Writers in the Storm

By Jaime Buckley

Let me guess.

You have a draft sitting somewhere. Maybe it's on your hard drive. Maybe it's a half-finished Google Doc you haven't opened in three weeks. Maybe it's an idea you've been carrying around in your head so long it's started to feel like furniture.

And every time you think about actually putting it out there...something stops you.

You've probably told yourself a story about why. You're not ready. It needs more editing. The market's too crowded. Nobody wants to hear what you have to say. You don't have a platform yet. The timing's wrong.

I believed every single one of those stories. For years.

Here's what I know now, after building a readership from scratch, losing everything I built, walking away from my own writing for an entire year...and coming back anyway.

Those aren't the real reason.

The Lie We Tell Ourselves

The story most writers tell themselves is that they're afraid of failure.

Afraid of bad reviews. Afraid of silence...the kind where you publish something and nobody responds. Afraid of being told, flat out, that you can't write. That your story doesn't matter. That you wasted your time.

That fear is real. I won't pretend it isn't.

But for most of us? That's not the actual wall.

I know this because I lived the other side of it. I built a website that drew over 750,000 visitors from 60 countries in its first year. Tens of thousands of registered users. Daily traffic that made no sense for a nobody from Utah with no marketing budget and no connections.

I had an audience. A real one.

...and then I stopped.

Not because I failed. Because something about succeeding terrified me more than failing ever had. I just didn't have words for it yet.

The Fear Nobody Talks About

Here's the thing about failure...you know how to handle it. You've been handling it your whole life. Getting up, dusting off, trying again. There's a muscle for that. Writers are built for failure. Rejection letters, bad drafts, dead ends. We know this territory.

Success is different.

Success means people are watching. It means expectations. It means the next thing has to be as good, or better...and what if it isn't? What if the first one was a fluke? What if you've already done the best work you'll ever do, and everything from here is a slow disappointment?

What do you do when there's no longer a wall to push against?

I'd been used to fighting. Used to getting up one more time than I was knocked down. That was my identity. Take that away...and what am I?

That thought made my hands shake.

So I found ways to slow down. To get distracted. To tell myself I was being responsible, strategic, patient. Meanwhile, the writing sat untouched.

If this sounds familiar, I'm not surprised. Because this is the real fear. Not "what if I fail?" but...

What if I actually succeed?

What Happens If It Works?

Sit with that question for a second.

What happens if you publish, and people love it? What happens if the audience shows up, the comments roll in, and suddenly there are real human beings waiting for your next piece?

Does that excite you...or does some part of you want to close the tab?

I'm not asking to be dramatic. I'm asking because your honest answer tells you everything about what's actually holding you back.

Writers who fear failure avoid starting.

Writers who fear success avoid finishing.

They edit one more time. They redesign the header. They decide the niche isn't quite right. They spend six months building the perfect system for publishing...and never publish. The preparation becomes the point, because preparation has no consequences.

Finishing has consequences. Putting it out has consequences. Being READ has consequences.

And somewhere in your gut, you already know that.

The Day I Had to Admit It

I didn't figure this out on my own. I had to lose everything first.

After my audience disappeared and my writing career fell apart, I spent a year convinced a single critic had been right. That I couldn't write. That I was never meant to be a writer. I pulled every book, every blog post, every piece of content I'd ever made...offline.

It took my wife and daughter to pull me back.

My daughter handed me a box set of books and told me to read them. Said they reminded her of how I wrote. And she was right. I read them in an afternoon.

"That's how you write," she said.

"Whatever," I said.

"Then why not struggle for your own dream," my wife said, "instead of someone else's?"

...I had no answer for that.

What I eventually understood was this: I had never really believed I deserved the success I'd already had. So when someone gave me a reason to walk away from it, I took it.

That's what fear of success looks like in practice. It doesn't announce itself. It just hands you a convenient excuse...and you take it.

How to Know Which Fear Is Yours

Here's a simple test.

Think about your writing. The piece you haven't published, the series you haven't started, the newsletter you've been "almost ready" to launch for six months.

Now ask yourself: if I knew for certain this would fail...would I still write it?

If the answer is yes, you're afraid of something other than failure.

If the answer is no...that's worth sitting with, too.

For me, the answer was always yes. Even in my worst moments, I kept writing. Not publicly. Not for anyone. Just because the stories wouldn't leave me alone. That told me the fear wasn't about failure.

