November 13, 2024 • 26 mins
What if the relentless pace of publishing is actually stifling your creativity?
In this thought-provoking solo episode, I dive into three key reasons why the indie author industry is unintentionally setting authors up to fail. From the overwhelming push for rapid publication to the relentless pressure to follow market trends, I break down the industry's impact on creativity, quality, and even our nervous systems. But don’t worry—it's not all doom and gloom. We also explore ways to take control of your author career, create from a place of joy, and foster a sustainable, nourishing creative journey.
Whether you’re feeling the weight of unrealistic expectations or simply want to build a more mindful, empowered author life, this episode offers insight, encouragement, and practical tips for reclaiming your path.
Are you an author at a crossroads, feeling stuck & unfulfilled in your author career? Do you know deep down it's time for a change, but you’re unsure of the next step?
The High Vibe Author is the only transformational membership designed specifically for authors like you—those who are ready to break free from limitations & step into the abundant life they deserve. Click here to learn more.
Indie publishing wasn’t built for neurodivergent minds—so let’s change that. Inside Author Revolution on Substack, I share exclusive insights on writing, publishing, and manifestation for ND authors. Plus, explore my neurospicy romcoms & urban fantasy worlds. Want to go deeper? Get access to Manifest Differently: The Deep End, my private podcast. Follow now: 👉 authorrevolution.org/substack
Thank you for tuning into the Author Revolution Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. For more insights and inspiration, visit Author Revolution. Don't forget to follow us on social media for updates and exclusive content:
Go forth and start your author revolution!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Author Revolution podcast, where
change is not just embraced,it's celebrated.
I'm Carissa Andrews,international bestselling author
, indie author coach and yournavigator through the
ever-evolving landscape ofauthorship.
Are you ready to harness thepower of your mind and the
latest innovations in technologyfor your writing journey?
If you're passionate aboutmanifesting your dreams and
(00:25):
pioneering new writing frontiers, then you're in the perfect
place.
Here we merge the mystical wooof writing with the exciting
advancements of the modern world.
We dive into the realms ofmindset, manifestation and the
transformative magic that occurswhen you believe in the
impossible.
We also venture into the worldof futuristic technologies and
(00:46):
strategies, preparing you forthe next chapter in your author
career.
Every week, we explore new waysto revolutionize your writing
and publishing experience, fromAI to breakthrough thinking.
This podcast is your gateway toa world where creativity meets
innovation.
Whether you're penning yourfirst novel or expanding your
literary empire, whether you'rea devotee of the pen or a
(01:09):
digital storyteller, thispodcast is where your author
revolution gains momentum.
So join me in this journey tocontinue growth and
transformation.
It's time to redefine what itmeans to be an author in today's
dynamic world.
This is the Author RevolutionPodcast, and your author
revolution starts now.
Hey there, guys.
(01:33):
Welcome back to another episodeof the Author Revolution
Podcast, where we dive into allthings innovative, creative and
empowering for authors just likeyou.
Now, today, I want to tackle ahuge topic, and I'm so excited
to have a solo episode, to beable to do this one, because
this discussion is going to beone that might ruffle a few
(01:54):
feathers, but it's absolutelycrucial if we're going to
survive and thrive in thisindustry.
So, in case you didn't know,the indie author industry has
been setting us up to fail foryears.
There, I said it, that's right,I said it.
There are systems, pressuresand expectations in place that
make it almost impossible tosucceed long term without
(02:15):
burning out.
But here's the good news.
I'm going to break down exactlywhy this is happening and how
we can start to turn the tide.
So let's dive into the threebig reasons why the indie author
industry is setting us up tofail and, more importantly, what
you can do to break free fromthe grind and reclaim your
creative flow.
All right, let's start with thefirst reason, number one.
(02:39):
The indie author industry hasthis pervasive belief that to
succeed, you need to publishmore books, you need to do it
faster, and it's a messagethat's everywhere, in author
forums, on YouTube and frommarketing gurus, not to mention,
you know, big Facebook groups,but it's really all coming down
to unrealistic expectations.
(03:00):
So let's take a step back.
Why is this the standard?
Well, I want you to think aboutit.
With the rise ofself-publishing platforms like
Amazon, kdp, the industry hasleaned into a quantity over
quality mindset, and the idea isthat the more books you publish
, the more visible you get, themore the algorithms favor you
and the more chances you have tosell, but at what cost, you
(03:26):
know?
I remember when I was firststarting out as an indie author,
this was definitely the themeright, we were trying to push
into every aspect and trying todo all the things and while some
of the information out there,you know, like the surveys from
written word media, for example,that it supports the concept of
having more books in order toearn more money, at the same
(03:46):
point, it isn't always justabout that, you know.
I remember also speaking with anauthor not too long ago one of
my students and she said thatshe was feeling like she was on
this never ending treadmill.
She released one book and,instead of enjoying that moment,
you know, celebrating herachievement because yay, book
out, she was already thinkingabout the next one.
And the anxiety of not keepingup with the release schedules
(04:10):
that she had created, especiallywhen she sees other authors
pumping out four, five, sixbooks a year or more, it was
overwhelming for her and it wasgetting to the point where she
was really just not even surethis is what she wanted to do
anymore.
And, I'll be honest, I feltlike this too.
