Writing encouragement: What if I do all this work and it’s a flop?

This one’s for all of you in need of some writing encouragement because we’ve all asked this at some point: What if I do all this work and it’s a flop? 

Earlier this summer, a genuine soul told me that she was too scared to publish her book. When I asked her why, she said: “What if I do all this work and it’s a flop?” 

Ah, yes. Great question. 

In her mind, if she was going to do all the work, then she needed a guaranteed result. If she wasn’t going to get a huge return on her investment, then why do it? 

It’s a valid question. One that I’ve felt before and I’m imagining you too. 

Let me suggest a mindset flip. Because this way of thinking unfortunately doesn’t work in any area of life. 

What if I go on vacation and it rains the whole time? 

What if we buy this house and the neighbor’s dog barks all night? 

What if I have kids and I’m not a good mom? 

If we live in constant “what if,” we won’t ever do anything. 

Besides, you can’t move forward without flops. The longer I’m in this work, the more I’ve come to understand that the difference between successful and unsuccessful writers is what they do with the flops. They’re like tests. 

Will you pick yourself up, learn from them, and do it better the next time? 

Or will you second-guess, complain, and quit? 

What if you started hoping for a flop? So that you could become a better writer. A better marketer. A better mentor for another writer in the future.

If you’re in the middle of a flop, good. If you’re afraid of flopping, also good. The more you see flops as opportunities, the further you’ll go. 

Need more writing encouragement like this in your life? These are the types of emails you’d get weekly if you join my free newsletter, The 3% Club (because only 3% of people actually publish a book)! Come join us.