Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Writer

Imposter syndrome is the fear that writers often have that the quality of the work is not good enough. It is a strong form of self-doubt that can often result in procrastination, over editing, and excessive self-critiquing. Many writers suffer from it because they are not sure that they really have what it takes to be a writer.

Realize that the problem is real.

The first thing you need to do to overcome imposter syndrome is to realize that it is real. It is a problem that most writers struggle with from time to time and it can hold you back.

Realize that you are a writer if you are writing.

You need to realize that you are a writer as long as you are writing. As long as you keep working at it you will make progress and improve in the quality of your work.

Realize that you cannot do everything.

You need to realize that you cannot do everything. You cannot cover every topic. Do not be afraid to get tools like grammar and spell checks to help your writing. You may need help with editing. Whatever the case do not be afraid to get help from others.

Recognize your doubts and deal with them.

Realize that your doubts are real and deal with them. Find the source of your doubts and deal with them at the source. If your doubts come from inexperience get some experience. There are many places you can write online where it will be seen.

Make sure you keep on writing.

More than anything else keep on writing nothing will help you overcome your doubts than producing material. The more writing you do the more confidence you will gain particularly as you get feedback from others.

Imposter Syndrome is a real problem faced by writers. Do not allow it to gain control of you or it will ruin your writing career. More than anything else do not stop writing. Find ways that you can write for others that will give you feedback. It can be both encouraging as well as helping you to improve.

How to Record Your Audiobook

If you are an author, you may have several print books, or at least one. If it has found tremendous success, you may be ready to record an audiobook to reach even more customers and make your current customers even happier. It is possible to do it yourself as seen in the information below.

Create a Studio at Home

If you want to completely record your audiobook yourself, make a studio at home. Try to make it soundproof, and use equipment and software that is high-quality. Make sure that the space is completely quiet, or it will not be worthwhile by the guidelines.

Follow the Guidelines

As mentioned, it is so important, if you are making a home studio, to follow the audiobook guidelines. If you are using a software like Audible, for instance, it requires no background noise. Turn off any electronics and any systems in your home that may be creating even the faintest of sounds.

Gather Your Equipment

When you can ensure that your studio is soundproof, start gathering the equipment that you will need. You will need a laptop and headphones with a microphone to reduce feedback issues. Purchase the recording software that you need and use a filter to keep sounds minimal.

Go to a Studio

If you cannot make the space in your home soundproof, you will most likely have to go to a studio. Book a time slot that matches how long your book will take to record. Ensure that your throat is ready and hydrated as well.

Start Recording

When recording, whether at home or at a studio, make sure that you speak in a steady and concise manner. Make sure that you enunciate all of your words and do not skip words in your book.

An audiobook can be just what you need to take you to the next level of authorship. Make sure that you follow the standards for recording by avoiding any background noise and by speaking clearly while recording every single word of your book.

How to Market a Self-Published Book

Chances are that you are a self-publisher if you have just written a book. It is important to ensure that your book reaches the right hands, and this comes through an effective marketing plan. Continue reading below to learn more about how to market your self-published book in an effective manner.

1. Make Social Media Pages

Social media is so popular among audience members of every age. Try to set up an account on each social media site for your book or as an author page. Interact with the audience members who visit your page and who comment on your posts.

2. Ask for Reviews

The first few people who purchase your book may be friends or family members. No matter who these first few customers are though, ask them to leave a review about your book. Customers trust other customers and that trust can come from a review that they read.

3. Make a Website

make sure that you have a website in which customers can find out more information about you and about your book. Consider adding a blog in which you can share the story of writing or can share tips on writing to really make it personalized.

4. Use Email Marketing

When customers visit your website or meet you in person, offer a signup option. The customer will provide his or her email address to help you start building an email list. You can also receive the email from purchases though, then you can use that list to send periodic advertisements and newsletters.

5. Learn from Others

It is important to always think of what has made other authors successful. Consider the designs of their books and the design of their websites. Look for keywords that can help customers find your site or your book.

