Will anyone be interested in my story?

One author asked me that question every time we spoke for six months. “Why should anyone bother to read my book?” Every time, I had to reassure him that the stories he thought were mundane and familiar would grab readers by the throat: debt, infidelity, prison, illegal drugs, even the mob.

Imposter syndrome is common. All authors have it to some degree. If they don’t, then they likely don’t have the kind of self-knowledge that’s a given for writing any book that’s worth reading.

Some people worry that writing a book is putting their head above the parapet. That it will mark them out as being too big for their boots. That it’s an invitation for someone to shoot them down.

It doesn’t happen like that. Books can be criticized, of course. Not everyone will agree with what you say, unless what you say isn’t worth saying. But any negativity is balanced by the main reaction most people have to the fact that someone has written a book: respect. Most people are genuinely impressed that anyone has done the work. They’re curious to find out why you think your ideas are worth expressing. When they read the book, they’ll understand.

Anyone’s story is worth telling. You just have to make the reader curious enough to open the book. Once they do that, if they don’t keep turning the pages until they get to the end, it’s not the story that’s the problem. It’s the writing.

Fire your ghost writer! And drop me a line.