I really have, and especiallythis year, because there's been
(04:30):
so much constant pressure tostay relevant, to have, you know
, a new release out there.
But here's the thing when we'recaught up in this mindset, we
start sacrificing quality forspeed.
In addition, we're trying tocontrol all of the outcomes,
right.
We're trying to put ourselvesas the number one creator in our
(04:51):
life and our situation, and weforget that the how and the when
aren't necessarily ourresponsibilities.
When we're manifesting our life, when we're manifesting the
things that we really want inour lives, right.
So when we rush through ourdrafts, some of the things that
happen is want in our lives,right.
So when we rush through ourdrafts, some of the things that
happen is we skip necessaryedits or we miss things or we
(05:11):
just aren't present enough withour story and in the end, they
suffer.
We forget why we startedwriting in the first place, and
it's really truly the love ofthe storytelling right Now.
Don't get me wrong some authorsdo thrive in a really fast-paced
, prolific environment and theycan write several books a year
and still feel creativelyfulfilled.
(05:32):
But if you're one of the manywho struggles with this, it's
really important to recognizethat this isn't sustainable for
everyone, and I've talked aboutthat for years.
It was one of the reasons why Icreated Rapid Release Roadmap
and it's okay, right?
I want you to understand thatyour creative process, whatever
it looks like, is valid, even ifit's slower than the quote
(05:55):
unquote industry standard.
Okay, so let's talk aboutreason number two.
Let's shift gears and just kindof understand this whole
popularity over quality thing aswell.
So not only is it quantity overquality, but it's also
popularity over quality in thismarketplace.
Have you ever scrolled throughthe bestsellers in the indie
(06:17):
publishing world and then justscratched your head?
Like, really, some of the booksthat hit the top charts aren't
necessarily the best written,but they hit the right trend at
the right time, and this is oneof the tough pills to swallow.
In the indie publishingindustry, the market doesn't
always reward the quality.
Instead, it rewards what'strending and what's hot in the
moment, which puts us in thatbind right.
(06:40):
It puts us in the bind oftrying to chase those trends and
trying to do all the thingsright.
It puts us in the bind oftrying to chase those trends and
trying to do all the things.
I've spoken with countlessauthors who are in my programs
who are genuinely confused aboutwhy their book, which they've
poured their hearts and soulsinto carefully crafting each
word, why it's struggling tofind readers while something
they see as less refined isdominating the charts.
(07:02):
Now here's the thing it's notabout the best book winning
anymore.
It's about the most marketablebook winning.
And this leads to a reallytough question for authors Do
you chase the trends or do youstay true to your creative
vision?
And, trust me, that's not aneasy decision.
It's one that I've evenstruggled with myself, like how
(07:22):
do you merge the two of thosethings?
You know, writing to market.
It's been a buzz term for along time, but sometimes we
really do need to understandwhat it is we're trying to tell.
So what is it you want?
What is it you want to do.
There's nothing wrong withwriting to market.
If that's your strategy, Ithink there's a lot of awesome
(07:45):
stuff that can come out of it,and it can be creatively
fulfilling to hit those marks,especially for those of us who
are high achievers and want to,you know, do what's expected of
us.
But if it feels like you'recompromising your voice or your
creativity just to keep up withtrends, that's when you need to
step back and reassess.
Okay, the system is set up tofavor what's popular, but the
(08:07):
long game is all about creatinga body of work that you're proud
of.
That's where the true successlies.
Okay, and now here's the bigone, my friends, the big reason
why I really wanted to have thisdiscussion, and it's the reason
I'm most passionate about.
This is something I stumbledover myself for myself this past
(08:27):
year and, with the indie authorindustry and its relentless
demands, it's literallydysregulating our nervous
systems.
And this is where things getreal.
Think about it.
We're constantly told to domore, to write more, to market
more, to engage on social media,more to network release,
consistently hustle harder.
(08:48):
We're bombarded with thesemessages daily and over time.
It takes a serious toll on ournervous system, especially when
we're feeling like we can't keepup.
And this constant push pulls usout of the natural state of
creative flow and puts us into afight or flight mode, and it's
not doing your creativity anyfavors.
(09:08):
So you might be thinking okay,carissa, what does the nervous
system have to do with mywriting?
Well, let me tell youEverything.
It is literally everything.
When we're in a state of chronicstress, our brains can't
function the way that they'resupposed to.
Our creativity gets blocked andwhile you might think you're
being creative and you thinkyou're getting the words on the
(09:30):
page, it's not who you truly are, it's not your best work and it
also dysregulates ourmanifestations, too right,
because when we're in thisdysregulated nervous system flow
, our brains are firing andwiring different neural pathways
together, and not all of it'sgood, because you are in that
state of fight or flight.
(09:50):
That's not where true awarenessand joy and creativity flows
from.
So instead of being able to tapinto that beautiful flow state
where the words come easily andall of the story is just coming
together seamlessly in thisbeautiful dance, we're stuck in
this survival mode, just tryingto keep up, and I've seen this
(10:12):
happen so many times, for myself, definitely, and for some of my
students, it's that feelingwhere you sit down to write but,
instead of ideas flowing, youfeel almost paralyzed,
overwhelmed by the sheer volumeof what you should be doing.
