Writing, Motivation, Self-Publishing Susan Barnes Writing, Motivation, Self-Publishing Susan Barnes

"Are You a Genius or Are You Patient?" The Reality of Success in the Publishing Business

Writing a book is a long process, but publishing a successful book can be an even longer one.

"You can either be a genius or you can be patient."

This quote from James Clear comes from one of his 3-2-1 emails, and while I’ve yet to read his title Atomic Habits (it is on my TBR!), I thoroughly enjoy his weekly thoughts. His full quote is:

"I rarely have good ideas.​ To overcome this limitation, I think about one topic (like habits) for an unreasonable amount of time. Then, I revise, revise, revise until only the best stuff remains. It’s slow, but it works.​ You can either be a genius or you can be patient."

While James is not specifically talking about writing or publishing, he certainly could have been.

Skipping over the obvious connection to writing and editing in general, let’s talk about publishing.

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Writing, Publishing, NaNoWriMo, Motivation Susan Barnes Writing, Publishing, NaNoWriMo, Motivation Susan Barnes

It's Dangerous to Go Alone! Take [A Friend]! Why Work Buddies Are Vital to Your Goals

See those two awesome nerds right there? I’m the one taking the awkward selfie in public and the other, who is actually focused on what she should be doing, is my sister. We get together to work on Saturday mornings whenever possible, and even though we are technically on opposite ends of the content spectrum — an author frantically trying to put down words, and an editor gleefully cutting them out — it’s still incredible how much she pushes me to do better, be better.

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Writing, NaNoWriMo, Motivation Susan Barnes Writing, NaNoWriMo, Motivation Susan Barnes

Don't Let Monday Win! 5 Ways to Survive the Worst Weekday

I only have one thing to say to you — DON’T LET MONDAY WIN! It is a vile, devious day, but we shall prevail! While there is no reward I can offer you to soften the blow, there are several coping mechanisms I’ve come to rely on that will hopefully help you as much as they help me.

Godspeed, my friends. See you on the other side.

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