It's OK To Have An Ego As An Author (Sort Of)

I saw an article over the weekend talking about Walt Disney. The author was discussing the fact that this man had an ego, but, the author went on to say, it was OK. Why? For the simple fact that what he had done was ground breaking and was amazing for the time!

And I agree.

I would also agree that there are many authors out there who can have an ego and I would, in no way, challenge that ego. HOWEVER, and this is one of those big HOWEVERS, there are far too many author out there today who are walking around, telling everyone they are the most amazing thing out there, and have done nothing to achieve it.

What is unfortunate, is that there are too many struggling authors out there, trying to learn the craft of writing, who are being sucked in by these "pseudo-amazing authors" and believing what they are teaching.

I just saw, AGAIN, another line up at another AMAZINGLY HYPED UP conference, with writers, when, if a person pulled up the bios of the writer, NO ONE, and I honestly mean NO ONE had done anything amazing. And yet, read their bios, they were right up there next to the Carl Sandburg!

I want to push for several things here this Monday morning:

• Conference to truly vet those people and not just get sessions that sound good but get people who know what they are talking about
• Writers, truly research those people who are teaching your sessions. 

If you want to know my bio, here is:

AA - English Lit

BA - English Lit

MA - Literacy

MA - Creative Writing

Since 2003 Working with authors at Greyhaus Literary Agency representing Romance and Women's Fiction to publishers including: New American Library, Kensington, Source Books, Simon and Schuster, Harper Collins, Mills and Boons, Harlequin, Tule, Dragonblade... and like any award speech "I am sure I am missing someone and I am sorry" (I should also add that we are well over 10 figures in book sales easily world wide in "just traditional romance" alone.

Nationally recognized speaker with RWA, Historical Novel Society, Women Fiction Festival

5 years of teaching with UCLA Extension Program working with individuals moving toward becoming editors and agents.

And published author (and yes it is self published but that is all I wanted it to be)

Add in the fact that I have 35 years of teaching.

In other words, no, I am not someone who just wants to be an agent. 

So, what does this come down to? It is OK, to be proud of your accomplishments. You reached the THE END mark and many others have not. But please, do not pretend to be more than you are! We have a lot of authors out there desperate to learn anything, and right now, maybe, just maybe, what you have to say might not be what they need to hear. Maybe in a couple of years, AFTER you have been "in the trenches" for a while, but please think. Sure, help, but always guide them toward those who have been in this for a while. Be a shepherd for a while.