Episode 251 - Strategic Self-Doubt and the Indie Mindset with Diane Vallere
August 13, 2024
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Diane Vallere discusses STRATEGIC SELF-DOUBT AND THE INDIE MINDSET, including overcoming limiting beliefs, handling self-doubt, and recognizing personal roadblocks. Diane emphasizes the importance of understanding the various choices available in the independent and traditional publishing routes, and we discuss myths within the indie community, the impact of constructive criticism, and the significance of aligning personal goals with creative and business objectives.
National bestselling author Diane Vallere crafts humorous mysteries that are out of this world. After two decades navigating the galaxy of luxury retailing, she swapped designer accessories for accessories to murder, propelling her career into the stratosphere. As past president of the national Sisters in Crime organization, she edited the Agatha-Award-winning essay collection “PROMOPHOBIA: Taking the Mystery out of Promoting Crime Fiction,” rocketing the conversation about marketing crime fiction to new heights. Diane launched her own detective agency at the age of ten, and her passion for shoes, clues, and clothes has been in orbit ever since.
Links
Diane's Links:
https://www.dianevallere.com/
https://facebook.com/dianevallereauthor
https://youtube.com/dianevallere
Matty's Links:
Affiliate links
Events
https://www.dianevallere.com/
https://facebook.com/dianevallereauthor
https://youtube.com/dianevallere
Matty's Links:
Affiliate links
Events
I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Diane! Do you suffer from self-doubt and, if yes, what steps do you take to combat it?
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Are you getting value from the podcast? Consider supporting me on Patreon or through Buy Me a Coffee!
Summary
This week on The Indy Author Podcast, Matty Dalrymple talks with Diane Vallere about the critically important "Indie Author Mindset" and how it shapes the journey of independent authors. Diane offers practical advice and shares her experiences, providing invaluable insights that can help indie authors navigate through various challenges in their careers.
Meet Diane Vallere
Matty kicks off the episode by introducing Diane Vallere, an author known for her humorous mysteries, including a series set in outer space. Diane's diverse background—once being involved in luxury retailing and now writing quirky, crime-solving adventures—is a testament to the indie author mindset. She shares how she pragmatically adapted her bio to be genre-specific, reflecting her latest outer space-themed book release. By updating her biography creatively, Diane illustrates the importance of aligning your marketing materials with your current projects. This adaptability embodies the indie mindset, ensuring that you consistently stay relevant to your audience.
Leveraging an Indie Mindset
A significant part of the conversation focuses on the "Indie Mindset," beliefs and attitudes uniquely beneficial to indie authors. One key topic is overcoming limiting beliefs. Diane identifies a common hindrance facing many indie authors: the self-defeating idea that one isn't good enough for traditional publishing. This limiting belief can deter an author’s confidence and skew their perception of the indie publishing route as a lesser alternative rather than a chosen path.
The rapid growth and increasing legitimacy of indie publishing, supported by various channels and resources, have made it a respectable career choice. Diane encourages authors to view indie publishing as an empowering option. It offers control over one’s work, from editorial choices to marketing strategies.
Understanding and Conquering Limiting Beliefs
Discussing another prevalent issue, Matty and Diane explore how limiting beliefs can pave the way to suboptimal work. Authors who treat indie publishing as a backup plan might not devote the required effort to make their work as polished as that of established publishers.
Lies We Spread Through Our Community
Diane brings up another noteworthy subject: the unintentional "lies" spread within the indie community. These include generalized statements like "you can't sell books on XYZ platform" or "you must be in Kindle Unlimited to succeed." While initially intended to help, such advice can be misleading. The absolute truths one author experiences may not apply universally across the diverse landscape of indie publishing. Diane advocates for a more nuanced understanding, urging indie authors to discern what advice will effectively align with their specific goals and circumstances.
The Role of Self-Doubt
The power of self-doubt and how it can be used constructively is another critical discussion topic. Diane refers to self-doubt as a signal that denotes the presence of something one might deeply care about. Recognizing this, indie authors can harness these feelings and transform them into actionable plans to overcome perceived obstacles.
The Importance of the Creative Process
In dissecting the creative process, Diane emphasizes the importance of focusing on one's creation without succumbing to external pressures or reviews. Writing a book true to your vision and maintaining its integrity is paramount. Reviews often reflect more about the reviewer’s personal preferences than the inherent quality of the work. The key is to stay authentic to your creative impulse while also being open to constructive feedback that aligns with your vision.
Recognizing and Overcoming Roadblocks
Diane also touches on recognizing personal roadblocks. When feelings of jealousy arise about another’s accomplishments, it's a useful indicator of one’s own aspirations. Instead of viewing them as barriers, these emotions can inform authors of what they truly desire, helping them to recalibrate their goals and strategies appropriately.
