Launch When It's Good, Not When It's Perfect

Your Writing May Not Be Perfect But It's Still Important to Share It!

I launched my latest ebook, “Letting Go Right Now,” last Friday. It feels like cause for celebration, but… there’s still a lot to do.

That’s an author’s proof copy of my paperback. You can get it from Amazon to check for errors.

A book is NEVER ready to launch because there are simply so many details to take care of. However, I set pretty high goals for this one, including releasing it in four formats: ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook! That scope is daunting, and this fall, I realized that if I was going to release all of them, I needed to focus on publishing just one first. So, I went with the ebook. It’s not necessarily easier to publish an ebook than any other format; however, because Kindle updates copies automatically, I know that my readers will get to read my most updated version whenever I make changes. That gives me confidence that all my readers will enjoy my latest and best version.

When you consider it, this approach of putting something out in early “prelaunch” (when it’s less than perfect) flies in the face of how many of us have been trained by the education system.

Throughout school, we were given a hard deadline for an essay and expected to submit a final draft on the day it was due. Our grade depended entirely on our final submission. The problem with that approach is that it trains us to aim to be perfect because we only get one shot.

In many cases, this isn’t how life works. Consider a toddler learning how to walk. Rarely does the baby stand up and walk perfectly on the first try. On the contrary, there are often plenty of following and tentative steps, and over time, the toddler gets better and gains confidence until, before you know it, they’re running around the house.

My book publishing career is very similar in many ways. My first book took nine months from idea to publication, and I limited it’s formats to ebook and paperback. That experience boosted my expertise and confidence, so I completed my second book in six months. That’s a big leap! However, I’m still essentially learning as I go. And even though my manuscript is now complete (I’m still tweaking it, to be honest), there’s so much to do with getting the different formats ready plus promoting my book that it’s all a little overwhelming.

Here’s a still from me talking about my book on Instagram. It's not my favorite thing to do as an author, but it’s essential!

The good news is that because it’s my second book, I can look more objectively at it and say, “Even though it’s not yet perfect, it’s a good book; it’s ready to launch.” What do you do when you feel your writing is at this stage? You launch it! You launch because:

• You need readers to give you feedback, which you will use to make further improvements (and get that much closer to perfect! 😂)

• It gives you space to talk about the work, which is essential for a writer to succeed.

• You have other things you want to write! By launching your current work, you make space to start on your next idea.

If you’re currently working on your own writing project (it could be a note, a post, or a whole book), I encourage you not to get caught up in making it perfect. Just make it good (enough), and then share it and put it out there. It’s a big leap, but in my experience, taking that leap has always been worthwhile.