I think one of the most insidious ways authors talk themselves down is with the "I don't want anyone to read my book" mentality.

You wrote a book. You made it past countless gatekeepers. Trust that your book is good and let people read it goddamnit.

We normalize the idea that we should be scared of people reading work we spent years developing literally for the purpose of being read by people.

When do we start normalizing confidently handing our books to people and saying "Here you go! Enjoy!"

Because let me let you in on a secret: if you're confident in your work and trust that your work is good, someone say "this book sucked" won't sting so bad.

It hurts so much and is so nerve-wracking bc you convince yourself that feedback has an impact on your worth. It doesn't.

My book comes out this year, and it's damn good. It accomplishes what I set out to do, and I'm excited for y'all to read it.

And if you hate it? Aw man. That sucks. I guess you aren't the people the book is for. I'll keep sharing it until those people find it.

And after that, I'll work on my next book because I'm a damn good writer, and I want more people to find my stories and read them and like them.

And I hope y'all will share your stories too. Not everyone will like them but they're still good. So share them loud and proud.