The cure, by the way, isn't a mindset shift or a motivational quote. The cure is a smaller stage.

Start somewhere the stakes feel manageable. Write one piece. Put it in front of a small audience. Watch what happens. Let the evidence replace the assumption.

That's exactly why I started on Substack. Not because it was perfect...but because it was a room I could walk into without feeling like I had to fill a stadium on day one. A place to build something honest, piece by piece, with people who chose to show up.

Just Be You

The last thing my wife said to me, when I was at my lowest, was the simplest thing anyone has ever told me.

"Just be you, my love. Just be...you."

That's it. That's the whole answer. Not a strategy. Not a platform hack. Not a content calendar.

If you're sitting on writing that matters to you...it already matters. The fear telling you otherwise isn't protecting you.

It's keeping you from the people who need to read what only you can write.

Start small. Be honest. Show up.

The draft on your hard drive is already waiting.

So are your readers.

What's holding you back?

If you're ready to build that kind of writing practice with real structure and support behind it, consider our course, Substack for Authors. That's where we help writers stop hiding and start building something that lasts.

About Jaime

Jaime Buckley is the author of the Chronicles of a Hero series and the founder of LifeofFiction.com on Substack. He teaches writers how to build a sustainable publishing practice at JaimeBuckley.com and through the online course Substack for Authors.

By Rachel Warmath

You are not annoying for telling the world about the book you wrote.

And yet many authors (especially first-time authors) feel a lot of resistance when it comes to launching and promoting their work. Stepping into the spotlight can feel icky and vulnerable, and you may find yourself thinking, I’d just like to go back to my writing cave now, please! 

But what if this fear and discomfort you feel is not actually so different from the fear and discomfort you overcame to get your manuscript done?

And what if your book launch could be simpler?

Let’s get into some practical tips for a successful book launch, plus the mindset shifts that can transform your experience and make it less scary.

Remember what it took to write your book.

You faced a lot of ups and downs in getting your manuscript done. This phase of your author journey is no different.

What helped you feel confident while you worked on your first draft? What kept you going? What do you know about yourself now that you didn’t know before you started writing?

You have many strengths already. Use them.

Think of your marketing plan as happening in three waves, each naturally building on the last.

1. Who do you already know?
2. Who do those people know?
3. Who’s out there online already talking about what’s in your book?

Start by reaching out to people you know: friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, former coworkers, people from your yoga class or book club. These people already believe in you and would love to see you succeed! Be specific in how they can help with your book launch: “It would mean the world if you buy a copy, leave a review, and pass the book along to one person you think would love it.”

Think outside the box and remember that your readers could be anywhere: a spiritual or volunteer community, grief support group, running club, local open mic night. Stay open to the possibilities! Who would you like to meet? Are there local events or places you’ve wanted to go where you could share your book? Where can you encourage this ripple effect to happen around you?

Finally, do your research online and start connecting with potential readers in groups, forums, events, podcasts, and comment sections where people are talking about the themes or topics your book explores. Start joining those conversations. Offer insight 90% of the time, and if there’s an opportunity to plug your book, do it only 10% of the time. Share first. Give first. Think of yourself as being in service to your readers, and let your marketing ideas come from the heart.

Marketing is a way to connect.

Someone out there is craving a book like yours. Start thinking about book marketing as a chance to connect with that person. Simple as that. 

Instead of “pushing” for sales or trying to convince people to buy your book, focus on showing up in communities that you care about. You are building a network. Trust that your readers are out there and that they want to hear from you.

Also, remember that not everyone is your ideal reader, and that is okay!

Who might feel less alone by reading your book? What is that person missing? What do they need to hear? What are they scrolling for late at night? Provide value in your messaging and you’ll connect with readers easily.

Practice talking about your book often.

The more you talk about your book, the more natural it will feel to talk about your book. When anyone asks, “How are you?” or “What have you been up to lately?” use it as an opportunity to talk about your book. Share why your book matters and what it took to write it. 

Notice moments when others become curious or ask follow-up questions. The things that stand out to others could be great hooks for emails, social captions, or podcast pitches.

Practice giving short sound bites about your book. Here are some prompts to get you started:

• “My book is about…”
• “I wrote this book because…”
• “The conversation I hope this book starts is…”
• “My biggest surprise during the writing process was…”
• “After reading this book, you won't be the same because…”

Work toward being able to answer these in a few succinct sentences without hesitating. You can use these as preparation for filming videos of yourself for social media posts and being interviewed on podcasts.

