This one's for the authors

[knitedreams]

While trying get a book published, did you ever have thoughts that maybe you're just not good enough? Is it okay to indulge in a little self-pity for a brief period of time before you pick yourself back up and work harder to accomplish your publishing goal? If so, how long do those self-pity parties normally take?

 

[rgraham666]

Well, I'm not pushing all that hard to get published.

Those moments of self doubt come all the time though. They can last minutes, or months. Luckily the former is far more common than the latter.

 

[EmeraldKitten]

I've not tried to get a book published, or anything for that matter, other than here, if this counts.
But in my experience, just from posting stuff here I get freaked out.
I almost get performance anxiety while I'm writing. I don't think it's so much writer's block as it is, 'oh my god, this is going to suck'.
And actually, after I submit something, I won't re-read it. I'm afraid. It's going to bomb, it's going to suck, etc. That usually lasts a couple days, then once I get votes and comments I feel much better.
I might not be the best writer on earth, which I know I'm not, but I guess I'm not too god awful bad either.

Self pity and all those 'I'm not good enough' feelings come and go. Ya just can't get bogged down in it.

Considering this, I'm never going to publish anything. I'm so scared right now! !!! lol.

 

[knitedreams]

I've not tried to get a book published, or anything for that matter, other than here, if this counts.
But in my experience, just from posting stuff here I get freaked out.
I almost get performance anxiety while I'm writing. I don't think it's so much writer's block as it is, 'oh my god, this is going to suck'.
And actually, after I submit something, I won't re-read it. I'm afraid. It's going to bomb, it's going to suck, etc. That usually lasts a couple days, then once I get votes and comments I feel much better.
I might not be the best writer on earth, which I know I'm not, but I guess I'm not too god awful bad either.

Self pity and all those 'I'm not good enough' feelings come and go. Ya just can't get bogged down in it.

Considering this, I'm never going to publish anything. I'm so scared right now! !!! lol.

Of course your experience counts, Emerald! Right now I have anxiety over finishing Walking into Fire. Chapter two did so much better than anything I had written before that I fear I won't be able to keep up that level of performance.

On the other hand, I want to become a published author, which is one of the reasons why I submit stuff to Literotica -- practice and public reaction. I just fear that my anxiety is turning into more of a funk.

 

[EmeraldKitten]

Of course your experience counts, Emerald! Right now I have anxiety over finishing Walking into Fire. Chapter two did so much better than anything I had written before that I fear I won't be able to keep up that level of performance.

On the other hand, I want to become a published author, which is one of the reasons why I submit stuff to Literotica -- practice and public reaction. I just fear that my anxiety is turning into more of a funk.

Yeah, it's nerve-wracking if nothing else. Every time I submit something, I worry that it'll suck worse than anything ever has. Sometimes it ends up being better, other times not. It's a game of chance, lol. And usually the stuff I think is good, well, the people don't agree with.

I'd like to be published too, but I'm scared! lol. I know nothing I have right now is good enough. However, I read books all the time, and I've read some that are so freakin' stupid, I wonder why I'm not published yet, lol.

Don't be anxious. I guess you have to go with the attitude, (which is what I end up doing) that I'm a writer and I write. I like what I write. You don't? Oh well.
Don't get into a funk either!

 

[JPMMURPHY]

Yes, I’ve indulged. Never lasts long. By forcing me to go back and read my work with a different outlook I believe it helps keep me honest. Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code) was not published until his fourth book. Let’s say 100 K words per attempt – I still have 200 K before I can even consider throwing in the towel in disgust and shame. And while I’ve enjoyed three of his reads (including DC) I find his dialogue flat and his action lethargic. To me, in his case, it’s his premise that pulls me in. Then you have the first book wonders – JK is one. If I recall correctly, Michael Crichton is another. A good friend of mine (published author and playwright) recently reminded me that Margaret Michell’s Gone With the Wind was a first novel. Interestingly enough it was rejected by 36 publishing houses. I really wouldn’t dwell on it. I believe it only means you’re human.



But then I'm an unpublished idiot! What the hell do I know!

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Yes, I’ve indulged. Never lasts long. By forcing me to go back and read my work with a different outlook I believe it helps keep me honest.

But then I'm an unpublished idiot! What the hell do I know!

You might still be unpublished, JP, but judging from your track record here at Lit (31 subs - 29 H's - 10 E's) you must be doing something right and that condition will soon change.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[JPMMURPHY]

You might still be unpublished, JP, but judging from your track record here at Lit (31 subs - 29 H's - 10 E's) you must be doing something right and that condition will soon change.

