Many of you know that I have published eight books on spiritual and nutritional topics, one on my life as a US Marine, with the latest one being a novel entitled Kill Potus. I have had a very difficult time getting my friends to buy and/or review this book… don’t know why. I think some are frightened by the title, thinking that it is about killing the current president… not the case… it is about saving a president and the American way of life. Some just aren’t interested in that type of story. And there must be a host of other reasons why this book stays on the shelves. I do know that you have to put in either the title or my full name in order to find it on Amazon.
I have been feeling quite badly about this situation, and then I read a good article, by an author that expressed my feelings rather well. The article is entitled: “But What If They Hate My Book?” Here is some of what she wrote: “I have written 16 books and I am pretty much convinced that each book will be hated, or (at the very least) someone will find some glaring flaw that I missed. When I was first published, some 17 years ago now, I recall having nightmares that people hated my first book so much that they were chasing me down the street, throwing copies of my book at me. No joke. The fear is real and often it can be so paralytic that it keeps us from reaching our higher goals. And, I imagine, it has resulted in a lot of great books remaining unpublished.”
I am having that dream a lot. I’ve even dreamed that the Secret Service (because of the title alone) has been following me, tapping my phone and monitoring my emails and Facebook posts. Friends are saying: “Hey, I reviewed your book… it was very good” and yet Amazon reports no reviews given. Even the IngramSpark catalogue to some 30,000 vendors will not add my book until the January issue.
The big problem is that I have postponed writing any more. I go in and just sit at my desk with no motivation whatsoever to write again. I have another book in mind but I have not been able to write any of it. My wife says: “Don’t write anything about the world today, write a happy book. I would love to write a “Happy Book” but right now I am not at all happy.
James Patterson says: “If you can’t handle rejection, don’t become a writer.” I should be able to handle rejection after 40 years in the ministry… but I guess I still have a problem with it.
Finally, my article writer continues the conversation with someone like me: “What if they hate it?” I asked. Her response is: “They might. And they may also love it? That is the risk of putting it out there.” I am still working through this and I hope I get through it in time to write another book.
Thanks for listening today.
Grace and Peace
Steve
Filed under: Faith |
The Journey 
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