235 | Why Most Authors Quit Too Early (and How to Keep Your Book Alive) with Susie and AJ

Writing a book can transform your personal brand and business, but too many authors get stuck battling that nagging inner critic: 

“Will anyone even read this?”

Susie deVille and AJ Harper explain how that voice isn’t a stop sign. It’s a signal you’re onto something worth sharing.

Susie is the founder of the Innovation and Creativity Institute and bestselling author of Buoyant: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Becoming Wildly Successful, Creative, and Free.

AJ is the author of Write a Must-Read and a longtime co-writer with Mike Michalowicz (known famously for the book Profit First). Together, they guide authors to create prescriptive nonfiction books that don’t just make sales—they’re read, acted on, and shared.

Taming Your Inner Critic

If you’ve ever heard that voice whisper, “No one’s going to read this,” you’re not alone. 

AJ shows you how to keep writing anyway—by setting simple word-count goals, stripping away perfection pressure, and treating self-doubt as proof you’re moving in the right direction. 

Susie shares how leaning into those tough “dark dog” moments can actually lead to breakthroughs, helping you spot the real through-line of your book.

Marketing That Lasts

Finishing your manuscript is just the beginning. Susie and AJ reveal why most authors quit too soon and how you can avoid the same trap. 

Forget chasing sales numbers or mimicking what everyone else is doing. Instead, focus on building genuine resonance with your readers and choosing marketing channels that feel natural to you. 

PLUS: Secure your place for their Beyond (or Before) the Launch: Igniting Momentum for Your Book’s Success ($1,500 discount! – code not necessary):

https://top-three-book-workshop.mykajabi.com/offers/BXKcKZ2E/checkout

Enjoy this episode with Susie & AJ…

Soundbytes

24:33 - 24:56
Susie
“If you're picking up one or two things that are not in alignment with who you truly are, it is going to be a long, unhappy road that doesn't yield any results, because the market can tell immediately if we are believing what we're saying.”

10:41 - 10:51
AJ
“We can spend our whole lives trying to feel better, but I say we need to write our books anyway. It's going to take too long to deal with all of our self-esteem issues. Let's just get to work.”

32:31 - 32:47
AJ
“It's important to say things in different ways, the same point in different ways, but also at different times, because someone may need to have gone a little bit further along in their journey to hear the thing again.”

Quotes

AJ
“You really do need community. However you can find it.”

Susie
“So it is very easy to try to do all of the things that everybody else is doing, which is a recipe for disaster.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

From Our Guests

Beyond (or Before) the Launch: Igniting Momentum for Your Book’s Success ($1,500 discount! – code not necessary): https://top-three-book-workshop.mykajabi.com/offers/BXKcKZ2E/checkout

Connect with Susie & AJ on LinkedIn: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjanetteharper/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiedeville/

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