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If you missed the emails discussing the previous mistakes, click here to access them.

Probably the biggest mistake writers make around cultivating their reader community is WAITING to get started.

In this email I’ll outline three forms of waiting writers often struggle with: procrastination, analysis paralysis, and imposter syndrome.

Procrastination

Mistake #1 (Prioritizing Platform over Writing) was for those of us who use community building as a means of “productive procrastination” that pulls us away from the most important thing: our writing.

On the other end of the spectrum are those of us who use our writing — and anything else we can find — to procrastinate in order to avoid cultivating community.

Here’s what this might sound like:

* I know I need a website. I’ll get to it one day.

* I’ll eventually set up that author page on FB.

* I’ve been meaning to check out that open mic night where all the poets and poetry lovers in my neighborhood hang out but I’ve been so busy (remember when people got to share poetry in the same room?!? What strange times we’re living).

And on and on.

“One day,” “eventually,” “when things calm down.” Sound familiar?

You can put all of this stuff off forever, but if you’re serious — not just about writing but also about being read — then you’re going to have to stop procrastinating.

The best way to do that? One step at a time:

• Pick 1-3 goals 
• Choose some metrics for tracking.
• Set a timeline. 
• Get to it!
• I invite you to take at least one of these simple steps TODAY.

Analysis Paralysis

Analysis paralysis is SO REAL.

I sent you five emails full of information and I barely scratched the surface on all this stuff.

There is A LOT of information out there and it’s impossible to know it all before you get started.

The good news is you don’t need the perfect plan. There is no one “right” way.

All you need are 1-3 goals, some metrics, a timeline, and to actually get started (see a pattern here?).

You’ll learn SO much from doing.

Experimenting, tweaking, pivoting, and trying again will teach you more than analyzing and attempting to devise the “perfect” plan ever will.

If 2020 has taught us anything about “prefect plans” it’s hahahahahaha “perfect plans” hahahahaha.

So don’t worry about the “perfect” strategy.

Instead, get clear on your personal community cultivation goals, pick some strategies you think might help you reach them, decide on some metrics, set a tentative timeline to track your progress, and START. TODAY.

Imposter Syndrome

This issue is perhaps the most insidious. 

Imposter syndrome will keep you playing small and then leave you playing catch up. (Go ahead and tweet that!)

Here’s what this one sounds like:

“I’m not far enough along in my writing career to have a website or platform, or to even worry about any of that stuff.”

or

“I don’t need to worry about connecting with potential readers because I don’t have a book coming out  yet.”

Meanwhile your work’s appearing in magazines and literary journals and you don’t have a website and you don’t even know who, if anyone, reads your work.

Stop it.

You’re a writer.

You. Are. A. Writer.

Own it.

Get out there and connect with your people already!

When you don’t make it easy for readers who need your work to find it, you are quite literally robbing them of the opportunity to get what they want and need.

Close your eyes, and remember that last poem, story, novel, or memoir that made you cry.

How would you feel if you had been robbed of that experience by never knowing that work existed?

Don’t do that to your readers because you don’t think you’re the “real” thing.

You are the real thing. 

You have (though you don’t need) my permission to believe it.

Now go set those goals, choose those metrics, set that timeline, and get to work!

Please, Don’t Wait

Look, if you plan to have a book out in the world one day, then start cultivating your community today. 

Please don’t wait.

You’ll have more than enough to do the year your book launches without having to add: build a website, start an email list, devise a social media strategy, connect with all my writing communities, do all the things.

If cultivating community becomes a regular part of your writing life now, then it will be that much easier to tap into that community when the time comes for launching your first or your next book.

So don’t wait. Set some goals, pick some metrics, set some timelines, and do one thing after another.

Before you know it, you’ll wonder how you wrote without having such a vibrant community with whom to share your work and celebrate your wins.

You got this! Can't wait to see your work in the world!

P.S. Access additional resources and all the "5 Mistakes" here. You don't want to miss out on the resources page -- there are book recommendations, podcast recommendations, blog posts, additional examples, and more. If you're ready to learn and take action today, the best place to start is here.

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