The Only Way to Get Rid of the I Can'ts In Your Writing Way

I accomplished a huge goal this week. I published another author's book, and so I started a new publishing company, Editor-911 Books!

I will tell you that during this process I started to say,

"I CAN'T!"

many times. Okay, I did say it a few times, but the best advice I have for you--when your brain is shouting at you, "You can't do this! What were you thinking?" and then your mouth says it out loud, "I can't"--is your heart knows you can. Listen to your heart.

This adventure started when Fred Olds (an octogenarian who was in a critique group with me for children's writers around 2006-2010 in Champagin, IL) approached me after I returned home from 20Books to 50K, a conference for indie writers. He asked if I thought I could help him publish some of his stories for kids, and we could do a 50/50 split on royalties. My brain shouted, "You can't do this. You don't know anything about this, and you haven't even published your own books yet!"

But as I talked to him some more, I found out that his wife was in a long-term care facility, and he visited her every day. I read some of his stories, which are delightful, and my heart said, "You can do this!"

When I started to design his cover after taking a book cover course that taught me to use Photoshop, I thought: You can't do this. You have no idea what you are doing. But then I looked at the other covers on Amazon for children's books, and I knew I could. There was no reason that I couldn't. My first love has always been children's books, and so I did it. My heart knew I could.

When I wanted to make a print book--man, there's a learning curve!--I said, "I can't," too many times. But then I would listen to the indie podcasts or read some blog posts, and I knew it was just doing one step at a time. I could do it. I wanted to make a print book since this was a kid's book, and I want to sell it on more than just Amazon. I want kids to hold Fred's book in their hands and listen to their parents or older siblings read to them my very favorite story in it, "The Hobbling Hermit."

There's this grumpy old man, the hermit, and he finds a mouse, whom he wants to squash. But the mouse is clever and tells the old man that he is magical and has one wish left to grant him. Through their adventure of trying to figure out a wish that this clever mouse can grant, they become friends. It's got a great ending, and I love that little mouse (note the front and back cover below!).

"I can't" was replaced with "I love" each time, and now Fred's book is on sale. It's already sold 50 copies--including one ebook in Italy! How fun! No idea who bought that, but I love the opportunity indie publishing gives authors these days. There's that word LOVE again.

So next time you feel yourself saying, "I can't," look at what's in your heart, and let your heart win! Keep going, step by step. You can accomplish what you set out to do.

Margo L. Dill can now add publisher to her bio with the start of Editor-911 Books. She would love for you to check out Fred's book, Read-Aloud Stories with Fred, Vol. 1, here  (in print or ecopy) or Anna and the Baking Championship, which is a free historical fiction ebook (will be a print book soon!) that you can get by clicking here.