5 Big Mistakes That Stop People From Becoming Published Authors

By Donna Kozik Guest Blogger

Someone asked me what the biggest mistakes are that derail people from getting their book done and using it as a big business card.

I found the question so interesting I kept answering it my head long after the conversation ended!  😉

The fact is there are several common mistakes coaches and want-to-be authors make–and some practical solutions to overcome these hurdles.

Mistake #1:
Not making the “yes-I-really-am-going-to-do-this” decision.

Solution: Nothing happens until the decision is made.

If you think about it, this is the true about anything you accomplish in life. Make the decision for yourself and then, I believe this is key, put it down in writing. Better yet, mark the date in your planner for when you will be holding your book in your hands.

Mistake #2:
Allowing more important things to distract you.

Solution: You say you don’t have time, yet have you whiled away 30 minutes on Facebook lately? Twitter? Watching TV? Okay, how about this one: email? String several of those half-hour chunks together, and you could have a solid draft of your book done.

Mistake #3:
Leaning on excuses.

They might start with, “Yeah, but I don’t know what to write about” or “Yeah, but I have to focus on generating revenue.”  
 
Solution: When I was growing up, my family had a running joke around the “yeah-buts.” Whenever someone offered up an idea and someone else responded “Yeah, but”‘ the other person would chant back at them: “yeah-but, yeah-but, yeah-but!”

(And then we’d all start to laugh.)

One technique is to replace the “but” with an “and” so it becomes, “yeah, and I don’t know what to write about, however I bet if I gave it some thought I could come up with a good idea.” Or “Yeah, and I have to focus on generating revenue, so I will concentrate on the many money-making things that will stem from having my book done.”

Mistake #4:
Not just “going for it.”

Solution: I once talked to a woman who was going to write a book, yet was holding off until she did some audience research. I saw her five months later and asked how her book was coming along. She was still doing her research.

I saw her a year later and…no book.

That was three years ago and, as far as I know, she’s still not published.

I doubt she’s even started.

Here’s the thing: Yes, it’s a good idea to do your due diligence and check out your readership and interest. At the same time, I find it easier and more fun and, get this, just as lucrative to go for it.

Pick a market or just write what your gut says to write. The fact that you actually got your book done will carry a prestige with it that ripples well past the boundaries of a niche market.

The bottom line: you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be published!

Mistake #5:
Getting too hung up on the publishing process.

What about cover design? What about ISBNs? How do I format the interior?

Solution: All good questions, but all in due time! Whether it’s being self-published or traditionally published, with a cover design you have a hand in or hire someone to do, know that the perfect answer is waiting for you. But you first have to have something to design and publish and put an ISBN on.

And the way to do that is to get the writing started.

Donna Kozik shows others how to write and publish a book fast and easy to use as a “big business card.” She does this through her “Write a Book in a Weekend” online virtual events. Get a free audio resource “5 Secrets to a Write a Book in a Weekend” and find out more here.

P.S. Are you now thinking, “Thanks, I’ll do it on my own.”

I’ll be the first to say, what I described above isn’t rocket science or even new and original ideas. So, if you knew all this before, why isn’t your book on your shelf versus in your head? Get the help you need to get started and get it done now.