It might seem obvious to you, but it wasn’t to me.

In the past, I would just stop working on the project and move on to something else.

That left a lot of half-finished projects in my wake.

There was a pattern

I began to notice my pattern: When the going gets tough, I watch a Hallmark movie.

Realizing that — noticing that there are situations where I stop moving forward — was pivotal, though.

I started asking myself, “Why?” I needed to understand what made me stop.

When I gave myself the time to accept I had hit a wall and explore why, I was able to identify the obstacles holding me back.

As I did this more and more, I noticed that I usually came upon the same obstacles:

• There’s not enough time.
• I don’t know how to do it.
• I don’t have the right tools or resources.
• I’m afraid I might fail.
• The next step is so big or complicated that it overwhelms me.
• Something else became a higher priority.

What are your obstacles?

Are any of those things obstacles for you, too? Or do you encounter other obstacles that keep you from making progress with your book or how you market it?

I thought about this as I continued to work on my 2018 goals with my goal buddy this week.

There have been too many years when I had plans that didn’t materialize. Last year, for example, I was excited about a new book idea. Something stopped me from finishing it.

Pay attention

So this is the year I pay more attention to my rhythm.

I need to notice when I’ve stalled. That will allow me to identify the unseen obstacles in my path and figure out how to move them out of the way.

I’m experienced enough to know I won’t always be able to do that alone. And I’m smart enough to bring in help when I need it.

In a year from now, I want to be able to tell you that I not only identified my obstacles, I figured out how to get over, under, and around them.

My wish for you is that you can say the same.

I hope that you will also pause to think about why you stopped working on your book, its marketing, or anything else that’s important to you. That will help you plan how you’ll navigate around the obstacles you’ve identified.

Let’s use this quote to remind us.

“Never give in to the obstacles that lie in your path towards the achievement of your dreams.” ~~ Lailah Gifty Akita

If one of your obstacles is lack of a solid book marketing plan, be certain to download my free template. I walk you through every step of the process. All you have to do is click the blue bar below to get your free Book Marketing Plan Template:

What’s holding you back? What are your obstacles? Tell us in a comment. 

for Mother’s Day (my request!) and love it. Learn more about Kate on her website. 

5 most common obstacles to writing your book

By Kate Hanley

There’s a reason why 80 percent of Americans (that’s 200 million people) say they want to write a book, yet only .04 percent of them actually do it in any given year: Writing a book is no small undertaking.

Doable? Absolutely. Easy? Not so much.

Especially if you’re falling prey to one or some of the most common obstacles to actually getting a book out into the world.

Are you subjecting yourself to any of these common roadblock thoughts? I hope seeing them with more clarity—and learning their workarounds—will help you get going!

Roadblock thought #1: “I don’t have the time.”

Of course getting all those words and thoughts down seems like it will take up mountains of time—and who has those lying around?

Detour: Rather than trying to “find” the time, presume it’s already there, and then go about claiming it.

Small chunks add up to big progress. You could resolve to spend 20 minutes a day working on your book, and in a month you’d have ten hours under your belt—enough to write about 10,000 words. If the average book is 75,000 words, you could have a complete first draft by Valentine’s Day.

Or, maybe you’re not a daily person; you really need to do a deep dive. You could carve out one four-hour period each week (Sunday morning?), or one full weekend a month, for 16 hours a month and be done by Christmas.

Roadblock thought #2: “I don’t know where to start.”

Writing a book is a big project, and there’s no one right way to do it. You could spend months, even years, thinking through all your options. In fact, many people do.

Detour: Use a two-page book proposal to distill your idea, set your intentions, and create a roadmap for yourself.

Here’s what it includes:

• The gist of what your book is about
• Who it’s for
• The problem it solves (for nonfiction books)
• The benefits it offers (for nonfiction books)
• Why you’re the perfect person to write it
• A down-and-dirty table of contents

Keep it concise and don’t overthink. Anyone can write two pages. And then you’ll have started!

Roadblock thought #3: “Who am I to write this book?”

Compiling all your best thoughts, slapping your name on the cover, and putting it “out there” is a great recipe for kicking off a swirl of self-doubt.

“I don’t have a degree.”

“I’m no expert.”

“People will see I’m a fraud.”

Detour: Go back to your two-page book proposal, and flesh out why you are the right person to right this book. Include everything that relates to your book’s subject—experiences from your personal life as well as the more quantifiable traits, such as training, clients, degrees, and writing experience.

Re-read it whenever you feel those doubts creeping back in.

Roadblock thought #4: “I need to focus on the work that pays the bills—there’s no energy left for anything else.”

At the root of this one is motivation, or a lack of it.

Detour: The best way to inspire yourself to take action is to remind yourself of the positive results you’re trying to create.

What do you want this book to do for you—build a fan base that will buy novels in your series or get you a promotion, better-paying or higher-profile clients, speaking gigs, media appearances, or increased credibility?

Then write out what’s at stake for your audience—how will they benefit from the ideas, entertainment, or the point of view that only you can present?

Write your answers down. Post them on the bulletin board above your desk. Don’t let yourself distract yourself from what’s really at stake.

Roadblock thought #5: “I just want to write the thing—I’m not good at marketing myself.”

If I had a quarter for every time I heard a writer say, “I’m just not good at marketing,” I’d be a rich woman. And yet, I get it. I had to get over this particular roadblock too.

Detour: What you need is a mindset shift.

If you believe that the information or entertainment you have to share can help people, it’s not an intrusion to tell them about it—it’s a service.

Also, it’s not really about you; it’s about the message inside it, and the potential of that message to help other people.

I say this with love: Get over yourself. The world needs what you’ve got, and you’re not helping anyone by keeping it corked up.

Which obstacle is keeping you from finishing your book? What are you going to do about it?