BTA Fridays™ – Breaking the Algorithm™: Turn Off Your Author Brain
You can be sitting on a beautiful beach with a fruity drink and a little umbrella while thinking about book sales. You can be eating an incredible meal while worrying about tomorrow’s post.
You have physically gone on vacation, but you brought the entire business with you in your head.
That is what I wanted to talk about before leaving for my cruise: how to actually let myself be off.
Watch the full episode:
Leaving Town Does Not Automatically Disconnect You
On Wednesday’s episode of The Author’s Mic™, I talked about why authors need vacations. But wanting a break and mentally taking one are two different things.
I know who I am. There is usually something running through my head.
Bright Headed Publishing. TrustBridge™. The Author’s Mic™. The Indie Reader Society™. The magazine. My books. Somebody else’s book.
Did that recording turn out? Did I forget something? What should I be working on next?
I didn’t want to spend my vacation answering that mental roll call.
When you own a business, nobody necessarily comes along and tells you the workday is over. Sometimes you have to tell yourself, clearly, that you are taking time off.
An Idea Can Show Up Without Becoming an Assignment
I wasn’t going to pretend I would stop being an author the second I boarded the ship.
I would be meeting people, visiting places, and having experiences. Something might spark an idea. If it did, I could write down a quick note.
But I didn’t want to turn that note into a work session.
And if no idea showed up, I wasn’t going to treat the trip like a missed opportunity. I was going on vacation. The experience did not need to deliver a new project.
Some Things Just Belong to Me
I’m often the person who forgets to take pictures because I’m busy enjoying what is happening.
For this trip, I didn’t want to feel responsible for documenting excursions, meals, or every interesting thing I saw. I didn’t need to connect a luau to my author platform.
If I took pictures, I wanted them because I wanted to remember something. If I shared them, I wanted to share them because I felt like it.
I wanted to be Kelly on a cruise. Kelly on a beach. Kelly enjoying a drink with an umbrella in it.
There are plenty of roles I care about, but I don’t need to perform all of them in every setting.
Even Rest Does Not Have to Be Productive
Sometimes we act like time off needs to come with a report.
What did you learn? What breakthrough did you have? What are you creating because of it?
I was willing to come home with pictures, memories, a smile, and possibly a few extra pounds from enjoying the food.
That was enough.
I didn’t need a revelation. I didn’t need to prove that taking a break had improved my business. I wanted to enjoy where I was while I was there.
Sometimes Breaking the Algorithm Means Leaving It Alone
Put the phone down. Stop refreshing. Stop checking how the post is performing.
Your book, your work, and your to-do list will still be there when you return.
I wanted to give my brain time to reset without spending the trip worrying about what I should be doing somewhere else.
And your break doesn’t have to last seven days. Maybe you have a day available. Give yourself the opportunity to spend that day outside the ongoing demands of being an indie author.
There is always a next thing. Sometimes I want to enjoy right now.
Key Takeaways
A change of location does not guarantee a mental break from your business.
You can save an unexpected idea without turning the rest of the day into work.
Personal experiences do not automatically need to become platform content.
Rest does not need to produce a breakthrough to be worthwhile.
Putting the phone down can be part of actually disconnecting.
Publishing With Bright Headed Publishing
Publishing a book involves decisions about production, distribution, materials, and positioning. Bright Headed Publishing provides hands-on support for selected authors who want help managing that process.
Our work can include interior formatting, print-ready files, ISBN assignment, distribution setup, and launch resources, with a plan built around the individual project.
If you have a completed or nearly completed manuscript and want to understand what working together could involve, contact Bright Headed Publishing.
https://brightheadedpublishing.com
Finley’s Journey Spotlight
The work behind Finley’s Journey includes more than preparing a book for publication.
Written by Jeff Hepner, published under the Bright Headed Publishing imprint, and part of the Classroom Creatures Chronicles series, the story draws on authentic conservation experiences to follow a trout from the classroom toward the wild.
Its companion student workbook connects the story with trout life cycles, watersheds, and river stewardship. The project shows how book production and educational resource development can work together to serve families and classrooms.
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/new-releases
The Author’s Mic™ — Be a Guest
If you are an author, editor, publishing professional, or creative doing meaningful work in the literary space, apply to be a guest on The Author’s Mic™:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/be-a-guest
TrustBridge™
TrustBridge™ connects indie authors with bookstores, book clubs, podcasts, and other literary platforms through curated introductions and real relationship-building. Every author package includes a professional media kit.
For authors — TrustBridge™ Author Services:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/trustbridgetm-author-services
For bookstores, podcasts, book clubs, and other literary partners — TrustBridge™ Partner Network:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/partner-with-us
The Indie Author Toolkit
Practical tools and strategy for making stronger decisions throughout the author journey:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/products/digital-product-10197841
Books From Bright Headed Publishing
Discover and support books published by Bright Headed Publishing:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/products
Indie Reader Society™
Join a reader community created to discover and discuss books by indie authors:
https://bookclubs.com/the-indie-reader-society/join/
Free Guide: So You Wanna Write a Book
If you have a book idea but need help understanding where to begin, download the free guide:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com
Watch, Comment, and Stay Connected
Watch the episode, then tell me in the comments: What is the hardest habit to leave alone when you’re supposed to be off—checking sales, checking social media, answering messages, or planning? Share this blog with a creative who takes work everywhere, and follow Bright Headed Publishing for more BTA Fridays™ conversations.
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