Self-publishing a book can be an exciting venture for you to take. In order for it to become successful, however, you have to meet the right customers. Use the marketing advice above to help you secure the leads and customer base you need.

Our Best Practices for Paying Authors

When we first began as a small print press association, we had no experience with accounting. But, as with all small businesses, creating something sustainable and financially sound requires good budgeting and accounting practices. If you don’t know where your money is spent, to whom its going, and where you have to send taxes at the end of the year, you could get yourself into a lot of trouble – with both your authors and the IRS.

We did a lot of research on accounting for book publishers and small presses when we started out – everything from paying our authors to finding a good software. Now, we have a bunch of knowledge about this stuff, but not much to do with it. So, dear reader, we are passing this accounting guidance to you. Below, you’ll find some of our tips for the financial side of running a small press. Use them well.

Know the Difference Between a 1099 and W2

If you run a small press, you’ll need to understand the different types of workers. We’ll use a publishing house as an example. The people who work directly under you – editors, readers – are W2 employees because they work for the publishing house. Your authors – the people whose books you publish – are 1099 contractors. They essentially provide your business with a service, and you compensate them in the form of an advance or other payment. They are not employees of the publishing house, so they receive a different tax form.

Understand Your Budgets

Budgeting is more than just keeping track of your money. You’ll need to understand your business’s cash flow, growth, and potential profit. Do you want to focus on building the size and cash flow of your business, or are you satisfied with your current load and expenditures? Do you want to focus on making profit, or do you want to run a bare-bones operation with few expenses? These are questions you’ll need to answer before embarking on your journey as a small business owner. Importantly, you’ll want to figure out how you want to handle royalties for authors. These are an expense that can be easy to lose track of during the course of the royalty period. You’ll want to invest in a software tool that can help you manage royalties across several authors and payees.

Get a Software that Works

A small publishing press will have a disproportionately difficult time filing taxes. Even if you have only one or two employees (i.e. those who receive a W2) form, you will, ideally, have a number of writers who need to receive 1099s. On top of that, you’ll need to both manage royalties and have a payroll tool that can handle both direct deposits for employees and check processing for authors. You’ll need a tool that can handle all of those payroll-related tasks while also assisting with business-related forms and taxes. Find an accounting software for small businesses that takes all of this into account. << That is the one we use, but there are others. AMS was the cheapest we could find. Every penny matters!

Writing a Great Author Bio

Picture it: You’ve written your book. A small press picked it up, and they’re handling everything from pricing to distribution. You’re called in every once in a while to weigh in on important decisions, but for the most part, you’re letting them take the reins. Then, just before it goes to press, your publisher gives you a call. I can’t believe we forgot – we need your author bio. You search your hard drive for something you might have written years ago, but you have nothing to work from. She wants it by the end of the day. What do you do?

Don’t stress out. Of course, nobody (except you lucky memoirists) likes writing about themselves, but the author bio is fairly simple. In fact, it’s almost formulaic. You’ll need to present specific information and take stock of what’s important to your target audience.

To start, take a few minutes to write down any credentials you have, related to either your work or personal life, that showcase you as an authority figure. Do you have a degree in writing? An area of expertise? Have you been published elsewhere? The purpose of an author bio is to build trust between you and the reader. What are you offering them?

Then, using this information, write your bio in the following order.

Your byline – Include only your name and the name of the book you just authored. Write it in the third person.

Build engagement – Pull out the paper you used earlier. What information do you want your readers to know about you? What are your credentials? Why did you write the book you just completed?

Incorporate a personal touch – This is where you include where you are based, if you have a partner, if you have kids, or what you like to do for fun. Admit as much or as little as you are comfortable doing.

End with a call to action – Where can your readers find you? Do you have a website? A popular Twitter account? Include these at the end.

 

And that’s it! Ideally, your bio should be somewhere between 75 and 125 words. Play around with phrases and wording, but in all, this should take only a few minutes. Crisis: averted.

All Things Literary