The question, "Right now, in your author journey, what’s the one part of preparing your book for readers that is causing you the most stress or uncertainty?", is designed to uncover the current pain points and emotions that authors experience while creating and publishing their books. Its strength lies in its present-moment focus, using “right now” to make the question immediate and relatable. By framing it from the perspective of the author’s journey, it feels personal and empathetic, encouraging authors to reflect on specific challenges rather than giving general answers. Being open-ended, it allows for detailed responses that can reveal actionable insights, such as where authors need the most guidance whether in formatting, editing, cover design, or Amazon KDP publishing. To make it even more effective, the question could include an emotional element, such as asking how the challenge makes them feel, or could break down the process into specific areas to guide responses. Overall, this question works well for surveys, social media engagement, or email campaigns, as it helps identify common struggles authors face and can inform workshops, courses, or services aimed at supporting them.

Where you are in your author journey matters—let’s discuss and learn from each other

Many authors love writing but feel overwhelmed when it comes to marketing, editing, formatting, or publishing. I’m curious to know where you’re stuck right now and what’s really holding you back. Let’s talk about it.

When it comes to finishing and selling your book, where are you currently stuck the technical side (formatting/publishing), the creative side (editing/cover), or the marketing side? Most authors don’t struggle with writing they struggle with what comes after. Clarity about where you’re stuck is the first step toward gaining momentum and finally moving your book across the finish line.

Timing really is everything. If you told yourself this was the year you’d finally publish your book… but you’ve been hitting snooze on that goal, you’re not alone. Self-publishing sounds simple in theory. Write the book. Upload it. Hit publish. But in reality? It’s the tiny backend errors. The formatting glitches. The cover sizing confusion. The random upload warning that makes you question everything. Tonight in my Premium group, @Gale Bates joined our call feeling frustrated. She had uploaded her manuscript and kept running into errors on the backend. The kind of stuff that makes you stare at your screen thinking, “Why is this happening?” Within a few minutes, we fixed it. She paused and said something like, “Wow… you made that so simple.” And that’s when it hit me. It is simple to me now. I’ve published 12+ books. I’ve seen these issues over and over. But for someone doing this the first time? Those “small” problems are the exact things that derail momentum. And momentum is everything. Most people don’t quit because they can’t write. They quit because they get stuck. Stuck on formatting. Stuck on cover specs. Stuck on upload errors. Stuck in overthinking. That’s why timing matters. If you’re serious about getting your book done, waiting another six months won’t magically make it easier. The difference is support, accountability, and removing the technical roadblocks that slow you down. I’m putting together a small group — 10 people or fewer — and we’ll work together over 8 weeks to get your book across the finish line. 👉 👉 👉 LEARN MORE HERE And yes… the areas that typically trip people up (cover design, formatting, the technical pieces) will be handled by the professional freelancers I personally use. This isn’t for everyone. I only want action takers. People who don’t need convincing that their book matters. People who are done collecting half-finished drafts.