Why You Should Be Suspicious of Self-Help Writers Like Me

Confessions of a Self-Help writer: why I really write self-help, why I’m a total fraud and how to spot others like me

I don’t really care if my articles help you.

I mean, if you’re helped by something I say, great. But that’s not why do it. Maybe there are a few self-help writers out there that are altruistic, a saintly few who want nothing more than to help you overcome your obstacles.

But I really doubt it.

I hate to tell you this, but there’s not a benevolent army of self-help writers out there, writing How to this and 7 Steps to that because they want to help you. We do it for a totally different reason.

It’s not money and it’s not fame, not because we don’t want those, too. We desperately do (but we’ll deny it to the bitter end). It’s just such a long shot that it doesn’t really factor into our decision-making.

It’s something much worse.

Why People Really Write Self Help Articles

I’m not writing for you, about you, or to help you. I’m writing about myself, to myself, and to help myself. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why they call it self-help — a bunch of…