Insecure Writer's Support Group

I am posting today for Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

This wasn’t a major insecurity for me, but I know it scares some people - once you become a published author, your life changes.

I remember talking to a woman at one of the Book ‘Em events a few years ago. She had just signed a contract with a major publisher and was scared that it would change her life. When her book came out, her publisher sent her on a big tour. She had a website, a blog, and many other social sites. Less than a year later, she posted on her blog that she couldn’t handle it anymore and was shutting everything down, including her email. The pressure became too much.

It doesn’t have to end like that though. You just have to be prepared for the changes.

If you’re introverted, you’ll have to learn to be more outgoing. You will have less time with family and friends. Some activities will go by the wayside. You’ll be on the phone more, You’ll be online a lot more! You may travel. There may be interviews. But your life will change.

My advice - prepare for the change and embrace it. Learn what you can and can’t do - early! If something is draining, pull back. Find balance, and that doesn’t mean everything gets an equal slice of the pie, it means everything gets an adequate slice. (Sometimes just enough to get by.)

I think back to my first year. I traveled almost every weekend doing signings and was constantly calling stores, doing interviews, and mailing bookmarks. It was total chaos. (Now add five years of professional speaking on top of that!)

But that chaos became the balance. I made it work. And today, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Can you handle the changes? Yes you can!