So, even if it's just writingand you think that's what you
need to be doing right now, yourbrain is so focused on survival
(10:33):
, on keeping up with therelentless pace of this industry
, that it can't access thecreative part of itself, and
that's not okay.
So what do we do about all this?
Well, first, I think we reallyneed to become aware of when our
nervous systems are overloaded.
So for me, that really comesdown to noticing the signs of I
(10:57):
don't want to write, it'sfeeling harder to write, it's
feeling like I am blocked insome way and you know that I do
not like that word or that termin any way, shape or form but
sometimes it does actually feelthat way.
Sometimes it's I don't want todiscuss things or respond to
emails.
I mean something as simple asan email sometimes, right?
(11:18):
So pay attention to how you'refeeling when you're writing, how
you're feeling when you'recreating, how you're feeling
when you're doing the differentthings that you believe you have
to do for your author career tobe successful.
So if you're stressed, if you'reanxious, if you're stuck in a
loop of I have to do more, thenit's time to take a step back.
(11:39):
Okay, I want you to createspace to reset, whether that's
through meditation you know howmuch I love meditation and we
have so many programs in yourfuture self that can help you
get unstuck.
In fact, I've incorporated alot of nervous system regulation
into the most recentmeditations that I've been doing
as well.
But get outside is another onetaking a break from social media
(12:04):
and doing it like literallydoing social media or consuming
it.
I know all of this is easiersaid than done.
Right, but it's really vitalthat we protect our creative
energy.
I think it's probably the mostimportant piece of ourselves
that we need to be aware of.
Okay, because when we put ourmental and emotional well-being
(12:25):
first, then we can create workthat truly resonates.
It's the difference, really,between creating something from
the heart, something thatresonates and that then attracts
people to it, versus being onthat.
I have to do all these things,and I have to do them quickly,
and it's almost the franticefforting, and then what that's
(12:48):
saying to the universe is youdon't believe in your ability to
magnetize people through yourwords.
You're not believing in yourability to create stories that
will resonate and will draw themin.
You are so scared that if youdon't write the next book and
then the next one and the nextone as quickly as possible,
you're going to lose incomebecause you haven't stabilized
(13:10):
your mindset in a place whereyou believe that money is
consistent, that royalties andreaders are consistent, that you
will continue to grow yourreadership right.
So it's time to take a closerlook at how you're building your
mindset around the ecosystem ofyour author career, so that you
can believe that everything isworking out for you, that your
(13:33):
career is growing for you, thatit gets to be better and better
and better, and it gets to getbetter and better with every
book that you write and asquickly as you publish.
That is the perfect timing foryou.
You don't have to do it at sucha frantic and crazy pace, right
?
So, to wrap things up, I reallythink that the indie author
(13:53):
industry is setting us up withsome serious challenges and I've
seen it obviously over the pastdecade and a bit, from
unrealistic expectations torewarding popularity over
quality and, most importantly,the toll that it has been taking
on our nervous systems.
But here's the good news, right?
You don't have to play by theserules.
You have the power to takecontrol of your creative journey
(14:17):
.
You have the power to decidethis is not the way it's going
to work for you and to choose away that really feels nourishing
and rewarding.
And to me, what that looks likeor at least how that's been
looking like this year is I getup, I set my day up with reading
.
I read a book that is fictionbook and then I read a book that
(14:37):
is nonfiction.
I'm typically reading in bothof them every single day.
I then go into my meditationand my workout first thing in
the morning, because I know if Idon't do it in the morning, I
have a tendency to put that off,and those things are important
to me, and then I go intositting down and really deciding
what feels good today.
(14:58):
How does this get to look forme today?
And one of the things that Ihave started to incorporate is
this heart coherence aspect intoall the things that I do.
Heart coherence has been the mynumber one way to regulate my
nervous system and it has beenabsolutely profound and it's
really a breathwork thing andI'm teaching it a lot inside of
(15:20):
my memberships right now, and soif you're looking for any kind
of support when it comes tonervous system regulation,
wanting to understand how itworks, I really encourage you to
check out the high vibe authormembership, because that's where
all of the manifestation stuffnow lives.
Author revolution has shifted sothat everything is membership
based, because, as a number onerelator, I've discovered and
(15:42):
uncovered that I really needthat contact with my students so
that I know how they're doing,how I can help them, and that's
where a lot of this stuff hascome from.
Guys, because I've understoodthat everyone is so.
We're all so dysregulated,we're all so crazy about how
we're doing our author careersand we need to reset.
(16:03):
We need to take that step backand refocus on what matters most
, which is obviously our passionfor writing, our creative flow,
and we can't do that when we'rein a fight or flight state.
We just can't.
So it's important to look athow you want your author career
to be and to shift yourperspective on how you've been
(16:24):
doing it right.
So what I'm actually doing thisyear and have been doing is
first, I've been like looking atauthor revolution and trying to
figure out how do I get thiscompany to be in a state of flow
that feels good, that feelslike it's abundant, that feels
(16:45):
like it's juicy and awesome andI can support my students in a
really cool way.
And so that's where these newmemberships are coming from.
It's all the same content, it'sjust being delivered in a
different way, except I will becreating a new membership that's
coming soon, all aroundmarketing and marketing in a
different way, because I've I'vehad some wonderful insights
because of that.
