Comparison is the Death of Joy - Mark Twain

Now that I am well into the marketing aspect of my debut novel, I am reminded of Mark Twain's brilliant statement. 

Marketing, after all, is all about comparisons. How many Likes to I have? How many hits did I get? How many followers? How many views? Did I do better than the other guy? Worse?

Implicit in those plaintive queries of course, is the larger, more insidious question. Am I good enough?

If you're like me, you immediately gravitate toward the negative. You know the drill. The concept is dull, the writing is crap, and the final product is pure, unadulterated shite - or something to that effect.

For others, the opposite is true. They see themselves as the next Tolstoy, Hemingway or Monroe. Reality, when it strikes, is a bitter pill for these deluded souls.

Whether negative or positive, judging yourself is a no-win situation. You will always come up short.

We all know what self-judgment sounds like...

"You'll couldn't write your way out of a paper bag, ya hack." 

"A kid in grade one paints better than you ever could." 

"Your singing sounds like a strangled cat."

"It doesn't matter how great you are, you'll never get as many views as the latest mommy porn writer. You'll always be average."

We also know what happens when we listen to that nasty little voice. We don't even try. We shut down our creativity for fear of coming up short, of being laughed at, of failing. 

And, as I head into the marketing phase, I am going to do my best to follow through on all the tasks I'm given by my marketing team. I'll keep my author website current, attend writing conferences as needed, and participate in author forums, etc. Whatever they ask, I'll do it. 

What I won't do, is watch the numbers. Simon and Schuster can worry about that. Whether my book sells fifty thousand copies or five hundred is irrelevant to me, and always has been.

My goal in writing this book was to put my ideas on paper, and to improve as a writer. I have succeeded on both counts - far beyond my wildest dreams. 

And I know that if I want to continue along this joyous path, then I must be vigilant against comparing myself to others. 

There will always be those who are worse, and those who are better. 

I'm okay with that.

I'm content as I am...happily messing about with my stories.

Feeling good.