Feeling Terrified Is Normal (New Book Excerpt)
Hello Fempreneur!
Today’s blog is an excerpt from my upcoming book called “How To Write A Book”. If you’d like to receive more free excerpts plus a FREE digital copy once the book is complete, sign up here!
Feeling Terrified is Normal
As I plugged away writing my first book, I jumped back and forth between feeling more confident and smart than ever before and feeling terrified to share my bold opinions and how-to steps with people. I was on an emotional roller coaster and it took me a while before I settled into feelings of faith and peace. Feeling terrified is normal in the beginning, but you can change it.
Writing a book forces you to take a stand, to state what you truly believe in. Gathering all those thoughts and presenting them to the world is terrifying when you think thousands of people will read your book.
When I realized the whole world had better things to do than read my book, I calmed down. Don’t let yourself believe that thousands (or tens of thousands) of people will read your book. It’s unlikely that you will be a guest on top-rated talk shows repeating the bold statements in your book. Most bestselling authors have to write at least a few books before they write a bestseller.
This is your first book, and I am willing to bet you will write a few more.
Writing a book is like getting a tattoo: you always want one more.
In 2019, right before the launch of my second book called Find Your Voice on Social Media, I was at a conference in San Diego. Rachel Hollis got up on stage and shared some very timely and helpful wisdom. First, she told us (don’t quote me on this) that she had started out as a food blogger, then wrote cook books and teen fiction. It wasn’t until she wrote her sixth book - yes - SIX BOOKS - that she had a bestseller. I decided then and there to write my third book ASAP, followed by three more in the next three years. And that’s exactly what I did.
Next, Rachel Hollis said that we should stop being scared to post on social media because very few people will actually pay attention to it. This wasn’t an issue for me, as I’ve always felt comfortable posting my fun times and Aha! moments on social media. I began sharing this “nobody cares” tip with my marketing school students who are mostly perfectionists and over-thinkers. It is extremely helpful for them!
Lastly, she shared this social media tip:
No one cares what you posted. They care that you took the time to show up.
This was an Aha! moment for me because I was still trying to reverse-engineer my social media success so I could teach it. It made sense that my posts made people feel like I cared about them, even when I wasn’t sharing anything profound or useful in that moment. My mission has always been to show people I care by building things they need, asking for feedback, listening to their feedback and showing up consistently as a real human. It has never been about money or recognition for me, although plenty of that has come into my life!
When you make an effort to stay aligned with your servant heart, you know your role. You know that a huge part of your why is to help people live better lives. And when it comes to using social media as a marketing tool, the ones who don’t give up and continue to show up no matter what are not focused on their bank account or how their hair looks or memorizing a script for the video they are about to shoot. They are focused on helping their niche group of people live better lives and trusting the right people - the ones they are meant to have an impact on - are feeling cared for. Even when their hair or make-up or words aren’t perfect.
A huge part of your why is to help people live better lives, but there’s more to it than that. Your why, your reason for doing all that you do, must include self-focused goals too. You must know and review both “sides” of your why regularly in order to write a book.
Creativity is a gift to the creator, not just the audience.
While I was writing my bold opinions and how-to steps for my first book, I began to see my mission and purpose so clearly. The process of writing my first book clarified my niche and provided me with a year of excellent social media content specifically for that niche.
Being in the creative zone is described in many ways. Painters and sculptors call it the “Artist’s Trance”. Anyone who loves playing a particular sport, be it golf or tennis or basketball, play their best when “in the zone”.
Recognize the gift you have given yourself by allowing time and focus for creativity. Of course your audience will benefit, but you will benefit just as much, if not more.
If you’re ready to write your first book, consider attending a
FemAuthors Writing Retreat!
Learn more at yycfempreneurs.com/femauthors
