Handling Stress

For me, being a self-published author stands out as challenging because I wear all the hats: creative director, chief word pounder, head researcher, president of marketing, diligent financial officer, gregarious PR guru, and more. All of this leads to unreasonable pressure. So let's talk about indie publishing stresses and a few tricks I use to deal with them.

Managing pressure isn't only important for overall well-being — it's also crucial for achieving success, personally and professionally. As solopreneurs, we face countless stressors on top of the typical range of relationships, day jobs, health, and finances. It all adds up. Authors struggle with the creative process because it's fickle. Add self-promotion, marketing, and the ever-changing publishing landscape, and keeping momentum can crush the strongest of us.

ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET

By publishing your work, you express a desire to provide others with a product — your artwork. You might not think of it as a product, but it is. Other people invest their money and time because they want it.

All the Things: I do all the things a company founder would do. You are responsible for the success of your art. Accepting this mindset rather than resisting it helps me reduce stress.

Realistic Expectations: Setting my goals too high brings unnecessary stress. I shouldn't feel inadequate for falling short of Stephen King's stardom — in fact, I wouldn't want fame, which comes with its own stress.

Hint: I keep a long to-do list and pull three achievable items from it as my list for the day. If I don't manage those three, it's okay. If I consistently complete more than three, it means I'm pushing too hard.

Growth Mindset: A belief that our abilities and talents develop over time. You're in one place now, and that's okay. You'll get better, so keep at it.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Telling yourself something enough to believe it is powerful. It didn't come naturally to me, but over the last five years I've honed my CBT from skepticism to optimism, and it now helps.

MANAGE YOUR TIME

Writing is only one aspect of being an indie author. Allocating time to writing, editing, formatting, and marketing is central to my sanity.

Time Blocking: Lack of time is a major stressor. I add one to three calendar events to every day, pulled from my long-term to-do list. If I don't put them on my calendar, they won't get done.

Hint: I also set alarms to start them, for extra motivation to follow what my calendar says.

Setting Deadlines: This helps some people. For me, it only adds stress — I mentally and physically crash when I try to meet deadlines.

Batching Tasks: Group similar tasks and complete them in a single dedicated block — for example, changing a character's name across chapter files in one go.

Prioritizing Tasks: With limited functional time each day, I focus on the most important or time-pressing tasks. My priorities change daily.

Pomodoro Technique: A tested workflow that helps some people:

1. Choose a task.
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
3. Work only on that task.
4. Take a 5-minute break to recharge.
5. Repeat 4 times.
6. Take a 30-minute break.

Three Tasks: Worth repeating — I write three easy author-ish tasks on a Post-It each day (e.g., write four sentences, check my ad responses, edit two paragraphs). Crossing them off lowers my stress.

Procrastination: Ignoring problems slows me down and messes up my motivation. Split daunting tasks into small, achievable ones. Prioritize. Calendar dedicated times.

Distractions: Digital, physical, mental, and emotional clutter make everything harder. Steps that help me:

1. Leave my phone in another room.
2. Turn off my internet.
3. Turn off social media.
4. Close unnecessary browser tabs.
5. Clear my desk.
6. Listen to white noise or music.
7. Face the wall.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Building a network of online readers, advocates, and professionals is stressful, particularly at the beginning. We feel like insignificant peons in a world of giants (imposter syndrome). A few pressure-relieving techniques:

Openness: Decide what you're willing to share and what you won't. Never feel pressured to reveal aspects of your life you're not comfortable with.

Slow Down: You don't need to be an overnight online celebrity. Grow your following the right way — slow and steady. I wrote here about finding my peeps on Twitter.

Block Trolls: Never respond to a troll. Just block them. No politics, no religion, no hot-button topics (unless that's your genre or business).

Blogs/Newsletters: Fewer people read blogs or newsletters than respond to social posts, but my online friends spend time with my blog, so longer thoughts are still worthwhile. If you miss a month, that's normal — better to provide good content than lots of junk.

Comparisons: Most people reveal their wins more than their blunders, biasing us to see everyone as more successful than we could ever be. We're all struggling together. These comparisons can lead to unreasonable expectations.

