For Individual Success, You’ll Need a Team

Have a look at this picture from the acknowledgements page of a book my mother was reading (click the image to get a clearer view):

I think the picture tells you everything you need to know about what it really takes to publish a book. The image of the tortured, solitary writer slaving his or her way toward success is common and romantic, but inaccurate. While the writing process can be a solitary pursuit, to publish your book you need to step out into the world, and enlist the help of many good-natured souls. To publish your book, you need a team. And it’s never too early to start building that team. Look around you: are you surrounded by the people you need to get your book across the finish line? If not, start reaching out now, start telling people about it, start asking for readers, get feedback, talk to experts. Successfully publishing a book requires the same effort at relationship building that is required for success in any other professional pursuit — networking, team building, collaboration!