The Successful Author Mindset: A Handbook for Surviving the Writer's Journey (Books for Writers 4) Kindle Edition

by Joanna Penn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Book 4 of 13: Books for Writers

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Being a writer is not just about typing. It’s also about surviving the roller-coaster of the creative journey.

Self-doubt, fear of failure, the need for validation, perfectionism, writer’s block, comparisonitis, overwhelm, and much more. When you’re going through these things, it can feel like you’re alone. But actually, they are part of the creative process, and every author goes through them too.

This book collects the mindset issues that writers experience, that I have been through myself over the last decade, and that perhaps you will experience at different times on the creative journey.

Each small chapter tackles a possible issue and then offers an antidote, so that you can dip in and out over time. It includes excerpts from my own personal journals as well as quotes from well-known writers. I hope it helps you on the road to becoming a successful author. The book includes:

Part 1: Mindset Aspects of Creativity and Writing

* Self-doubt and imposter syndrome

* Need for validation

* Fear of failure

* Fear of rejection and criticism

* Your inner critic

* Fear of judgment

* Perfectionism

* Writer’s block and procrastination

* “I’m not creative. I don’t have any ideas”

* “My writing isn’t original”

* “Why write? There are too many books in the world already”

* “I don’t have the time or self-discipline to write”

* “I’m not finding writing much fun. It’s hard work.”

* “I keep starting things and not finishing them”

* Dealing with friends, family and writer’s groups

* “How do I find my voice?”

* Comparisonitis or “Everyone is better than me”

Part 2: Mindset Aspects after Publishing

* Anti-climax and creative dissatisfaction

* What is your definition of success?

* What happens when you tell people that you’re an author?

* “I’m overwhelmed”

* Dealing with fans, authenticity and drawing the line

* Haters gonna hate

* Ambition, fame and fortune

* Giving up

Part 3: Tips for Success on the Author Journey

* Know thyself

* Understand and hone your creative process

* Develop professional habits

* Manage professional relationships

* Take control of your writing career

* Find your community

* Keep learning

* Schedule rest and take time off

* Think long term. Create a body of work

You're not alone on the author's journey. Download a sample or buy now.

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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joanna Penn is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under J.F.Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors. She's also a podcaster and an award-winning creative entrepreneur. Her site, TheCreativePenn.com has been voted in the Top 100 sites for writers by Writer's Digest. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01H0LBC2Q
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Curl Up Press (June 29, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 29, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1155 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 166 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1533676607
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #201,212 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #48 in Nonfiction Writing Reference
- #76 in Fiction Writing Reference (Kindle Store)
- #115 in Women & Business (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
322 ratings

About the author

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Joanna Penn

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Joanna Penn is a bestselling author, international speaker and award-winning entrepreneur based in Bath, England.

Her site, www.TheCreativePenn.com helps authors with creativity, writing, publishing, book marketing and creative entrepreneurship. It has been voted one of the top 100 sites for authors by Writers Digest. Joanna has a popular podcast, The Creative Penn, and a YouTube Channel.

You can get a free Author 2.0 Blueprint ebook and video series at www.TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint

You can also connect with Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn

and on Facebook.com/TheCreativePenn

Joanna is a travel junkie, weaving her adventures into her Award-nominated, bestselling thrillers as J.F.Penn and podcasting at www.BooksAndTravel.page

She's a cat person and enjoys a nice G&T.

Joanna has a Masters in Theology from the University of Oxford, Mansfield College, and a post-graduate diploma in Psychology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She spent 13 years in the corporate world before breaking out to become a full-time author-entrepreneur in 2011.

Her bestselling self-help books for writers and authors include:

Successful Self-Publishing: How to self-publish an ebook and print book

How to Market a Book

How to Make a Living with your Writing - listed as one of INC magazine top business books 2015

The Successful Author Mindset: A Handbook for Surviving the Writer's Journey

Audio for Authors: Audiobooks, Podcasting and Voice Technologies

Productivity for Authors

Business for Authors: How to be an Author Entrepreneur

Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives and Other Introverts

Co-writing a Book: Collaboration and Co-Creation for Writers - co-written with J. Thorn

The Healthy Writer: Reduce your Pain, Improve your Health, and Build a Writing Career for the Long-term - co-written with Dr Euan Lawson

Career Change: Stop Hating your Job, Discover what you Really Want to Do with your Life, and Start Doing It!

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3 star		4%
2 star		1%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Nataliya

The good, the bad and the ugly

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2016

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Writing, as a vocation, just like any other vocation, has its ups and downs. If you, like me, read the non-fiction books about writing and writers, you would have read about the good things – the joy of writing, the craft, the satisfaction and fulfillment. But not that many authors write about the bad – the crippling self-doubt, the fear of failure and comparisonitis, or the ugly – the haters, procrastination and overwhelm that come with this job.
Joanna doesn’t just delve in to the bad and the ugly, she gives suggestions on what to do about it. She even manages to help you see the possibility of finding some good in the bad and the ugly. For example – in the section on rejection and criticism, she says: “Rejection by an agent or a publisher who is not a good fit for your book is a blessing in disguise because you may find a home for it elsewhere or happily self-publish later.”
I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, many passages of this book felt like she was speaking directly to my soul – to that place inside every writer that is vulnerable and sensitive. That part of us that has days when all we want is to go live in the fictional universe we created and not deal with the bad and the ugly of the real world. This book reaches out to that part, gives it a hug and tells it to not be afraid.

34 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kate M. Colby

Everything authors need to hear in one short book

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2016

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I went into this book thinking that I wouldn't get much out of it. After all, I have been through my tormented "aspiring writer" phase and come out the other side a proud, independently published author. Sure, I'm still plagued by insecurity and doubt, but how much help could a glorified pep talk really be – even from someone I respect as much as Joanna Penn?

