Hey, Laura here.
I probably don’t even have to explain the title of my post.
I don’t know anyone who wishes they could go back to middle school. High
school? Maybe.
But never those years of 6th-8th.
I thought it was over when I shook the dust of middle school
from my feet. The awkward dances, dreaded lunch periods, and the whispered
gossip. As my kids yearn to grow up and leave their problems behind, I tell
them.
“There are always mean kids. Cliques. Gossip. Hurtful
words.”
I do see this in the publishing industry. Authors feeling
jilted or not cool enough. Maybe they don’t realize people are actually reading
their random tweets or blog posts. lol. At the same time, that’s just a small
percentage. Overall, the writers I rub shoulders with are all extremely
supportive and nice.
As with anything, my biggest advice in publishing would be
keep your eyes on your paper. There’s always someone doing better than you and
there’s always someone not as well off. And that eerily echoes what I tell my
kids. That there’s always someone with more money, better vacations, a cooler
house.
Don’t compare. Be thankful.
Once you let it bother you, once that bug grabs hold of
you…it never ends. You reach the level you dreamed of being at only to realize
that that isn’t quite enough. There’s even higher levels to reach.
Be happy. Be content. I do believe it’s possible to be both
those things while reaching for the stars.
The answer to whether publishing is like middle school or
not is….
it’s your choice.
Excellent post! You're so right.
ReplyDeleteHugs and chocolate,
Shelly
Great ost, Laura! It's so true! No matter how much I try, I always find that my "eyes are on someone else's paper."
ReplyDeleteI know. It's not easy. I've been there. But it does absolutely nothing for my creative work or my mood. It brings nothing to positive to my life. I believe we can keep an eye on other authors, the market, the industry without it makes us feel bad.
ReplyDeleteI love this. It is truly all up to what we allow it to be.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! So true. I have to keep reminding myself of this. I survived high school. I ain't going back. =)
ReplyDeleteAwesome post Laura, honestly. "Keep your eyes on your own paper" and "Be thankful" are two very important quotes to remember for everyone, including myself. Thank you for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteThis is great advice. It's so easy to look at other authors' successes and get envious! "Keep your eyes on your own paper" says it all!
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. I think it's because when we're writing we tend to go into a child-like state where creative things can happen. But then when we surface and go online we're still not wearing our "grown-up" armor. I just had one of those "back to middle school" moments when I saw that a blogger who was rude to me has been asked to teach at a conference I was turned down for. It felt just like 7th grade, when your BFF starts having lunch with the mean girls. I need to put on my big girl panties and be grateful for what I have, don't I?
ReplyDeleteI just read a post where all the author did was complain about a book critic who was not willing to go on a blog tour with her for the author's new book. What was the point of this? Just thank the people who have helped along the way.
ReplyDeleteI think we'll always be faced with these kinds of situations, no matter what level of success we find or whatever point we're at.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Anne. I agree - that would be tough!