Mindset tips before publishing for authors self publishing or traditional publishing their book.
Are you close to entering the publishing phase of your book? I have some mindset tips before publishing for you, whether you are planning to traditionally or self publish your book.
Shore up your self-worth, mindset, and other mental health coping mechanisms before beginning the query (traditional publishing) or self-publishing process.
No matter how you’re planning to publish, this tip is about preparing your mindset defenses before putting your work out there for public scrutiny, whether that scrutiny is from agents and publishers, or from readers.
You and your work in progress have been an intimate party of two for a while now, in some cases, for a long time. It’s called a writing “cave” for a reason – not a writing sports arena or a writing televised national broadcast. You are free, during your cave time, to banter with your insecurities, doubts, and fears, without involving anyone else.
But when it’s time to show your work to others, all sorts of mindset stuff can materialize. Dealing with it isn’t as easy as flipping a switch (tragically), but you can prepare for it.
Traditional Publishing:
For those of you about to embark on the querying process, this is the time to reinforce to yourself that traditional publishing is a business, it’s not personal. The responses you receive (or do not) are largely a reflection of how your book fits the needs of the business you are pitching. Your lizard brain might tell you otherwise, whispering in your ear that you got rejected or ghosted because you’re a horrible writer and a no good human being.
Self Publishing:
If you’re self-publishing your book, your sneaky little lizard might be telling you lies about how nobody wants to read your book, forewarning you about all the one-star reviews coming, and trying to convince you to shelve your manuscript before it hits the printing press.
Both Types of Publishing:
This is the time, before you jump into the lion’s den, to remind yourself that your lizard brain does not have your best author interests at heart. While it might be helpful in preventing you from starving to death, it lacks the more evolved judgment needed to represent your best, most awesome self.
Publishing Prep Journaling:
>Make a list of why you’re excited about your manuscript. What do you like about your book? (This isn’t editing – we’re not worried about areas of improvement right now.)
>Visualize the great experiences your readers will have while reading your eventually published book.
>Make a list of coping methods you’ll lean on throughout the process. Like, how will you handle the rejections, the ghosting, and the professional critiques of your work? These might not be the most pleasant parts of publishing, but they will happen and it’s easier to figure out how you’ll cope now, rather than in the moment. And for self-published authors, same question for one-star reviews and other criticism.
Take some time now to create your mental health battle plan for the pitching and publishing process! Need some help with your plan and additional tips before publishing? Let’s chat!
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