Barriers to Success by Adam W. Roberson

For the journey of writing, you need a story, some skill, and a desire. 

That’s it. How hard can it be, right?

Turns out, this journey can be very difficult. 

I’m going to discuss some of the internal barriers that we all face at one point or another and offer a solution that you can take advantage of TODAY that will make this difficult writing journey less of a struggle and more of a joyous adventure!!

The barrier to entry into telling stories is miniscule especially with self-publishing, blogging, and other online connections for delivering content. Virtually anyone can produce and release. 

The barrier to success is another story.

I understand that defining “success” is different for each of us and possibly a discussion for another day.

We don’t even need to discuss revenue, expenses, and earnings. Nor do we have to track sales or ads. Let’s simply assume, at its very primal level, that success is the process of producing and releasing a book that you have created. Simply, the act of loving an idea enough to create it, releasing that creation into the world, and then repeating the process over and again. 

In other words, success is… Love. Release. Repeat.

So, why is the barrier to success so incredibly difficult and debilitating for most people? There are many answers to this question, but here are a few.

Fear / Anxiety – When I work with clients, I speak of fear and anxiety in terms of lack of control. Don’t misunderstand the concept; having anxiety does not make you a control freak. But the belief or perception that you do not affect the circumstance or situation means that you lack the control to influence the outcome or even know what the outcome may be. In many people, this leads to fear or anxiety about the unknown. The first time you repel from a cliff, the unknown experience leads to all sorts of emotions which include fear and anxiety. However, after you have a few experiences of repelling behind you, the fear and anxiety is drastically reduced. You still need to ensure the equipment is inspected, the situation is safe, and that certain protocols are followed, for sure! But you already know that you can rely on multiple ropes, a harness, and the people around you to successfully descend the cliff face. The same principle can be applied to skydiving, public speaking, spiders, horror movies, and writing.

Imposter Syndrome – Here is a barrier that ensnares many people and ruthlessly devours hope and anticipation. With very few exceptions…very few…authors releasing their first creation into the world rarely produce the perfect book. There will be typos, structural flaws, flat characters, poor development, etc. in just about every creation we release. We can spend literally thousands of dollars on proofreaders, copy editors, developmental editors, cover designs, market studies, sales ads, search engine optimization, and so much more. We can also write, read, and edit the same manuscript month after month and year after year and yet never be satisfied that the book is perfect and worthy of release. And at the end of the day, we still ask, “Who am I to call myself an author?” “Who am I to create something that others may not enjoy?” “Who am I…because there will always be someone better than me?” Well, that’s a valid point. There will always be someone better than us. And more importantly, you should strive to be better tomorrow than you are today. In other words, when you compare your tenth book to your first book, it should be better.

Let’s review what we’ve discussed.

The barriers to entry into the author realm are virtually non-existent to most people. With the ever changing landscape of writing, publishing, and even the internet, virtually anyone with access can create a digital file and publish that story to the world. Chances are, someone will download it. There you are. An author. 

The barriers to success, however, are a bit more daunting. From this short list, we talked about fear/anxiety, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism. We struggle against internal resistance almost every time we try something new. Even if you are releasing your tenth book, that book is a new creation that you are about to release into the world and…gasp…others will read it and they may even leave a review!!

OK. So, what can you do TODAY that will help turn your difficult writing journey into a joyous adventure???

Easy. Join a tribe.

A tribe or community or cohort is so valuable. We learn together, grow together, evolve together. We lean on each other for support and encouragement and expertise. We celebrate accomplishments and encourage further endeavors. Despite the “ease” of saving words in a digital file and then publishing that file to the internet, it can be a very daunting task for most writers. The solution is a tribe!!

The Author Success Mastermind is one of those tribes. Sure, you will learn more, watch more videos, and read more content. AND, you have access to live feedback, expert reviews, and certified ediors. AND if that wasn’t enough, you make lifelong connections with like-minded creatives who actively love, release, and repeat. 

To find out more about or to work directly with the author, Adam W. Roberson, visit Craft & Trade Author Services.