The indie publishing world has turned into a cafeteria of comparison, where every author seems to be peeking at their neighbor’s plate.
TLDR:
- Author communities inadvertently create mimetic desire that pulls you away from your unique publishing mission
- A North Star document acts as your creative compass before you dive into dashboards and social feeds
- Information audits reveal how much noise you’re consuming versus actionable signals for your business
I learned this lesson the hard way after spending three months obsessing over another author’s BookTok strategy. Actually, let me be honest here. It was closer to six months. The scent of their viral success was intoxicating, like fresh coffee that makes you forget you’re perfectly happy with tea.
The Mimetic Trap Hiding in Plain Sight
Joe Solari’s recent podcast appearance hit on something most of us feel but rarely name: mimetic desire. This concept from philosopher René Girard explains why we want what others want, not necessarily what serves our actual goals. In author communities, this shows up as the sudden urge to pivot to romance because someone else’s numbers are climbing, or abandoning your cozy mystery series because thrillers seem hotter.
The irony? Jeff Bezos built Amazon while Wall Street called it “amazon.bomb.” He had a North Star that weather-resistant outside criticism.
Two Tools That Actually Work
Solari offers practical solutions that don’t require a philosophy degree:
- The North Star Document: One page that captures your publishing vision before you check any metrics or scroll social media
- The Information Audit: Track what you consume for one week, then ruthlessly categorize signal versus noise
I tried the audit last month. Turns out, 70% of my daily author content was just anxiety disguised as research.
Building Your Creative Fortress
The goal isn’t isolation from your writing community. These relationships fuel creativity and provide genuine support. But when you’re using AI fiction writing tools to craft your story or AI image generation for book covers, your creative choices should reflect your mission, not someone else’s trending strategy.
Your readers found you for reasons that have nothing to do with what’s working for Author X. Whether you’re publishing books in niche genres or writing mainstream fiction, your unique perspective is the asset. Guard it carefully.
The market will always be moody. Your mission should be the steady thing that keeps you writing when everyone else is chasing the next bright shiny object.