5 Ways to Deal with Self-doubt as an Authorpreneur

A book is a creation. A completed and published book is a product on its own which has the potential to draw business and create job opportunities for others. It is the capability of an author to identify a book’s true potentials and use it for business opportunities that can generate profits regularly, and a build a brand for the author. Most of the times, authors fear they do not have it all to publish a book. The self-doubt of whether you should publish and print your own book is a common phase in every author’s life. The worry of whether the book will sell, whether it will have a professional finish, whether people will read it, whether I have business knowledge, whether I will be successful as a publisher are things bothering creative authors of today. Thus authors who self-publish their books are in charge of the success they are going to create. And it is the risk, responsibility and creativity that make these writers authorprneurs. But, in this entrepreneurial journey,

Here are 5 Ways to deal with your Self-Doubt as Authorpreneurs-

1. Realize Your Book Is Your Product – When you finish a manuscript, look at it from the perspective of a businessperson. Try to understand what are the actions involved in getting the manuscript to the world. A manuscript is just not pages; it is a mini start-up business on its own, because to get it published, you have to transform the loose pages into a bound book with cover, through editing, designing, reformatting into different audio-visual modes of communication, proper marketing, and distribution and finally selling. The other steps involved in transforming a manuscript might involve professional interference. Hence one manuscript creates several job avenues for many others; you can involve them all under your roof, if you believe a book is a business on its own.
2. Start Taking Feedback from Your Readers – While you focus on which subjects interest people, start taking feedbacks from them. Use places like Goodreads to develop a discussion. If you know people are reading your previous books, ask them what they specifically like or dislike about them. This gives you an unbiased knowledge about the market; which topics are in trend, which genres are being liked by audience, and last but not the least, what is the actual quality of your work. It can get very confrontational, but you have to face your fears in order to overcome self-doubt. Clarity from your prospective readers will eventually create a knowledge base and help you understand what is right for your future start up.
3. Think about Services You Can Provide with Your Book – Initially, when you are starting up something, it won’t be profitable. However, when you become a publisher and publish and print your own book, it gives you confidence to explore your skills. You can offer services like editing services, illustration services, marketing services; cover-designing are some basic requirements which all authors have. In this way, you can make profit based on your published book, and also preach the word for your start-up. When your plans and strategies work not only for you but also for others, it gets easier for you to overcome the self-doubt.
4. Repurpose Your Content in Different Formats – To grow a business, it is essential to understand what consumers want. Everyone does not want the content in a book or a blog. Some may find ebooks handy, while others may be willing to pay for a hard copy, even if you make the work available online for free. Different consumer needs and behaviors need to be identified while you develop your ideas of repurposing content. You can include audiobooks, videos, ebooks, blogs and also journals and print books for a single content. Having multiple ways of selling the same product can make you more confident in your role as an authorpreneur.
5. Build Your Brand and Assets – Gone are the days when authors used to live the life of a recluse. Like any successful business, you will need a well-designed website and online presence. Even a pizza place which doesn’t have a good website is not taken seriously. Invest on designing your website and use social media marketing to let the work know that you are there. Promote the genres you are interested in; use giveaways to create awareness, increase your publishing count. That is how you can make a brand name for yourself. Being popular and noticed on social media eliminates self-doubt and develops confidence.

Entrepreneurship can be a difficult path to choose, but if you venture on it successfully, it can be very fulfilling. It is important to be in the right direction. Believe in what you do and be strategic towards execution and dreams will follow you.

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