Now, once that's in place,author revolution is going to be
(17:06):
consistent.
It's only going to be thesememberships, it's all.
I'm only going to be showing upfor these memberships, and the
live launches, or the livecohorts, I should say, will
happen sometimes within thewalls of the memberships.
But what is really interestingis from the author perspective.
The author side of things hasdone the same thing.
(17:27):
Right, I haven't writtenanything since Dirty Books.
That's my rom-com side ofthings and I do want to get out
Write your Reality, which isgoing to be doing a Kickstarter
very soon, and once that's done,there is nothing slated between
now and whenever.
Like I know, I'm going to doDirty Developments as my next
book for the rom-com side.
(17:47):
I know I need to write thefinal book in the Accidental
Alpha series, but I have nodates for anything.
Like it's all just kind of up tome and what feels good and how
the flow works, and there's abreath of relief in that.
And now this is coming fromsomeone who is a high achiever,
like let's face it guys, I'vebeen a high achiever my entire
(18:11):
life.
But there's a need, a growingneed inside me even, to not only
embrace for myself but to teachyou that it's okay to create an
author career that isnourishing to your creativity.
And I'm finding that there is afine line between being a high
achiever and doing all thethings that really light you up.
(18:33):
Like I'm a manifestinggenerator, if you're into human
design.
I follow what things light meup and I have abundant energy to
be able to do that thing, andso that's how I can show up in
all these places and do allthese things and make it look
like it's so seamless.
It's because it brings me joy.
I could not do that with myauthor career.
(18:55):
Like I can't write a book amonth or book every two weeks.
That's not the generator partof me.
For me.
The writing part of it is trulycoming from a deeper place and
I need to have that time to letit ruminate and really come
together and create somethingcool.
Because if it's not cool to me,if it doesn't light me up, if
it's not a hell yes, then it's ahell no.
And so I need to allow that tokind of blossom Author
(19:19):
revolution and all the ways thatI'm learning new things that's
me giving back to you, and sothat lights me up in a different
way and so I can create thingsand manifest things and do all
this fun stuff right.
But the second it becomes toomuch.
Then all of a sudden, it'sharder to get things done.
I want to take a step back andthat's literally my body trying
(19:42):
to protect me and trying to helpme understand.
And as I've had so many deepconversations with my students
this year, I've realized thatwe're all in this place, that
we've all been told this lie,that you have to publish like a
maniac in order to get thingsdone, and it's really, really
just done a disservice for us.
And so if you're interested atall in learning more about how
(20:06):
to have a sustainable authorcareer, how to do things in a
way that makes you feel good.
My second membership the otherone that is all about the
strategic side of things.
It's called the RevolutionaryAuthors Membership.
It includes all of the coursesthat are strategic.
So things like Rapid ReleaseRoadmap, the Plan, your Series
Challenge, four Books, five Days, the Own Voice Audiobooks
(20:28):
course and so much more Like allof that stuff is housed inside
of the Revolutionary Authorsmembership.
So if you haven't gotten RapidRelease Roadmap in the past,
this is the only way to accessit now.
So you'd want to join in andcheck it out and see how it
works and do all the things.
I'll make sure that there'sinformation in the show notes.
So it's very.
(20:49):
I think it's very important tohave this discussion and to talk
about why, why the industry issetting us up for failure, so
that we can decide, with eyeswide open, how our author career
gets to work for us.
We get to decide with eyes wideopen whether or not how we've
started to design our authorcareer gets to work for us.
We get to decide with eyes wideopen whether or not how we've
started to design our authorcareer feels like the right
(21:10):
decision.
Like my, my career has taken onso many evolutions at this
point and how I write, how Iproduce, how I create, how I'm,
I'm choosing to do things, andthis time of the year is always
the time when I start planningfor the next year.
I start thinking about, like,what does my editorial calendar
look like?
Or what do I want to work on?
(21:30):
And it's been reallyinteresting this year to go.
You know what I am going to say.
These three books are the thingsthat I'm going to work on, and
I'm going to work on them asthey come up, so that I can keep
open for new inspiration tocome through.
Because what happens issometimes we think we want to
write these things, but thenother ideas that are more
(21:53):
powerful come through and we go,nah, not today, not today.
Really cool idea, we're goingto have to wait until after this
thing is done, and what ends uphappening is kind of like what
Elizabeth Gilbert talks about inBig Magic it just goes, oh,
okay, and then goes off and findsomeone who's willing to write
it instead.
And so when we are more in ouropen state of creative flow,
(22:15):
trusting that we get to makemoney in our author career, we
get to do all the things.
It all gets to work out wellAll of a sudden, when those
nudges come through and we startexploring it more.
If we start getting excited now,we can have the creative energy
to explore it and create theworld and do all the things, and
it's not hindered by the I haveto do mentality right.
(22:39):
It's a I get to do this.
Oh my gosh, I get to.
I get to stop what I wasworking on here for a little bit
, because now I get to do thisand it feels so fun.
Wow, this is so cool.
See how there's a little bit ofa difference there.
Oh, guys, we're gonna have tocontinue this conversation
because it's a big one and Ithink it's one that is going to
shape the way I start showing upin 2025.
(23:02):
So I'd love to hear yourthoughts Are up in 2025.
So I'd love to hear yourthoughts.
