Tag: Escape The System
I’ve Sold Over 10,000 Copies of My Books. Here’s the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
I’ve now sold 10,000 copies of my books.
Are you impressed by that number?
Don’t misunderstand this question, I’m not fishing for compliments. I’m genuinely so caught up in my work, and the titanic struggle it’s been to get to this number, that I don’t really have any perspective.
On the one hand, it seems like an impressive number. Furthermore, I just asked Gemini what it thought of my sales and this is what it said, “Take a moment to celebrate. You have beaten the statistical odds of the publishing industry by a landslide.”
It then went on to tell me that roughly 96% of all books published sell fewer than 1000 copies in their entire lifetime.
Here’s the breakdown of my sales.
Escape The System (2012) 5500 sales
Do The Work You Love (2020) 1000 sales
The Personal Freedom Manifesto (2021) 1500 sales
The Rebel Code (2023) 2000 sales
So, every single book I’ve written is in the top 4% for copies sold. Furthermore, with one book at over 5000 sales, I’m in the top 10% to 13% of all published writers, including those with major publishers.
So, why don’t I feel like more of a success?
The Details
Don’t get me wrong, I’m hugely appreciative of my 10,000 sales. Achieving this milestone ranks amongst the greatest successes of my life. Furthermore, I feel like something has shifted.
I have a new level of confidence and belief. I feel established.
And yet . . . when you factor in the length of time it’s taken me to reach this milestone, it no longer seems so impressive (at least not to me).
It’s taken me 14 brutal years to make this breakthrough. That’s less than 1000 copies sold per year.
Not so impressive now, right?
Of course, this isn’t 14 years of me working full-time as a writer.
Instead, I’ve averaged around 800 hours per year for this time period. That’s about 18 hours a week (for the rest of the time, I’ve worked as a tennis coach and hypnotherapist).
Not all of these 18 hours have been effective.
It frustrates me to say that about half of them have been wasted trying to build an audience on social media, making unimpactful Tube videos, featuring on podcasts that didn’t drive any sales and writing book proposals for publishing companies that never got back to me (ironically, the one book deal I got, I didn’t write a proposal).
So, there’s been a lot of wasted effort and difficulty in building momentum but, still, 14 years is a long period of time. I feel like I should have done more.
A lot more . . .
The Long Term Goal
The next thing I’m going to say might surprise you.
What do you think my writing goal is?
Considering I’ve been writing for 14 years and “only” got to 10,000 sales, you may think I want to reach 100,000 or that I might have my sights set on making £1000 a month to supplement my regular income.
These are good goals for any author to have. However, they aren’t mine.
I want to sell 1 million copies of my books.
It doesn’t matter how many books I have to write to do this, I want to cross the 1 million sales mark (and this excludes audiobook sales and KU pages read – which I haven’t included in my 10,000 sales total).
So, bearing that in mind, how far have I come on my journey?
1% of the way.
Or, to put it differently, I still need to sell 990,000 copies of my books.
Perhaps now you understand why reaching 10,000 sales has been bittersweet for me.
But let’s not dwell on the negatives.
There have been some truly amazing moments on this journey.
Why I Write
For me, the best thing about being a writer is the response I get from readers. Whether that’s in the form of a review on Amazon or Goodreads or an email in my inbox, nothing beats hearing from someone who’s been impacted by my books.
To say it makes my day is an understatement. It energises me. More than that, though, it makes me feel like I’m living my life’s purpose.
You see, I break the cardinal rule for writing self-help books. I DON’T write for market.
This approach is contrary to what every so-called expert in book marketing preaches. Their message is universally similar – solve a problem people are struggling with, find a term that gets searched frequently on Google or Amazon, or locate a niche that’s hot at the moment, and write a book for this audience.
On the surface, this makes sense. It’s smart to make sure there’s an audience for something you’re creating. However, the problem I’ve encountered is that I have zero inspiration to write about habits, introverts, leadership or stoicism (for me, this is the cinematic equivalent of endless sequels and franchise reboots – there’s no originality).
I want to go deeper. I want to get to the core of what’s holding people back from changing their lives – the system we live in and how that crushes our outlook and self-belief.
That’s why I get so pumped when a reader is impacted by my books.
I feel like I’ve made a connection. I feel like I’ve been heard and, more importantly, they’ve been heard.
There are few things in life as great as that.
How Much Have I Been Paid As A Writer?
But what about the money, I hear you say?
To be honest with you, it’s inconsequential at this level. Any money I make goes straight back into Amazon ads, the operating costs of building and running a website, occasional promotions and paying for book covers.
If you really want to know, I estimate that I’ve made about £15,000 from my 10,000 book sales. It might be a little more than this as I try to make £2 per copy sold. However, I’ve now run so many promotions where I sell my books for $0.99 that it’s bringing the average down.
Of course, writing books opens up more financial opportunities than just selling books. Off the back of my books, I’ve picked up other writing jobs and made some money from coaching. However, this sum isn’t enough to replace my regular income and I don’t think it ever will until I start selling tens of thousands of copies per year.
Is that possible?
Call me delusional but I believe it is.
I’ve always believed it is. That’s what started this dream of becoming a bestselling self-help author.
When I was 22, I had a vision of myself speaking on a stage and inspiring people with my words.
I then remembered the life changing impact that some very powerful books have had on me (The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind, As A Man Thinketh, The Celestine Prophecy), and thought, “If I can do for someone else, what these books have done for me, that would be truly incredible.”
That vision was so real to me it felt like destiny.
So, despite all the difficulty I had in writing my first book (I rewrote it four times), my total lack of marketing knowledge, my aversion for technology while operating a business that’s 90% online and week after week of checking books sales and seeing a measly 1 or 2 on the Amazon dashboard, my belief hasn’t wavered and my dream has kept me going.
Of course, my successes have also kept me going. Throughout my writing career, I’ve had just about enough success to justify the continuation of my journey while never quite achieving the breakthrough I’ve desired.
It’s a frustrating paradox. However, I’m still here and my sights are now set on the next milestone – 100,000 sales.
The Secret To Selling More Books
But what if I had my time again?
