How To Establish A Writers Mindset For Your New Book

If it were easy, everyone would do it. I'm sure you've heard that saying before. The fact you're even thinking about writing a book puts you in the upper percentile of ambitious, high-achieving individuals.

There are many difficult challenges you would have already faced in life that you've come out thriving on the other side, for instance:

• If building a business was easy, everyone would do it
• If becoming an athlete was easy, everyone would do it
• If being a leader was easy, everyone would do it
• If developing a chosen skill was easy, everyone would do it 

Before you start creating your book, aside from defining your 'Why', one of the best internal processes you can do is identify the false beliefs about why you can't write a book. This is where you need to establish a writers mindset. Instead of revelling in the doubts likely to occur later, addressing them now becomes a powerful way to navigate the book-writing process.

False Belief #1: Who am I to write a book?

Imposter syndrome is rife in the publishing world. When you go into a bookstore and look at all the authors on the shelf, I would bet that 99% of those authors had the same thought when writing their first book. We all have unique perspectives, writing styles, ideas and creative ways to express our knowledge. Remember that writing a book is not just about the final product. It's a journey of growth and enjoyment and allows you to explore your thoughts and feelings in depth as you translate what's in your mind into the minds of others. Everybody has a story to tell - you just need to create your idea. 

False Belief #2: I don't have the time

Saying 'I don't have time' is another way of telling yourself the timing isn't right. In my early twenties, I worked at a gym. Potential new members' would come through the doors and they would always say they didn't have the time to exercise. The fact that they enquired about joining the gym meant they were looking for guidance and a change in their lifestyle. I'd work through a schedule with these new members, which meant they would come in an exercise before work, after work or at lunchtime. They created the time for something they wanted after acknowledging their limiting belief and fear of getting started.

Writing a book is no different. Instead of telling yourself, how about you ask yourself? Rather than saying, "I don't have time", turn your thoughts into "How can I create the time?".

False Belief #3: I'm not a writer

What makes a good writer? Is it the ability to tell stories? Maybe. Is it being able to think and type at a high speed? Perhaps. 

A good writer gets words on a page down consistently, and it all comes down to preparation. I used to fail miserably at stringing together paragraphs. Some days I'd have many ideas, struggling to get words down; other days, I'd have no ideas and lose direction in my book. When I had structure to my stories and topics, there was an added ability to write continuously and often effortlessly. Before you tell yourself you're not a writer, understand that preparation is what makes your book shine (and a decent editor). 

False Belief #4:  I'm not ready

This false belief is closely linked to the "I don't have time" assumption. "I'm not ready" is what we say when we haven't confronted a challenge head-on. In truth, you don't need a writing course to become ready, you don't need more time to become ready, and you certainly don't need approval from others before you're prepared to write a book. Take the first step because you'll be more ready than you know. 

False Belief #5: What if the books a flop?

The fear of failure stops many of us from writing a book. That's why defining your success is an important strategy before you write. Rather than think about how many books you aim to sell, consider how a book will make a personal and professional impact. 

False Belief #6: I don't know what I would write about 

When unsure what to write about, think about where your knowledge lies. You may think your topic is already covered, which will likely be the case. But what you have to say is relevant because it's in your own voice. You've already got the ideas in your head. You just need clarity. When I work with clients, I see a familiar pattern, and it looks like this: they believe their idea isn't enough to create a whole book. I then teach them how to create their pathway to clarity in their book idea. Once they discover a newfound clarity, they're excited to write and turn their idea into an asset that makes an impact. 

False Belief #7: I can't afford to write and publish a book

For most of us, money will always be a factor when writing and publishing a book. The misconception in the self-publishing industry is that you must buy hundreds of books simultaneously with the pressure of having them sit in a spare room, collecting dust. But that's not the case. Your costs are only in the production and marketing of the book. With the new Print On Demand business model, distributors like Amazon, Ingram Spark and other retailers will organise the printing and shipping of your books. They will just take a small percentage and deliver your royalties every month. 

Invest in Writing Your Book

Two of the biggest investments you can make when publishing your book will be hiring an editor and finding the right cover designer. I go into more detail later on in the publishing part of the book. 

Overcoming your limiting beliefs can be challenging, but remember, there's beauty in the unknown. When you write a book for the first time, you're navigating through the weeds as you dig deeper into the trenches of book writing. I'm here to give you the tools to write and publish your book. It's up to you to use those tools and turn an idea into something as powerful as a book.