The Hard Stuff

The Hard Stuff

            Someone asked me today if publishing was hard. Well…yes. It was hard. It is hard. And it will always be hard.

            But I love it.

            I’m not going to talk about my journey into publishing. That’s not all that exciting really. But, yes, rejection and acceptance are two sides of an odd coin.

            Each book is a new experience of hope, heartache, stress, and a whole lotta Tums. LOL.

            If you like your story, that doesn’t mean others will. What you like about your characters can set others’ teeth on edge. And as an author, you have to deal with that. The reader can totally tell you that you suck and your book is worthless, and you have to deal with that. With your mouth shut.

            But then another reader can tell you that they love your work and your characters. At that point your heart swells and you feel amazing.

            Someone on twitter asked why the bad reviews always feel worse than the good ones. I told them it was because as an author, sometimes we don’t feel good enough for the good reviews, and that just makes the bad ones that much worse.

            It’s a roller coaster ride. From the idea of the story, the plotting, the drafting, the revisions, the critiques, the beta reads, the rewrites, the editing, the copy editing, getting the cover, setting up promo, and then letting your baby walk out into the world on its own. It’s an amazing process that kills me sometimes. It’s so scary showing your work out to people. That’s the hard part of publishing to me.

            Letting others see what goes on in your mind and hoping its good enough.

            All authors get self-doubt. But then another author or a reader will tell you that they loved your book.

            That makes this whole thing worth it to me.

            I can’t not write. I need to put on paper the ideas and characters in my head. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t. The whole idea that others will read it makes it that much more amazing and nerve-wracking at the same time.

            So yes, publishing is hard. It’s not a cake walk. It takes grit, determination, a thick skin, and a group of friends who can support you.

            But the benefits out way the scariness.

            Because I get to write a story I love.