What would I do differently if I could rewind the clock to 2012 when I released my first book?
The answer is simple: WRITE MORE BOOKS.
I have an author friend called Thibaut Meurisse. We both started out at around the same time. While I’ve just crossed the 10,000 sales barrier, he’s well passed the 1,000,000 sales mark.
His secret?
As far as I can tell, and he’s alluded to this in interviews as well, his prolific output is the reason for his success.
He releases between 4 and 5 books a year and has a catalogue of close to 30 books.
Yes, some of his title choices are excellent as well – Master Your Emotions, Dopamine Detox – but with every book he releases, he gives himself a greater chance for some of them to become perennial sellers.
Now, unless I quit my other jobs (and even then I doubt it would be possible), I’m not capable of writing and releasing 4 to 5 books a year. However, I can do one a year, every year.
This is my new focus.
My next title, scheduled to be released in December of this year, is “Self-Improvement is M*sturbation.” This book is based on 5 key philosophical tenets from the film Fight Club, that once applied to your life, will transform you in ways you wouldn’t have imagined possible. (If you’re interested in learning more about this book, and want a discount on it when launched, subscribe to my newsletter below).
After that, I’ve got plans for a new book release in 2027, a course in 2028, and another book in 2029. Let’s see how it goes.
Thank You
Not 1 of my 10,000 sales would be possible without you. So, I just want to say a massive thank you for buying my book, leaving a review, recommending it to others and believing in my work. It means the world to me and I’m eternally grateful.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
THE ONLY 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO ACHIEVE AN “IMPOSSIBLE” DREAM
Let me tell you a quick story.
Back in 2002, I had a dream of becoming a published author.
I wanted to write a self-help book. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of personal transformation and thought it would be amazing if I could inspire other people to change their lives.
At the time, though, I was a clueless university graduate who’d just returned home to his parents’ house. I didn’t have any experience writing books, I didn’t know anyone in the industry and when I checked the Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook, it said that almost all publishing companies didn’t accept unsolicited submissions.
Not a great start.
Compounding my doubt, and crushing my motivation even further, were the comments I received from the people I talked to.
- My parents told me I should look at mainstream careers as it was highly unlikely I’d ever get a publishing deal.
- A friend, who’d just started working for a major publishing company, told me about the massive number of submissions they received and the almost equally massive number of rejections these garnered.
- A published self-help author, who I’d been introduced to, outright told me there was no money to be made selling books and that it was impossible to support yourself through writing alone.
As you can imagine, all of these comments had a negative impact on my mindset.
I started to believe that my dream was impossible.
As a result, for the next 5 years, I did nothing (or, at least nothing related to working on my dream). However, in 2007, after the breakup of a newly formed relationships, I decided I needed something to bring me back to life.
So, I began writing my self-help book.
The Long Road To Success
At first, progress was slow.
It took me four and half years and four re-writes to finally have a manuscript worthy of public consumption.
After contacting an agent, and being rejected – thereby having my negative beliefs about getting a publishing deal confirmed – I decided I wouldn’t waste any more time following the traditional route.
Instead, I’d use the relatively new technology of Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and upload my book onto Amazon.
It took a year and 3 months to sell the first 100 copies.
It took a further 5 years to reach my first one thousandth copy sold.
My progress was slow and, baring some great feedback from readers, there wasn’t much in my publishing experience to indicate that the naysayers were wrong.
However, in 2017, I attended a YesGroup (a personal development group inspired by the teachings of Tony Robbins) meeting in London. At this meeting, an author called Brett Moran took to the stage and gave a great speech.
Afterwards, I bought his book, chatted to him and then went home.
After reading the book, I noticed he had a UK publisher and emailed him to ask if he wouldn’t mind sharing his contact.
Graciously, he agreed and I got in touch with someone at Watkins Media.
My first offering to them was Escape The System. It got rejected (although with seemingly genuine praise which made me think it would be worth contacting them again once I’d written another book).
That I did, the following year and, to my total surprise, they liked my book and offered me a publishing deal.
Fast forward to 2020 and my book, Do The Work You Love, was published. A dream, which everyone had told me was impossible to achieve, came true.
What I Learned From My Experience
Getting my book published taught me a powerful yet surprising lesson.
Achieving your dreams is easier than you think.
In fact, I believe you have a 66% chance of being successful (watch this video to discover how I came to this conclusion).
There are only 3 things that you need to do (irrespective of what your dream might be).
They are . . .
1. Take Action
You may have thought that the competition for whatever you want to do is vast. So vast, in fact, that it’s not even worth trying.
Let me tell you a little secret.
SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE!
What does that mean?
That 90% of your competition isn’t even going to take the first step to realising their dream. They’re going to believe the statements seen in the picture below, keep working their regular jobs and spend their evenings sitting on the sofa watching their favourite Netflix series.
All you have to do to put yourself ahead of 90% of the competition is take action.
- Set up your website.
- Go on that training course.
- Write the first 10,000 words of your book.
- Find a mentor.
- Create your first product.
Don’t underestimate how powerful these actions are.
Take a look at the picture below.
These are the sales rankings for my book The Rebel Code on Amazon US. It’s actually a bad sales day. Usually, I’d be floating around the 100,000 ranking and then much higher in the categories related to my genre.
However, even on a bad day, you can see that I’m inside the top 1000 motivational authors in the world.
How did I get there?
There’s nothing particularly special about me and I have no outstanding talents (otherwise I wouldn’t have to work SO damn hard for my success).
I simply took action. Again and again and again.
And while this step won’t win you the race, it will put you in the race (and that’s a lot further than most people ever get).
2. Learn From Your Failures
While achieving your dream is easier than you think, it’s not easy.
You’re going to fail (many times). That’s guaranteed.
Failure is tough and it affects us on many levels.
First, it’s embarrassing. No one wants to be seen falling short of the mark, especially if they’ve told the people around them what they plan to do.
Failure is also depressing. Forget the public embarrassment, the private defeat can be even worse. You worked so hard, dotted every i and crossed every t and yet, it still wasn’t good enough. This can weigh heavily on your soul, causing you to consider giving up.
