It is my pleasure to welcome Laura Boon, one of the "Roses" from The Wild Rose Press, and share her answer to my question...
ELF: What was the most difficult thing to overcome on your path to becoming a published author and how did you conquer it?
Expectations
and Imposter Syndrome: Overcoming fear to become a published writer
by
Laura Boon
I
come from a middle-class family with high expectations of success for their
daughters, the measure of success always being related to the size of one’s
bank balance. Some individuals thrive on such expectations. Others rebel
against them. I am paralyzed by them.
This
is possibly because I am drawn toward careers that don’t scream “pathway to
billionaire-dom”. I studied English, not finance, despite determined efforts to
redirect my focus. I hid my desire to write because I quivered internally at
the thought of saying at the family dinner table, “I’ve written this book and
it’s going to be published” only to be asked, “How much are you being paid?” The
answer to that question leads to discussions about starving artists in garrets
and well-meaning but unhelpful encouragement to get a “real” job doing
something I was not interested in, didn’t understand, and didn’t get any joy
from.
Fortunately,
I have a stubborn streak. I baulked at being forced into a job I didn’t want.
Unfortunately, I’m not brave. Instead of throwing myself headlong into the
world of creative writing, I sought out jobs around writers. I’ve worked as a
bookseller, a children’s book sales rep and a book publicist. Working in the book
industry has its pros and cons for an aspiring writer. I had access to the best
writers in the English language, a double-edged sword. These people are real writers, I would think, I’ll never be able to write anything that good. I should just give up
on the idea and stick to reading. Yet the pull remained. I could never quite
give up on the vision of a novel with my name on the cover.
And
then my husband and I moved to Sydney, and fate threw the Romance Writers of
Australia across my path. I had found my tribe. A community of people with
similar tastes, hopes and dreams where I wasn’t an imposter with ridiculous
expectations. Not only are the other members of RWAus supportive and generous
beyond measure, but the workshops they host demystify the craft of writing. I found
my genre and my voice. I found a critique partner and then a writing group.
Under
the gentle guidance of RWAus, I entered competitions, learnt from the feedback
and tried again. I made the finals of a few. I pitched and was rejected,
developed a thick skin and pitched again. I used my hard-won knowledge of the
publishing industry to put together a list of potential publishers and agents
whom I could approach. I gave myself a deadline to hear back from them and committed
to self-publishing if I received no interest. I was thrilled beyond speech when
I received interest and then my first contract from The Wild Rose Press.
I
still feel like an imposter. Still worry that even if my editor loves my book,
and readers give me good reviews, sales are the only reflection of my book –
and hence my own – value. If I can’t match JK Rowling’s sales (and, really, who
can?) I’m not measuring up. But I’m getting better at silencing my inner critic,
disentangling the ties between value and dollars, and getting down to work. I live
by a combination of “one word at a time” and “what will be, will be.”
In
summary, my keys to overcoming fear are:
1)
Find a supportive community to have your back through a writing center
or genre-specific organization. Contribute to your community, don’t just take.
2)
Avoid discussing your writing with those who put you down.
3)
Don’t compare yourself or your journey to others.
4)
Keep improving your skills.
5)
Find out as much as you can about the industry you work in. Knowledge is
power.
6)
Be open to all options – traditionally published, self-published and
hybrid.
7)
Feel the fear and do it anyway. Julia Cameron tells the story of a
student who said to her, “Do you know how old I’ll be by the time I finish
(insert desired project)?” “Yes,”
Cameron replied, “the same age as if you don’t finish it.”
************************
by Laura Boon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary
romance, small town romance, novella
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Licking her wounds after a bad relationship, San Diego accountant
Caitlyn Summers travels to Willow Springs to help her friend gear up for the
annual Maple Sugar Ball. She isn't planning on staying long, but one encounter
with the delicious Corey Duncan has her re-evaluating her plans.
Corey
swore off love when his wife Annie died from breast cancer. Caitlyn is too
young, too citified, and vibrates with a passion and energy that will upend the
safe, comfortable rhythm of his life. Corey has to choose between playing it
safe and taking a risk on love. Caitlyn needs to find the patience to let Corey
lead. If not, the Maple Sugar Ball might end in a sticky mess, instead of a
slow dance with the man who has captured her heart.
Will
their fire burn hot enough to erase doubts and past hurts?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
She walked across to Corey, tucking her hair behind
her right ear, unexpectedly shy at his acknowledgement. She squared her
shoulders. “Hi.”
“Hey.” He stood and pulled out a chair for her, a
half-smile playing on his lips. “You and I can’t avoid each other.”
She shrugged. “It’s a small town. Although you’ve
looked awfully busy.” Too busy to say hello was her unspoken message. She’d let
him know she was interested, and he had ignored her ever since.
“Yeah.”
Her drink arrived, and they fell silent while the
waitress fussed with a coaster and peanuts.
He rubbed his hand against his chin and gazed
directly into her eyes. “I’ve been a bit preoccupied, mostly with you.”
“Me?” She choked on a swig of champagne and coughed
as the bubbles went down the wrong way.
He grabbed her glass and set it down before patting
her on the back.
