Controversial Confessions of an Authorpreneur
Never-ending land of post-its.
Endless reminders with no actions.
To-dos collected from one podcast to the next, from one book to the next, from one idea to the next.
I used to have the Post-its all over my desk.
I hid behind them, accumulating them like prized ideas that would one day come to fruition and save me.
It all looks great, but there's no clear direction.
That all changed when I committed to where I was going and the actions of whatever it takes.
I’ve sat here for the past five hours writing this.
Yes, it's 2:17 AM, and I'm finally wrapping this one up for you.
I needed to say this out loud.
To you.
The other authorpreneur who's grinding. Thinking. Overthinking. Starting and stopping.
Obsessing over book sales one minute, then hiding from the spotlight the next.
This is the stuff no one’s saying out loud.
And honestly?
This might be the most important thing I’ve ever written.
Confession #1: I Didn’t Get In. Twice.
I applied to architecture school twice in 2005 and 2006 and was rejected.
The second time stung more than the first, not because I was surprised, but because of what one of the professors said:
"Your portfolio’s too damn skimpy. I can’t see your thinking. I can’t see your work. I can’t see your understanding.”
And that right there? That moment? It cracked me open.
Because he was right.
I was trying to look polished without showing my process, trying to “get in” instead of getting good, trying to be accepted instead of understood.
That’s when I realized the secret isn’t looking smart. It’s showing your thinking. Your process. Your guts.
So I retook classes, not because anyone asked me to, but because I needed to rebuild from the inside out.
I started showing my work. I started caring less about impressing people and more about communicating clearly.
Most authors today?
They’re hiding.
Hiding behind degrees.
Titles.
“Bestseller” claims.
Credentials.
Trying to prove they’re experts… Instead of being one.
Confession #2: Most People Want the Shortcut. There Isn’t One.
Let me say this as clearly as possible. There is no shortcut.
Ok, maybe I still don't know of one. Perhaps you do and you haven't shared your secret. C'mon, DM your boy some of those saucy secrets if you have them.
Every time someone asks me,
“How do I grow my author platform fast?” I feel like screaming:
Fast is the wrong question. Fast is how you burn out. Fast is how you get stuck in the maze of platforms, programs, and BS coaches who’ve never even written a real book.
The real question?
“Am I willing to spend the next 5 to 10 years showing up and building a presence that matters?”
Because that’s what it takes.
Not six weeks. Not a killer launch team. Not a magical book funnel that prints money.
Most of the authors you admire? They’ve been showing up for years.
Years.
Which brings me to…
Confession #3: The Morgan Housel Effect
You know The Psychology of Money? That little green book that somehow exploded in the finance world?
Yeah. Morgan Housel didn’t wake up one day and drop a viral book out of nowhere. He built for over a decade.
He wrote blog posts. Essays. Long-form content. Not for clicks, for clarity. He made his writing better by writing more.
And you know what he didn’t do?
He didn’t waste time “trying” a million different platforms. He owned his lane. He got specific as hell.
He didn’t try to be a personal development guru. He didn’t try to be a life coach. He focused on one thing over time, and that is the behavioral side of money.
And he stayed there.
He earned attention by being consistent, clear, and deep.
That’s what built the audience. That’s why the book landed.
The book didn’t build the brand. The brand built the book.
Authors, listen: if you’re jumping from TikTok to Substack to Instagram trying to “go viral,” you’re not building anything. You’re just spinning.
Morgan picked a lane.
Wrote his ass off. And built trust over time.
That’s what you’re not seeing when you look at his Amazon rank.
Confession #4: Susan Marie Conrad—Adventurepreneur
Now let me tell you about someone I actually know, Susan Marie Conrad. She paddled 1,200 miles alone up the Inside Passage.
She slept in a tent on the edge of cliffs. Battled storms. Faced orcas. And then she wrote about it.
She made it mean something, not just in a “here’s what happened” kind of way.
Inside: One Woman’s Journey Through the Inside Passage. It’s not just a travel memoir. It’s a story of grit, transformation, and wild courage. Check it out on Amazon.
And now?
She’s giving talks on cruise ships. Teaching people how to turn adventure into identity. She’s become what she calls an “adventurepreneur.”
I just recorded a podcast episode with her.
It’s one of my favorites. Why? Because she didn’t chase attention. She lived a life worth talking about.
Your story isn’t about the words on a page. It’s about the life behind them.
Write the book.
Yes. But leave the book too.
Find the latest episode on my website.
Confession #5: I Stayed Up Late, But I Wasn’t Building Anything
Early in my career, I’d stay up all night reading. Watching videos. Filling my brain.
