I was at a birthday party years ago when someone asked me what I did, and I hesitated for a moment. 

“I’m an author,” I finally said, and there might have been a slight question mark at the end of the sentence. 

But… WHY did I hesitate? Especially back then! I had recently hit the New York Times bestsellers list, I had signed a major deal with a big publisher, and I was spending 10-12 hours a day on my books.

But I did. I hesitated because I didn’t feel like a “real author” – even with all of my success.

Maybe you feel (or have felt) the same way, even if you’ve written several books, earned income from those books, or dedicated a large amount of your free time to your writing. 

Many times I’ve heard the adage: “If you have written a book, you are an author. Period. Nothing else matters. Wear that badge proudly.” And while I agree 100% with that thought, it took me mastering three things before I felt legitimate in this career.

1. Confidence in my process. Back then, even though I had success, I was still “winging it” with my business and my books. I was a pantser running on high doses of caffeine and my first drafts were horrifically unorganized piles of vomit. My rewrites took forever, and I was perpetually “under deadline” and second-guessing so many of my actions. 

How I fixed it: I started to learn. I examined my processes, figured out what I did well and what I didn’t. In my weak areas, I took classes, learned from authors who were doing it right, and practiced the skill. For example, I read books and watched presentations on outlining, and while I’m still a pantser by nature, I was able to implement different elements of outlining and now create much smoother and more manageable first drafts.

2. Time management. Back then, I worked constantly and allowed anything and everything to interrupt and distract me from my author time. I was running on fumes and my creativity was starting to suffer, along with my body and relationships.

How I fixed it: I examined my time and how I was spending it. I put processes in place to outsource what I could, eliminate what wasn’t working, and I created two consistent work schedules – one that was dedicated to writing and one for business tasks. Then (and most importantly!) I didn’t allow those times to be disturbed. For the first time, I treated my author time like a job, and gave it that amount of priority and respect. And I made my family and friends also respect those hours!  

When I gave myself standard working hours and did not allow anything to interfere with those, I felt more like a professional, and my productivity soared as a result. 

3. A dedicated work space. I used to write in a big chair that was in our living room, and used headphones to drown out the television noise and our family’s activities. While the headphones helped with the noise, there were lots of visual distractions, and my family often needed things or interacted with me during my writing. 

How I fixed it: At the time, we had a guest room in our house, and I made the decision to nix the guest space and turn that room into my private office. It felt selfish doing that – but it was exactly what my job needed. My family learned that when that door was shut, they needed to leave me alone, and that dedicated space did wonders for my feelings of legitimacy (and my production levels). 

You don’t have to have a private office, but you should give yourself a nice workspace, one with some privacy. 

These were my major issues (and the fixes) that stood in the way of me feeling legitimate in my passion and career. Depending on your situation, you might have different blockers that create those feelings – but try not to base them on income or sales markers. 

You’ve written (or soon will have written) a book. You ARE an author. Embrace it. Love it.

Happy writing,

Alessandara