Letting Go

Once you publish a book, it no longer belongs to you. It becomes a commodity for people to love or hate; embrace or burn.

This is a hard, hard lesson to learn -- and one I struggle with. I've poured my wine-soaked blood and sweat into my novel. I've anguished over plot lines, character development and word choices. But once my creation is out in the marketplace, I no longer have a part to play: my work is done and I need to move on.

It's so easy to get caught up in review angst -- stories often circulate of authors who even post vitriolic responses to reviews. But as difficult as it is to accept not everyone likes our work, the reality is that it's inevitable. And in my humble opinion, it's not the author's place to comment. If someone bought my book, they have a right to review it however they like.

Of course I want people to love everything I write. Of course any hint of negativity stings. But if I want to continue to write other (and hopefully even better) novels, I need to learn to let my novel go. On Twitter the other day, I said that as a writer, you need to develop thick skin. The wonderful novelist Katie Fforde responded that as writers, we can't help but have thin skin -- it's what makes us who we are.

So... my thin skin may get a little bruised from time to time. But it's a small price to pay for setting my novel free!

Happy Wednesday!

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