The Writer’s Quest For Excellence Vs. Perfectionism

“Perfectionism is self-destructive simply because there's no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal.” Brené Brown

“How do you know when the book is done?”

This is a question that many writers struggle with, and consequently, some books can take many years to write because the writer keeps messing with sentences, searching in vain for just the right turn of phrase. After agonizing for weeks, changing back and forth, they finally settle on a sentence and move onto the next one, only to come back weeks later and begin more revisions.

The truth is that nothing is ever perfect.

This is an excerpt from The Successful Author Mindset. Available now in ebook, print and audiobook formats.

Even if you hire three separate editors and use ten different proofreaders, you will still get an email from a reader pointing out a typo or an error.

Go pick up any bestselling book from a traditional publisher and scour it for typos. You will find them.

Go look at any prize-winning or bestselling book on Amazon and check the reviews. The more popular the book, the more issues people will find with it. There will never be a book that will satisfy everyone and that's fine. Not everyone will like your book and a couple of typos are not the end of the world.

Antidote

Strive for excellence and follow a process that will ensure your book is the best it can be. Go through your own self-editing, then work with a professional editor, do the rewrites that will help the book and use a proofreader.

You could even use a site like Wattpad.com where you can post chapters and get feedback from readers as you write.

But make sure you set a deadline for your book, otherwise, this editing process can also be a form of perfectionism!

Once you have been through a rigorous process with an endpoint, get that book into the world, however you choose to publish. If you feel the itch to edit yet again, be honest with yourself.

• Is another round of changes really going to make a substantial difference to this book?
• Would it be better to work on the next book instead of constantly reworking this one?

At some point, you have to stop listening to your inner critic or the negative voices of others. Do your best and let the book out into the world. For anyone seriously struggling with this, I recommend The Pursuit of Perfection and How it Harms Writers by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

Of course, the problem may also be deeper. Look at this article on fear of rejection and criticism, and this one on fear of judgment if you just can't let your words go out there.

“Have no fear of perfection – you'll never reach it.” Salvador Dali

This is an excerpt from The Successful Author Mindset. Available now in ebook, print and audiobook formats.