Author Insight: Publishing Phobia

What scares you most about writing/publishing?

"How difficult is can be, even when published--to stay published."- Elizabeth Scott, author of Grace.

"The daily roller coaster ride." - Heidi Kling, author of Sea.

"Surprisingly it's the first draft.  I'm always terrified that I'm going to take the book in the wrong direction, that my outline is wrong, or that I'm making huge errors that will prove impossible to fix.  I can't control any aspect of publishing, so I keep all my stress localized." - Scott Tracey, author of Witch Eyes.

"One of the things that scares me the most about publishing is the fact that it will get even harder than it is to sell a book." - Danielle Joseph, author of Indigo Blues.

"I’m not afraid of writing, good or bad—I’m not even afraid of failure, at my age I’ve had plenty—but I’m afraid of almost every other aspect of the industry. I mean, this time last year we hadn’t even released a book. Kami and I are so new to the industry, we almost always do everything wrong, say everything wrong, at least once. I’m firmly committed to only learning things the hard way!" - Margaret Stohl, co-author of Beautiful Creatures.

"Oh, who can pick form the vast array of fears?  Probably that my next book won't be worth the paper it is printed on (or the electronic ink it is pixilated with) and that my career will end." - Swati Avashti, author of Split.

"Realizing that people are actually reading my writing! And I can't hover over their shoulder and say, "'Do you like it yet? How about now? How about... now?' Or change the minds of those who don't." - Karen Kincy, author of Other.

"The fact that everything is so uncertain, and that I always could have done something better." - Brenna Yovanoff, author of The Replacement.

"I think many authors worry that it can all go away at any time.  Not that I think the publishing world is going to explode—but it might move on without me.  You’re only as good as your latest book, and you never know how people are going to respond to it." - Bree Despain, author of The Dark Divine.

"My characters being misunderstood scares me the most, but I know a lot of that depends on how well I write them. And that only inspires me to write better." - Courtney Allison Moulton, author of Angelfire.

"That readers will stop reading my books and that publishers will stop buying them. That’s an eternal writerly nightmare." - Diana Pharaoh Francis, author of Bitter Night.

"That getting this book deal was a fluke and I won't be able to do it again!" - Mindi Scott, author of Freefall.

"There's a saying writers have 'Writing a book doesn't teach you how to write a book; it teaches you how to write THAT book.' Every book is a new discovery, with its own challenges. Since being published, the thing that has scared me the most is the idea that whatever fundamental thing my fans respond to in my books will go away. " - Diana Peterfreund, author of Rampant.

"The idea of not being able to do it anymore. Everything in this industry is so unsure, plus there's the fear that someday you'll just forget how to write. There is a part of Beautiful Creatures that terrifies me to my very core---if you've read it and you're a writer, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about." - Anastasia Hopcus, author of Shadow Hills.

"Whenever I read stories about libraries closing, it gives me goosebumps, in a bad way. Some of my earliest memories involve reading (and playing) on this giant, climbable boat thing at the Broward County Library in South Florida with my mother watching nearby. I'm also afraid that the rise of e-books will mean fewer print books will be published--I know e-books are super fun, compact, and environmentally friendly, but I’m an unabashed lover of paper books and will grieve mightily if they become extinct." - Michelle Hodkin, author of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

"Silence! (As in, NO reviews/articles/interviews/readers!)" - Kristin Tubb, author of Selling Hope.

Remember to stop by Thursday to learn what scares the rest of the authors about writing and/or publishing!
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