Over at one of my favorite KidLit blogs, Cynsations, debut Métis and white author Jen Ferguson, whose YA novel, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet just published in May 2022, is featured in Native Voices: Jen Ferguson on What She Has Learned As A Writer.
In the interview, in response to AJ Eversole's question, Do you have any tips for debut authors about balancing the roles of author and writer?, Jen shares these wise words:
“Keeping those roles as separate as possible seems to be the best thing for both my writing and my career as an author. As an author there are lots of distractions—promoting your books, supporting your community of writer friends, engaging with the public, doing interviews, and the dreaded task of updating your website!
“All of those things can add unneeded stress and often unkind voices—you know, envy, imposter syndrome, or a really scathing review—that will get in the way of the writing.
“One example: I don’t read reviews on sites like Goodreads or Amazon anymore. Because reviews aren’t for me as writer or for me as author—they’re for readers. And when I did read reviews, they got in the way of the writing and in the way of being an author.
“I know it’s not possible to stop things in your author life from leaking into your writer life all of the time because we’re human. But finding ways to keep those two things from getting in each other’s way is really good practice. You’re allowed to take your author hat off and wear your writerly tiara, and your writerly tiara doesn’t go with all your professional outfits.”
That bit about “reviews aren’t for me as writer or for me as author—they’re for readers.” seems like amazing advice.
Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee
No comments:
Post a Comment