I thought I was learning. I thought I was grinding.
I filled more Post-It notes with reminders than I can count.
But what I was really doing was procrastinating with style.
There’s a difference between absorbing information and building something real.
I wasn’t building.
I was hiding.
I told myself I was “getting ready.” But in reality?
I was just afraid.
Afraid to put myself out there. Afraid to share a rough draft. Afraid to start before I felt like an “expert.”
That mindset will kill your momentum.
At some point, you have to stop learning and start doing.
Stop organizing the bookshelf and start writing the damn book, or doing the very thing that you are avoiding.
Confession #6: AI, Ghostwriters, and the Lie We All Pretend Isn’t a Lie
Yes, I use AI. Daily.
For idea generation. Outlines.
Hell, sometimes I’ll even use it to draft messy thoughts.
This newsletter wouldn't be possible if I weren't using AI to be 💯 percent honest with you. (The one hunid 💯 is my favorite emoji btw so, no AI didn't add that in for me sucka )
You know what that makes me?
Human.
Anyone pretending they don’t use some form of AI is full of it.
Do you use Grammarly? ChatGPT? Jasper? Google Docs smart compose?
Congrats. You use AI.
Ghostwriters have been doing this for decades. Isn’t that what AI is now?
A faster ghostwriter? A second brain that helps you shape your message?
No disrespect to the Ghostwriting community. I love and appreciate the craft; it's remarkable.
Using someone to help you write your work is not a bad idea; they are incredible at what they do.
What matters is that the ideas are yours. I'm not comparing ghostwriters to AI, calm down.
Using the help of someone or a tool is perfectly ok.
You’re not hiding behind the tech, you’re using it to amplify your message.
And to the ghostwriters hating on AI. If a tool can replace you, the problem isn’t the tool.
People don’t buy books because they were “well-written.” They buy the story that the narrative and that someone recommended the book. They buy them because they feel something.
So don’t fear the tools. Learn to wield them.
I don't know if AI will take over the world, but I see that it's a tool... for now.
Confession #7: I Hated Substack
I tried it.
I really did. Ok, maybe not long enough
But the interface? The dashboard? The way it’s built mostly for journalists?
Not for me.
I spent a month trying to make it work, and every time I logged in, I just felt annoyed.
But Hussein a month isn't long enough on a platform...
I know, that’s when I realized that just because a platform is “hot” doesn’t mean it’s right for me.
Stop chasing tools. Start chasing alignment.
If you love YouTube, go all in on video. If you love writing, find a platform that respects that voice.
You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be somewhere consistently.
Confession #8: Show Up Where It Matters
You are not going to get anywhere unless you show up.
Not just to writing sessions.
Not just to book signings. Not just to comments and DMs.
I mean, really show up like you care.
To the hard calls, the moments you want to avoid, the clients who challenge you, and the feedback that makes you feel naked.
When I started getting feedback, I shared my first author marketing offers with 20 authors. 4 got back to me and tore me to shreds on how it was wack.
It hurt my ego pretty badly. But you know what, I took the feedback and doubled down.
I loved that feedback. The others didn't even give it time.
That's why this is all a numbers game and showing up to what might hurt, honest feedback on our work, and showing up.
Most of those authors I contacted had terrible brands, never really posted, and spent thousands on books that won't see much more daylight.
I wanted to help, but my message on how I could didn't land.
So I wrestled with that, but ultimatly it was what I needed to be better no do more.
And here’s the paradox.
You don’t need to add more to show up fully; you just need to cut.
Cut distractions.
Cut platforms.
Cut fake obligations.
Most of your growth will come from subtraction. Not addition.
This Is the Work
I’ve spent hours writing this.
Because it matters.
Because YOU matter.
If you’ve read this far, you’re not like most. You’re not looking for cheap tricks. You’re building something real.
So here’s what I ask.
Keep going. Build slow. Share deep. Show your work.
None of that stuff I was trying to pull in my early college years.
This is the game. This is the path. This is the whole damn point.
See you in the next one.
If this helped you, it would mean the world to me if you forward it to someone who needs to sign up and read the Rising Authorpreneur.
Whenever you're ready, here are three ways I can support your authorpreneur journey:
Clarify and systemize your Author Offer so your message lands instantly and people get it.
Build an author website that works, not just pretty, but strategic, trust-building, and lead-generating.
Create a content + video strategy that scales your brand, so you show up with purpose and grow your authority on every platform.
If you’re ready to finally have a site that works as hard as you do, shoot me a message.
Practice Patience & Gratitude.
—Hussein
