The Successful Author Mindset Ebook

Thank you Joanna for the encouraging passages. It certainly motivates me to be a more productive writer!

Practical knowledge, combined with psychology and inspiration throughout. My writing out and focused was much improved, even before finishing the book. It’s the perfect read and reflection for someone several years into their writing journey.

This book helped me to finally understand the battles that authors face. I loved that Joanna covered every topic that had questions about.

Such a great book to guide you through the different mindset hurdles authors face on a daily basis with explanations of why it happens, what to do about it, and excellent quotes by various creatives to help overcome whatever is bothering you.

Personally, I like the concept of taking time off from everything else to just create. I liked the idea of putting up barriers to protect my creative self.

I really liked the last chapter about creating a body of work and to not cling to one book as the be-all and end-all of your creative career.

It was good to be reminded of some of the stuff in this book.

A must-read for all authors and a must-have in every author’s library.

Lots of interesting, thought-provoking, and insightful ideas in this fairly short book. Parts I'll definitely be revisiting to pause and ponder and actually do some of the recommended exercises. Knocking a star mostly for a personal thing of this book does lean toward a worldview of defining your worth and value by your production/work, which I find to be a shaky foundation for one sense of self worth, but otherwise, I definitely recommend this for writers at any stage from starting to a multiple books published if you want a book about mindset and the mental and emotional challenges of writing and publishing.

The book is very well organised. You can either read it through for a general boost of positivity and encouragement or look up specific problems you have, like writer's block or self-doubt, and find practical solutions. One of Joanna Penn's best books!

This book is a quick and easy read with beneficial words for authors. A lot of great quotes were included as well. It’s not a How To book. It deals with obstacles and decisions authors face. It was an uplifting read.

A book that clearly and in detail spells out the real issues that authors go through at various stages of their journey. A book that also suggests anecdotes at a practical level for each of them. I found it to be a curious mix of inspiration and perspiration. Recommended to anyone anywhere on the writer journey.

Joanna Penn is living the dream and bless her, she is reaching a hand back to the rest of us with this guide to the ups and downs of writerly life. A resource for when you are down, overwhelmed or feeling like an imposter through to tips on business models and professional development. I love her podcast and her cheerful resonates throughout this book. The quotes included are perfect and there's a generous bibliography of detailed resources.

Un libro simpatico che mi ha incoraggiata.

Joanna Penn is always full of incredible advice. Her blog and podcast are a lifeline to many writers at different stages of their journey. For me, 'The Successful Author Mindset' with its Frank admissions and clear takeaways is one of the essential books for any writer. I thoroughly enjoyed highlighting many of the chapters and winced along with the diary excerpts. Penn, is a wonderful asset to all of us trying to make this profession our home. This book is truly about getting your head in the right space to keep at it and stay healthy and happy. Absolutely necessary for any author or would be author.

I preface this review by making it clear that I’m flattered to have been confused for a paid reviewer/paid writer before but I write these reviews as a passion and a way to expand my way of thinking as an author. The Successful Author Mindset; A Handbook For Surviving The Writer’s Journey by Joanna Penn (kindlebook version) caught my attention for multiple reasons. One of the reasons has to do with the admission that I write to help me therapeutically tap into the self-confident and carefree spirit that helped me to become valedictorian of my 8th grade graduating class (author Doreen Virtue inspired me from one of her books the Courage To Be Creative to allow myself to take up writing for creative writing therapy). Additionally, like millions of others who have writing dreams, I have reasons to continue my writing journey for life stemming from some reasons I prefer to keep secret. However, what I do feel comfortable sharing is that reading about the the author who penned the book for the Revenant movie and still works full-time made me realize that I harbor dreams of being a writer for life while still holding a full-time job (with awareness that I must hold little concern for whether my determination and intent to be a writer/author for life culminates in obscurity andor fame). Anyhow, one of the advice takeaways that was healing for me to glean from Joanna Penn’s book was the benefit of a writer making a creative date for themselves to where they would allow themselves to do activities andor go out places that would help creativity. I also like some of the online resources and books that Joanna Penn includes as mentorship and support for a writer whether they are just beginning their authorship journey or if they have been pursuing writing for quite a while. She also gives helpful advice on when to listen to a critic and when it is ok to leave the criticism alone. She also makes it clear in a healing way that criticism often comes to those who stand out in a positive way even when the persons being criticized for their writing may not realize it. Penn also makes it clear that a writer must try to recognize their own critical thoughts to their writing when it comes up and gives suggestions for how to compassionately tell your inner critic to relax while making a time to honor the critic later (plus more constructive advice). I also acknowledge that I’m blessed with an amazing husband who encourages and supports my goal to be a writer/author while also balancing a full-time job.

I went into this book thinking that I wouldn't get much out of it. After all, I have been through my tormented "aspiring writer" phase and come out the other side a proud, independently published author. Sure, I'm still plagued by insecurity and doubt, but how much help could a glorified pep talk really be – even from someone I respect as much as Joanna Penn? Oh, how wrong I was. The Successful Author Mindset should be required reading material for all writers, no matter the stage in their journey. Unlike so many self-help books, it doesn't shove vague platitudes or useless statistics in your face. Instead, Penn offers excerpts from her actual journey (an incredibly gutsy move) and real-life antidotes from herself or other authors to contextualize the problems the book addresses. You will never once feel alone while reading this book. And hey, the inspiration quotations are pretty inspiring, too. Penn covers a wide range of doubts, concerns, and inhibitors that affect authors at every stage of writing and publishing. She explains each issue, then follows it with her "antidote" or best advice or steps to move past the problem and on with your creative life. Best of all is Penn's generosity. Within the text, she freely offers up creative ideas and her own writing, creativity, and productivity "secrets." I finished the book feeling encouraged, energized, and confident, as if I had just spent a couple hours chatting with a friend or mentor. Do yourself a favor and read this book. Start with the chapters that address your own issues, or read it straight through in one day like I did. You will get what you need out of it. You just have to read.

Writing, as a vocation, just like any other vocation, has its ups and downs. If you, like me, read the non-fiction books about writing and writers, you would have read about the good things – the joy of writing, the craft, the satisfaction and fulfillment. But not that many authors write about the bad – the crippling self-doubt, the fear of failure and comparisonitis, or the ugly – the haters, procrastination and overwhelm that come with this job. Joanna doesn’t just delve in to the bad and the ugly, she gives suggestions on what to do about it. She even manages to help you see the possibility of finding some good in the bad and the ugly. For example – in the section on rejection and criticism, she says: “Rejection by an agent or a publisher who is not a good fit for your book is a blessing in disguise because you may find a home for it elsewhere or happily self-publish later.” I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, many passages of this book felt like she was speaking directly to my soul – to that place inside every writer that is vulnerable and sensitive. That part of us that has days when all we want is to go live in the fictional universe we created and not deal with the bad and the ugly of the real world. This book reaches out to that part, gives it a hug and tells it to not be afraid.

This is one of those books that's a quick read but full of useful information because it gets directly to the point. There is no fluff here. Joanna has gone from being a 9-to-5 employee in the business industry to becoming a successful indie author. In this book she talks about the thought processes on her journey; the fears, the doubts and the excitement. Chapters are each set up to address a different issue or problem, and she has a useful antidote to try at the end of each chapter. It's easy to get through the book quickly, but the real value of this book will be for authors using it as they need to through the years. I especially enjoyed the excerpts from her journals. They addressed the raw emotions that she felt (that we all have felt) and it's wonderful to know that you're not alone and that you can do something about it. There are little tidbits throughout the book, like deconstructing novels to learn about those genres, that are goldmines. I will be going back to this book for many years.