LilyPhreak Designs & Fables discussion

I was talking to a writer/author on Facebook and the poor woman was having such an abundant amount of self doubt, because she'd published her first book but not many people had bought and read it yet and she had been turned down by two publishers and thought that maybe it would best to quit! Obviously myself and others were telling her not to give up ... Keep pushing and things would get better!

Looking at all the authors on here, hav any of you ever felt the same way?

I tried to get published conventionally for ten years and contacted perhaps twenty agants ant fifteen publishers. I was at the point of giving up until I decided to publish e-books. It was still slow going at first, and now with feed back I know my books are good. Sometimes the problem can just be getting noticed. I'd suggest joining a few groups and building a rapport with other members, without even mentioning your books. My sales are still fairly slow, but I get pleasure from knowing that even a handful of people around the globe are reading and enjoying my writing.

I'm still in the stage of self doubt. I think it has to do with not having anyone who isn't a friend give me feedback so I assume my book must be bad. But then I've only sold 9 so that could also be the reason.
I tried getting an agent and after 10 form rejection letters and 3 serious editing binges I couldn't take it any more and self published instead. Then again, I'm hugely prone to self doubt and need at least a dozen people to tell me if something is good or I assume they are just being nice.
All you can do is be supportive and remind your friend that you like their books so someone else will as well.
Writing isn't really about making lots of money, it's about sharing the world you created with others so that they can enjoy it too. (And not telling your friends what happens before they read it, that's also important apparently. At least nobody hit me this time.)

Have I ever felt this way? Regularly.

Emma, I don't know if this helps, I can only really go on my own experience here but... It took me 13 years and several attempts to write a book in which I had confidence. Few Are Chosen was my fourth book and the first one I wrote that I didn't wish somebody else had written. The minute I'd finished it, I knew it was OK and that I was proud of it. It was as if something flicked a switch inside me. Suddenly, I'd written a book I could show to my husband without fear (phnark) not that I did.

Confidence does come, with time... just keep writing and when you've really, really cracked it, you'll know.

Having said that, even now there are times when I get very blue. I can only write very slowly and as I'm working on a trilogy it takes ages to progress and, in the meantime, my sales are piss poor.

If you're looking for feedback. There are some sites which may help, there's Authonomy which is good, if you find your feet in the writing bit of the forums first you can get to know people and have honest crits on your books... there's also ah now I think it's youwriteon.com where you post anonymous excerpts and other people read them and comment. They're a bit harsher but still useful. I have heard that Wattapad is quite good too, but to be honest I've never tried it.

I hope that helps.

Cheers

MTM

I did use authonomy. I got 4 out of 6 as an average rating on my pre-edit first 3 chapters. It'll work out in the end. And it's not the end of the world if not everyone likes it, my friends want to read more so I have to keep writing for them if nobody else. And the world would still be tootling away inside my head anyways.

I deal with self doubt often. I think we all do as authors. The big thing is how we deal with it and get over it. Lack of sales and having doubts about if your book will sell is one thing but questioning and having doubts about if your own work is good enough is the hard part to get over. Its to point out and always remember that if you didnt believe in your writing then you wouldnt be writing and or trying so hard to think of your next masterpiece. Its sort of a road block if you will, your mind tells you your not good enough to try and get you to do your very best. I have always found when people tell me I cant it only makes me want to try harder this goes for my own self telling me.

We all deal differently but how we get over our doubt really all depends on what happens next. If we have a plan in mind then the doubt will pass but if there is no what next then the doubt really sets in and makes us question ourselves.

Yesterday I was full of self doubt. Today I woke up to find this review, and it pushed all that doubt aside.

http://ayanami023.wordpress.com/2013/...

What a roller-coaster ride this writing/publishing lark is. Thanks Branwen, you put a smile on my face.

Myself and others told her to keep going at it and that she shouldn't give up because the book isn't selling fast or well - that she needs to promote herself and things will turn around!!