How To Identify Your Strengths And Weaknesses As An Author
- By JENNIFER CARR
- Author Mindset, Podcast
To Identify your strengths and weaknesses as an author you first must honestly assess who you are as a person.
Scary I know, but being honest about who you are personally will help you better focus on who you are as an author. Being an author is what you do, but identifying your strengths and weaknesses speaks directly to who you are.
Without taking you down a psychological rabbit hole, chasing a carrot you’ll never catch, lets focus on a 3 character traits that will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses as an author.
(EDITORS NOTE: THIS BLOG IS TO HELP THE READER IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AS AN AUTHOR, NOT SOLELY AS A WRITER)
The 1st way to identify your strengths and weaknesses as an author is by being a Problem Solver: If you’re a problem solver and can be quite stubborn in figuring out those problems, then the problems you face as an author will not stop your productivity.
Finding your target market, choosing between organic and paid traffic, growing your email and or SMS list, going wide or staying exclusive on Amazon, having your own blog/ website, and pricing. These are the usual suspects in big and daunting decisions when it comes to being an author.
Being a problem solver will speak directly to your strengths as these dilemmas arise.
If you tend to shy away from problems and avoid the tough complications that come with being an author, you’ll find yourself being indecisive about most things and you’ll have little to no production to show for your efforts.
How to combat this if it’s your weakness?
The best advice is to get a mentor with a proven track record of helping new, self-published authors who can help you navigate those hard decisions until you feel comfortable enough to make them on your own.
Or, you can spend countless hours watching YouTube videos, trying to figure it out. The Choice is yours.
The 2nd way to identify your strengths and weaknesses as an author is by being a Patient: The quickest way for a self-published author to face burnout is by being impatient. A bestselling author NEVER happens overnight (only if you’re manipulating the system over at Amazon).
Authors, you have to stop thinking if they build it they will come. Or in your case, if you write a good book they will buy it by the millions.
Yes, success happens, but it’s a process that’s grounded in patience. With it, self-published authors understand that their hard work is paying off even if it isn’t showing.
Without it, frustration easily sets in and the process of distancing yourself from being a successful self-published author takes over.
How to combat this if it’s your weakness?
Take the time and celebrate each and every small win as a self-published author that comes your way. You got your cover back from your graphic designer and you absolutely love it? Sounds like you deserve a bowl of ice cream or an hour or two of relaxing and recharging.
You grew your email list to over 1000 subscribers? Why yes, you do deserve to be treated to your favorite restaurant and a good glass of wine.
So why is celebrating your small wins so important?
First it staves off burnout. Second, if you keep adding up those small wins a big one is sure to follow.
The 3rd way to identify your strengths and weaknesses as an author is by thinking outside of the box:
Bruce Lee’s, “be like water, my friend” simply means to be flexible in both mind and body. This is a quote that ALL self-published authors need to remind themselves of because the road to success will require you to think and be adaptive.
AND be willing to THINK and DO outside of the conventional publishing box. Need to grow your following on your social media platforms, how about NOT following any trends, but set your own and make sure when you do it’s attracting your target market.
You have no real budget to have your book professionally edited, but you build flawless websites but haven’t in a while and as luck would have it, your editor needs her website overhauled. Bartering is still alive and well my friends, but will you allow your mind to think of trading one service for another or do you think money is the begin all and end all?
You’ve been on a few podcasts lately (click here to be on Connected Conversations For Creatives) and you were so nervous you came across as stiff and without an ounce of personality.
But all across your social media page you are very opinionated. Funny, outgoing as all get out and can be offensive at times, but you don’t know why you choose to try and sound all professional, but came off as arrogant at best.
What do you do? Do you reach back out to the podcasts host and ask if you can do the podcasts over if they haven’t aired and tell them you apologize for being lifeless or do you don’t even make the effort and let those horrible recordings live forever?
“Be like water my friends, be like water…”
How to combat this if it’s your weakness?
The best way to stand out and think outside of the box is to stand tall as your true self. No one can be a better you than YOU!
Sometimes thinking outside of the box just means giving your own thoughts a time to shine!
Just know to identify your strengths and weaknesses as an author, you need to look no further than identifying the strengths and weaknesses you already have as a person.
If you want to go even deeper into identifying the strengths and weaknesses of an author, watch the podcast below as DK and I discuss our own strengths and weaknesses, plus how paramount community is in building a much needed support system for authors.
Catch the full podcast below…
I hope you enjoyed the show as much I loved bringing it to you. But before you go, please do me a huge favor and subscribe to my YouTube channel, leave a comment on what part of the podcast you received the most value from, and share the episode on any of your social media platforms. I would greatly appreciate the love and support.
Looking Forward To Seeing You Next Episode!!!
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Jennifer Carr
I'm Jennifer. I'm a wife, homeschooling mom, baker, part-time farmer, social media addict, and an avid reader. I'm a lover of coffee, music, learning, animals, and writing. I have a degree in Psychology, a Master's in Marriage & Family Counseling, and certifications in Life Coaching, Health and Wellness Coaching, and am a certified Brain Health Professional.