“I’m fine,” she gasped.
“Sorry. I take it that was my fault for surprising
the heck out of you.”
“Yep.”
“Why? You’re the one who kissed me.”
And why wouldn’t she when he looked so delectable? She
was tempted to kiss him again, rub out the mischievous twitch to his lips.
Instead she retorted, “And you’re the one who
didn’t kiss me back.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Laura
Boon stole her first romance from her father’s bookshelves as a teenager, The
Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss, and was immediately captivated.
After holding a variety of positions in publishing, from bookseller to sales
rep and publicist, she eventually found the courage to write her own stories.
She was born in Zambia, grew up in South Africa, and went to university in
America. She now lives in Australia with her husband and their adorable dogs
Beau and Arro. When she is not reading or writing, she enjoys sleuthing for
artisan chocolate and beautiful stationery, watching tennis, and walking
alongside Sydney’s beautiful harbor.
Social
Media Links
**************************
GIVEAWAY
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The tour dates can be found here
Thanks for hosting me, Elf. Your question made me think about my journey to publication and the struggles I had along the way.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, Laura. Congrats on the new release and kudos to you for overcoming your fears and following your dream!
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteLaura in some ways I can very much relate to this. My wife (gotta love her) has always been supportive, however, she is an accountant, and every time I get a success - case in point the RONE nomination, sh is delighted, but says something like, but some money would be nice. She doesn't understand that for me it inst about making money its about telling stories that (hopefully) people enjoy
ReplyDeleteStephen, thank you for sharing. Our families mean well, I know that, but I find that having the value of what I’m doing constantly referring value back to dollars and cents is demeaning and discouraging. I also think people fail to realise that often you’re starting a new career as a writer. We weren’t judged solely on income when we got our first couple of jobs in our early twenties. Just because we’re older now doesn’t mean the status of novice/slightly accomplished/more accomplished, etc, doesn’t apply.
DeleteThanks for visiting, Stephen, and congrats on the nomination!
DeleteThank you so much for taking time to bring to our attention another great read. I enjoy these tours and finding out about many terrific books.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by James.
DeleteI always appreciate you taking the time to come by and I hope your family gets a chance to enjoy the Deerbourne Inn stories!
DeleteThanks for this post, Laura! And the excerpt. One word at a time is a very good way of putting it! I can't wait to read this book! Penelope
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by Penelope.
DeleteThanks for dropping by, Penelope!
DeleteI totally understand, Laura. Although I am lucky to have support of others around me, I still compare myself to others and wonder why I'm not more successful than I am. I find it comes in waves. Keep doing what you love and so happy to have you in our garden!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you all support each other in the Garden, Jennifer. Thanks for the visit!
DeleteThanks for your support Jennifer
ReplyDeleteAh, Lion Dancing for Love, another Deerbourne Inn book. I have it on my ipad next in line. Love all the Deerbourne Inn books. Wishing you lots of sales!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear, Tena. Thank you for coming by!
DeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThere are several stories in the series and I hope you get a chance to read them all, Rita! Thanks for popping in.
DeleteI'm so glad you found your tribe at last, Laura. Yeah, I get tired of ducking those questions that seek to quantify my success with sales ranking and dollars earned. I'm just so happy to finally have a seat at the authors' table. Best of luck with your release!
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to come by and comment, Sadira!
DeleteThank you for sharing your writing path, Laura. I had a time finding my tribe, as well. Seemed as though everyone I knew wrote everything other than romance. Thank goodness I finally found a local romance group and shortly thereafter, RWA. And... I nodded all through your list. Great advice. Oh, by the way, if you're ever in the U.S. and in Missouri specifically, we'll go on a great artisan chocolate adventure--we have a fantastic chocolatier in town who traveled extensively and studied the craft before he set up his own operation. Best of luck with your new book!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a yummy experience, Barbara. Thank you for visiting!
DeleteHappy Friday, thanks for sharing the great post!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoyed reading it, Victoria! Don't forget the Festival of Books is next weekend...I hope you get a chance to go by!
DeleteYou have to follow your dreams and do what makes you happy. Thanks for the great Q & A.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, Mary, otherwise, what's the point of working so hard? Great to see you!
DeleteI'm glad you worked through this, Laura. Most people don't understand that a writer has a burning need to write.
ReplyDeleteAnd we readers are so glad you do, Sandra. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteYes, finding support in any endeavors is always key!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! Thank you for popping in, Mya!
DeleteHappy Friday! Do you have any reading or writing plans for the weekend? If reading, what are some of your favorite genres?
ReplyDeleteSame to you, Bea! I have edits to work on, but I love all subgenres of romance as well as fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and animal stories! Thanks for visiting.
DeleteI'm always finding a new author through the Goddess Fish tours! Fun!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear, Dianna. Thanks for coming by!
DeleteLooking forward to the next installment of the Deerbourne Inn series
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear, Erryn. Thanks for popping in!
DeleteThis sounds like one amazing read!! I can't wait to read this..
ReplyDeleteThese are good tips for anyone trying to reach a goal!
ReplyDeleteGreat cover.
ReplyDeleteI just love your cover.
ReplyDelete