Finally, and perhaps worst of all, our failures can appear to be proof that our dreams are impossible to achieve. What could be clearer? You tried and it didn’t work out. The naysayers were right.
This is the way most people understand failure. However, you can’t be like most people.
Instead, you have to view failure as an opportunity to learn.
Every time you fail, ask yourself these questions.
- Why did I fail?
- What can I do differently to achieve success?
Take the lessons on board and then bounce back stronger.
What does this mean?
As mentioned, your failures can take an emotional toll. It’s understandable you feel depressed in the aftermath of a crushing defeat.
However, you must become an expert in allowing this feeling to fade away as quickly as possible and then bringing even more energy to your work the next time you try.
- Be more dynamic
- Be more inspired
- Be more positive
This, combined with the knowledge gained from your prior defeat, will enable you to breakthrough and reach the next level.
3. Find A Way To Support Yourself While Working On Your Dream
Let me present you with a couple of likely scenarios for why you, or anyone else, might give up on their dream.
- You save up a sum of money to support yourself for a year. You then quit your job and give yourself 12 months to succeed at your dream. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out. So, a year later, scared that you’re going to run out of money, you get a similar job to the one you had before. You give up on your dream, telling yourself that you gave it a good shot but that it was impossible to achieve.
- You spend 5 years trying to achieve your dream. A little bit of progress is made but you don’t get anywhere near being able to support yourself through this project alone. So, rationalising that any sane person would stop after such a lengthy period of time, you give up.
Both of these scenarios are reasonable, right?
Perhaps.
However, they’re unnecessary.
YOU DON’T NEED TO GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM SO LONG AS YOU CAN KEEP FUNDING YOURSELF.
Plus, by continuing, you give yourself almost unlimited opportunities to succeed.
There are many ways to fund your dream.
- I use tennis coaching and hypnotherapy as a platform to support my writing ambitions. These occupations are reasonably well-paid and allow me the flexibility to set my own schedule.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger used appearance fees as a bodybuilder, running a construction company and real estate investments to support himself while aiming to become a Hollywood actor (it took him 7 long years but, because he could provide for himself, there was no need to give up).
- You might use freelancing, consultancy work, side hustling or working part-time/less hours in your current job.
Whatever the case, you must keep 10 to 25 hours a week free to work on your dream. Do this, and you can go on and on in your quest.
Then, with enough time, action taken and lessons learned from your defeats, you WILL succeed.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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Photo by Martin Wyall on Unsplash
3 Reasons Why you SHOULDN’T Listen to Andrew Tate
In July of this year, Andrew Tate was the most googled person on the planet.
His extreme views (in the eyes of the mainstream media) captivated the minds of the younger generation, providing a breath of fresh air in a world where feminism has, perhaps, overstepped its mark and there are so few outlets for men to experience an adventurous, autonomous life.
He’s charismatic, often spouts outrageous and attention-grabbing rhetoric, and has real world credibility (being a former world champion kickboxer). This combination has enabled him to garner a vast online following, where sign ups to Hustler’s University (his online training programme teaching students how to become financially free) are well in excess of 100,000, making him a reported $11 million in just one month.
Added to that, prior to being de-platformed in August of this year, his social media following was running well into the millions.
It’s undeniable, as I sit down to write this blog post, that Andrew Tate has a huge amount of influence. Whether for entertainment, enlightenment or to be outraged, people are listening to him.
But is he deserving of this reach?
Furthermore, is there any value in what he has to say or offer?
This is a subject I want to explore because, at least on one issue, Andrew Tate has a message very similar to mine.
Andrew Tate teaches his students how to “escape the matrix.” Since 2012 I’ve been writing about how to Escape The System.
So, it would appear, we have a lot in common. We both believe that today’s society traps people, presenting them with a narrow spectrum of boring avenues for making a living and expecting them to be happy within these confines. Furthermore, we’ve had our creativity, individuality and vision stifled by a world that expects us to think and behave in a certain way.
However, despite enjoying this part of Andrew Tate’s message, in some respects, I believe he’s a false prophet.
Below, I’m going to share 3 reasons as to why you should be cautious about what he has to say.
1. The Issue of Misogyny???
Is Andrew Tate as misogynistic as the mainstream media portrays him?
It’s hard to tell.
Much like Andrew Tate’s over the top, bombastic statements, a lot of what the media says is designed to grab your attention. Furthermore, they want to trigger an emotional reaction, knowing this is the way you’ll invest time in a story.
To do this, they exaggerate their claims and attach labels to people (you should worry more about the people who label others than the target of the labelling).
In Tate’s case, he’s been banned from all of social media because of this branding.
But what has he really said or done?
On serious note, a woman made an allegation of violence against him when working for his webcam business and this, partly, led to Tate leaving London and relocating to Romania.
The stain of abuse hasn’t escape him, though, as his Romanian mansion was raided by police after they received a tip off that he’d transported a US woman to the country for the purposes of sex work and that she was being held against her will.
I have no way of knowing the validity of these accusations. Tate wasn’t charged in the first incident and the investigation into the second case is ongoing.
For this reason, I can’t comment. All I will say is that if there’s any merit in these claims then the rest of this blog post is pointless. Any man who’s violent towards women or coerces them into activities they don’t want to do, shouldn’t be emulated or listened to. This is a given. I don’t think it warrants any further explanation.
But let’s focus on one incident that what we can actually prove.
In a recent Piers Morgan interview, Andrew Tate defended his belief that, once married, a woman is a man’s “property.” He believes this idea is validated by the ancient religions of Christianity and Islam and seems to long for a time when women were restricted by more traditional roles.
He’s not alone in this thinking. To a lesser extent, Jordan Peterson (and you can read 3 reasons why he shouldn’t be listened to by clicking here), and other popular internet figures like Elliot Hulse, hark back to more religious times and lament the breakdown in traditionally defined gender roles.
Here, Andrew Tate is making a mistake. You can’t promote yourself as a paragon of freedom, and the man who is going to help people “escape the matrix,” when that freedom only applies to 50% of the population.
Longing for a time when religion exerted a greater influence over society is a cry for greater oppression, and not just for women.
