Fear of the UnknownYou can do years of research on writing, stories, self-publishing, whatever, but there is always an uncertainty when we think about the future. We never really know what’s going to happen until we get there. Fear of the unknown is being anxious about what might happen.

A small amount of fear can be good, as it stops us from making foolish decisions. But…“When fear infects the imagination, it enlarges the potential consequences far beyond what they’re actually likely to be.”*

Does any of this sound familiar?

  • What if no one likes it?
  • What if no one buys it?
  • What if I get bad reviews?
  • What if I never find an agent?
  • What if I screw up this time and I never get another chance?
  • “What if I’m just deluding myself and this turns out to be a huge failure?”*

If you’re procrastinating it might be good to take a step back and look at the reasons why. Are you holding off your goals, thinking that you have plenty of time, that the future you will get round to writing that amazing book you’ve been thinking of writing? Of publishing? Are you afraid of releasing something that isn’t perfect, because you’re afraid of criticism? Are you second guessing everything you do for fear of making a mistake and losing credibility?

The fears and “What ifs?” are heavy, and weigh us down like an anchor, stopping, or hindering us from moving forward.

Publishing a book is scary. But if you keep allowing “What ifs” to hold you back, your dream will remain a dream. Accept that not everyone is going to like what you write – and that is a good thing! If you find your audience, those dedicated readers who love everything your write, then does it matter if some people found that it didn’t suit them? Write for your audience, and for you.

I hope you enjoyed this article, thanks for reading!

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To be published – Future articles in this series:

*source – The Fear Of Criticism – Way Of The Dave