There are a lot of bad habits that can easily hold you back, whether you’re an author or not. You might not even consider some of them as being detrimental because they’re part of your lifestyle nowadays. Still, it’s quite easy to get into your own way by doing the same routines.
Change is often difficult for many. Nonetheless, change is necessary if you want to get out of that rut and make something of your talents.
Many of these bad habits will take a long time to overcome. However, I can assure you that it’s worth every step to experience some great things as a writer.
Crushing Bad Habits for an Author to Break
If you want to be a successful author, especially one who is self-published, it’s vital that you keep your feet firmly planted in reality. Don’t get sucked into the hype of publishing a book because you watched a video of someone saying how you can make it big.
Writing a book is not the easiest thing to do, contrary to the belief of some. And don’t get me started with using AI to write your book for you. I am very anti-genAI for a lot of reasons.
Now, not everyone has all of these habits under their belt. But I know plenty in real life who have at least two or three. In one case, he has no intention of solving the issues and continues to drift while complaining that he hasn’t succeeded yet.
So, what are some of these bad habits that a new author should keep in mind?
1. Self-Doubt (Impostor Syndrome)
Perhaps the biggest hangup for a new writer is the effects of impostor syndrome. This is often when you don’t feel that you’re good enough to warrant success, despite having talent. When you’re praised, you don’t think you’re worthy of it and make excuses for why others think that way.
Self-doubt and a lack of self-confidence will stunt your development as an author. It can influence how often you write, your decision-making process while writing, and make you second-guess yourself at every step of developing your skills.
Breaking the Habit:
One practice that helped me build a healthy level of self-confidence is the idea that it’s arrogant to think I know what other people will want to read. I can’t read minds, which means my fear that the book will be hated is unfounded.
Another process I implemented was focusing on successes rather than failures. In my case, it was the hundreds of compliments I received from clients over the years. I figured I must be doing something right if that many people enjoyed the content.
2. Ignoring Feedback
Feedback is probably one of the most influential elements for improving your skills as a writer. After all, how do you know your content is missing the mark unless someone points it out?
Not all feedback is going to be warranted, mind you. Bear in mind that a good book is subjective to the reader. This means not everyone is going to interpret or enjoy the story the same way.
Regardless, feedback is a great way to see the story from someone else’s perspective and consider what you may or may not change in the future.
Breaking the Habit:
Getting more eyes on the manuscript is incredibly beneficial, especially if you use beta readers before you publish the book. Getting feedback in this manner can help you structure a better story that will resonate with a wider audience.
3. Assuming You’ll Be Rich and Famous
A lot of new authors believe they will publish their first book and become rich and famous. Or, at least make enough money to buy a nice car. The truth of the matter is that the median income for self-published authors is roughly $12,749 per year.
Let’s say you want to go the traditional route. In reality, you’ll probably still make less than $50,000 per year from book sales.
Keep in mind that these are averages and medians. That means you could do significantly less or significantly better, depending on your book and the kind of marketing backing it.
Breaking the Habit:
Get out of the mindset that you’re going to be some newly discovered phenom. Focus on writing the best story you can create and let the successes fall where they may. Don’t write for the money and recognition; write because you have a story to tell.
4. Not Reading Enough
Can you be a good author without reading books? Perhaps. But most prolific authors in history were prolific readers. Take Stephen King, for example. He mentions reading 80 books per year!
When you read more and across varying genres, you gain more than just a story. You gain a glimpse into various styles and structures. It gives you a chance to answer a slew of questions regarding your own work.
Breaking the Habit:
A good rule of thumb is to read at least twice as much as you write. It’s also helpful if you explore other genres and new authors. Not only can new ideas help shape your own, but analyzing how other authors captivate the audience benefits your writing.
5. Assuming You Know Enough
I’ve seen a lot of folks jump into various kinds of writing, believing they know enough to succeed. It’s among the most common of bad habits, especially for an author who just wants to get published right now.
One of my favorite stories to tell is about a friend of mine who assumed he would be a stunning success on Textbroker. Instead, they rated him as average, and he gave up after having an epic meltdown.
Never think you know “enough” to become a wildly successful author. Take courses, read author blogs, and learn as much as you can about writing. There is more involved in creating a great story than just hammering out words on paper. It’s how those words are put together that makes the difference.
Breaking the Habit:
Never be afraid to take a course to educate yourself further on writing. College classes, masterclasses, online tutorials, or even Googling can result in an improved style and flow for your work. Always be in a state of self-improvement and learning.
6. Trying for Perfection
Perhaps one of the nastiest bad habits an author can develop is striving to write perfection. As I’ve said before, writing a good book is subjective. You’re not going to produce a perfect story, whether it’s the first draft of your first novel or the final draft of your 80th book.
Some people are going to hate for the sake of hating. And even the most popular authors throughout history have had negative reviews.
Get it out of your head that you’re perfect. It’s a false mindset that will hinder your progress and may even keep you editing the same book for the next 10 years because you can “make it better.”
Breaking the Habit:
Don’t try to make the story perfect. When you try too hard to make everything as polished as possible, you may wind up gutting the tale. Do the best you can and let readers and sales reports be your judges.
