Imposter syndrome isn’t something your family doctor can cure. It is a psychological phenomenon in which a person doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments. They may even have a fear of being exposed as a fraud. It happens to self-published authors all the time and has even shut done careers which might have achieved golden futures.
If you find yourself asking, “What gives me a right to call myself a writer?” or “Why would anyone buy my books, I’m a nobody!”, you’re probably suffering from a touch of imposter syndrome. The truth is, every famous artist had to start at the beginning, just like you. You’ll never know how great you might be if you don’t try.
5 Helpful Facts About Imposter Syndrome
You Are Worthy
One of the best ways to overcome imposter syndrome is to recognize why you’re feeling that way. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Finishing a book takes hours, weeks, months, and even years of hard work! If you’re a copywriter or a content marketer, you’ve put hours into researching, struggling over the headline and hooks. Every word that goes onto the page is sweated over, reconsidered, checked for spelling, grammar, and understanding.
Writing is hard. It takes time. If you’ve put time and effort into your writing, you deserve to be recognized for that work.
We All Struggle Sometimes
If you struggle to see your own value, talking about it can help. Every new author I’ve talked to has gone through a bout of Imposter Syndrome from time to time. None of us are immune and it isn’t a condition restricted to authors. Talking about it can help, as Neil Gaiman (author of The Sandman and American Gods) confirms when he wrote:
“And I felt a bit better. Because if Neil Armstrong felt like an imposter, maybe everyone did. Maybe there weren’t any grown-ups, only people who had worked hard and also got lucky and were slightly out of their depth, all of us doing the best job we could, which is all we can really hope for.”
You Deserve Success
When we’re struggling with imposter syndrome, we have a tendency to brush off our successes. It’s important for you to accept positive feedback and see yourself in a more positive light.
Accomplishments don’t have to feel big to have a big impact on your view of yourself. Reward yourself for the little things too. Give yourself a mental pat on the back for publishing your paper, your book, or your most recent article, even if nobody is reading it. Then start working on the next one!
Nobody is Perfect
Don’t lower your standards, but make sure that you aren’t setting the bar so high that you can’t reach it. Do the best that you can do and then do it some more. Keep an open mind, and keep learning along the way, and you will ultimately be moving toward the success that you’re seeking.
We All Make Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, it’s important to be gentle with yourself, especially as a writer. I have opened up books belonging to the top selling authors on the market and found typos. It happens to everyone! Forgive yourself for mistakes. Make those little changes along the way and just keep moving forward. Don’t let a bad review or a mistake stop your progress.
