There has never been an easier time to be an author, nor a time when your voice was needed more. Since there’s no time to waste, grab a sheet of scrap paper, a sticky note, or anything else at hand, and write:
My name is [insert your name] and I am an author.
Put that note somewhere you’ll see it every day. It’s time to get comfortable with your new role and identity. For the rest of your life, you are an author.
If this makes you uncomfortable, go read Andy Cindrich💡‘s recent post about how doing this exact thing helped him turn his dream of becoming a published author into a reality.
Why is this so important?
Because your identity is who you are, and your sense of your identity will determine who you become. If you begin to think of yourself and see yourself as a published author, you will take the steps to make it happen.
Cement Your Identity As A Published Author
Here are a few more steps to help you get comfortable with the idea of being an author. Of course, sometimes the fastest path to becoming comfortable with something new is to dive in and do a bunch of uncomfortable things. Don’t worry, those awkward feelings will pass.
Update Your LinkedIn Profile
After you put “I am an author” on a sticky note, update your LinkedIn profile title to include “author,” like this:
- First, go to your profile while logged in and click on the pencil icon just under your banner image on the right-hand side.
- Then, edit your title.
- Add “author” to your title, as shown below or in your own way, and save your changes.
Remember, the day you start working on your book, you’re an author! Commit to it as an important part of your identity.
Post on LinkedIn
After updating your title, go to your LinkedIn homepage and copy and paste this to create a new post:
I’m officially writing a book. Want to guess what it’s going to be about?
That’s it. See what kind of responses you get. Some might surprise you. Some might give you new ideas.
PRO LINKEDIN TIPS:
- “Like” every comment you receive.
- Respond to as many comments as you can with thoughtful answers.
- Respond quickly (within minutes or hours, rather than days).
- Try to get into discussions with commenters by asking them questions and then responding quickly.
Note: If you post regularly to LinkedIn and follow these four tips, you’ll quickly build a powerful personal brand on LinkedIn.
That’s it. Three easy things:
- Sticky note
- Update your LinkedIn profile
- Short and sweet LinkedIn post
These three steps may seem too simple, but they can be powerful. Like Andy, you might find yourself in a few years, or maybe just a few months, writing a LinkedIn post to say, “I’m officially an author! And it all started with a sticky note…”
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