Staying Focused Amid Multiple Paths
Matty and Diane also explore the complexity of taking on too many paths. In striving to embrace every opportunity, indie authors may become less effective in their endeavors. The focus should be on identifying and pursuing avenues that align closely with defined goals, fostering deeper expertise and more meaningful progress.
Closing Thoughts
Towards the end of the episode, Diane shares her focus on social media and the strategies she employs to balance online visibility with her intensive creative process. She also emphasizes the significance of aligning one's actions with the core goals of authentic storytelling and meaningful reader engagement.
This episode of The Indy Author Podcast encapsulates the indomitable spirit of the indie author mindset. Diane Vallere’s insights serve as a valuable guide for authors navigating the ever-evolving terrain of indie publishing, empowering them to take confident, deliberate actions in their careers.
Meet Diane Vallere
Matty kicks off the episode by introducing Diane Vallere, an author known for her humorous mysteries, including a series set in outer space. Diane's diverse background—once being involved in luxury retailing and now writing quirky, crime-solving adventures—is a testament to the indie author mindset. She shares how she pragmatically adapted her bio to be genre-specific, reflecting her latest outer space-themed book release. By updating her biography creatively, Diane illustrates the importance of aligning your marketing materials with your current projects. This adaptability embodies the indie mindset, ensuring that you consistently stay relevant to your audience.
Leveraging an Indie Mindset
A significant part of the conversation focuses on the "Indie Mindset," beliefs and attitudes uniquely beneficial to indie authors. One key topic is overcoming limiting beliefs. Diane identifies a common hindrance facing many indie authors: the self-defeating idea that one isn't good enough for traditional publishing. This limiting belief can deter an author’s confidence and skew their perception of the indie publishing route as a lesser alternative rather than a chosen path.
The rapid growth and increasing legitimacy of indie publishing, supported by various channels and resources, have made it a respectable career choice. Diane encourages authors to view indie publishing as an empowering option. It offers control over one’s work, from editorial choices to marketing strategies.
Understanding and Conquering Limiting Beliefs
Discussing another prevalent issue, Matty and Diane explore how limiting beliefs can pave the way to suboptimal work. Authors who treat indie publishing as a backup plan might not devote the required effort to make their work as polished as that of established publishers.
Lies We Spread Through Our Community
Diane brings up another noteworthy subject: the unintentional "lies" spread within the indie community. These include generalized statements like "you can't sell books on XYZ platform" or "you must be in Kindle Unlimited to succeed." While initially intended to help, such advice can be misleading. The absolute truths one author experiences may not apply universally across the diverse landscape of indie publishing. Diane advocates for a more nuanced understanding, urging indie authors to discern what advice will effectively align with their specific goals and circumstances.
The Role of Self-Doubt
The power of self-doubt and how it can be used constructively is another critical discussion topic. Diane refers to self-doubt as a signal that denotes the presence of something one might deeply care about. Recognizing this, indie authors can harness these feelings and transform them into actionable plans to overcome perceived obstacles.
The Importance of the Creative Process
In dissecting the creative process, Diane emphasizes the importance of focusing on one's creation without succumbing to external pressures or reviews. Writing a book true to your vision and maintaining its integrity is paramount. Reviews often reflect more about the reviewer’s personal preferences than the inherent quality of the work. The key is to stay authentic to your creative impulse while also being open to constructive feedback that aligns with your vision.
Recognizing and Overcoming Roadblocks
Diane also touches on recognizing personal roadblocks. When feelings of jealousy arise about another’s accomplishments, it's a useful indicator of one’s own aspirations. Instead of viewing them as barriers, these emotions can inform authors of what they truly desire, helping them to recalibrate their goals and strategies appropriately.
Staying Focused Amid Multiple Paths
Matty and Diane also explore the complexity of taking on too many paths. In striving to embrace every opportunity, indie authors may become less effective in their endeavors. The focus should be on identifying and pursuing avenues that align closely with defined goals, fostering deeper expertise and more meaningful progress.
Closing Thoughts
Towards the end of the episode, Diane shares her focus on social media and the strategies she employs to balance online visibility with her intensive creative process. She also emphasizes the significance of aligning one's actions with the core goals of authentic storytelling and meaningful reader engagement.
This episode of The Indy Author Podcast encapsulates the indomitable spirit of the indie author mindset. Diane Vallere’s insights serve as a valuable guide for authors navigating the ever-evolving terrain of indie publishing, empowering them to take confident, deliberate actions in their careers.
