3 Ways To Recover From Book-Writing Failure
Failure is inevitable, just like pain and death.
Okay, let me dial it back and not be so morbid.
But seriously, there is no getting around failure, especially if you want to be successful. That's why successful people advise those who are looking for similar results to fail fast. Meaning, you're going to fail anyway so just expect it...receive it…and move forward quickly.
Book writing is no different. It comes with its share of failures. And notice I said book writing and not book publishing. Some people fail before they even publish their words for the world to see. I know “fail” is a strong word but I want to reframe the negative connotation by encouraging you to accept it. Failure is simply an indicator that someone was neglectful or unsuccessful in a pursuit. It can be damaging or fatal in other contexts, but in the context of writing a book…not so much. That said, be easy on yourself.
Anyway, I digress.
An example of book-writing failure is a book topic not garnering much interest after you’ve revealed the book title and/or book cover on social media. Ouch! I’ve been there, and it stings. Or maybe you had a goal to write a 100-page book, but after all of your research and ideating, your book is projected to only be 50 pages. Or maybe you can’t stop writing and editing at the same time, so you get discouraged and quick writing altogether. No matter the excuse or self-sabotaging behavior or level of imposter syndrome, book-writing failures happen. And it's okay. In fact, I’ve learned that you will actually live and not die after experiencing said failure. Of course, I'm being facetious, but you get my point. And that point is failure happens for you but not to you. Failure makes you reassess what didn’t work; it builds character. In my opinion, failure is meant to humble you, not break you.
Good thing there are many ways to recover from book-writing failure, but here are my personal favorites:
1. Think of your future self
Do you want to be the person who is in the same place professionally as last year? The person who is still waiting for the right time to finish writing your book. The person who could add book sells and speaking engagement honorariums to their annual salary if they actually had a book to sell and discuss. I hope the answer is no. And I encourage you to make your future self proud by following through with the writing process and publishing your book with excellence. Pay attention to my use of the word “excellence,” which does mean perfection. It means you’ve shown your respect to the writing and publishing industry by researching as much as you can to ensure your book is properly positioned in the marketplace. It means that even though you may not be completely confident in the overall process, you are confident in yourself enough to see a project through, especially if you feel you have a book that is going to articulate your expertise to the best of your ability. Then, you not only owe it to yourself to finalize the project, but you owe it to your target readers. And what you just may find after publishing your book is that magic feedback needed to take your book to the next level. But typically, that magic feedback comes after completion. My theory is that there’s a certain confidence that’s developed after one completes the writing, editing, and publishing process of authoring a book; therefore, criticism tends to be more subjectively received. This is because a writer will have gone from aspiring author to published author. The title matters! Published authors can actively plan the future of their entrepreneurial career with their book in their hand(s) instead of only in their mind.
2. Make tweaks immediately
As a follow up to the above-mentioned advice, I encourage you to also find a diverse group of beta readers—trusted professionals and loved ones—from which to receive feedback. Do this before publishing your book. Then, implement the feedback (according to your own discretion) as quickly as you can. The more you sit on it, the more you may feel discouraged and pause the book-writing process. And let me note that the feedback from the beta readers is different from the magic feedback mentioned above because you will ask for this advice. Also, the beta readers may or may not include your target audience/readers. But once you publish on Amazon and an anonymous paying customer—a stranger—buys your book and shares their remarks in a book review, then that advice hits a little differently. It’s more like public criticism. And whether it’s constructive or not, magic feedback may be different from your beta readers’ opinions as anonymous book reviewers don’t know you or your intentions. All they know is that the content fell short of their expectations. Nonetheless, the magic in all of this feedback is that a simple (or massive) change can put your book in better shape to reach more people. And when that happens, I want to you to analyze what can be altered and make changes as soon as possible. Don’t disrespect your target readers (or your beta readers) by not listening to them. Show them you value their opinion by making tweaks immediately. And if it comes down to it, you can re-publish your book after making massive changes and conducting more research on keywords and categories in an attempt to get ranked highly on your publishing platform of choice. Let it be known that I do not recommend re-publishing. I recommend doing substantial research upfront and updating your manuscript when necessary. But re-publishing is an option. And so is publishing a second volume of your book. The takeaway here is you have room to grow, especially if you self publish.
3. Let time do her thing
Sometimes your book just isn’t ready to bloom. And that doesn’t always mean that you’ve done something wrong or need to make changes. It just hasn’t made it to the right pair of eyes. I remember reading countless stories in 2020 about authors who had previously published books that centered around diversity and inclusion who didn’t see massive success until the pandemic. Same book, different season. That said, this advice is for aspiring authors whose progress is impacted by the concerns of immediate return on investment. You are brilliant, and sometimes, your ideas are ahead of your time. Therefore, your book may not bloom in the season that it was published. Whew! I just encouraged myself. Anyway, I wish I could give you a timeline by which your work will reach the success you’ve planned for. The truth is, I don’t know. The truth is also, it may not reach success (at least not in your lifetime). But don’t let that stop you from sharing your genius. After all, words are immortal. I strongly believe that your impact won’t go unrecognized. Your influence won’t be in vain. Because before you write your influential book, you must first become a person of influence. Quiet as its kept, becoming a better person is the real gift of writing.
Aspiring authors, writing a book can be simple but not easy. The simplicity is due to a strategy but it doesn’t mean that the steps in the strategy are going to come easy. However, don’t let the challenge cause you to give up. Big sis Aaliyah said it best, “If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.” As long as you’re breathing, I strongly believe you have another opportunity to actualize your goals…another chance to turn your book-writing failure into author success.
I’m rooting for you, future bookfluencer!
It’s time to complete what you’ve started. WRITE YOUR BOOK THIS YEAR!
Until the next blog post,
Nailah
P.S. If you need help organizing your ideas into a manuscript or would simply like access to a proven book-writing strategy, then check out my latest workbook, Book-fluence: How to Write a Book to Position Yourself as a Leader in Your Industry. 🙂