Stress Of An Author: How To Successfully Deal With It
- By DK WALKER
- Author Mindset, Podcast
Stress is the #1 silent killer, yet some authors choose to self-publish. Why… oh why?
Stress of an author is real and is expected if you’re new to self-publishing. It can’t be avoided, with all the things that can go wrong and usually does. Yes stress of an author can be managed, but for new authors it usually isn’t. Causing burn-out sometimes before they complete their debut novel. Stress as an author should be welcomed, but only if you view it as a challenge that needs to be risen to.
Where does stress of an author mostly come from?: The Unknown. Did I say the unknown? Yep. You read that correctly. But before the self-publishing gurus and experts call for my head, let me expound a bit.
You can be a first time author to an author who has 10 books under their belt, but until you learn what to expect on your writing journey, then you can expect an almost overwhelming amount of stress during the process.
If you haven’t figured out do you write better as a panster or planner, you can expect the stress of an author.
If you haven’t figured out exactly who your target market is, why surely you can expect the stress of an author.
Haven’t figured out how to permanently deal with writers’ block, I promise you the stress of an author will never leave your side.
The list can go forever, but the point I’m trying to make is the more work you do before the actual writing begins will cut the stress of an author tremendously.
But what about the stress of an author when you know as much as you can, do all the right things, and stuff still goes horribly wrong? That my dear author friends is not stress, but life happening. IT’S TO BE EXPECTED!
But when this type of “stress” happens, please don’t view it as such. Look for the lesson because there is always a teachable moment waiting to be learned.
The hidden stress of an author: On my most recent podcast I had the chance to interview promising young writer, LT Shaw and he spoke of a stress I wasn’t aware of but is all too real for Black authors today. And that stress was writing in a genre that is dominated by white authors and wanting your work to still resonate well with a predominantly white audience.
As he was talking, walking me through his thought process, I wondered how many other non-white authors writing in a genre they loved, but thought the same thing started to creep over me.
When it was my time to chime in after a brief and slightly awkward pause, I simply told him that a great story will always trump the race of the author. Readers are a very selective bunch, and yes to a degree it may have to do with race in certain small instances. But as a whole, when you write, and your story speaks directly to them, they could give two shits about race.
Why?
Because a well written story in ANY GENRE tells the readers that you are one of them, you get them. You speak their language and as long as you do that you will sell books.
You think out of the millions of books James Paterson, Stephen King, Harlan Corben, Maya Angelou, Terry McMillian, etc. have written is exclusive to their race only?
Sports, music, and great stories unite a people. So an author’s sole job is to thoroughly know that genre and give the readers what they deserve, and they will reward you expectedly.
So what can be done about the stress of an author? Simple… control what you can control. Expect life to happen at the worst time, learn from it and move forward. Like I stated earlier, the more you know, the less you have to stress about. And if you’re reading this blog and something about the writing and or marketing process is stressful, sounds like you need to start learning a few things and apply what you know.
To catch the full podcast between myself and LT Shaw, just click below.
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.
See you next week!!!
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Unsure of where to find your ideal readers? Do you feel like your marketing efforts are falling flat, leaving you frustrated and overwhelmed?
It’s time to put an end to the guesswork, take control of your author journey, and start to consistently sell books with our comprehensive guide, The Self Publishing Target Marketing Cheat Sheet: Your Shortcut To Book Marketing Mastery.
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DK WALKER
DK Walker has been self-publishing for close to 20 years. These days, he helps other self-published authors become more productive, going from book idea to completed manuscript in 30 days or less with The Unfair Writing Advantage System. Design especially for authors who wants to STOP STRUGGLING as they write and increase their productivity dramatically.