Are you feeling the pressuretoo?
Have you been feeling it?
Let's talk about how we canchange the way we approach this
industry together.
All right, so reach out to meon any of the socials.
I've been doing a lot of funstuff playing around with
Instagram stories, tiktokstories, doing a lot of things
in a new and interesting way,and I hope that you'll follow me
(23:23):
on those platforms and discusswith me, because I love hearing
your thoughts, as always.
If you'd like to get thetranscript, get the links that
we were just talking about.
Head over toauthorrevolutionorg, forward
slash 261.
Everything will be right there,waiting for you, and thank you
for tuning in.
Thanks for joining me.
Let's challenge the status quoand reclaim our creative power
(23:46):
right.
Let's do it together.
Go forth and start your authorrevolution.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Author Revolution podcast, where
change is not just embraced,it's celebrated.
I'm Carissa Andrews,international bestselling author
, indie author coach and yournavigator through the
ever-evolving landscape ofauthorship.
Are you ready to harness thepower of your mind and the
latest innovations in technologyfor your writing journey?
If you're passionate aboutmanifesting your dreams and
(00:25):
pioneering new writing frontiers, then you're in the perfect
place.
Here we merge the mystical wooof writing with the exciting
advancements of the modern world.
We dive into the realms ofmindset, manifestation and the
transformative magic that occurswhen you believe in the
impossible.
We also venture into the worldof futuristic technologies and
(00:46):
strategies, preparing you forthe next chapter in your author
career.
Every week, we explore new waysto revolutionize your writing
and publishing experience, fromAI to breakthrough thinking.
This podcast is your gateway toa world where creativity meets
innovation.
Whether you're penning yourfirst novel or expanding your
literary empire, whether you'rea devotee of the pen or a
(01:09):
digital storyteller, thispodcast is where your author
revolution gains momentum.
So join me in this journey tocontinue growth and
transformation.
It's time to redefine what itmeans to be an author in today's
dynamic world.
This is the Author RevolutionPodcast, and your author
revolution starts now.
Hey there, guys.
(01:33):
Welcome back to another episodeof the Author Revolution
Podcast, where we dive into allthings innovative, creative and
empowering for authors just likeyou.
Now, today, I want to tackle ahuge topic, and I'm so excited
to have a solo episode, to beable to do this one, because
this discussion is going to beone that might ruffle a few
(01:54):
feathers, but it's absolutelycrucial if we're going to
survive and thrive in thisindustry.
So, in case you didn't know,the indie author industry has
been setting us up to fail foryears.
There, I said it, that's right,I said it.
There are systems, pressuresand expectations in place that
make it almost impossible tosucceed long term without
(02:15):
burning out.
But here's the good news.
I'm going to break down exactlywhy this is happening and how
we can start to turn the tide.
So let's dive into the threebig reasons why the indie author
industry is setting us up tofail and, more importantly, what
you can do to break free fromthe grind and reclaim your
creative flow.
All right, let's start with thefirst reason, number one.
(02:39):
The indie author industry hasthis pervasive belief that to
succeed, you need to publishmore books, you need to do it
faster, and it's a messagethat's everywhere, in author
forums, on YouTube and frommarketing gurus, not to mention,
you know, big Facebook groups,but it's really all coming down
to unrealistic expectations.
(03:00):
So let's take a step back.
Why is this the standard?
Well, I want you to think aboutit.
With the rise ofself-publishing platforms like
Amazon, kdp, the industry hasleaned into a quantity over
quality mindset, and the idea isthat the more books you publish
, the more visible you get, themore the algorithms favor you
and the more chances you have tosell, but at what cost, you
(03:26):
know?
I remember when I was firststarting out as an indie author,
this was definitely the themeright, we were trying to push
into every aspect and trying todo all the things and while some
of the information out there,you know, like the surveys from
written word media, for example,that it supports the concept of
having more books in order toearn more money, at the same
(03:46):
point, it isn't always justabout that, you know.
I remember also speaking with anauthor not too long ago one of
my students and she said thatshe was feeling like she was on
this never ending treadmill.
She released one book and,instead of enjoying that moment,
you know, celebrating herachievement because yay, book
out, she was already thinkingabout the next one.
And the anxiety of not keepingup with the release schedules
(04:10):
that she had created, especiallywhen she sees other authors
pumping out four, five, sixbooks a year or more, it was
overwhelming for her and it wasgetting to the point where she
was really just not even surethis is what she wanted to do
anymore.
And, I'll be honest, I feltlike this too.
I really have, and especiallythis year, because there's been
(04:30):
so much constant pressure tostay relevant, to have, you know
, a new release out there.
But here's the thing when we'recaught up in this mindset, we
start sacrificing quality forspeed.
In addition, we're trying tocontrol all of the outcomes,
right.
We're trying to put ourselvesas the number one creator in our
(04:51):
life and our situation, and weforget that the how and the when
aren't necessarily ourresponsibilities.
When we're manifesting our life, when we're manifesting the
things that we really want inour lives, right.
So when we rush through ourdrafts, some of the things that
happen is want in our lives,right.
So when we rush through ourdrafts, some of the things that
happen is we skip necessaryedits or we miss things or we
(05:11):
just aren't present enough withour story and in the end, they
suffer.