Rumple Foreskin

And you, RF, are being entirely too kind. But thank you very much. If I don’t solve my editor problem soon I may be voted off the island. Yikes!

 

[EmeraldKitten]

Hey, I have one E!

*Sighs and sits back down.*

I tried. lol.

 

[knitedreams]

Don't feel bad. I don't have any of those nice little "E's," but I do have a whole lotta red "H's"!

 

[glynndah]

I have a cute little yellow "New" that I'm rather proud of.

Oh, and a few of those red H's, too.

 

[sr71plt]

While trying get a book published, did you ever have thoughts that maybe you're just not good enough? Is it okay to indulge in a little self-pity for a brief period of time before you pick yourself back up and work harder to accomplish your publishing goal? If so, how long do those self-pity parties normally take?

Yep. Even after getting books out, I've had a period where I thought each one wasn't good enough and that it would embarrass me to death. But then after a while I developed a "fooled them again" attitude and soldiered on.

 

[slyc_willie]

I've had eight short stories published in the last fifteen or so years -- the last one about nine years ago -- and have a trilogy of novels that, until a year ago, I thought were going to see real print. But then my agent balked on me and vanished.

I haven't tried to get published since. All of my 'mainstream' work has been sci-fi, a passion I still indulge in from time to time, but I truly am enjoying the readership and response I have received from Lit. Sure, there's no money in it, but I've never been ambitious that way.

Still, from time to time, I'll submit something, see it posted, then read it on Lit and think, "Man! I could have done better than that!"

Self-doubt and self-correction are inherent to writers. We are our own worst critics, if you'll pardon the cliche. No one thinks we suck as much as we do, trolls notwithstanding.

No matter who you are, if you are in the market to get published, your work will get butchered. At least the first few times. Some may get a fairly easy trim (can you say Patricia Cornwall?) but most are hacked to bits before the words are set in print.

As far as I am concerned, material publishing is like asking for a public beating; I can take it, but the result is not what I expected.

 

[drksideofthemoon]

While trying get a book published, did you ever have thoughts that maybe you're just not good enough? Is it okay to indulge in a little self-pity for a brief period of time before you pick yourself back up and work harder to accomplish your publishing goal? If so, how long do those self-pity parties normally take?

No idea, I've never tried to publish anything. I've never had any thoughts that maybe I'm not good enough to publish anything, I know I'm not good enough. But, that doesn't stop me from writing for my own enjoyment.

Good luck!

 

[cahab]

Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code) was not published until his fourth book.

Yes and he still managed to suck.

Seriously the reason most people take so long to get their first work published is because they write in a vacuum. You have no way of knowing if it's any good until someone accepts it and it's presented to the world. Even friends and family can't be relied upon, because they're friends and family, and either don't know anything about writing or are just too polite to tell you you suck. Or you don't suck, but you think they are just being polite because they're friends and family. And so it goes.

I'm trying to get a community website started for writers which I'm just playing with a Beta of at the moment, but in the meantime here's Literotica. There are plenty of editors and readers on here who will be honest with you, so just write and be damned.

 

[neonlyte]

While trying get a book published, did you ever have thoughts that maybe you're just not good enough? Is it okay to indulge in a little self-pity for a brief period of time before you pick yourself back up and work harder to accomplish your publishing goal? If so, how long do those self-pity parties normally take?

Getting that first rejection is important, seriously. It is the first step on a long path. You need to prepare. prepare, prepare and then pace yourself so you can adjust to the rejections and rejoice when the acceptance finally comes. That too will be shortlived, publishers editiors will want to change your book

Preparation is about researching your target Publisher / Agent - know that the person(s) you are sending your loved manuscript to actually want to receive your type and style of fiction. In other words, don't load yourself with rejections you can avoid.

Preparation is getting your Introduction letter and novel synopsis 'perfect'. We should have a thread here devoted to helping each other through this crucial stage.

Preparation is making sure you fully comply with the Publisher / Agent submission requirements, check, re-check and then have someone check for you. Don't make the mistake I recently made of addressing Ms Kahn as Ms Khan - she did graciously accept my apology whilst gently rejecting my synopsis

I would advise against sending documents to more than 6 people at a time. 1) there is a danger of losing track of whom you've sent things to. 2) 6 still leaves plenty of others to reject your work subsequently. 3) Publishers and Agents actually talk to one another, if your manuscript is pitched to each of them simultaneously, they feel you're on a fishing expedition rather than targetting publishers for your genre of work.

Finally, I spent New Year with two publishers. I was astonished how little respect they had for authors You would have thought they had written the damn book!