While it’s true that today’s ethical and moral standards are in the gutter, taking a step back is not the way to go. We need to find new ways of challenging unhealthy levels of promiscuity, re-establishing the importance of love and combating the influence of materialism.
In this instance, Tate needs to be more creative in his thinking.
2. His Focus on Materialism
Andrew Tate loves to flash his wealth. He often shoots videos while standing in front of a fleet of expensive luxury cars and talks about his ability to hire private jets and fly to anywhere in the world.
These braggadocio claims carry a lot of appeal to some young men. They want to emulate him, misguidedly thinking this lifestyle is the pinnacle of 21st century living.
So, what do they do?
As disciples of Tate, they enrol in Hustler’s University, thinking within this program they’ll find the keys to a life beyond their wildest dreams.
What they don’t realise, though, is that Tate is selling them a fantasy.
You can’t learn to be Andrew Tate or have his lifestyle through Hustler’s University. Much of his “success,” fame and wealth is down to his personality and this is something you can never emulate.
Instead, what you’re left with is a course that teaches you how to make money.
Of course, this isn’t a bad thing and the training offered in Hustler’s University (which focuses on generating wealth online through a variety of mediums like copywriting, freelancing, E-commerce, Amazon FBA and investing in crypto-currency and stocks) could be valuable. However, to some degree, it’s empty.
Don’t get me wrong, financial freedom is a worthy goal. However, it’s only half the picture.
Tate tells you to get rich so you can “Escape the Matrix.” This is fine. But, if the way in which you’re getting rich is meaningless and uninspiring, then you’ve just, invertedly, bought into the Matrix by working solely for money.
Escaping the Matrix is more than financial status. You could be a multimillionaire yet still confined by its limiting mindset.
True freedom is found when you enjoy your work, it’s meaningful to you and it provides enough money so that you don’t have to spend your time working a job you hate to make a living. This can be achieved without needing a copper Bugatti.
3. He’s been Involved with Criminals
In a YouTube video which has subsequently been removed, “How Andrew Tate made his first MILLION DOLLARS,” Tate discusses how, after finishing his career as a kickboxer, he set up a webcamming business in London. During this time, he mentions that he was in debt and that his life was at risk if he didn’t pay.
As a result, the success of the webcamming business was a necessity. He was in bed with some very dangerous people and his life could have been over if he didn’t turn a profit.
Andrew Tate moved to Romania in 2017. Once there, he opened up 15 casinos. In a video titled “The Dark Reality of Andrew Tate’s Rise to Fame . . .” made by YouTuber Patrick Cc, he can be seen discussing this move at just after the 19-minute mark. He mentions that he approached, “three guys, mafia brothers,” and proposed a deal with them, suggesting he could franchise their casinos. This, it seems, didn’t work out but from the way Tate talks in the video, it’s clear that he did come to some kind of arrangement with the Romanian, or Eastern European, Mafia to participate in the casino business.
If you’re a fan of Andrew Tate, none of this is encouraging.
I don’t know whether he’s a criminal himself, but his connections are an immediate red flag.
The underworld is nothing to mess with, either directly or by association. While Tate is correct in pointing out that almost all of our societies are corrupt, the way to challenge them is not through taking part in that corruption.
Not only will your actions hurt other people (which is a valid reason, in of itself, never to engage in criminality) but you’re exposing yourself to the risk of having your liberty removed. Get caught, and it’s likely you’ll face jail time.
Is there any greater definition of someone being trapped in the Matrix than a man who’s had his physical freedom taken away?
Knowing that Tate has had connections with criminals, you should ask yourself the following question. Is he the best person to take advice, or buy products, from?
There is a possibility that he too, like many criminals, is trying to scam you out of your money.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
(image taken courtesy of Rostyslav Drysov photostream flickr.com)
How Much Money have I Made in 10 Years as a Writer?
I’ve now been in the writing business for 10 years!!!
On the 8th February 2012, I pressed enter on my laptop, launching my first book, Screw The System. Since that moment, I’ve worked tirelessly to establish myself as an author.
First, Screw The System was updated and then re-released as Escape The System in 2015.
Then, in 2018, I finished my second book.
Originally slated as, How to Create an Income Without Working a Boring Job, the title was changed to Do The Work you Love when I got a publishing deal with Watkins Media. This deal delayed the publication and it wasn’t until February 202o that my second book was finally released.
My third book, The Personal Freedom Manifesto, quickly followed, being released in March of 2021.
Releasing three or four books in ten years is not a lot. However, this says nothing of the countless hours I spent attempting to build an audience through methods like blogging, guest blogging, starting a YouTube channel and making videos, creating a meet up group and hosting numerous events, speaking at personal development events throughout London, promoting my work on social media, forming partnerships with other authors and learning about marketing.
In total, I’ve given approximately 8500 hours, of the last 10 years of my life, to becoming a successful author. Since 2015, I’ve kept to a schedule of working 20 hours a week, or 1000 hours a year, on my writing business.
Before that, my hours were far more sporadic. 5 hours one week, 15 the next and none the week after – a typically working schedule from 2012 to 2014 (I was supporting myself through tennis coaching and hypnotherapy at the time) – was never going to cut it.
THE STATS
How successful have I been with my 10 years as a writer?
What does 10 years of extremely hard work as a writer amount to when it comes to money made and books sold?
This;
Total number of books sold: 5201
(Escape The System = 3400
Do The Work you Love = 1000
The Personal Freedom Manifesto = 800)
Total number of subscribers to this/my website: 3000
Total number of subscribers to my YouTube channel: 1100
Total number of members of my ‘Success Club’ meet up group: 1015
And, now, for the big one. How much money does this equate to?
Many multiples of my book sales is the best answer I can give.
I haven’t got the exact figure. All I know is you could multiply my book sales by about 4 or 5 to get an accurate number.
Of course, these earnings are not exclusively from book sales (that would be a lot lower). Instead, while including that figure, it also includes money I receive from private coaching clients, freelance writing projects and the scraps I make from running my own personal development events.
What do you think of that?