We forget why we startedwriting in the first place, and
it's really truly the love ofthe storytelling right Now.
Don't get me wrong some authorsdo thrive in a really fast-paced
, prolific environment and theycan write several books a year
and still feel creativelyfulfilled.
(05:32):
But if you're one of the manywho struggles with this, it's
really important to recognizethat this isn't sustainable for
everyone, and I've talked aboutthat for years.
It was one of the reasons why Icreated Rapid Release Roadmap
and it's okay, right?
I want you to understand thatyour creative process, whatever
it looks like, is valid, even ifit's slower than the quote
(05:55):
unquote industry standard.
Okay, so let's talk aboutreason number two.
Let's shift gears and just kindof understand this whole
popularity over quality thing aswell.
So not only is it quantity overquality, but it's also
popularity over quality in thismarketplace.
Have you ever scrolled throughthe bestsellers in the indie
(06:17):
publishing world and then justscratched your head?
Like, really, some of the booksthat hit the top charts aren't
necessarily the best written,but they hit the right trend at
the right time, and this is oneof the tough pills to swallow.
In the indie publishingindustry, the market doesn't
always reward the quality.
Instead, it rewards what'strending and what's hot in the
moment, which puts us in thatbind right.
(06:40):
It puts us in the bind oftrying to chase those trends and
trying to do all the thingsright.
It puts us in the bind oftrying to chase those trends and
trying to do all the things.
I've spoken with countlessauthors who are in my programs
who are genuinely confused aboutwhy their book, which they've
poured their hearts and soulsinto carefully crafting each
word, why it's struggling tofind readers while something
they see as less refined isdominating the charts.
(07:02):
Now here's the thing it's notabout the best book winning
anymore.
It's about the most marketablebook winning.
And this leads to a reallytough question for authors Do
you chase the trends or do youstay true to your creative
vision?
And, trust me, that's not aneasy decision.
It's one that I've evenstruggled with myself, like how
(07:22):
do you merge the two of thosethings?
You know, writing to market.
It's been a buzz term for along time, but sometimes we
really do need to understandwhat it is we're trying to tell.
So what is it you want?
What is it you want to do.
There's nothing wrong withwriting to market.
If that's your strategy, Ithink there's a lot of awesome
(07:45):
stuff that can come out of it,and it can be creatively
fulfilling to hit those marks,especially for those of us who
are high achievers and want to,you know, do what's expected of
us.
But if it feels like you'recompromising your voice or your
creativity just to keep up withtrends, that's when you need to
step back and reassess.
Okay, the system is set up tofavor what's popular, but the
(08:07):
long game is all about creatinga body of work that you're proud
of.
That's where the true successlies.
Okay, and now here's the bigone, my friends, the big reason
why I really wanted to have thisdiscussion, and it's the reason
I'm most passionate about.
This is something I stumbledover myself for myself this past
(08:27):
year and, with the indie authorindustry and its relentless
demands, it's literallydysregulating our nervous
systems.
And this is where things getreal.
Think about it.
We're constantly told to domore, to write more, to market
more, to engage on social media,more to network release,
consistently hustle harder.
(08:48):
We're bombarded with thesemessages daily and over time.
It takes a serious toll on ournervous system, especially when
we're feeling like we can't keepup.
And this constant push pulls usout of the natural state of
creative flow and puts us into afight or flight mode, and it's
not doing your creativity anyfavors.
(09:08):
So you might be thinking okay,carissa, what does the nervous
system have to do with mywriting?
Well, let me tell youEverything.
It is literally everything.
When we're in a state of chronicstress, our brains can't
function the way that they'resupposed to.
Our creativity gets blocked andwhile you might think you're
being creative and you thinkyou're getting the words on the
(09:30):
page, it's not who you truly are, it's not your best work and it
also dysregulates ourmanifestations, too right,
because when we're in thisdysregulated nervous system flow
, our brains are firing andwiring different neural pathways
together, and not all of it'sgood, because you are in that
state of fight or flight.
(09:50):
That's not where true awarenessand joy and creativity flows
from.
So instead of being able to tapinto that beautiful flow state
where the words come easily andall of the story is just coming
together seamlessly in thisbeautiful dance, we're stuck in
this survival mode, just tryingto keep up, and I've seen this
(10:12):
happen so many times, for myself, definitely, and for some of my
students, it's that feelingwhere you sit down to write but,
instead of ideas flowing, youfeel almost paralyzed,
overwhelmed by the sheer volumeof what you should be doing.
So, even if it's just writingand you think that's what you
need to be doing right now, yourbrain is so focused on survival
(10:33):
, on keeping up with therelentless pace of this industry
, that it can't access thecreative part of itself, and
that's not okay.
So what do we do about all this?
Well, first, I think we reallyneed to become aware of when our
nervous systems are overloaded.
So for me, that really comesdown to noticing the signs of I
(10:57):
don't want to write, it'sfeeling harder to write, it's
feeling like I am blocked insome way and you know that I do
not like that word or that termin any way, shape or form but
sometimes it does actually feelthat way.
Sometimes it's I don't want todiscuss things or respond to
emails.
I mean something as simple asan email sometimes, right?
(11:18):
So pay attention to how you'refeeling when you're writing, how
you're feeling when you'recreating, how you're feeling
when you're doing the differentthings that you believe you have
to do for your author career tobe successful.
