Impostor Syndrome in Writers: How to Overcome It 

Whether you have a book published and in your hands or you’re just starting to brainstorm, you might be wondering how you’ll market your book. Most times, the idea of marketing is daunting for first-time authors because they don’t feel like a legitimate author. Have you ever felt that way? It’s called Impostor Syndrome, and if you want to get your book into children’s hands, and enjoy the rewards of being an author, you’ll need to overcome it. In this blog, you’ll discover my best advice for any writer struggling with impostor syndrome.

What is Impostor Syndrome?

Impostor Syndrome is the feeling that you aren’t worthy of a particular title, level of success, etc., despite meeting all the criteria.

This is commonly found within writers, both first-timers and experienced writers alike. If you’re a first-timer still brainstorming, you might feel like you’re unworthy of being called a “writer” because your book isn’t published yet. (By the way, this isn’t true! You become a writer as soon as you start writing, whether that be brainstorming or drafting.)

If you have published before, you might feel like you still can’t call yourself an “author” because you don’t feel worthy. Maybe you compare yourself to highly experienced scholars or the New York Times bestsellers and think you don’t belong on the same plane as them. (Again, this is untrue. You’ve published a book! That’s a big feat. You ARE an author.)

Why You Need to Overcome It

Impostor Syndrome has plagued writers for a long time. I even had my brush with it as I published my first children’s book, I CAN Believe in Myself. 

I was scared to tell my friends and family that I was now an author and that they’d judge me or think I’d gotten too big for my britches. 

It almost held me back. But if I didn’t gather the courage to believe in myself and set fear aside, I never would have marketed my children’s book. And, if I didn’t market my children’s book, over 100,000 children would have missed out on an inspirational message that could change their lives.

Overcoming impostor syndrome isn’t just about furthering your career (although it does do that, too). It’s also about enabling yourself to share an inspiring story with the younger generation and empowering them to be the best they can be.

How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome

So, how do you overcome impostor syndrome? There are lots of ways to do it, and everyone must go through their own unique journey of discovering how to combat the negative voice holding them back.

But, there are some great places to start, and I want to help you do that — to kickstart your courage so you can overcome impostor syndrome for good.

  • Use daily affirmations to build your confidence

  • Connect with a supportive community that will lift you up

  • Find an Accountability Partner

Use Daily Affirmations

What we tell ourselves matters, and a great way to combat the negative voice telling you that you aren’t good enough is to intentionally tell yourself the truth: that you ARE good enough and you ARE an author.

The more you tell yourself the truth, the more you’ll believe it. And take it from me, when you believe in yourself, you CAN do anything.

You might

  • Start your day by journaling these affirmations

  • End your day by reflecting on how you felt and reminding yourself of the truth

  • Set alarms to recite the affirmations throughout the day

  • Write the affirmations on sticky notes and post them in a place you’ll see them often

  • Ask close friends or family to remind you of these affirmations

Make affirmations a daily habit and you’ll be sure to overcome impostor syndrome. You can even use my Self-Esteem Mirror Exercise to boost your confidence.

FREE MIRROR EXERCISE PRINTOUT

Ready to build your self-esteem? Developing a new discipline is easy with this cheatsheet taped to your mirror. 

Connect with a Supportive Community

I’ll never stop singing the praises of a supportive community. Having people around you who believe in you and want to see you succeed can make such an instrumental difference in anyone’s life, especially an author.

Whether your community involves close friends, family members, or like minded writers like you, make sure you have a group ready to cheer you on as you embrace your author career. They’ll be there to celebrate your successes and help you overcome hurdles (and impostor syndrome).

Community is a big part of why I started ML Publishing, not only because my community supported me in starting my own business, but I also wanted to make community a pillar of my publishing model. 

Whether it be through Children’s Book Masterclass, Publishing Mastermind, or my LIVE events, I want community to be the centre.

In a supportive community, fears are dispelled, courage is built, and success is cultivated.

Find an Accountability Partner

Teaming up with an accountability partner uses the same concept as a supportive community and makes it even more personable. While you should still have a community backing you up, it’s even better to also have an accountability partner who you can share goals with and keep yourself on track.

When we meet the goals we set, no matter how big or small, we naturally boost our confidence. Accountability partners will help you meet those goals, build your confidence, and get rid of impostor syndrome.

To learn more about accountability partners, check out THIS blog.

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