Gordon8.
Do stick with the books. Read as much as you can, just stay away from hyped up courses and seminars which are really just a very expensive way of getting the same info that you can get from books/ the internet.
I read books and followed a variety of different markets for about a year before I even placed a trade. I then placed a few naive trades and inevitably lost a few hundred quid pretty quickly. I then read more and tried to start devising a system, learning about money management and how a proper trader trades.
About a year ago, I though I had it sussed, I had a trading system, i knew the market I was going to trade. I opened an account and then like you, found it very scary to place trades.
As a result, I didn't follow my system properly and didn't have much success. I flitted around different markets, trying a trade here and a trade there. My starting capital fluctuated between breakeven and about -10%.
Then a couple of months ago, something switched on, I developed a proper trading plan, decided exactly the market I would apply it to, position size, entries, exits, profit targets etc.
My "system" is not rocket science and I will continue to develop it, but I'm sticking to it and yes, I'm profitable (so far).
I still consider myself a beginner as I'm really only just at the start of what I hope continues to be successful/ profitable trading from now on.
The point I'm trying to make as others have is that you have to find what works for you, develop confidence etc. You will only do that by learning what others do, taking parts of it, trying it out etc. Don't expect to make profits quickly or it just won't happen.
Take time, continue to learn, apply/ try things out. You may find what works for you quite quickly or it may take some time. In the meantime, ensure you keep positions small, follow strict money management to ensure you stay in the game til you find something that works. And when you do, still make sure you continue to do the same. You can still fail if you take too much risk.
Anyway, keep at it. All the best on your journey.
By the way, I'm still reading the books etc and will continue to do so. After all, I'm only a bit further along the road than you.