It might sound ok-ish, not bad if this was a hobby. However, digest the next two points and see if you still think the same.
First, the rough figure I provided above is turnover. My profit is far lower.
How much lower?
I dread to think and, to be honest, I don’t have an accurate figure to hand. If I spent hours rummaging through my back taxes I could produce one, but, suffice to say, I’m probably in the black.
Second, this figure is for an entire 10 years. It’s not one year’s worth of earnings (which might be ok).
It’s ten years of blood, sweat and tears.
It’s ten years of frustration as I attempted to become a digital publisher, trying to succeed in a world where my two biggest weaknesses – technology and marketing – are exposed on a daily basis.
It’s ten years of having my expectations dashed with every book, blog post and video I release.
It’s ten years of watching other authors succeed, whose work is no better than mine, and scratching my head trying to figure out what they know that I don’t.
And, after ten years, what do I have to show for it?
In financial terms, close to nothing.
THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT BEING A WRITER
Fortunately, though, life isn’t measured in financial terms (at least not entirely). As tough as the previous ten years have been, there are parts of it I’ve absolutely loved.
Nothing compares to hearing from a reader who loves your work. Combined across all books, and Amazon marketplaces, I’ve had over 150 five-star reviews. Each one of these is relished as I pinch myself and realise the dream I had back in 2002 (of being able to create something with my thoughts and words that would positively impact another person’s life), has come true.
Expression, in of itself, is also a huge reward. For the decade prior to becoming a writer, I lived my life never communicating what I truly felt. I stuck to my nice guy, tennis coach persona which, although not fake, only expressed part of my authentic self.
To be able to sit down and articulate my contempt for modern society (in a public forum – not just my head) is such a relief and release.
Finally, there are the connections I’ve made. Through my writing, I’ve made friends, formed a tribe and realised I’m not alone.
Before 2012, I thought I was the only person who looked at the world the way I did (modern jobs are little better than economic servitude, our societal tendency to accept mediocre lives is insane and the system is set up to enable the elites to maintain their wealth and power while the common man, and woman, gets shafted). However, through my writing, I discovered other people who share these points of view.
This gives me hope and a sense of connection I previously lacked.
While these are important, life enhancing, factors, any sane individual has to, at some point, sit down and ask themselves whether all the effort is worth the reward.
Was it?
THE HILL I DIE ON
As crazy as it sounds, I’m tempted to say, ‘yes.’
Sure, I can zoom out, gain a more objective understanding of these last 10 years and listen to anyone who might say, ‘you’re wasting your life.’
That line of thinking seems credible. I could have certainly made a lot more money if I’d chosen to do something else.
However, try as I might to rationalise my situation in this way (and I have many times), it never feels right.
In times of doubt, I always go back the same thought process.
I know who I am.
I know that bashing my head against a brick wall and trying to fit this round peg into a square hole isn’t going to work.
Therefore, I have to make my own way and I can’t rely on society to do it for me.
If I’m going to do that then I have to follow my inspiration because it’s the only form of positive guidance I’ve got.
There are a few dreams/ideas/causes that generate this feeling but writing is the one I chose, the one I’ve developed skills and contacts in, and the one on which I’m furthest down the road to success.
All of this means that becoming a best-selling author is the hill I’m ready to die on.
Do you know what this means?
Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase.
At some point, an army must make a stand. They must find their hill and defend it till the end because wavering or running (finding another dream to pursue) will only weaken them and waste even more time.
That army is either going to succeed or be totally obliterated. However, because they’ve made the commitment and gone ‘all in’ on securing the victory, they give themselves the best possible chance of coming out the other side.
That’s where I’m at with my writing.
On balance, it’s probably taken more than it’s given but succeeding as an author runs so much deeper than financial return or status.
MY ‘WHY’
When I 20 years old, I felt completely lost. There isn’t space here to elaborate on why but, suffice to say, I spent 3 years feeling totally disillusioned with my life.
Then, in February of 2002, I read a book that blasted through my self-doubt and gave me the hope I could turn my life around.
This was an amazing gift. It felt like magic was contained within the pages, with each one bringing me back to life.
I want to do that for someone else. I want to transmute magic through words and ideas and touch the deepest part of a person’s soul.
Added to that, I also feel my writing is a small attempt to do what’s right in the world.
I grew up in the 80s. Star Wars made a huge impression on my psyche.
The Rebels had to beat the Evil Empire.
Our evil empire is a system, one that’s obsessed with money, image and appearances and thinks the material is the only way to value and judge life.
I disagree. I think substance, freedom and following your inspiration is more important. I want to use my writing to promote these ideas and, by doing so, challenge the hegemony of the evil empire.
It can’t win.
So, when you combine both my passion for the medium of books and my belief in taking a stand for what’s right, perhaps you understand how I justify the continuation of my writing journey.
It hasn’t been easy. In fact, it’s been heart-breaking at times. But, when something is important enough, you’ll bounce back from every defeat and keep going until the end.
Remember that as you pursue your own crazy dream. At some point you must find your hill and make a stand.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You will find the unconventional approach to developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
Are you Crazy For Following Your Dreams? (from my diary)
I’ve been keeping a journal since September 2002. I don’t write in it every day and its pages lack the titillation and gossip associated with some diaries. However, over the years, it’s been a vital companion as I’ve transformed myself from lonely, directionless, psychosomatic illness suffering young man to confident, driven and dream achieving adult.
My journal is handwritten and spread across multiple notebooks. I’m not a huge fan of technology and, since I started in 2002, before the proliferation of laptops or terms like ‘digital nomad’ ever existed, it just seemed like the easiest thing to do.
As a result, a few years ago, I found myself with a mountain of notebooks – about 18 in total – and a slight concern about what would happen if they were damaged or lost. To pre-empt this problem, I decided to transcribe every one of them into Word.
Following My Dream
Recently, I reached Thursday 25th October 2007. Why is this date significant?
4 months prior, I’d started work on what would become my first book, Escape The System. One month prior, I’d met Tom Butler-Bowdon, a best-selling author, for his opinion on the manuscript.