So if you're stressed, if you'reanxious, if you're stuck in a
loop of I have to do more, thenit's time to take a step back.
(11:39):
Okay, I want you to createspace to reset, whether that's
through meditation you know howmuch I love meditation and we
have so many programs in yourfuture self that can help you
get unstuck.
In fact, I've incorporated alot of nervous system regulation
into the most recentmeditations that I've been doing
as well.
But get outside is another onetaking a break from social media
(12:04):
and doing it like literallydoing social media or consuming
it.
I know all of this is easiersaid than done.
Right, but it's really vitalthat we protect our creative
energy.
I think it's probably the mostimportant piece of ourselves
that we need to be aware of.
Okay, because when we put ourmental and emotional well-being
(12:25):
first, then we can create workthat truly resonates.
It's the difference, really,between creating something from
the heart, something thatresonates and that then attracts
people to it, versus being onthat.
I have to do all these things,and I have to do them quickly,
and it's almost the franticefforting, and then what that's
(12:48):
saying to the universe is youdon't believe in your ability to
magnetize people through yourwords.
You're not believing in yourability to create stories that
will resonate and will draw themin.
You are so scared that if youdon't write the next book and
then the next one and the nextone as quickly as possible,
you're going to lose incomebecause you haven't stabilized
(13:10):
your mindset in a place whereyou believe that money is
consistent, that royalties andreaders are consistent, that you
will continue to grow yourreadership right.
So it's time to take a closerlook at how you're building your
mindset around the ecosystem ofyour author career, so that you
can believe that everything isworking out for you, that your
(13:33):
career is growing for you, thatit gets to be better and better
and better, and it gets to getbetter and better with every
book that you write and asquickly as you publish.
That is the perfect timing foryou.
You don't have to do it at sucha frantic and crazy pace, right
?
So, to wrap things up, I reallythink that the indie author
(13:53):
industry is setting us up withsome serious challenges and I've
seen it obviously over the pastdecade and a bit, from
unrealistic expectations torewarding popularity over
quality and, most importantly,the toll that it has been taking
on our nervous systems.
But here's the good news, right?
You don't have to play by theserules.
You have the power to takecontrol of your creative journey
(14:17):
.
You have the power to decidethis is not the way it's going
to work for you and to choose away that really feels nourishing
and rewarding.
And to me, what that looks likeor at least how that's been
looking like this year is I getup, I set my day up with reading
.
I read a book that is fictionbook and then I read a book that
(14:37):
is nonfiction.
I'm typically reading in bothof them every single day.
I then go into my meditationand my workout first thing in
the morning, because I know if Idon't do it in the morning, I
have a tendency to put that off,and those things are important
to me, and then I go intositting down and really deciding
what feels good today.
(14:58):
How does this get to look forme today?
And one of the things that Ihave started to incorporate is
this heart coherence aspect intoall the things that I do.
Heart coherence has been the mynumber one way to regulate my
nervous system and it has beenabsolutely profound and it's
really a breathwork thing andI'm teaching it a lot inside of
(15:20):
my memberships right now, and soif you're looking for any kind
of support when it comes tonervous system regulation,
wanting to understand how itworks, I really encourage you to
check out the high vibe authormembership, because that's where
all of the manifestation stuffnow lives.
Author revolution has shifted sothat everything is membership
based, because, as a number onerelator, I've discovered and
(15:42):
uncovered that I really needthat contact with my students so
that I know how they're doing,how I can help them, and that's
where a lot of this stuff hascome from.
Guys, because I've understoodthat everyone is so.
We're all so dysregulated,we're all so crazy about how
we're doing our author careersand we need to reset.
(16:03):
We need to take that step backand refocus on what matters most
, which is obviously our passionfor writing, our creative flow,
and we can't do that when we'rein a fight or flight state.
We just can't.
So it's important to look athow you want your author career
to be and to shift yourperspective on how you've been
(16:24):
doing it right.
So what I'm actually doing thisyear and have been doing is
first, I've been like looking atauthor revolution and trying to
figure out how do I get thiscompany to be in a state of flow
that feels good, that feelslike it's abundant, that feels
(16:45):
like it's juicy and awesome andI can support my students in a
really cool way.
And so that's where these newmemberships are coming from.
It's all the same content, it'sjust being delivered in a
different way, except I will becreating a new membership that's
coming soon, all aroundmarketing and marketing in a
different way, because I've I'vehad some wonderful insights
because of that.
Now, once that's in place,author revolution is going to be
(17:06):
consistent.
It's only going to be thesememberships, it's all.
I'm only going to be showing upfor these memberships, and the
live launches, or the livecohorts, I should say, will
happen sometimes within thewalls of the memberships.
But what is really interestingis from the author perspective.
The author side of things hasdone the same thing.
(17:27):
Right, I haven't writtenanything since Dirty Books.
That's my rom-com side ofthings and I do want to get out
Write your Reality, which isgoing to be doing a Kickstarter
very soon, and once that's done,there is nothing slated between
now and whenever.
Like I know, I'm going to doDirty Developments as my next
book for the rom-com side.
(17:47):
I know I need to write thefinal book in the Accidental
Alpha series, but I have nodates for anything.