MARKETING

This is where many of us fall down — we lack the natural aptitude for packaging our words. You are not alone. Being authentically you and true to your values is the key. I posted about self-promoting in a healthy way; a few concepts:

Sharing: Getting over the fear of revealing your bookish feelings and content can be scary. Start small. Respond to good questions with short answers, and build up from there.

Blurbs: Boiling a story into a couple hundred words is a nightmare. A few tips:

1. Outline your book after it's written.
2. Jot down two points per chapter.
3. Turn each point into one sentence.
4. Remove the second half of the outline (no spoilers).
5. Remove sentences with secondary characters.
6. Exchange this gangly monstrosity with another author.
7. Cut each other's words down (it's easier this way).
8. Repeat with another author.

Book Covers: If you aren't a graphic designer, don't worry — there are low-cost options out there.

Advertising: There's no silver bullet, so an ever-changing target is frustrating. You'll read blogs claiming it's easy with "this formula." Don't believe them — I wrote one, then the algorithms changed and I was left eating my words.

Budget: Stick to what you can afford. Going above your means is a surefire way to dig a downward tunnel of stress. Here are some thoughts on indie publishing costs.

SELF-CARE

If you don't follow a healthy plan, your publishing career may end in burnout.

Sleep: A good night's sleep is vital to resilience, productivity, and happiness. I listen to soothing music and keep a rigid schedule to manage my chronic fatigue.

Life Hack: This sounds crazy, but I wear tape over my mouth and sleep better because I nose-breathe (and snore less).

Burnout: Fatigue and an inability to motivate yourself defeat the purpose of pushing hard. Monitor your stress level.

Fun: If you don't enjoy being a self-publishing author, you probably shouldn't be one. Cut back on the parts that add pressure and focus on what you enjoy.

Kindness: Most of us don't reach as many readers as we'd like. Those other authors are still awesome and deserve respect — and so do you. Treat yourself with the same kindness you afford them.

Exercise: A healthy body helps a healthy mind. But don't stress over it if physical health is outside your grasp.

Journaling: Doesn't help me, but some swear by it. Writing down what you did daily can help you realize what you achieved. Don't let it become another source of stress.

Friends: Hard for me — I have limited energy, but mentally I need to chat with friends. They raise my spirits.

Hint: Put it on your calendar. Also add a reminder to schedule the next get-together.

Meditation: I was skeptical until other self-care techniques fell short. It took a while to overcome my bias, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

WRAPPING UP

Almost all of the pressure we feel as self-publishing authors comes from the expectations we place on ourselves. If your ambitions are too lofty, slow down, lower your sights to what you can manage, and drop a few tasks that weigh you down. Remember that you are worthy of a healthy life.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Why is stress management important for indie authors?
A. It's crucial for maintaining well-being, creativity, and productivity amid the pressures of writing, publishing, and marketing.

Q. What are common sources of stress for self-publishing authors?
A. Unreasonable deadlines, marketing challenges, fluctuating sales, negative reviews, juggling many tasks, and balancing writing with other responsibilities.

Q. How can I reduce stress while managing many tasks?
A. Use techniques like time blocking and breaking big goals into manageable tasks to prioritize your workload.

Q. How can I cope with the stress of marketing my book?
A. Focus on activities you enjoy and align with your strengths, outsource when feasible, set realistic goals, and celebrate small wins.

Q. How can I handle negative reviews or criticism?
A. Practice self-compassion, remember negative feedback is a natural part of the creative process, focus on constructive criticism, and seek support from fellow authors or trusted friends.

Q. What role does self-care play?
A. It's essential for reducing burnout. Prioritize exercise, meditation, adequate sleep, and time with loved ones.

Q. How can I manage financial uncertainty?
A. Create a budget and stick to it. With hard boundaries, you don't fret over options outside your means.

Q. How can I prevent burnout?
A. Set boundaries around work hours, take regular breaks, and listen to your body and mind's signals.

Q. How can I stay motivated through setbacks?
A. Cultivate a growth/entrepreneurial mindset, focus on what you can control, seek inspiration from fellow authors or mentors, and celebrate progress.

Q. Where can I find additional support?
A. Connect with writing communities, join author support groups or forums, attend conferences or workshops, and lean on books, podcasts, and courses.