The hardest part of being an author is hitting send.

I can work 2000 or more words a day when I am motivated.  I can get myself motivated. I can handle editing out what does not work, I can even handle editors telling me to cut or move sections.  I can understand some scenes I love do not work, and some phrases I use need changing. I can handle looking through cover options, and setting down to format what I want how I want.  I can handle reviews and critique. I can handle the nits and bits of everyday writing.

But when it is all ready and I am looking at what I did I wonder:  Will they care? Will some stranger say, “This is what I wanted.” What will my family and friends think?  Will they care? Will anyone bother to read it? Will they hate it when they do? I have laid myself bare, and I worry that nobody will care.

I started to post rough drafts of shorts on my blog just for this reason.  I tell myself it is to get feedback on how to improve the story before I send it out for submissions, and this is an important benefit, as it helps my work become better.  But really I am trying to overcome that sinking feeling every time I feel done enough to send my work out into the world.

The hardest part of being an author is hitting send.

Today I will hit send anyway.