REAL Authors and REAL Books

By Gail Richards - Apr 07 , 2008

I’m sorry to be the one to do this to you—–but it’s time for a reality check. Everyone take a deep breath, and then repeat after me: I am the REAL author of a REAL book.

This week in one of the classes I moderate, a student who is a talented writer—and soon to be published author—shared a story that stopped me in my tracks. She is talented in the “I want to be her when I grow up” way, and the “If only I could write like that some day” way. Her words are impeccably chosen, her message insightful and dead on the mark. If she wasn’t such a nice person, I would have to strangle her to put her out of my misery.

She shared with us that her “book in progress” had been used last year in a university business school course. At the end of the semester, the professor asked students to evaluate all of the course materials. Hers came out smack on top of the list. Her response to this affirming news?

“I couldn’t believe it since they had read so many REAL books, too!”

This wasn’t an act of self-deprecation for our benefit. She was genuinely surprised that her material was so highly regarded when stacked up against the REAL books written by REAL authors.

There’s just something about ink on paper between two covers. A published book symbolizes “The Holy Grail of Authorship.” And it intimidates the heck out of “authors in progress,” leaving most feeling like imposters, until they, too, have a physical manifestation of their hard work.

Only YOU can publish your unique and relevant book—based on your equally unique and relevant material. There is no magic value added to your work simply because someone pushed the on/off switch of a printing press. Your work as an author is either valuable or it’s not. Publishing doesn’t change its inherent quality.

I don’t in any way mean to diminish the achievement of published authors. My intention and hope is to elevate the self-perception of the unpublished ones.

Unpublished authors consider themselves unworthy and inconsequential, yet nothing could be further from the truth. Unpublished authors are the thinkers, the movers and shakers who will bring us the next great book we insist others read. They are the next great creators who will inspire and challenge us to be better individuals in a better society.

It’s all about perspective. Stand up and be an author. Rather than letting the feeling of being an impostor mark your waking hours, embrace your identity as an author—today. Put out into the world what should be rightly reflected back to you—and savor it!

Be the REAL AUTHOR of a REAL BOOK.