Overwhelmed by Too Many Self-Publishing Options? Do This

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Overwhelmed by too many self-publishing options? Capture every task in one place, then ask only one question: what is the next step? Learn each skill just in time, right before you need it, and focus on enjoying the daily process. That is how I got through coordinating five ships in the North Sea, and how I handle publishing. Here is the method.

Why do I feel overwhelmed by self-publishing?

Overwhelm is common when you start something new. You are excited, then things get complicated fast. There are tools, choices about publishing companies or doing it yourself, what to start with, marketing and optimizing your books, and even the writing itself. That leads to frustration and stress.

To see the order, read where to start in self-publishing.

Where did I learn to handle too many tasks?

Several years ago I coordinated the movement of five ships in the North Sea off Norway. Four ships pulled a lay barge that was laying pipe for the largest pipeline supplying natural gas from Norway to the United Kingdom, and a fifth brought supplies. I coordinated their motion, the storehouse, and when they needed water and supplies. Tasks kept coming in, I had to keep track of everything, and I made decisions while the rest kept going. It felt like those Chinese plate spinners with plates on poles.

I felt overwhelmed until I was introduced to David Allen’s Get Things Done method.

What is the one-step method?

Getting Things Done has five steps: capture what has your attention, clarify what each item is and its next action, organize, reflect regularly, and engage. I use a simple version:

1. Capture everything you need to remember in one system. Paper notes don’t work for me and Excel overwhelmed me. I use Todoist, which holds all my self-publishing projects. Its pricing page lists a free plan with up to 5 personal projects.
2. Schedule the tasks realistically, not too many in a day.
3. Execute: each day, look at the list and do it.

With each project, there are two things to keep in mind: the ultimate goal, and the next step. How many things do you need to do? It is always one thing, the next step. The overwhelm comes from many things hitting you at once. Hold the focus on a single step and it is doable. The overwhelm in my projects dropped.

Too many of my students try to get ahead of themselves, asking about marketing when the book is not on the market yet. We should consider the market before we write, to make sure people want what we offer. After that, create the product, and don’t spend time on Facebook versus Amazon. First get the book on the market. See can’t find a topic for my book.

Does choosing what matters most really lower the stress?

The NHS says the same in plain words. Its stress tips advise prioritising your work and concentrating on the tasks that make a real difference, leaving the least important jobs until last and accepting that you will not get everything done (NHS, Tips to reduce stress, last reviewed 26-Jun-26). For a self-publisher, that means the book on the market comes before the tenth tool. If the overwhelm stays for weeks, I would talk to a doctor, not to another course.

What is just-in-time learning?

Learn a skill right before you need it, not just in case. Learning in case you need something later floods your head with ideas, and causes stress that stops you from ever publishing. With just-in-time learning, you take the next most strategic action every day and move forward.

How do I enjoy the process?

This is the most important tip. Focus on the daily joy of the journey, or you will get what I call the Everest Problem: the mountain is so tall that no matter how much progress you make, you never feel closer. Slow progress each day is the way. Format the book for Kindle and put it on the market. Run ads. Add the paperback and audiobook. Then IngramSpark, Draft2Digital and Lulu. Spread your distribution, increase marketing, do content marketing, and build an advance review team. As revenue comes in, hire people to speed up and improve quality. One thing at a time. See don’t know anything about marketing?

If you aren’t enjoying the daily journey, something is wrong. Push through the resistance, learn a little more, and if the joy is gone, pull back.

Do you feel overwhelmed by too many options in self-publishing? Book a free 25-minute discovery call with me and we will pick your single next step. Coaching is available too: group coaching is $47 a month and 1-on-1 coaching is from $147 a month, both monthly, cancel any time, with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

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