So you have finally reached “The End” of your masterpiece, and you’re ready to share it with the world! But are you? Perhaps you’re feeling something holding you back, something whispering that the entire idea of you becoming a published writer is a silly one that should be immediately shelved. Ignore those negative thoughts! Instead, look for where these thoughts might be coming from. The WriteLight Group is here to help you examine why you might be having these fears and how to overcome them.
The Fear of Rejection
One of the main reasons so many writers hold back on submitting their work for publication is the fear of rejection. To many, the very idea of editors or agents reading the manuscript they put so much time and energy into and then not accepting that work for publication is more than enough to deter them from even sending it out in the first place! The easiest way to overcome this psychological roadblock is to remember that rejection happens to everyone. From Stephen King to Dr. Seuss, every author has received more than their share of “pass” letters. And if finding yourself in such company does not suit you, remember that the average rate of acceptance is one out of 100. If you work that hard to get that many rejections, the odds increase on getting that acceptance!
The Fear of Criticism
Criticism may not always be an easy thing for many of us to receive. Even if we are told only a couple of times that something in our work doesn’t sit well, we are more likely to remember those few words than any of the countless words of praise we might receive—in fact, research has shown that our brains have to experience five positive things to recover from one negative experience. But until you can experience those five things, the best advice is to remember that anything worth doing will attract its fair share of both positive and negative attention. Would you rather be judged…or ignored outright? It’s also better to face the criticism head-on than to bury your head in the sand. Who knows? Someone might have a critique worth listening to!
The Fear of Change
Nobody likes change. Most of us have our daily routines, and for some of us, any deviation from that routine can be stressful. As you begin to garner acceptances, you’ll find more time being required to not only write but to submit that writing to several journals or agents. You’ll also be devoting time to attracting readers via self-promotion or your website, to name a few non-writing tasks writers must tackle. Life is change, and change is life. Overcome your fear of change by accepting the situation and celebrating every success you achieve. You can even avoid a lot of change to your normal routine by using services like those offered by The WriteLight Group to make the process easier!
The Fear of Success
It might come as a surprise, but the fear of success is a real fear that many people experience. Perhaps your previous successes were not always met with the enthusiasm and praise they should have received, or maybe you just don’t always have the most positive of attitudes. While getting to the root of those emotions is essential when it comes to overcoming this roadblock, one thing you can do to get started is to put yourself into situations where success is a possibility. And what better situation is there for a writer to potentially find success than to submit their work for publication!
The fear of sharing your writing is natural, but it doesn’t have to hold you back. Recognizing these fears and pushing past them is the key to getting your work out into the world. Whether you’re facing rejection, criticism, change, or even success itself, the important thing is to keep going. Your writing deserves to be seen—and there are readers out there waiting for it!
0 Comments