7. Shying Away from Critiques
A lot of new authors and writers flinch at critiques and wind up internalizing negative reviews. Although some people are just going to troll you for the hell of it, a lot of critiques come from a positive and constructive place.
If you want a long career as a writer of any kind, you need to develop a thick skin. As I said before, people are going to hate for the sake of hating. And if there is one thing you can count on about social media, it’s that the trolls will attack you relentlessly en masse.
Breaking the Habit:
It’s OK to listen to constructive criticism. Some people may have some great insights into how you can improve your storytelling for future books. However, you don’t need to take everything to heart. Remember, everyone is different and will have varying opinions.
And for Pete’s sake, don’t feed the trolls. Interacting with mindless twits only gives them a reason to keep going. It’s better to just ignore them and move on.
8. Assuming You’ll Please Everyone
One of my favorite sayings is that you can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Some are going to hate for the sake of hating, as I mentioned earlier. In other words, you’re not going to please everyone who picks up your book.
This goes along the lines of trying for perfection and shying away from critiques. All three of these points are often intertwined, which usually creates some bad habits within a young author.
Another aspect of this is not writing or exploring a topic because you’re afraid you’ll offend someone. No matter what kind of story you plan to write, you will offend someone in some way.
Breaking the Habit:
Simple enough; write the story you want to tell. Again, let the readers and your sales reports judge whether it was a successful book or not. Don’t try to write to make everyone happy. Write what makes you happy.
9. A Lack of Time for Writing
Another one of the most common bad habits an author develops is a lack of writing time. Though, this one could also be caused by a lack of free time for certain lifestyles. For instance, it’s difficult for a single mother working full-time jobs to find time to breathe, let alone write a book.
On the other hand, I know plenty of people who procrastinate and avoid actually spending time writing their books. No one is going to read it if you don’t get it out of your head.
Breaking the Habit:
Set aside blocks of time specifically to work on your book. Join writing sprints, use project planning apps, or set a timer on your phone if you need. The point is to create a chunk of time for yourself specifically to write.
For instance, I use two-hour blocks of time in Asana specifically for working on my book during the day. And most of the time, I am working on those books during the live writing sprints I produce on YouTube.
10. Writing Too Many Stories at Once
Some people have no problem writing multiple books at the same time. Meaning they’re able to write a new story before finishing the one they are currently working on. However, I’ve found that the number of folks who can do this are greatly outnumbered by those who can’t.
In fact, I found that I am one of those who have to finish one before starting another. Otherwise, nothing gets finished or published.
Breaking the Habit:
Make a commitment to yourself to finish the first draft of one story before writing another. Keep notes if you have ideas and save them. But try to work on one thing at a time.
If you’re someone who can work on multiple stories, that’s great. But if you haven’t published any of the past projects and keep adding more to your plate, are you really capable of doing more than one project at a time?
Great Habits to Form as a New Author
Perhaps one of the best ways to break bad habits as an author is to create positive ones that counteract them. This might take a bit of introspection on your behalf, but the results may be worth the time invested.
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to creating positive habits. It will depend on your needs and wants as a writer. However, there are some things I can suggest that may help guide you toward something that works best for you.
For instance, some great habits to help you write include:
- Giving yourself adequate free time to write your story. Even committing to 100 words per day is a step in the right direction.
- Not worrying about whether the story is good or bad. Remember, you’re not psychic and can’t determine who is going to like the tale.
- Learning all you can about writing prose and structure. Learn how to pull the emotions out of a reader to make the story impactful.
- Stopping self-degradation. Think of yourself in a positive frame of mind and enjoy the process of being a writer.
- Not internalizing mistakes. Learn from them and grow to become a better author.
- Spending time conversing with other authors and readers. You can learn a great deal from the writing community, even on social media.
- Not focusing on the sales you might make, but the lives you might touch. You won’t be everyone’s favorite author, but you will be someone’s.
Take a moment and look back at the bad habits that prevent you from succeeding. What are some things you can change that may have a positive impact on your writing?
For instance, I spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos instead of writing. The fix for that would be to consciously not use YouTube until my project is completed or my block of time is finished.
View yourself objectively. What can you honestly do right now that will affect your book for the better?
What Habits Hold You Back?
Bad habits can easily divert you from accomplishing any goal, whether you’re an author or not. The hard part is changing behavior patterns to better fit your needs. Not all habits can be broken with just a few words of encouragement.
Case in point, it took me years to overcome a crippling case of impostor syndrome. By focusing more on my successes and viewing my accomplishments objectively, I was able to change course. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, and it required daily affirmations to myself.
Nowadays, I don’t dwell on thoughts of “not being good enough.”
I know it’s difficult to change certain mindsets. But I promise you, it’s worth giving it a shot. You’ll be less stressed and will start to see all kinds of opportunities present themselves as you grow into the author you want to become.
Just remember that it’s not going to be an instant, overnight fix. It’ll take hard work and dedication to yourself.
Never forget that how you view yourself as a professional will directly impact your career. If you want it to be a positive experience, you need to have a positive frame of mind about what you can offer.
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