Staying Motivated as a Self-Publisher Working Alone

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You stay motivated working alone by looking after three basics first: sleep, exercise and diet. Then you track a small daily habit and get someone in your corner. I first wrote this during the 2020 lockdowns, but it applies any time you work from home or alone. You have a computer, so you should be able to produce something, except it is more tempting to watch Netflix or eat. If your motivation is already slipping, see losing motivation and direction in self-publishing.

I have published 230 books on Amazon, ACX and other places, and this post is about what keeps me going. I am not a doctor, so talk to yours before you change your sleep, exercise or diet.

How does sleep affect motivation?

If you are not sleeping properly, everything else suffers, motivation included. Stress and isolation can make sleep hard, and many people struggle with it. I wrote a book on better sleep.

The CDC says adults aged 18 to 60 need 7 or more hours a night. Its advice is the same as the tricks I use: go to bed and get up at the same time every day, avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening, and skip alcohol and large meals right before bed (CDC, 15-May-24). If you are tired and groggy, it is hard to keep publishing.

How much exercise do I need?

Less than you think to start. The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week for adults, and says activity reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves well-being (WHO, 26-Jun-24).

You don’t have to do a lot. A common target is 10,000 steps a day, but a 2025 review of 57 studies found that 7,000 steps was linked to about 47% lower risk of death from any cause than 2,000 steps, and called 10,000 a reasonable goal for people who are already more active (Lancet Public Health, via PubMed). So if you are doing almost nothing, add a few more steps each day. That gives you energy, and feeling good helps you keep publishing. You can exercise at home with bodyweight exercises. I use a phone app to track mine.

What should I eat?

As healthy as you can. The Mediterranean and DASH diets are two well-known plans, and I wrote a book on the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins while limiting saturated fat, sugary drinks and sodium (NHLBI, updated 25-Feb-26). How much you should eat depends on you, so check with your doctor if you are unsure.

How do I track progress?

Use a tracking system. On the iPhone I like an app called Streaks, which also has a built-in timer and works on my Apple watch. I don’t know if it’s available for Android, so look that up. You write down the activities you want to do, up to 12, but start with one or two, especially the ones you find hard.

My current one is making my books available on IngramSpark as paper copies, alongside Amazon, Lulu, ACX and Kindle. I give it 5 minutes a day. Yours might be a few minutes a day writing your next book. You can use Streaks or a Pomodoro timer or a stopwatch. I set a five-minute timer. You may go beyond five minutes, because once you start an activity you generally keep going. When it goes off you are done for the day, and making progress at all keeps you motivated. For the rest of your task list, I use Todoist.

Try not to break the chain: count the days in a row you have done it. If you feel you are not doing enough of an activity, work out how much you want to do, and put it at the start of your day.

Is working alone bad for my wellbeing?

It can be, if you never talk to anyone. The NHS lists five steps to mental wellbeing: connect with other people, be physically active, learn new skills, help other people, and pay attention to the present moment. It says good relationships help you “build a sense of belonging and self-worth” and give emotional support, and it warns: “do not rely on technology or social media alone to build relationships” (NHS: five steps to mental wellbeing). If working alone is wearing you down, talk to your doctor.

What helps when I work alone?

Someone in your corner. In my group coaching ($47 a month, with a 7-day money-back guarantee) you get a private Slack group where you ask me whenever a step stops you, and I answer every question, usually the same day or the next. If your goal is to make working alone pay, read can you support your family from self-publishing alone.

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