Fortunately, he gave it his seal of approval and offered to mentor me through the writing process. However, it was still early days and I had many doubts about the validity of what I intended to do.
My main concern was my sanity. Was I crazy for pursuing a dream to become a best-selling author? Furthermore, what right did I have to think I could write something that good or become that influential?
After all, I was a nobody. I hadn’t been blessed with exceptional writing talent and I had no audience or following to speak of.
Instead, it wasn’t too much of a stretch to say I was delusional. With my degree in Politics, and having two parents who were lawyers, my focus should have been on forging a professional career. Instead, at the age of 27, I had the audacity to believe I could dispense life advice and write a self-help book.
At this point, it’s probably best I hand you over to my younger self. Read the following entry and I’ll then address some of the questions and fears that every dream chaser will face.
Thursday 25th October 2007
I’m feeling a little frustrated with my life at the moment. The inability to move my life forwards is raising some doubts in my mind. I’m starting to wonder if I’m on the right path or whether, in fact, I’m crazy.
Usually, I’d respond to these thoughts by thinking that I should ditch everything I’m doing – coaching, hypnotherapy, book – and live a conventional life. However, now, I can feel my attitude changing.
I realise that this is a battle within me and running away to a conventional life won’t change a thing. I’ve got to overcome these demons inside me and I’ll be faced with these wherever I go.
I’ve come a long way with my book but am I being unrealistic? My goal for the book is for it to become a bestseller and make me a millionaire. What are the chances of that happening?
My curse, or blessing, is that I have an overwhelming desire for something greater than the ordinary. I know I won’t be satisfied with anything less. However, greatness isn’t easy to achieve and I’m putting my whole life on the line in its pursuit. Relationships with women, and money, have been indirectly sacrificed as a result of what I’m doing and who I’ve become.
Are you Crazy?
What’s your dream? If it’s anything outside the remit of what society considers normal, or appropriate for someone of your background or education, then you’ll have, undoubtedly, experienced the same uncertainties that I went through. How will you handle them?
First, you must understand that it’s perfectly normal to feel this way. The way you choose to live your life, and the goals you’re chasing, are different to over 95% of the people around you.
It’s hard being on the wrong side of this statistic. You may feel arrogant for assuming you are right and the majority are wrong. Furthermore, you may question your judgement. Despite your instincts telling you one thing, it can be hard to stay true your dreams when the people around you are telling you another.
This dichotomy can create doubt about the validity of your dream. You might think nobody will accept what you’ve created or have to say. If this doubt intensifies, you might catch yourself echoing society’s thinking as you challenge yourself with recriminations like, “Who am I to think I know better than others? There’s nothing special about me.”
Thinking this way can be a death sentence to your dream. I’ve already mentioned that I began writing my book in 2007.
When do you think it was published?
5 years later!
When did I first have the idea of writing it?
5 years earlier!
Do you get the point?
Self-doubt is a bitch and will destroy your dream. Or, if it doesn’t destroy it, it will cause such a delay that you miss out on many years of living it.
For these reasons, the first thing you must do if you ever question your sanity is to give yourself some breathing space. Remember, it’s understandable to feel a little daunted by having a dream that, in its infancy, other people may not believe in or understand. However, you must never allow this uncertainty to turn into doubt.
Know that you are right for wanting to pursue a path that brings inspiration and love into your life and has the potential to do the same for others. This is how humanity, the planet, and perhaps even, the universe, moves forwards. Inspired individuals, and groups, bring light into the world and, by doing so, cast out the shadows of fear, hatred and confusion.
Martin Luther King immediately springs to mind as an example of a man who went through this process. At first, he must have thought his dream for racial harmony in 1950s and 1960s America was crazy. However, by staying true to his path, he illuminated the minds of millions and helped foster love and understanding throughout an entire nation.
Final Thought
Following your dreams is, perhaps, the hardest thing you’ll ever do. Undoubtedly, you’ll face many moments like the one recorded in my diary above (I still do).
When experiencing them, there’ll be a strong temptation to think about returning to the world you used to know. My knee jerk reaction to facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, or failing to advance, used to be thinking about quitting tennis coaching, hypnotherapy and writing, and retraining to be a lawyer or a teacher.
At the time, it seemed like the easy way out. However, who’s to say turning your back on your dream and following society’s path will actually be easier or provide the reprieve you’re seeking?
Actor and comedian Jim Carrey makes this very point when giving a speech to the graduates at the University of Mumbai at their commencement address in 2014. When mentioning his father, who also had dreams of becoming a comedian yet chose to work as an accountant, he had this to say (click on video below).
Are you ready to take that chance?
If you do, just remember that the battle you must fight, and the journey you must travel, are within. To a degree, the external world doesn’t matter and neither do your dreams (after all, they can sometimes change and be refined).
What does, though, is that voice within you that wants to experience, and express, all forms of love. This must be heeded and, if it’s telling you to take a course of action, even if it’s one society deems crazy, then you must follow. It’s the only path to inner peace I know.
(image taken from Anthony Starks’s photostream on Flickr)
Call to Action
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
The Secret to Living your Dreams from a James Bond Villain
It was 18 years ago that I first had the dream of becoming a best selling author. I wanted to be a prominent figure in the personal development world. In a time before blogging, online courses and YouTube, it occurred to me that the best way to achieve this aim was to write books.
Despite my enthusiasm, though, there were many obstacles in my way. First, I had no idea what I would write about. Yes, I wanted to help people live their dreams but, beyond that, there was no angle or approach that would make the book stand out.
Second, I had very little energy or self-belief. I’d just returned from three years of self-imposed isolation at University (no, it wasn’t Coronavirus). While there, I had no friends, no girlfriend and very little contact with other people. As a result, I retreated into my mind, becoming absorbed by a litany of psychosomatic conditions that drained my energy on a daily basis. Post Uni, I wasn’t very optimistic and it was incredibly difficult for me to imagine myself being successful.
On top of these factors, my plans to become an author were met with negativity. My parents rubbished the idea, urging me to think about the tiny minority of people making a living through writing and how unlikely it was that I’d become one of them.
