Getting past the Fear.......

So, day three has hit which means we are officially ten days since the release of ‘The Loss of Deference’.  On day one, I proudly sent out my ‘check this out’ emails to just about everybody I know and then it hit me: the Fear.  Suddenly I had that unrelenting cherub sat on my shoulder prodding me and poking me, and he did a damn good job of shutting up the other one, who usually has a lot more to say!

All of the questions started spinning around in my frazzled brain.  What if they don’t like it?  What if they think I don’t write very well?  What if they think I am a bit crazy with the subject matter, or worse still that it was autobiographical?  Honestly, I never killed anyone.  The pressure of judgment from the people in my own email contact list was almost enough for me to whip that book off Amazon quicker than you could say ‘Add to Basket’.

So book published and out there for world to see.  My biggest cheerleader, we’ll give him the name Doc, was proudly observing from the sidelines telling me all the right things.  But I needed something else.  Something a bit more, let’s say, less biased.

After a little bit of internet searching I found it.  http://www.kindleboards.com.  It has been a little treasure.  I have found a whole community of people just like me; other Dr. Seuss labelled newbies, all looking for the same supportive help, and then the seven starred ‘Edgar Allan Poe’ labelled longstanding members who are leading the way and showing us the ropes.  So this is my first bit of sharing.  My first gift to you.  If you are a kindle convert, or budding author wondering how you might be able to survive the cut throat world of publishing visiting this site is a must.  There are lots of interesting discussions, trouble shooting tips for your kindle or app, plus now I am reading books that I would have not otherwise known about from self published authors.  The only trouble is, after a promising 20,000 words in two weeks start, it is now two days since I have written any words for the as yet untitled book two!

Have you felt the Fear?  How did you get past it?