Paper Tiger | Why you SHOULD compare yourself to Brandon Sanderson | Response to @Daniel Greene on self-publishing @PaperTigerProductions | Uploaded July 2021 | Updated October 2024, 54 minutes ago.
Being an author and publisher is no different to any other job; you need to show up and do actual work every day if you want to be successful, like @Brandon Sanderson. His output and release schedule should be the RULE rather than the exception – and it's entirely achievable, if you adopt the same mindset as Sanderson in how you approach your writing.
That's why I disagree with @Daniel Greene on his take on self-publishing:
"Write at your own pace; don't compare yourself to Sanderson. Just get it done." (youtu.be/ZtYSzGK6Ywc?t=135)
That's fine if you're self-publishing for fun, but if you are serious about making a full-time living as a self-published author, that's terrible advice!
Also, here's a simple FREE progress tracker I made in Google Sheets, so that you too can get those sexy, sexy progress bars like Brandon Sanderson has on his website:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w
#fantasy #authortube #selfpublishing
// JUMP TO
0:00 Introduction
0:34 Who is Brandon Sanderson?
1:17 The problem in epic fantasy
2:00 What's different about Brandon Sanderson?
3:18 Why fantasy authors get stuck
3:48 Why is Brandon Sanderson different?
4:21 Vision
5:35 Strategy
5:55 Adaptability
6:05 Focus
6:24 Keys to Sanderson's success: #1
7:00 Key #2
7:45 Key #3
8:10 Takeaways
I love Daniel's channel and he has some of the best content on YouTube but I strongly disagree with the advice to not compare yourself to Sanderson in Daniel's recent video on his self-publishing experience with his new novella, Breach of Peace. This kind of advice is something I always find very problematic because it disempowers anyone who takes it to heart from trying to emulate a role model.
I know Daniel's coming from a place of encouragement: obviously if you're just starting out on your self-publishing journey (or your journey as a writer for that matter), there's no way that you'll be performing at the same level as an experienced pro...and so you SHOULDN'T be judging yourself harshly for not meeting the same word count targets or producing the same quality of prose as Sanderson. And as Sanderson himself will be quick to tell you, the tools and methods that work for him may not work for you.
That said, I think keeping your sights on somebody like Sanderson–who is very transparent about his process and what it takes to be a successful full time author–is a great thing to do when you're starting out...and even long after you've gained your own experience, because studying and learning from top performers is how you get better!
// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
I can't recommend Sanderson's BYU lectures and YouTube channel enough, for the quality advice he gives on how to be a successful author–self-published or otherwise:
- Sanderson's 2020 BYU lectures → youtu.be/0cf-qdZ7GbA
- How to write 100k words a year → youtu.be/nIze473qjJ0
If you're coming here from Daniel's channel and you're interested in self-publishing, I suggest checking out my other videos on the topic:
- How to ACTUALLY compare yourself to Brandon Sanderson (without getting depressed) → youtu.be/kaArOrc-B4M
- The entire self-publishing process (with flowcharts) → youtu.be/j4nR0B-rdu4
- How much to spend on publishing your book → youtu.be/j4nR0B-rdu4
- How to make a budget for your book → youtu.be/gy6VGPtzKqA
Being an author and publisher is no different to any other job; you need to show up and do actual work every day if you want to be successful, like @Brandon Sanderson. His output and release schedule should be the RULE rather than the exception – and it's entirely achievable, if you adopt the same mindset as Sanderson in how you approach your writing.
That's why I disagree with @Daniel Greene on his take on self-publishing:
"Write at your own pace; don't compare yourself to Sanderson. Just get it done." (youtu.be/ZtYSzGK6Ywc?t=135)
That's fine if you're self-publishing for fun, but if you are serious about making a full-time living as a self-published author, that's terrible advice!
Also, here's a simple FREE progress tracker I made in Google Sheets, so that you too can get those sexy, sexy progress bars like Brandon Sanderson has on his website:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w
#fantasy #authortube #selfpublishing
// JUMP TO
0:00 Introduction
0:34 Who is Brandon Sanderson?
1:17 The problem in epic fantasy
2:00 What's different about Brandon Sanderson?
3:18 Why fantasy authors get stuck
3:48 Why is Brandon Sanderson different?
4:21 Vision
5:35 Strategy
5:55 Adaptability
6:05 Focus
6:24 Keys to Sanderson's success: #1
7:00 Key #2
7:45 Key #3
8:10 Takeaways
I love Daniel's channel and he has some of the best content on YouTube but I strongly disagree with the advice to not compare yourself to Sanderson in Daniel's recent video on his self-publishing experience with his new novella, Breach of Peace. This kind of advice is something I always find very problematic because it disempowers anyone who takes it to heart from trying to emulate a role model.
I know Daniel's coming from a place of encouragement: obviously if you're just starting out on your self-publishing journey (or your journey as a writer for that matter), there's no way that you'll be performing at the same level as an experienced pro...and so you SHOULDN'T be judging yourself harshly for not meeting the same word count targets or producing the same quality of prose as Sanderson. And as Sanderson himself will be quick to tell you, the tools and methods that work for him may not work for you.
That said, I think keeping your sights on somebody like Sanderson–who is very transparent about his process and what it takes to be a successful full time author–is a great thing to do when you're starting out...and even long after you've gained your own experience, because studying and learning from top performers is how you get better!
// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
I can't recommend Sanderson's BYU lectures and YouTube channel enough, for the quality advice he gives on how to be a successful author–self-published or otherwise:
- Sanderson's 2020 BYU lectures → youtu.be/0cf-qdZ7GbA
- How to write 100k words a year → youtu.be/nIze473qjJ0
If you're coming here from Daniel's channel and you're interested in self-publishing, I suggest checking out my other videos on the topic:
- How to ACTUALLY compare yourself to Brandon Sanderson (without getting depressed) → youtu.be/kaArOrc-B4M
- The entire self-publishing process (with flowcharts) → youtu.be/j4nR0B-rdu4
- How much to spend on publishing your book → youtu.be/j4nR0B-rdu4
- How to make a budget for your book → youtu.be/gy6VGPtzKqA
