Illuminating The Path To Author Success

Study the lives who are successful in any venture and you will see that many of them took very similar steps within themselves to begin to bring about the vision they had for their work. Those who have written and created successful book businesses, have followed similar steps. Their outer journey may have looked very different, some going the traditional route, some self publishing, but they had to overcome similar internal obstacles, and create clarity of purpose along the way. 

Here are some key steps that I have taken to succeed in ventures in my life, which I have seen in authors who have enjoyed great success. 


1) Conjure up a vision of success in your imagination. We need to imagine who it is that we want to be when we have the success our heart desires. Many authors get caught up noticing the lives of failed or struggling authors and telling themselves that they do not want to be that. Use the contrast that they are presenting you, to get clear on the kind of author you want to be. If you notice how few people are mking money with their books, out of your fellow authors, then you need to spend your time imagining yourself making money with it. Your imagination is powerful, it has concocted a book, now it is time to concoct a successful book business. Using your imagination to create a vision of success in your mind does not guarantee that it happens, but the more your subconscious mind believes it is a reality, the more action you will find yourself taking in the direction of that vision and with passion, persistence and patience, you can make it happen.

                           “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

                                                  - Michelangelo


2) Eliminate the mind viruses that tell you that you cannot have it so that you can align your thoughts and feelings with that vision. You know the ones I am talking about, they are the beliefs you have picked up along the way such as, “Writers don’t make money” “You need to get a real job”. These mind viruses stack up against your vision and will drag you down if you allow them. When your belief is aligned with “Writers don’t make money”, you will see writer after writer who is not making money. When you  open yourself to the possibility that you can make money as a writer, new realities will present themselves. Start telling yourself and your doubters, “I am learning ways to make money as a writer”. And, if you have the strength to imagine a world far from the current reality you exist in, say with conviction “I am a successful author”. Your ego and the world around you may come up and tell you that this is false, but the truly successful authors believed it in themselves before it happened. I saw myself on national TV before the request from Good Morning America popped up. One of the most fun moments in my life, which revealed how powerful we can truly be, was when I watched myself doing the Gratitude Dance on the big screen in Times Square as the show cut back from commercials.

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

                                                                - Muhammad Ali


3) Ask better questions. I am all about this! Most people screw up and ask themselves, “What am I doing wrong?” “Why do I keep screwing up?” and then are surprised when they find lots of reasons to believe they are wrong and make themselves feel worse. Questions such as “What do I need to change within myself to become a successful author?” are going to yield an altogether different kind of answer. Your brain is very obedient, you ask it a good question and it will find you the answer that empowers you. You ask it a bad question and it will obediently make you feel worse. Good questions to ask: “What is the gift in this challenge?” “What can I do differently next time?” “How can I serve greatly today?”

                “Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”

                                                 - Tony Robbins

4) Stay in gratitude and appreciation. If you are doing all the above, then you are setting yourself up for a good journey, and even when the proverbial S#$@ hits the fan, you will be able to pull yourself back on course. And along the way, the expressions of gratitude and appreciation will keep you recognising what you do have: the support, the customers who like you, the daily lessons of empowerment, the publishers you work with, the money in the bank, and all other good things. It keeps you humble and it keeps you on track. What are you grateful for today? Take 1 minute to write a list, you will feel happier at the end of it, and will be able to carry on your work day with just a little more energy.

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

                                                          - Albert Schweitzer


Outlined are the daily steps that the successful people take. It does not provide all the answers, and you are going to have to be willing to change who you are ( your vision would already be a reality if you were already that person). If you are prepared to do that, then there is no reason you cannot have the success you desire. It is a small percentage of authors who are willing to face that challenge, but when they do the rewards are great. I plan on being one of them, do you?

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