You’ve written a book. Maybe your work is out there, or maybe you’re thinking of finding an agent or taking the self-publishing route. Either way, you’re beginning to doubt yourself, and that’s when imposter syndrome kicks in. You feel like a fraud, despite what anyone else tells you. You feel like you should just give up, because you’ll never be good enough. Everyone knows what they’re doing, except for you.
Don’t believe that pesky imposter syndrome. You are better than you believe. Your writing is worth taking a chance on.
Here are some tips for overcoming imposter syndrome:
- Choose to be confident in your abilities.
Choosing to be confident takes practice. Try practicing a mantra every morning when you wake up. The more you practice being confident in your work, the more naturally it will come. - Practice positive affirmations.
Similar to choosing to be confident, you can practice saying positive things about your work. - Make a list.
Make a list of all the things you love about your work and all of your accomplishments. What are you strengths and talents? What milestones have you reached with your writing? Make a long list, and you may be surprised at what you find. - Share your feelings with someone.
Sometimes, just talking about how we feel can be a big help. - Know that you’re not alone.
Imposter syndrome is common among writers. Find comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. - Find ways to improve your writing.
Maybe I’m alone in this practice, but whenever I start to doubt myself, I look for ways to improve my writing. I ask myself: What are my weaknesses? Where in my writing can I improve?
Again, remember that you’re not alone in how you feel. Try to think of all the things you’ve done so far. Have a finished draft? That’s a big step in your writing journey. Are you querying or pursuing self-publishing? That’s another big step. Just because you’re not as advanced as some other authors doesn’t mean your experience is invalid.
Your road is unique. Remember that.