I’ve seen the rivalry between writers first hand – it is an ugly beast indeed.
I’ve seen friendships ruined over petty jealousy and I’ve seen writers refuse to associate with other writers if there wasn’t enough promise of a positive career boost. This sort of thinking hurts everybody.
As independent authors we should be taking advantage of our numbers and helping each other at every turn.
There is no downside to working together.
Thank you to Tara Sparling for reinforcing my thoughts!!
MOTHER OF GOD ALL THESE OTHER BOOKS ARE SO INTIMIDATING
I’ve been hearing a lot lately about rivalry in the writing and publishing industries. And it’s a sad state of affairs. Because it’s complete and utter nonsense.
Rivalry is an alluring demon for authors (and, indeed, reviewers). For one thing, the very nature of writing – a solitary activity, which rarely if ever allows for human interaction in the physical act itself – can make the loveliest, gentlest human into a raving, paranoid lunatic.
For instance, by the time a writer emerges from the Nth draft of their novel, covered in the primordial goo of self-doubt, the blinding fog that is fear of failure, never mind that murky quicksand which is the fear of success, the public domain can look like a row of guns and spears, all pointing at you. Some of them will just shoot you where you stand. You’ll manage to run in to the spears all by yourself. But it all looks terribly nasty. (And that’s enough sloppy metaphors.)
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