Comparison

One of my favorite quotes is "Comparison is the thief of joy." And almost nothing is more true than that when it comes to writing and the publishing industry.


It's almost easy to go along and believe that your books are something special, that they are one of a kind, and that you can't wait to have lots of readers who will feel the same right out of the starting gates. That you'll be receiving fan mail full of praise, fan art, and all positive reviews on Good Reads and Amazon. Your Twitter, Instagram, and blog will flood overnight with subscribers.


Sadly, for the majority of authors, this does not happen overnight. Or even ever. Not all of us can be the next J.K. Rowling, Diana Gabaldon, Nora Roberts, or Stephen King. And even those writers went through periods of doubt, and low readership.


You cannot allow the negative thoughts and feelings to creep in. And if they do get around your barriers? You flush them out as fast and as hard as you can. If you don't doubt will crawl in and make a home. Often this influences every part of an author's life, not just their writing. But most definitely their writing will suffer as a result.


It can be hard to see someone selling well, and their readership climbing via social media. It can be disheartening to take your books and attend an author event only to see tables/booths that are teaming with people, and making sales all day.


I know it's hard, but try to remain positive. Instead of whining and making yourself miserable, ask yourse;f "What can I learn? How can I *insert topic here* better?" (Examples, are Market, Write faster, Set up a booth etc) Then analyze what the people are doing. Are they blogging more? Are they more active on social media? Do they set up more giveaways and promotions? The list is almost endless and can be tailored specifically to your situation.


We're writers! We steal ideas and then change them to fit us. This is just another instance of this. Yes, it is disheartening. Yes, it is difficult. But isn't your writing worth it? Aren't you worth it?


And so what if you only have a small reader base? As long as they're loyal, love your characters, and believe in you, that's all that matters!




Keep your heads up, and your fingers busy typing (or writing long hand), I believe in you.