The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook didn’t help either. I remember visiting my local library and being thoroughly confused about who I might contact to begin my journey into the world of publishing. Apparently, most publishers didn’t accept unsolicited manuscripts and most agents were never going to read your emails. Dead ends all round.
Despite these factors, though, I still dreamed of becoming a best selling author.
Everyday, I performed the same ritual. While driving home from work, at a set of traffic lights that were always busy, I’d stare out of the window and look at the stars. As I glanced up, I tried to get a feeling for what it would be like to realize my dream of becoming a best selling author.
Sometimes, I could, and this incredible feeling of love and joy would overwhelm me. In these moments, it seemed real. However, in every other moment, the reality of living my dreams seemed as far away as the stars in the night sky.
February 2020
I enter the bookstore and look for somebody who seems like they might be in charge. They point me in the direction of a narrow stair case, leading to the basement floor where everything has been set up for my book launch.
As I walk down the stairs, I’m feeling a little nervous. This is unusual. Typically, I’m comfortable speaking and, after 10 years of keeping my ideas to myself, can’t wait to share my message with anyone who will listen.
This feels different though. It’s my first official book launch. Sure, it’s not my first book – that was Screw The System in 2012, which then turned into Escape The System in 2016 – but it’s a significant moment. I’m now a published author, something I was told was virtually impossible to achieve.
How did I get here? How did I go from being a kid with a dream that seemed further away than the peaks of Everest, to a man with two books available and a growing readership?
A Change in Perspective
Before I go any further, for the sake of authenticity, I have to make something clear. I’m not a best-selling author. I haven’t achieved my dream . . . yet. However, I have come a long way (a perspective shifting distance, you could say) and, in travelling this journey, I’ve learned something of value I want to share with you.
You might just be starting out with your own dream. Perhaps you can imagine it coming true yet have no clue about the practical steps needed to make this happen.
What can you do?
After I’d left my book launch, I paused for reflection while on my journey home. How had I got into this position? How did I go from incredibly abstract idea, to reality?
As I pondered these thoughts, my mind went back to my younger self staring at the stars. And then, it hit me. The one, and only, factor that separated the me back then, who felt like his dream was largely impossible, to the me now, who, on some level, was living it, was belief.
That was it! That was all I ever needed to do – believe that my vision would come true.
The Mystery of Belief
Perhaps you’ve heard these words a thousand times before. I understand they may appear cliched. Stick with me, though, as I attempt to explain the deeper significance of what my revelation revealed.
Back in 2002, when I first had the idea of being a best selling author, the reality of becoming one seemed so far away. It was unreachable. There were so many obstacles in my way.
What I discovered this year, is that this was never the case. In fact, there was no power outside myself that could stop me. The only obstacles to living my dreams were in my imagination.
This is why belief is so important and plays such a crucial role in success. There is literally nothing that can stop you from doing what you want with your life. However, it appears there is, and when you accept these appearances, you create blocks in your mind that stymie your progress.
My younger self just needed to believe in his idea wholeheartedly. As a result, he’d have started work straight away (instead of waiting 5 years), got something written and begun the process of reaching a wider audience.
Of course, he was still going to fail, many many times and experience numerous rejections. He might even have to adapt and change his dream. However, if he continued to believe, he would learn all the lessons necessary to come back stronger and progress.
And that’s it. The entire process laid out before you. It really is that simple. You just need to believe and be utterly unwavering in your belief.
Over to You
So, where does this leave you?
From today, take action with the absolute certainty that what you want to occur, will happen. Of course, you could do what I did instead and test the water. You could semi-believe, make attempts heavily hampered by self-doubt and take almost two decades to get yourself where you want to be.
Or, you could realize there is no power, outside of yourself, to stop you and go full throttle.
I understand that the idea of doing so may still seem preposterous. Right now, you have nothing. No clue where to start, no ideas and no money to invest.
That’s OK. Keep believing in your dream. Keep believing you will be in the position you want to be. Keep believing, and something amazing will happen.
When Doctor No captures James Bond on Crab Key Island, he offers him the secret to creating something out of nothing. As they sit down to what is supposed to be Bond’s last dinner (big mistake Doctor No), the villain turns to Bond and asks,
“Do you not find that it is generally so? When one wants a thing, one gets it? That is my experience.”
Bond replies that it’s only with the small things in life. Doctor No then corrects him, stating that if you fail at the large things, it means you’re not thinking big enough. He then says,
“Concentration, focus [belief] – that is all. The aptitudes come, the tools forge themselves. ‘Give me a fulcrum and I will move the world’ – but only if the desire to move the world is there.”
And there you have it, my friend. If you can believe, and never stop believing, the aptitude and tools, to make your dreams come true, will emerge.
So, whatever it is you want to achieve, believe you can do it.
Go forth, from today, with absolute certainty that it will happen. Sure, the path ahead is unknown, and there will be ups and downs, but calm your tempestuous mind with the knowledge there is nothing outside of yourself that can stop you.
I would say ‘good luck’ but you don’t need it. Just believe instead.
(Image taken from the book signing after my book launch 13th Feb 2020)
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The 4 Steps to Achieving the Impossible
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
– Nelson Mandela
I did it!!! The picture you see above is of me holding my first ‘published’ book. While I signed the book deal with Watkins Media back in December of 2018, it wasn’t until I held a copy in my hand that it really sunk in.
I’m a published author.
I’ve done the thing I was told was impossible.
My Impossible
I was first told becoming a published author was impossible by my parents when I mentioned my plan way back in 2002. Later, it was reinforced by another author I met and a friend who worked for a major publishing company. Finally, and most convincingly, the general consensus opinion, gathered from reading The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook, magazines and being influenced by the media, also indicated this was the case.
Getting a book published was impossible or, so difficult, it’s just wasn’t worth trying. Furthermore, the royalties were so poor that hardly any author could make a living selling books alone.
Unfortunately, I believed what I was told. As a result, I was fighting two battles. Not only was I competing against authority figures, I was also competing against myself.
What do you think happens when you have to work against this backdrop of doubt?
16 years pass in between you accomplishing your objective.
