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Decisions Were Made: Choosing to Be an Author
- Maurice Myers
- Aug 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 21
Author of:
“You’re more decisive than you think”
Indecisiveness Kills
Being indecisive will be the death of your dreams—so by deciding to be an author, you’ve already given your dreams life. You decided that your dreams were worth the journey. That alone deserves praise.
Working on a book is something special—some even compare it to the birth of a child. It’s a full-time job with no set hours, and most times, you’re not getting paid. It can be isolating and feel as if it’s all for nothing. Yet there’s no better feeling than holding your book baby in your hands. That’s the day you remember why you decided to become an author.
Being indecisive doesn’t work as a parent, and it doesn’t work as an author. You have to make the hard decisions to maintain order. Any time you’re being indecisive, it means you’re unsure—and when you’re stepping out into the public, an enormous part of you has to be sure.
Whether you’re reading this with the ideas floating around in your head, or you’re ten books in, it’s safe to say: Decisions Were Made.
Decisions Are Endless
The further you get into your journey, the more decisions that will need to be made—and guess who has to make them all? Did you point to yourself? I hope so, because that’s who is in charge.
It’s the gift and curse of calling yourself an author: you call the shots (unless you’re traditionally published, of course). For better or worse, every decision falls in your lap.
Oh, the humanity!
Still, that’s the beauty of what we do: we make decisions. It’s an endless game of GTA/Sims 4 where you create and play their lives out. Many authors will tell you at some point, the characters themselves will start deciding their storylines.
I, too, have been victimized by my main character who refused to be embarrassed—forcing me to change the plot. That’s neither here nor there. Regardless of the endless decisions, the best part is that they’re yours to make.
Decide Your Book’s Fate
What is this book going to be about?
What genre is this book going to be?
Will I use my real name or a pen name?
Who is going to pay for all of this?
These questions can be daunting and send most authors into the abyss of broken dreams. Yet that’s not you. You understand that obstacles are a guarantee, and there’s always an answer. Keep that in mind on the days when the questions are jumping you and won’t let you get up for air. Authors understand the grueling hours spent answering these questions, only to decide weeks later—it’s not good enough.
This constant roller coaster of emotions is the reason that only 3% of people actually finish their books. That’s according to Google, so take it with a grain of salt—but whether fact or fiction doesn’t matter. Use it as your guide the next time you’re making all the hard decisions—you’re doing something most won’t complete.
Sometimes, the hard decision to define your book is the kryptonite that keeps great art unreleased. Many artists or creatives will tell you they don’t want to be put in a box—their art can’t be defined.
While there is nothing wrong with flowing with art as it leads you, you’re still in the business of people. And if there’s one thing you need to know about the people business, it’s that decisions will be made. If you don’t decide what your work will be called, the world will do it for you.
Many days your book is going to be the bane of your existence, pushing you to feel burnt out. Sometimes it’ll feel like no one is going to understand. That’s okay.
The goal is not to be understood—that’s a lifelong journey of over-expressing yourself to people who don’t matter. The true goal is to do exactly what you decided to do in the beginning: put out your book!
Decide Your Tribe
Deciding your tribe is probably the most important part of being an author. While it’s your job to write the book, there are still more jobs that need to be filled. The people around you will be your fuel when you decide enough is enough and want to walk away. This isn’t limited to immediate family—anyone can become your tribe.
Having just one person believe in you will carry you beyond the editing phase.
It’s your tribe that will be the ones to let you know when you’re picking up steam. They’ll say things like, “I know a famous author,” or “One day when I’m ready to write my book, I’m coming to you.” These may seem like something small to some, but that’s people giving you your flowers. They believe in your decisions just as much as you do.
Beyond building your self-esteem, you also need a professional tribe. Having a friend who can edit, or a brand marketer, or a friend with a podcast can take you far. You may be writing a story about a lone wolf making it through endless obstacles on their own, but that’s not being an author. Nobody makes it on their own, and these “friends” are not always easy to find.
But we live in a digital age—with book festivals, Fiverr and even TikTok. If you use these resources, you can find your own X-Men. Just keep in mind you’ll need connections with different skill sets—choose them wisely.
What’s Next? You Decide
Now what? We’ve only scratched the surface of what it means to be an author, but you’ve already done the most important part. You said yes to the journey. You have a foundation that says no matter how chaotic things get, your main goal is to write a book. The decisions that led you here are what’s going to sustain you on your journey.
If you start to feel as if you’re overwhelmed with having to make decisions, remember what we talked about. Indecisiveness leads to doing nothing at all. If you don’t make the endless decisions, someone will make them for you. You decide your book’s fate—or as a wise bear once said, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”
And most importantly, your tribe will truly decide how far you go. Keep making the big decisions, and remember, you got this.
-Maurice Myers
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