Author Mind, Beginner's Mind

I have to get something off my chest:

I don’t know what I’m doing.

And it’s my greatest strength as a writer, editor, and publisher.

It’s yours too, whether you’re writing your first book or your fifth or you’re trying to disrupt this old, decrepit industry like me.

The biggest problem with books and publishing today is that “best practices” were codified years ago by people in charge. Now they are ossified. They are brittle and broken. They serve no one, especially not readers, who think they know what to expect when picking up a book, and are usually proven right.

I’m a writer who started their career in tech. I helped startups craft their messaging and marketing. I watched countless innovators question EVERYTHING about their industries… and a few ended up changing them.

“I don’t know what I’m doing” is a sign of weakness for some. Folks who have been in the publishing industry for decades certainly think it is.

But for new authors and publishers, your best bet is to EMBRACE this beginner’s mind and think about the entire process anew.

When potential authors ask me how we help them market and promote their books, I have to fight the urge to say, “I have no idea…” because every project is different.

Yes, we have some go-to strategies like social media content, newsletters, and beta readers.

But the best marketing for any book is fresh, new, and unexpected.

I can’t promise that you’ll find that unexpected thing, but I can help you search for it.

Great books of the future won’t look like great books of the past.

• They may be shorter or longer (I don’t know)

• They may be full color and interactive (Maybe Choose Your Own Adventure books will make a comeback!)

• They may be prescriptive or aspirational (or both?)

The only thing I DO know is this: Great books start with a deep, deep understanding of the target reader.

Notice I didn’t say READERS. I mean a single reader. One person for whom your book is absolutely perfect.

This doesn’t mean your book only has an audience of one. On the contrary. Serving one reader will help your book spread like wildfire between people who are most similar to your single reader. Then it will spread to people who are sort of similar to your reader. If you’re super lucky, then maybe it will spread to everyone else.

But you don’t really have control over how far your book spreads. You can only start with knowing ONE THING: your ideal reader.

This isn’t a call for ignorance. Knowing what you’re doing is a good thing. I’ll admit I have a better idea now that I’m 3 years into publishing than I did when I first began.

But the minute I trade my beginner’s mind for the expert mind, I’m toast. The same is true for you.

To write a write a book that matters, you have to stay curious, question everything, and proudly admit:

I don’t know what I’m doing.