Why are authors so emotional?

Every author client I’ve had in the last two years is reading that blog title and thinking, “He’s talking about me, isn’t he?”

No, my friends, this isn’t about you, at least not individually. It’s about all of you.

Writing a book is a labor of love. So of course it’s emotional.

Authors care deeply about what they’re creating. They’re driven to get it out into the world. This is just as true of advice and big idea books as it is of memoirs and fiction. Writing takes large amounts of psychic effort, and much of the effort is tied up with the author’s sense of who they are. So it’s no surprise that emotions come into play.

Here are some reasons that authors become emotional during the book process:

• Books are about cherished ideas. Authors are driven to tell the world about the insights and experiences they’ve had. It’s essential for them to communicate those ideas as clearly and effectively as possible. This isn’t a research report; it’s a statement about how they fundamentally view the world.
• Books and authors are tightly joined. Authors know that people who read and like their books are essentially liking and admiring them. Conversely, a flawed or crappy book reflects poorly on its author. When you work on a book, you are projecting your own persona.
• Writing or publishing a book is takes a year or more. You can’t put that level of effort into a creative endeavor without a strong emotional connection to it.
• The writing and publishing process is filled with anxiety. Authors worry that their ideas are weak, their writing is lacking, their covers are ugly, their marketing is ineffective, their Amazon description is off, and their audiobook makes them sound like Daffy Duck. They worry that their book is weak or out-of-date compared to the other important books in their space. They have two big worries: that no one will read it, and that everyone will read it and think they’re wrong. Every author I work with seems to find something new to worry about. If working on a book makes you feel insecure, of course it’s going to be an emotional experience.
• Writing is filled with setbacks. Your first draft is not just going come flowing out effortlessly and sail through the publishing process. You will rethink your title. You will rethink your main idea. You’ll want to rearrange your chapters. You’ll discover that you don’t really know how to write about people, quote dialogue, explain research, make an idea sound powerful, give advice, or any of the other dozens of things an author has to learn to do well. If you doubt yourself at all, these challenges and obstacles will make you wonder if the project is worth completing. That’s hard to experience.
• The publishing process is mysterious and vexing. People believe they understand writing; they have a lot of experience with it. But publishing is a mystery. How do publishers decide which books to invest in? Why does it take so long to publish a book? How will the publisher critique the draft, and how seriously does the author have to take what they say? Will the book appear in bookstores? How do ebooks and audiobooks happen? Will I be able to distribute advance copies to people? What does the pub date actually mean? It’s an arcane and opaque business, and publishers like it that way because it maintains their mystique. But navigating this strange landscape tends to make authors nervous and paranoid.

What this means for authors, editors, and book coaches

If you’re considering working on a book, prepare yourself for this experience. It’s going to challenge you emotionally. You might want to quit cocaine and reconnect with your most trusted friends or colleagues before you get started. (It’s not clear if Writers’ Tears whiskey will actually help.)

If you’re in the midst of a book process, I hope that reading this has helped you understand that you are not alone. Everyone is emotional and anxious while working on a book. Try to concentrate on what the problems are and how you can fix them, rather than just freaking out in a general way. Turn the anxiety into action to improve your book and your ability to benefit from it.

This brings me to the job of developmental editor and coach. Editors and coaches are experts in what it takes to make a book successful. They also know all about publishing and can explain its inner workings to a new author. Understanding the emotional side of editing is integral to contributing to an author’s success.

My editorial philosophy is to start from a single question: what will it take to make this book and this author successful? The more we can focus together on substantive issues, the more grounded and productive the author will be.

As for the emotional side, I know part of my job is to listen patiently, empathize, and explain publishing as dispassionately as possible. I try to refocus authors on the things they are doing well: a great idea, incredible stories, or entertaining ways of writing, for example. There are often far more things to be proud of than to be worried about.

The basic message is, “I know you are concerned, but the important things are going well and the problems can be fixed.”

I was a bit of a hardass when I was in the workplace, but as an editor I have had to develop my empathy skills. Even so, I think authors respect that I’m a tough, honest, and unbiased judge of their work and what it needs to be. If that’s offered from a shared perspective of what’s best for the product, it usually restores their confidence.

So as an author, by all means be emotional about your book: It’s one of the most important things you’ll ever create. But focus on the big picture, even as you correct the details. You’re about to be a published author. All that work will be worth it.