Oh, how wrong I was.

The Successful Author Mindset should be required reading material for all writers, no matter the stage in their journey. Unlike so many self-help books, it doesn't shove vague platitudes or useless statistics in your face. Instead, Penn offers excerpts from her actual journey (an incredibly gutsy move) and real-life antidotes from herself or other authors to contextualize the problems the book addresses. You will never once feel alone while reading this book.

And hey, the inspiration quotations are pretty inspiring, too.

Penn covers a wide range of doubts, concerns, and inhibitors that affect authors at every stage of writing and publishing. She explains each issue, then follows it with her "antidote" or best advice or steps to move past the problem and on with your creative life.

Best of all is Penn's generosity. Within the text, she freely offers up creative ideas and her own writing, creativity, and productivity "secrets." I finished the book feeling encouraged, energized, and confident, as if I had just spent a couple hours chatting with a friend or mentor.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. Start with the chapters that address your own issues, or read it straight through in one day like I did. You will get what you need out of it. You just have to read.

25 people found this helpful

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Leigh A

A Great Book for Indie Authors to Keep Nearby

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2016

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This is one of those books that's a quick read but full of useful information because it gets directly to the point. There is no fluff here. Joanna has gone from being a 9-to-5 employee in the business industry to becoming a successful indie author. In this book she talks about the thought processes on her journey; the fears, the doubts and the excitement. Chapters are each set up to address a different issue or problem, and she has a useful antidote to try at the end of each chapter. It's easy to get through the book quickly, but the real value of this book will be for authors using it as they need to through the years. I especially enjoyed the excerpts from her journals. They addressed the raw emotions that she felt (that we all have felt) and it's wonderful to know that you're not alone and that you can do something about it. There are little tidbits throughout the book, like deconstructing novels to learn about those genres, that are goldmines. I will be going back to this book for many years.

16 people found this helpful

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Chelscey

One to reread again and again.

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2020

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This is one of those books you can read once in a day, and keep coming back to again and again as you continue on the authors path. Seriously, reading this helped me realize that I am 1. not so unique in my problems and 2. therefore not alone in my problems. I now have some actionable ways to help manage my creativity, and help get me through those gloomy times when I question everything and everyone. This is definitely one I'll be rereading again and again now that I know what lies within these little pages. I'm so glad my friend recommended this book to me, and it is now one I recommend to any and all other aspiring writers and established authors.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Tony

We're not alone...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2020

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I'm not going to gush, but as a career author with several books and number ones behind me, I rested on my laurels and expected the momentum to continue. It doesn't. The market has changed, you need to advertise and you need to adopt good practices. This book resets you, makes you believe in yourself again and when you see quotes from Hemingway and Stephen King all describing how you feel as a writer, you realise that you're not the first to feel the way you do, and you sure as hell won't be the last. We are a strange breed, in a strange profession or art and we all need either a kick up the arse, or to grab our career by the balls at times, and Joanna Penn advises how with a great authority in a down-to-earth manner. Sometimes, it's so obvious what you need to do, but you need to hear that voice. A good read for the beginner, but a fantastic read for experienced authors who perhaps don't want to admit their career is on the down-turn. Nothing wrong in that, it's happened to every writer. It's what you do next that counts. This book is the perfect place to start.

7 people found this helpful

R E Davidson

Pure and beautiful common sense delivered kindly...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2020

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This is such a useful book that helped me calm down and get some perspective upon my creative life! It deals with all the usual "demons" that pursue authors - I particularly liked the "comparison-itis" chapter! Even though my logical brain knows that I am being silly when I doubt myself, when I compare myself etc. etc. it can be hard to convince the heart ! So it is good to be able to open up the pages of Joanna's book and see her own admissions of these emotions and how she has worked her way through them. Read this book, together with Liz Gilbert's Big Magic, and you have a powerful duo in your arsenal to keep on keeping on the creation journey. Now, as the author herself says, get back to writing!

3 people found this helpful

Sacha Black

Because we writers aren't alone - a fab reminder

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2017

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Writing isn't lonely, people just think it is. Penn's book is a fantastic short read with bags of reassurance for authors. Feeling like a neurotic writer today? Maybe you're paralysed by self doubt day after day - I've been there I know what it feels like. Joanna Penn is someone I look up to and aspire to be like so it was lovely to see her journal excerpts it really made the book more personable.

This book is a great reminder for new writers and seasoned alike - it's a reminder that we're not alone and we all suffer with the same mental niggles during the process of creating a book.

Fab read, well recommended

12 people found this helpful

Robert Crouch

Positive, practical advice on all aspects of being an author

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2021

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This is a useful guide for writers about the challenges and issues you’ll face in your career. For each issue, the author gives practical guidance, often based on her own experience, on how to deal with the problems and stay positive. It covers everything from writers block to imposter syndrome and being overwhelmed by what you need to do once you are published.

As a published author, I’d encountered many of the writing issues, though I still found the advice interesting. You never know when writers’ block might creep up on you. The guidance on marketing and making a career from writing was more pertinent and useful to me.

Wherever you are on the writing journey, it’s good to know others have experienced the same challenges you face. It’s even better to know, they’ve found the answers that could help you.

Ethan Lazzerini

Packed full of tips

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2016

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This is a really good guide to the worries and chalenges of writing a book. I liked how it was split into three parts dealing with everything from deciding to write, the writing process to after the book is released. Each honest nugget of information is followed by solutions and methods which you can put in place. I think because Joanna has already done this as a full time indy author with I think 20 books, it makes it so much more useful and relatable. Just wish I had found it sooner!

4 people found this helpful