Overcoming Imposter Syndrome to Manifest Abundance as an Author

By Betsey Kulakowski

Imposter syndrome is something many authors — even those of us with almost a dozen books on the shelf — suffer from.  No number of accolades, awards or best-seller badges can drive out the demons when you lack the feeling of being worthy. 

The key to building lasting confidence in your writing is realizing that you are, indeed, a writer — and you deserve every bit of success you’ve worked hard for. You are just as deserving as anyone else and finding the strength to quiet that inner critic is an ongoing battle. But it is one you can win.

Imposter syndrome is the nagging belief that your success is a fluke — that you somehow don’t deserve your accomplishments and that you will eventually be discovered to be a fraud. 

It’s important to recognize that imposter syndrome is common. Even the greatest writers suffer — or did — from it. Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, and many more celebrities, scientists and writers have openly admitted to it. Emma Watson, famous for her role in the Harry Potter movies, once said, “It’s almost like the better I do, the more my feeling of inadequacy increases.”

Me too, Emma. Me too.  I’ve been writing since I was a little girl, and I never felt like my work was good enough, or that I hadn’t struggled enough to earn any success. I sent out two query letters and got back two rejection letters. I pitched three books at various writers conferences, got one request for a full manuscript, but ultimately the agent passed, and she was very gracious about it. Then, I pitched a book on a writers’ cruise in February of 2020, and within a few weeks, got an offer of publication for the whole series. (I’d already written two sequels and had plans for more.) The whole series. 

My first book wasn’t published until 2020 because I didn’t want to show it to anyone. I didn’t think it had a place in the market, or that it was good enough for anyone to invest in. Seven books later, and I still wonder if any of it is any good. How did I get so lucky?  The five BookFest Awards and even a first place medal for Published Fiction at WriterCon for my latest book, The King’s Ransom had to be a fluke. Right?

That’s imposter syndrome.

How do you get past it? First, you have to recognize it really is all in your head. You’re not an imposter; you are a writer in the process of growing and evolving.  Five years after I published my first book, I am marking my evolution to a full time author. I retired from my day job and I’m currently working on my eight book in my series, as well as a couple other projects I’m excited about.

To keep myself motivated and silence the voice of doubt in my head, I focus on the small wins. A good writing day with a high word count, receiving positive feedback from a reader, or simply spending time in the company of other writers who help me become a better writer is essential to my process. 

I never look at another author and say, “I wish I could be like her,” or compare my success to theirs. It’ll drive you mad. Instead, when I find an author who’s success I admire, I try to learn as much from them as I can. I’m looking for lessons that can help me become a better author. I don’t want to think of it as a competition. I want us to all win. 

Finding people who approach it from the same perspective and who strive to support you leads to success. Whether it’s a mentor, a friend or a writing group, having a support system can make all the difference when you’re battling self-doubt. 

Most importantly, you have to do the work. When facing a challenge, the natural response is fight, flight or freeze. You can’t freeze. Writers are fighters. You have to put in the hours to get the words on the page. When you’re in your writing zone, there’s no room for doubt or external validation. Your dedication to your craft is all you need in that moment. A writer is the person who puts in the work and finishes the book, the article or the poem – whatever it is you’re working on. 

One of the things I focus on is manifesting success. I try to visualize what that might look like. When you can imagine your success, you’re not just daydreaming — you’re manifesting confidence and creating a path to reach your goals. Olympic athletes visualize their routines before they climb the diving board or mount the balance beam. They’ve used their minds to train their body to feel each move successfully achieved, and the muscle memory often carries them when it comes time to perform.  By focusing on what you want to achieve, you’re less likely to fall victim to imposter syndrome.

Becoming a full-time writer has been an incredible journey. I still have moments of self-doubt, but I truly believe that perseverance and passion has carried me far and kept me going. I’m not an imposter. I am a writer. (You are, too.) 

Keep writing. Trust the process. 

Abundance is already yours. 

—

Betsey Kulakowski is the award-winning, bestselling author of The Veritas Codex series. She recently retired from her work as a safety professional and now devotes her time to writing, podcasting, and sharing what she’s learned along her journey. You can find more about her and her work on her website at www.authorbetseykulakowski.com. 

The King’s Ransom (The Veritas Codex Paranormal Thriller Series Book 7)

Lauren Grayson went looking for Bigfoot, UFOs, and even pirates. But now, evil forces will use any means to destroy her.

Dr. Lauren Grayson is determined to see the voodoo priest, Papa Dauphine, brought to justice for the attempted murder of Rowan, her husband and co-host of The Veritas Codex television show. But Dauphine aligns himself with Lauren’s mortal enemy, Enlil, creating an overpowering alliance. As he gathers his forces, Enlil seems poised to topple the great peace accord. With his pawns in the Middle East, Enlil’s forces use Rowan to find an ancient weapon that could destroy not only the accord but the entire world—or give Enlil the power to control it.

Isolated from her husband, Lauren works to protect her family as dark forces close in. But she also finds unlikely allies. The more she investigates, the more she becomes convinced that although Enlil wants the world, he first wants what is most precious to her—Rowan. And he will stop at nothing until Rowan has been eliminated.

Can Lauren defeat a god, prevent him from gaining control of an ancient weapon of apocalyptic power, and save her husband? Is love enough to prevent the collapse of the greatest peace accord ever brokered? And if peace fails, can chaos be far behind?

Uncover the truth in The King’s Ransom!

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing