Flip to the "Acknowledgments" section of your favorite book, and you will find that it didn't manifest from the hands or brain of just one person. Your favorite author had a whole team of people who helped them finish, launch, and promote that book, and you deserve the same. Whether you need a supportive ear, a mentor, or someone to assist with the business side of publishing, your team is waiting for you to send out the call for help.
As you write and prepare to publish your book, here are three important people that you'll want on your team for a successful launch.
1. Yourself
Writers are often plagued with self-doubt, perfectionism, and of course, the ever-dreaded writer’s block. As editors, we commonly hear from our writers, “I am my own worst critic.” While some criticism can be good and constructive, too much harsh criticism can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What sets successful authors apart is being able to overcome self-sabotage. You can be the first person on your team to set yourself up for success. Here are some tips:
Be mindful of the negative habits you inflict on yourself, and practice working against them. What are you doing that is getting in your own way?
If you start to notice a trend of being overly critical, take a break. Instead of spiraling when you encouter a rough patch, take a moment to read some positive affirmations.
As you read through your work, imagine it’s not your own writing, but a close friend’s. What would you say to them? You would certainly tell them the good along with the constructive criticism, so why not do the same for yourself?
You will face enough outside obstacles on your writing journey, so it is important to learn to advocate for yourself within. Being on your own team means you have gotten out of your own way. With traits such as self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-advocacy, you are championing yourself to do the best you can.
But for those things you cannot do on your own, you will need a couple more people on your team.
2. A Coach
A coach is someone who will help teach you technique and keep you focused on your goal. In writing, you will want someone who can help you polish your work and assist you through the publishing process so it can get out there for others to read.
There are several people who can fill this role. For example, another author who has already gone through the process can help guide you through what to expect and connect you with people on the business side of things. You can hire someone like a writing coach or an editor if you’re worried about crafting your writing. Or, you can look for a company or someone directly involved in publishing. There are several companies, like Next Page, that offer different services relating to publishing which can help you go from manuscript to published work.
3. A Cheerleader
Lastly, you need someone to cheer you on. For writers, this may be the very first person to read your story (or hear your book idea) and encourage you to keep working at it. They may be a listening ear and a sounding board for ideas in early drafts. But the main thing is, they will believe in you even when you doubt yourself.
The truth is, it’s hard to be objective about your own work. Having someone with an outside perspective on your team will help keep you going as you navigate the various difficulties you may encounter in the writing, editing, and publishing processes—even writer’s block! You could go to them for suggestions on how to improve your story. Alternatively, if you just need someone to give you some encouragement, make sure you let them know. One way you might phrase it is, “Do you want to take a look at this? My editor will help me with the things I’m having trouble with, but do you like what I have so far?”
What Are My Next Steps?
If you’ve been struggling during your writing and publishing journey, take another look at this list. Are you missing one of these three people every author needs on their team? If so, make a commitment to reach out to someone who can fill the role or roles you may be missing within the next seven days.
If you’re having a hard time identifying your team, keep Next Page in mind. We’ll not only help you get your story published, we also have packages that can cover several bases, from editing and book design to branding and website design.
Whatever stage you’re at with your writing, you don’t have to do it alone. Assemble your team and allow them to help you bring your masterpiece to life.
About Next Page
Next Page Editing and Design is a Virginia-based self-publishing company that produces high-quality, well-designed books that reflect authors' brands, purpose, and impact. We do this through editing, book design, launch support, author branding, and coaching. Once we finish our job, you keep your rights to print, sell, and promote your work while retaining 100% of your book's profits. We call this a "no-strings attached" model.
To request an editing or self-publishing quote, click here.
