I had someone to tell me what to do next.

The second time around, the publisher offered coaching (as an add-on), and I’m SO glad I took them up on it. It has made a world of difference. My coach picked my brain and got to know me then helped me discern and distill my message.  Next she helped me plan a strategy that works with my personality, with a promotional message tailored to the key topics I care about. And she gave me pro tips along the way, little things I wouldn’t have thought about, but are very helpful.

Having a coach to help me with all this has done wonders for my attitude and confidence. I have a path forward, and I don’t feel anxious about all the things I’m not doing, because I know why I’ve made the decisions to do it this way.

If you are floundering to accomplish something in your life and starting to feel discourage or filled with shame for being a failure, I suggest you try finding a coach. A good coach is worth the investment. (I will add that you may need to flounder for a while before you know what kind of coaching you need.)

Validation helps deflate self-doubt.

Opinions differ on the value of entering a book in book contests. Some experts say that it’s a waste of time to enter your book in any but the most prestigious contests.

I disagree.

I admit that becoming a finalist in a book contest isn’t likely to make a significant impact in book sales, BUT (and this is a big but) any contest, no matter how small, can make a difference in the tender heart of a writer.

All creatives need positive validation from time to time and seeing your name as a finalist in a contest can be a big boost. Winning an award in a small writers’ conference is worth something to our creative souls, regardless of whether it ever shows up on a resume or in ad copy.

Validation = a boost of confidence, which in turn = a better attitude. That’s worth it.

PLUS, it feels good to write “award-winning author.”

In celebration of my book release, I am doing weekly giveaways of books by authors who have helped me in my author career. Subscribe to my author newsletter in the blue box below for a chance to enter giveaways.

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