Time is one of the numerous advantages of self-publishing. Self-publishers set their own schedules, in contrast to traditional publishing, which enables them to release books fast and often.
And the better an author gets at publishing high-quality books, the more they publish in a shorter time.
However, I caution authors not to rush their current book on the way to the next one.
Some authors only have one book out, but what they’ve been able to do with that book is more than some authors with ten or twenty.
From consulting and coaching to classes and workshops, these authors have turned that one book into a powerhouse of expertise and services, multiplying their income.
But they would not have been able to do this if they had given up too quickly.
They would not have been able to do this if they published the book on Amazon and then forgot about it on the road to the next one.
They would not have been able to do this if they worried about making the best sellers list. (Some authors are making good money selling their books consistently and have never been a Best Seller.)
They would not have been able to do this if they focused on what’s next instead of what already exists.
When we give in to shiny object syndrome, the continual distraction brought on by an ongoing belief that something new is worth pursuing, we miss the blessing right in front of us.
The grass is not greener on the other side. It is greener where you water it. It is greener where you cut it. It is greener where you pluck out the weeds.
It is greener when you give it the time and attention it needs to thrive.
Sometimes, new ideas are not intended for us to act on immediately. Some thoughts need to be written and executed later.
Give that book you worked so hard to produce the time and attention it deserves to grow and develop before moving on to the next best thing.
We believe publishing success is about quantity and hustle. That might work short-term, but the long-term victory is about quality and strategy.
You can spend a lot of time and energy hustling to break the Guinness World Record for the most published books, or you can be more strategic about turning that one book into a full-blown brand. This may require a long-term plan where you might not immediately see results.
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