As I finally come back to my computer, ready to put words on a page, I keep asking myself why it took me so long. I know I’m confident in myself, at least to a degree. I’m not a bestselling author, I’m not a terrible writer, and I believe my story ideas are really good. Am I confident in what will happen with my words? That’s where I fail.

It shouldn’t matter what happens to our books…maybe one person will read it. All of the people who tell you they will buy your self-published book, or say they will check it out, and you can hear them forgetting to do said thing later on…does their lack of support matter as much as the fact that you actually published your work?

Don’t forget, your support matters.

You wouldn’t have published your work, or even shown it one friend or editor, if you didn’t want to do one simple thing: share a dream to the world. Sometimes this is literal, as your characters or ideas can either appear or come from your dreams. They are inside your mind for so long, and you share it with the world.

It’s like opening a piece of your soul. Sharing your work makes you feel vulnerable inside. I know it does for me, anyway.

Everyone is a critic of something. I try to support other work of self-published authors as well. And even if I’m not the next great bestseller, I have to force myself to keep writing. Fame and fortune don’t bring happiness. But hiding away all of your characters, without even seeing if they could make one reader smile…that might bring regret.

I was drained from words from a while, and I think it was for multiple reasons. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m going to publish no matter what. I have characters to introduce to young readers who were once like me. I do this for me, and for the potential future audience.