I didn’t start writing in earnest until 2007. That’s 5 years of procrastinating because I didn’t believe it was possible. Then, even when I’d completed my first book – Escape The System – back in 2012, I didn’t approach any publishing companies.
Getting a book published is impossible so why waste time emailing publishers? That was my thought process and it lead me to self-publishing my first book.
More years of grind followed, as I attempted to build an audience and learn about marketing – something that was very alien to me. However, during this time, I learned a valuable lesson.
Getting your book published is possible.
While searching the web, I started to hear stories of authors who had self-published their first book, built an audience and then used their following to leverage a deal with a publishing company. There was nothing special about these authors. Sure, their books were good but so was mine. Maybe I could do it.
Then, in 2017, I met an author at a YesGroup meeting in London. His name was Brett Moran and his first book, Wake The F##k Up, was published by Watkins Media. I bought a copy, wrote him a review and asked if he would share the details of his contact at Watkins.
Fortunately, he agreed and I emailed them, asking if they’d consider publishing Escape The System. After reading the book, they declined but seemed genuine in their praise and request to hear from me in if I had any future projects. A year later, Do The Work you Love was complete and I sent them the manuscript.
Was I surprised when they emailed me back offering a publishing deal?
I was delighted but only partly surprised. I believed in the book and, now that I knew it was possible to get a book deal, I adopted the mind-set of ‘why shouldn’t I have one?’ What once seemed so far away and incomprehensible, had now become ordinary.
Can YOU Achieve your Impossible?
What about you? What are you currently struggling with that, so far, you’ve found impossible to achieve?
Perhaps your impossible is based around your health and recovering from an injury or illness. Maybe it’s overcoming an addiction. Maybe it’s finding love or simply getting a girlfriend or boyfriend.
There are unique reasons as to why we don’t believe we can do certain things. What one person may find impossible, another finds easy.
Don’t be disheartened by this. The only person you’re competing with is yourself. We all bring different capabilities, and perspectives, to the task at hand. Where we all unite, though, is in benefitting from the experience of overcoming our respective impossible.
With that in mind, ask yourself the following 4 questions. Answering them will let you know whether, you too, can achieve your impossible.
- Has someone else done it before?
If someone else has achieved your impossible then you can do the same.
It has been done. Therefore, no matter how many people tell you that you can’t do it, another person has.
What’s so different between you and them? (Read steps 2 to 4 and you’ll discover that it’s less than you think).
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his autobiography Total Recall, tells the story of the first man to clean and jerk over 500 pounds. Up until this point, it was viewed as impossible for a human to lift this amount. However, in 1970, when Russian weight lifter, Vasily Alekseyev, lifted 501 lbs, three other men broke the 500 lbs barrier within a year.
Knowing that someone else has achieved your impossible awakens your mind to the idea that you might be able to do it.
Even if it’s never been done, this shouldn’t stop you from trying. After all, the Russian weight lifter was breaking new ground. Why not you?
2. Do you have a natural talent for whatever it is you want to achieve?
I don’t want this step to be misconstrued. Talent is not the be all and end all. However, it helps.
I’ve been a tennis coach for 17 years. During this time, I’ve seen again and again, with both boys and girls, that there’s a natural predisposition to the sport. Some young children can just pick up a racket and hit a ball. Most can’t. Those that can, learn faster and progress quicker than the others.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that those without this talent will fail to become good tennis players. However, it’s harder and they’ll need to put in substantially more time to reach the same level as their more talented counterparts.
Having said this, though, there’s a limit to what talent can achieve. Time and again, I’ve seen players with greater talent lose to, and fail to progress as far through the rankings, as a children who play more, are surrounded by others aiming to be professionals and are obsessed with reaching the top level of the game. Over a long enough time frame, desire beats talent.
What can you learn from this example?
Choose something you already have an aptitude for. Be smart and pick your battles. Maybe it isn’t wise to take on the world. Instead, find something you’re already good at, or know you’ll learn quickly, and make your mark in this area.
3. Are you prepared to move heaven and earth to achieve your mission?
It will take extraordinary commitment to achieve your impossible. After all, this is something that, at the onset, you can’t see yourself achieving.
A mission like this requires everything you’ve got. You’ll have to think about it everyday. You’ll have to work on it almost every day. It must become your main life priority.
As a hypnotherapist, I’ve seen a lot of clients who struggle to lose weight. They would come to the session and tell me, for various health and personal reasons, why it was so important to them. However, when I’d tell them that, at least for the period of time it takes to form new habit – typically 66 days* – taking the steps necessary to lose weight would have to become their main life priority (above work and children), they’d baulk at the suggestion.
As a result, things might go well for a week or so but then, when their workload picked up, and they started having to stay late (and, as a result, fell back into bad habits like eating takeaways), they’d believe their failure was justified. Of course, it wasn’t, as we almost always have options (they could have refused to work past their contracted hours) if we’re prepared to take them and face the consequences.
Ultimately, they just didn’t understand the level of commitment needed to achieve their impossible. You have to be prepared to die for whatever it is you want to achieve.
4. Will you ignore the Lies?
What I was told by my parents, the other author I knew and the friend who worked at a publishing company, and what I heard in the media, was a lie.
Having now achieved my impossible, I realise I could have done so in half the time. My procrastination and doubt stopped me, not a real block that prevents people from becoming published authors.
Remember, other people, or The System you live in, are not the keepers of the truth. For whatever reason – sometimes they genuinely believe they’re protecting you, sometimes it’s because they’re jealous of you pursuing your dream – they are just promoting their scared version of reality.
Don’t let it become yours. Ignore the lies and work towards your dream regardless. History reveals there are very few, if any, desires or ideas that are impossible to achieve.
Final Thought
Achieving your impossible f##ks with your head in a positive way.
If you can do the thing they told you was impossible, how many of the other goals and dreams, that you were led to believe were off limits, can you also accomplish?
Achieving your impossible opens your mind to a new world of possibilities. It makes you realise that you, and you alone, are the sole determiner in how far you can go.
Do The Work you Love
My new book, Do The Work you Love, will be launched on the 11th February 2020. To pre-order your copy, click the link here.
* Research undertaken at the University College of London in 2009