As the president and founder of the National Association of Women Writers, I have had the pleasure of networking with, collaborating with, and learning from book publishers on a daily basis for the last six years. It has been an ever-changing, exciting, and passionate journey!
My journey helped me discover 10 mindsets I believe every book publisher must have to be successful. To adapt these mindsets you must put them into practice. It isn't enough to want to believe something--you have to act on it and practice it before it becomes a habit.
One: You Must Be Passionate
As a book publisher, you will often feel like you are on an island--all alone. But if you are passionate about those you serve, the passion will be your fuel as you labor to build a sustainable business with a solid foundation. And the blessing of being passionate about your work is that it will spill over into every part of your life.
Two: You Must Be a Risk Taker
Book publishers must understand that one of the keys to accomplishing our goals is to be willing to take risks. This "active" mindset means there will definitely be failures. But failures are just indicators of which direction to go next.
Three: You Must Be Creative
All individuals have a need to fulfill creative urges. But successful book publishers thrive on creativity. They are energized by new ideas and possibilities. You must embrace your creative force and embody it because it will give you the ideas and solutions you are looking for in your publishing business.
Four: You Must Love To Learn
Over the last six years I have networked with hundreds of successful authors and every single one of them continuously invested their time and money in furthering their knowledge base. And they were at all different levels. All 6-figure successful authors I have personally met and networked with love to learn.
Five: You Must Focus
Success expert and entrepreneur Melanie Benson-Strick taught me about what she calls the "bright shiny object" syndrome. It is where we try working on every project or idea we have and then suffer from the end result of overwhelm. Melanie teaches that through focus (a force or intensity that gives importance to something) we accomplish more because we are concentrating our energy in one direction. Successful book publishers understand that they have to consciously refocus every day.
Six: You Must Serve Others
Successful book publishers love serving their customers. They love answering their customers' problems with new products and/or services. Through service, book publishers build a database of loyal, trusting customers. And your database is your golden egg.
Seven: You Must Value Freedom
Most successful book publishers have worked for a large corporate company at some point in the past. That experience serves them well because they learned to value their freedom. Many of you are familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, number seven being self-actualization or finding self-fulfillment and realizing one's potential. Many employers do not allow you the ability as an employee to meet this need on the job. Successful book publishers recognize and value this freedom more than anything else.
Eight: You Must Build a Team and Delegate
Letting go and delegating is the hardest of the 10 mindsets to master for book publishers. Book publishers must adapt the "investment" mindset when building a team. You must be willing to pay for high-quality dynamic people and be able to delegate tasks and projects. Book publishers are innovative people that like things a certain way and often fall into the trap of doing everything themselves. Build a team, delegate, and build a strong foundation for your business that will prosper even when you go on vacation.
Nine: You Must Be a Big Thinker
This is my favorite mindset. I love thinking big! It energizes me and is what makes my "job," if you can even call it that, so much fun! Thinking Big Expert, Michael Port, says "in order to do big things in the world, you have to do them with other people, you can't do them alone." So you must think big and leverage everything you have to network with and collaborate with other big thinkers. Success is guaranteed to happen with that kind of synergy!
Ten: You Must Evolve
All successful book publishers evolve--they continuously improve themselves and set higher goals year after year. Understanding and honoring your growth is crucial to your success. Author Jill Badonsky says that, "we evolve only when we participate, not when we sit on the sidelines fearing inadequacy. And the more we act, the more wisdom, confidence, and excellence we receive." Have you ever heard the phrase entrepreneurial spirit? Having an entrepreneurial spirit means that you evolve and you have a high energy level and a spirit that propels you through all the tough days.
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About the Author
Sheri McConnell is the President of the National Association of Women Writers (
http://www.NAWW.org). She helps women writers and entrepreneurs discover, create, and profit from their intellectual knowledge! Free reports for writers available with subscription to NAWW Weekly. Sheri lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Seth and their four children. Contact her at
[email protected] or her toll free number at 866-821-5829.
