I was chatting with a friend of mine the other day about a writing conference and he mentioned how disappointed he was with some of the authors who attended. Now, before I go too far, let me say that the friend I was talking to is also an author.
As to why he was disappointed in (some) of his fellow authors it comes down to a single word: attitude. He told me that a number of the attending authors had the attitude that they were better than everyone else and deserved to be treated like celebrities.
I have a real problem with that because, as Dave Duncan once said to me, “Every professional author was an amateur just like you at one time”. This really speaks to the heart of my personal philosophy which is that no one is any better than anyone else. Every person alive has their strengths and their weaknesses. Some people simply do a better job of burying the weaknesses.
But why am I talking about this now?
Simply put, I don’t want to become one of those people who thinks he is better than others nor do I want you to either. It can be really easy to believe the good press you hear. People tell you how wonderful you are enough and you might start to believe it. By doing so you take the risk of alienating your friends and fans. You also begin to put too much pressure on yourself to always be wonderful.
I’ve spoken to a lot of authors and they are, for the most part, very helpful, considerate, genuine people. There haven’t been too many I haven’t liked. I have met some who fit the egocentric mould and they serve to remind me how not to act.
This brings me to the networking aspect of being an author. If I like someone, I’m more likely to follow their work. If I don’t like someone, I probably won’t bother. That’s simple enough, right?
What I am not saying is don’t gain confidence in your work. Confidence is about how you feel inside. Attitude is about how your present yourself to others. Totally different.
I only hope that if I start to cross the line, someone will stand up and point it out to me. I know, I’d do the same for you. 🙂
Personal Update
After the thrill of receiving my first writing contract, things have quieted down a little. The story won’t be published for several more months so I must be patient. I also must keep writing so I have more stuff to sell.
My middle grade series is still being considered by a publisher so hopefully that will be my next bit of good news.
Get Published is now officially in the Radio Dentata Internet radio schedule (Monday and Thursdays). I’m hoping that it will bring some increased exposure to the show and maybe even a few more fans.
On the job front, I’m getting some interest from a few companies. I’m hoping that it won’t be long until I’m back among the gainfully employed.
Finally, the Balticon countdown is now less than a month. On May 27 I fly to Baltimore for, what I hope will be an awesome time. I’m told by many that it will exceed my expectations.
Have a great week.
