It Isn't All Sunshine and Unicorns in the Publishing World

My daughter is currently reading the book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and introduced our entire family to a superhero in the book - The Disappointment Panda. For purposes of getting to the point quicker, I am pulling a description that comes from the blog post Life Done Differently I am also doing this because my daughter is still dabbling her way through the book, so I have not gotten my hands on it yet. 

My Daughter's Disappointment Panda We Keep on Our Fridge

Disappointment Panda is a superhero with the superpower is to tell people the harsh truth about themselves – so that they can come to terms with it and take action. While that might at first sound more like a villain than a hero, Mark might be onto something.

He argues that we need to stop hiding from the negative stuff in our lives and about ourselves and instead start to embrace them.

• Suffering and pain are inherent parts of human nature. Suffering is nature’s way to inspire change. Pain helps us pay attention and teaches us valuable lessons. Avoiding pain means we’re missing out on those lessons.

• Don’t hope for a life without problems. Hope for a life with good problems.

• True happiness comes from finding the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving – Don’t avoid problems, find good ones.

• Negative emotions are a call to action. When you feel them it’s because you are supposed to do something.

I bring this up because I do believe every author out there needs to get in touch with their own Disappointment Panda. The reality is that publishing is tough. You will get rejections. Your computer will crash when you are in the middle of writing the best scene ever. You will have writer's block. You will have self-doubt. You will likely change editors multiple times, and, more often than not, it will be just when you think things are going great. But I want you to really look at what the author is arguing.

First, come to terms with the negative stuff and do something about it. Too often, all people do is sit there and complain about it. I hear authors complain about their covers not being what they wanted, titles not being what they like, or the fact that "their publisher is not selling their book." All of that might be true, but what did they do about it? Probably nothing. 

Secondly, when there is suffering and pain, or any other disappointment that our buddy likes to give us, it is a chance for us to stop and think about the situation. It forces us, if we are willing to listen, to think about our role in the whole mess. OK, so you got a really negative review. That dirty scumbag probably didn't read the book. The reviewer is just stupid, you scream. But the reality is to listen to what that person said. That negative review might give you something to think about instead of just going back out there and doing the same thing. Who knows, that person may be your next ally.

You will also notice the emphasis on finding solutions. When you get into a bind, find a way to fix it. When you start having those negative feelings (most authors get those thoughts about their books when the deadline is looming, then find a way to change that feeling. Recognize the fact that you have always had that feeling at this same spot. Get over yourself, write the book you know you can write and celebrate getting over the problem!

Don't fool yourself into believing that all of those authors you read and look up to don't have problems. They do. They are just like you. They are human. 

So, deal with it!