How do you deal with imposter syndrome as an author?
No, "fake it till you make it" is not the answer.
Imposter syndrome really is a bitch. It’s like, you work so hard trying to get somewhere with your manuscript—whether it’s the outline, the first draft, or even revisions with your agent or editor—and then, when you’re finally starting to see success, BAM! You get smacked in the face with imposter syndrome.
Isn’t it weird how having achieved something most people can never even dream of, like writing a whole goddamn book, makes you feel like you’re a fraud? And the irrational thoughts your brain creates are just that—irrational—but they feel so completely real and true. Maybe you’re thinking, “How can I write a good romance novel? I’m single!” or “I’m only 19 years old. Why would anyone take me seriously as an author?” or perhaps “I spent the last 50 years of my life working in corporate, and it’s only now that I’m trying to make it as a writer? People will laugh at me!”
Look, there’s no judgement here. Neither for you, nor for your thoughts. It is normal to think these thoughts when you’re very close to achieving your goal. Let’s talk about why.
Why does this inner imposter exist in your brain?
Imposter syndrome is, in my opinion, your brain’s way of protecting you from possible future harm. For example, if you’re close to finishing your manuscript revisions so you can start querying it, there’s a lot of room for fear there. What if I didn’t do a good enough job? What if I did a great job according to me, but I start querying and it turns out it’s not good enough for an agent? So, to avoid realizing that perceived future failure of not making it out of the query trenches, your brain awakens your inner imposter and tries to stop you from finishing your revisions. The longer you’re stuck and procrastinating, the longer you’re safe from that future failure.
Some may call it self-sabotage, but I honestly think all self-sabotage is an attempt at self-protection by your subconscious mind. Our brains are hard-wired for survival, ever since primitive times when being chased by a hungry lion was a very probable cause of death. And unfortunately, your brain can’t see the difference between “getting rejected by agents” and “getting mauled to death by a pack of lions.” Although, let’s be honest, they both do feel just as scary.
How do you kick this inner imposter out?
Well, you probably can’t, at least not permanently. Your inner imposter is like that family member who shows up at your doorstep every few months and overstays their welcome.
What you can do, though, is understand your inner imposter better and learn to have a conversation with it. I gave this journaling exercise to one of my 1:1 author coaching clients recently, and I’d love for you to use these prompts to know more about your core fears and beliefs and how they’re driving so many your actions.
“So what if?” Journaling Exercise for Imposter Syndrome
The example situation: You’re in the last stages of editing your manuscript for an R&R (revise & resubmit) from a really wonderful literary agent. You were expecting to be done with your revisions this weekend, but for some reason, you’re afraid to work on the last few chapters. Because what if you don’t do a enough good job?
The exercise: Dive deeper into the “what if” sort of negative thought that comes into your mind by asking “So what if that does happen? What then?” and keep asking that “so what if?” question until you get to the core fear or belief you have. For example:
So what if I finish my revisions but I don’t do a good enough job?
—> Well, then I won’t get an offer of representation from that agent.
So what if I don’t get an offer of rep from that one particular agent?
—> Then I’ll have to go back to querying it widely.
So what if I have to go back to querying it widely?
—> God, that’s so exhausting and frustrating. I probably won’t sign with any agent.
So what if I don’t sign with any agent?
—> Then my book will probably have to be shelved and it won’t get traditionally published.
So what if I don’t get traditionally published?
—> Then I’ll never achieve my childhood dream of having a book out with my dream publisher.
So what if that childhood dream isn’t achieved?
—> Then I will have let down my younger self who always wanted to be published.
And BAM. There you have the core fear that’s driving at least some of your negative beliefs and self-sabotage: you’re trying to please a past version of you—and making some very heavy assumptions about your success along the way. You might have also noticed that some of those “so what if?” consequences were probable results—not guaranteed failures.
Now that you know your core fear, what do you do next?
You figure out how it ties in with your inner imposter. Carrying on with the previous example, maybe your biggest reason for trying to get published is to fulfil the lifelong dream you’ve had since you were 11.
But that’s a lot of pressure on you, no matter how old you are now. Especially because your expectations from your future self when you were younger are likely not what you even want from yourself right now. Maybe as a child, you wanted to be a author with HarperCollins. But now, self-publishing seems appealing to you just as much as traditional publishing.
Your inner imposter is so afraid that you can’t match up to that goal and please your younger self in the way you think you need to that it’s coming up with these negative thoughts to postpone your (unlikely) failure.
So here’s what you do: you have a conversation with that imposter saying thank you for its attempts to protect you. But you don’t need it anymore, because you’ll achieve that goal one way or another, on your own terms, on your own timeline—not your 11-year-old self’s timeline. And the imposter needs to understand that you’re not a child anymore. You’re way older, and way smarter, and way more capable of doing this. You’ll ask the imposter for help if you need it. Until then? They can sit tight and watch you be the bad bitch you are.
I really hope trying out this journaling exercise helps you with whichever mindset block you’re struggling with: whether it’s lack of motivation, perfectionism, comparisonitis, or imposter syndrome. Be sure to hit ‘reply’ if I’m in your inbox and tell me how this exercise went for you, and if you’re reading on the Substack website or app, comment below and do the same.
PS: In case you didn’t know, I’m a certified life and mindset coach, hypnosis practitioner, and neurolinguistic programming practitioner (another very effective coaching modality), and I’m so passionate about helping more authors with their mindset alongside their writing skills as they set out on their author journey. I usually only take on two 1:1 author coaching clients every quarter, but I’d love to work with a few more authors over the next three months as I rework my business model.
If you need support with staying on track with your goals and your mindset as you write, edit, or query your manuscript, and you’d like more info about how I can help you, book a free 30-min call here to chat about my 3-month 1:1 author coaching package.
Until next Friday :)
Love hard & dream big,
Swati