How to Navigate the Psychological Phases of Becoming an Author, Part 1

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At the end of last year, I promised to break down some of the stages aspiring and published authors experience. First, allow me to identify them:

• Excitement & Enthusiasm
• Self-Doubt / Imposter Syndrome
• Determination or Surrender
• Hopeful Optimism
• Success & Realization

I did point out that every author becomes an author because they expect success: they expect they will finish their book, no matter how many challenges they have to overcome. But not before they pass through each of the stages above, however brief.

For those of you who are still in the "I want to write a book" part of the process (and even those of you who are deep in the throes of getting your book published), allow me to offer some insight into making the entire process more fun and less stressful. Grab a journal or open a new Evernote Note and do these three steps:

Step 1. Put yourself into the future and imagine the day you're holding your book in one hand, a Sharpie in the other, and you're getting ready to sign the first copy someone buys because they're so excited to read it. (Not your mom, not someone who feels obligated because they're your first cousin or a colleague...a bonafide at-the-ready reader.) How do you feel? How psyched are you to have put in the effort, made the time, money, and sweat investment to get it done? Finish this sentence: I am so incredibly thankful I finished my book, [insert title here], because ...

Step 2. Put what you've written above on a 3x5 card and put that sucker where you can see it every day. Staying connected to your end result, specifically creating a mental image of it, will do a lot to get you all the way there.

Step 3. Know your initial enthusiasm and excitement is going to fade. Just like with anything else, there's an ugly middle (and oh yes, I'll talk more about that soon) where you'll doubt your decision, flirt with giving up, and wonder if you'll sell more than three copies—all while meeting your content's validity with skepticism and cynicism (no, it's not just you). If you know it's coming, you can recognize it when it arrives and deal with it—and I'm going to help.

Writing a book is a challenging process, and it is absolutely worth it (yes, I promise). You've got this, yes, you can do this! You can become an author and your book can fulfill the vision you have for it in your head. Keep writing and I'll see you tomorrow.

Honorée Corder | I help professionals write, publish, market, and monetize their books.?

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