Like it's all just kind of up tome and what feels good and how
the flow works, and there's abreath of relief in that.
And now this is coming fromsomeone who is a high achiever,
like let's face it guys, I'vebeen a high achiever my entire
(18:11):
life.
But there's a need, a growingneed inside me even, to not only
embrace for myself but to teachyou that it's okay to create an
author career that isnourishing to your creativity.
And I'm finding that there is afine line between being a high
achiever and doing all thethings that really light you up.
(18:33):
Like I'm a manifestinggenerator, if you're into human
design.
I follow what things light meup and I have abundant energy to
be able to do that thing, andso that's how I can show up in
all these places and do allthese things and make it look
like it's so seamless.
It's because it brings me joy.
I could not do that with myauthor career.
(18:55):
Like I can't write a book amonth or book every two weeks.
That's not the generator partof me.
For me.
The writing part of it is trulycoming from a deeper place and
I need to have that time to letit ruminate and really come
together and create somethingcool.
Because if it's not cool to me,if it doesn't light me up, if
it's not a hell yes, then it's ahell no.
And so I need to allow that tokind of blossom Author
(19:19):
revolution and all the ways thatI'm learning new things that's
me giving back to you, and sothat lights me up in a different
way and so I can create thingsand manifest things and do all
this fun stuff right.
But the second it becomes toomuch.
Then all of a sudden, it'sharder to get things done.
I want to take a step back andthat's literally my body trying
(19:42):
to protect me and trying to helpme understand.
And as I've had so many deepconversations with my students
this year, I've realized thatwe're all in this place, that
we've all been told this lie,that you have to publish like a
maniac in order to get thingsdone, and it's really, really
just done a disservice for us.
And so if you're interested atall in learning more about how
(20:06):
to have a sustainable authorcareer, how to do things in a
way that makes you feel good.
My second membership the otherone that is all about the
strategic side of things.
It's called the RevolutionaryAuthors Membership.
It includes all of the coursesthat are strategic.
So things like Rapid ReleaseRoadmap, the Plan, your Series
Challenge, four Books, five Days, the Own Voice Audiobooks
(20:28):
course and so much more Like allof that stuff is housed inside
of the Revolutionary Authorsmembership.
So if you haven't gotten RapidRelease Roadmap in the past,
this is the only way to accessit now.
So you'd want to join in andcheck it out and see how it
works and do all the things.
I'll make sure that there'sinformation in the show notes.
So it's very.
(20:49):
I think it's very important tohave this discussion and to talk
about why, why the industry issetting us up for failure, so
that we can decide, with eyeswide open, how our author career
gets to work for us.
We get to decide with eyes wideopen whether or not how we've
started to design our authorcareer gets to work for us.
We get to decide with eyes wideopen whether or not how we've
started to design our authorcareer feels like the right
(21:10):
decision.
Like my, my career has taken onso many evolutions at this
point and how I write, how Iproduce, how I create, how I'm,
I'm choosing to do things, andthis time of the year is always
the time when I start planningfor the next year.
I start thinking about, like,what does my editorial calendar
look like?
Or what do I want to work on?
(21:30):
And it's been reallyinteresting this year to go.
You know what I am going to say.
These three books are the thingsthat I'm going to work on, and
I'm going to work on them asthey come up, so that I can keep
open for new inspiration tocome through.
Because what happens issometimes we think we want to
write these things, but thenother ideas that are more
(21:53):
powerful come through and we go,nah, not today, not today.
Really cool idea, we're goingto have to wait until after this
thing is done, and what ends uphappening is kind of like what
Elizabeth Gilbert talks about inBig Magic it just goes, oh,
okay, and then goes off and findsomeone who's willing to write
it instead.
And so when we are more in ouropen state of creative flow,
(22:15):
trusting that we get to makemoney in our author career, we
get to do all the things.
It all gets to work out wellAll of a sudden, when those
nudges come through and we startexploring it more.
If we start getting excited now,we can have the creative energy
to explore it and create theworld and do all the things, and
it's not hindered by the I haveto do mentality right.
(22:39):
It's a I get to do this.
Oh my gosh, I get to.
I get to stop what I wasworking on here for a little bit
, because now I get to do thisand it feels so fun.
Wow, this is so cool.
See how there's a little bit ofa difference there.
Oh, guys, we're gonna have tocontinue this conversation
because it's a big one and Ithink it's one that is going to
shape the way I start showing upin 2025.
(23:02):
So I'd love to hear yourthoughts Are up in 2025.
So I'd love to hear yourthoughts.
Are you feeling the pressuretoo?
Have you been feeling it?
Let's talk about how we canchange the way we approach this
industry together.
All right, so reach out to meon any of the socials.
I've been doing a lot of funstuff playing around with
Instagram stories, tiktokstories, doing a lot of things
in a new and interesting way,and I hope that you'll follow me
(23:23):
on those platforms and discusswith me, because I love hearing
your thoughts, as always.
If you'd like to get thetranscript, get the links that
we were just talking about.
Head over toauthorrevolutionorg, forward
slash 261.
Everything will be right there,waiting for you, and thank you
for tuning in.
Thanks for joining me.
Let's challenge the status quoand reclaim our creative power
(23:46):
right.
Let's do it together.
Go forth and start your authorrevolution.
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com