The #1 Sentence I Hear From Authors Who Failed.

I just want my book to be out there.

If you are cringing right now, good.

And if you’re thinking what’s so wrong with that? I encourage you to read on.

“I just want my book to be out there” is the #1 sentence I hear from authors who fail to sell their book — whether to agents and publishers, or after self-publishing. What authors think they mean when they say that sentence is that they want to have their work noticed, read, appreciated, validated, and be of use to people. And don’t get me wrong — I think that’s awesome, I really do.

The problem with this sentence that causes the failure — and the heartbreak that often comes along — is the word just.

Have you heard of the plug-in for Gmail called Just Not Sorry? It’s an awesome plug-in that you can add to your web browser for email. What it does is flag (with those little squiggles under the word) when you are hedging or using words that undermine your message. Basically, it knows when you’re being wishy-washy and indirect. I love it and ask all my team to use it because as women, we tend to soften our language constantly. (Thanks patriarchal socialization.)

When you say things like “I just want my book to be out there,” there’s subtext. There’s a meaning behind the meaning — and usually…