Self-publishing a book is a great goal, but getting there is a bit more challenging. Especially, if you’re trying to self-publish part-time, it’s very easy for life to get in the way. In today’s video, we’re going to cover “How to publish a book: Goal Setting.” So, stick around:
Hey everybody, Keith Wheeler here, and if you want to continue to get hints, tips and tricks on how to make self-publishing easier to navigate, then be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit your bell icon so you can get alerted each and every time I put out new content.
If you’re a fan of this channel, you most likely already know that I’m a part-time publisher. I have a full-time job, wife and 4 kids, so it is extremely easy to start self-publishing a book and then never actually see it through.
The key to me being able to self-publish 16 books is goal setting. Now, I know that sounds easier said than done, but you really can do it, without completely ignoring your family or responsibilities with a few simple steps.
1.) Set small, realistic goals – Something like, I’m going to sit my butt in the chair and do something for my book for 15 mins every day. That can be writing, editing, brainstorming ideas, whatever. Just set the goal of butt in chair.
2.) Set milestones – give yourself a realistic timeline to have the first draft written, then a timeline for when the second draft will be done. Final draft etc.
3.) Celebrate the milestones – When you hit one of your milestones, make a big deal about it. Treat yourself. Whatever that means for you. A new outfit, a night on the town. Maybe a day off to hang out with the family. (yeah, you can have days off) Actually, after I finish and publish a book, I typically will give myself a week off before I start working on my next project.
4.) Repeat the process.
I’ll let you in on a little secret I use to keep myself on track. It’s called an AP or Accountability Partner. An AP is someone who you work together with and you tell them your schedule, your plan and your timeline and then check in with them and relay your progress. Family and friends are great for support but typically make horrible Accountability Partners. Why? Because they’re just too darn nice. They let you get away with excuses and bottom line, they let you slack off.
There are two types of accountability partners that I like to use. 1 is typically a fellow author. Acting as each other’s AP makes for a great symbiotic relationship. The second is social media. By sharing on social media what you’re working on and when things will be done, not only do you get multiple people holding you accountable, but it also acts as early marketing for your book.
That said, it’s really tempting to try and use ONLY social media as your AP. Remember, these are mostly your family and friends and will therefore, NOT hold you as accountable as a true AP will.
Are you interested in finding an accountability partner? Then hit the like button and then head on over to www.kwheelerbooks.com/AP. There, I’ve set up a page where you can leave a comment stating how frequently you’d like to chat with your accountability partner and then if someone else is interested, they can respond to your comment and you can share contact info from there. I will be completely hands off, I’m just providing my site as a central hub. I will monitor it periodically, just to make sure there is no trolling going on and that everything stays on topic.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel and if you have any questions or ideas for future videos, drop them in the comments below. Until next time, I’m Keith Wheeler and remember to Write Right!