Let’s say that you’ve been on this writing journey, and have published some books, but have never sold any of them, yet you keep at it because there is nothing else that you can do. You’ve blogged; maintained a blog for some years—submitting, posting articles based on your interest, and you continue to have no readers, no interaction with other writers. What to do?
Continue as you have been doing, hoping one day for a break, a kind word from the outside world by way of respecting what you’ve done; but where to find this supportive community when right now what you do is in BETA mode, never to be seen or read or if read, than so what?
It sure is different here than the community you’ve found on Substack, yet, is it all that different? Do these writers on Substack parlay around you in trying to get you to become a paying member? As you are paying for this BETA mode BookBub Partners, and when will it not be in BETA mode, how different will it be? Will there be interaction with other writers, or will they be too busy promoting their writing?
You were on Wordpress for years, and there were only a few interactions as writers ignored what you did because it was not good enough. You finally gave in and produced that tea book ‘teatime’, and what was it all for?
Amazon berates you because you’ve not purchased in years; you can’t even give a review since not meeting their guidelines. What to do?
The world berates you as well, for not having money of your own; what’s dispensed is your husband’s income; so others are irate, as if he were you when not, as they are him or his family when not. Or they pass for your own family who does not know of your existence of shamefacedness. Out into the cold, you’ve been and continue to be. What to do when shame-faced? If you are so good, why don’t you get paid for it? Why keep taking what little money your husband gives to those who mock and pass as you? The world only sees where one originates, as Margaret Mead and Darwin, obsessing that they were in cataloguing species; that place setting that we can’t ever overcome, no matter how long it’s been.
First generation vs. third, fourth, and fifth, as they have more rights than you’ll ever have. Shamefacedness; shame on you for thinking that you can when you cannot. Shame on you for not trying hard enough, while others play at doing very little, abiding their time and winning in the end. Who are you to think that you can, when you cannot?
Where is all this coming from? What happened?
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I found that it is not me who at times get that feeling of shamefacedness and down in the darkness feeling; this article from Huff Post shares a similar story:
When You’re Overwhelmed with Self-Doubt by Dawn Serra, Contributor
“This morning, I woke up and knew this needed to be written. Why?
Because last night I could feel the darkness trying to suffocate me. My thoughts turned to hopelessness and worry, shame and discouragement, and most of all doubt.
Doubting my gifts, doubting my talent, doubting my dreams, doubting whether I deserved…well, anything.
It happens sometimes, doesn’t it? Those doubts creeping in – about whether you’re good enough, whether you’ll ever be ready to pursue your dreams, whether you’re lovable or desirable.
The doubt turns into anxiety, and then you’re off to the races. There’s no stopping it now. The inevitable anxiety spiral taking you down the rabbit hole.
I have an intimate relationship with my dark side, my shadow self. She is powerful, but she can be terribly cruel if I’m not careful.” Read this article entirely here
Well, I hope to return and add to this Art of Writing topic on a monthly basis. This month has not been good for this ‘pretender’ who is not a writer, but takes lots of pictures of things of interest to post. I hope to share of something better next time, after all–this is what writing is all about…sharing/stimulating and supporting one another.
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Thank you!