Set specific goals and hone in on them.

Get clear on what success looks like for you with this specific book launch. 

Are you dead-set on hitting a certain sales goal? Do you want to feel calm and relaxed the day your book comes out? Maybe you’re wanting this book to open certain doors and lead to a new career opportunity?

Write those things down. Be specific. Write down how it’s going to feel when you have those things. Read the list before you go to bed at night, and first thing when you wake up in the morning.

Once you have clarity about what you really want, you can create it for yourself. So reflect on what truly motivates you and leaves you feeling satisfied and energized. That clarity will keep you from chasing other peoples’ dreams or overthinking your way into analysis paralysis.

Marketing = a masterclass in self-trust.

What if promoting your book is actually a pathway to being more courageous in your life? It’s time to shift any self-limiting beliefs that have been holding you back. 

Consider:

• Do you trust yourself? Why or why not?
• What are you so scared of?
• Does being seen feel energizing? Paralyzing? A little of both? Why is that?
• When was the first time you really felt seen or like people understood who you are? Was it a positive or negative experience? What did you learn?
• What feels more vulnerable: having people who know you (like friends and family) see you up close and know about your book? Or being vulnerable with complete strangers?
• What aspects of marketing are fulfilling to you, and what things drain you?

Publishing a book is a rare opportunity to know yourself in a new way. To embrace a new identity and to heal old patterns and beliefs. Identity shifts take time, so give yourself grace and understanding on your own journey.  

Check Your Inner Monologue

Many authors don’t realize how much their inner monologue is affecting their launch results.

Do these sound familiar?

• “I'm so behind. I need to do more.”
• “There's so much pressure. This is hard.”
• “It's all on me.”
• “I suck at this.”
• “I have to get it perfect.”

Shift your internal voice to sound more accepting and growth-oriented:

• “I know my book will help people, so I’m willing to share about it.”
• “Marketing is a skill and I’m learning more as I go.”
• “I can ask for help when I need it.”
• “My launch is working out for me. It gets to be easy and fun.”
• “I’m allowed to show up and just be myself.”

If you can create a safe inner space in your mind, you’ll feel more calm and confident in every bit of marketing you do.

Expand your “zone of tolerance” as you put yourself out there.

Promoting your book is bound to get you out of your comfort zone. Embrace it! You’re moving into the “stretch zone,” a space of courage and risk where you’re doing difficult and new things. You’re traversing unexplored territory. 

You’re also training your nervous system to be more resilient. 

Take the pressure off by seeing the first 100 to 1000 book sales as a training ground. At first, new tasks might feel like too much—you may feel your body go into fight-or-flight, or you might feel emotionally flooded. But over time, that can shift. You are expanding your “zone of tolerance” to now include book marketing tasks. It’s that sweet spot where you can think clearly, manage stress, and stay present without getting too dysregulated.

For example, the first time you see a 1-star review, it might send you into a spiral. Instead of bottling your frustration, talk about how that experience made you feel. Journal on it. Remember why you’re proud of your book.

Does that situation bring up a time from your past when you were rejected or criticized? Are you also taking time to read and really take in your 4-star and 5-star reviews, or do you have tunnel vision that’s only looking at the criticism? 

Set some boundaries around checking reviews and comments. Is it helpful to you (and your mental health) to read them? When do you feel most grounded and centered? When do you need to take a break from your phone?

Ultimately, it’s up to you to maintain perspective on how amazing your book is. Resilience means loving yourself even when haters pop up—and that will get easier the more you practice it.

Every step you take in letting yourself be seen will stretch your capacity. The things that feel terrifying today might end up feeling completely normal six months from now. Keep moving forward and know that by the time you reach 100 (or 1000) sales, you’ll be a more resilient person. And that resilience will serve you long after your book is published.

Regulate before you post.

Nervous system regulation is one of the most overlooked parts of launching a book. You can have an excellent marketing strategy, but if you’re constantly burned out, overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted, how fun is promoting your book going to be?

Focus on supporting yourself first. Book sales come second to that.

Take deep breaths. Go for walks. Build down time into your schedule. Take breaks from your phone and get outside. Create moments of stillness, especially during the busiest weeks, so you know you’ll have some reprieve. How can you make this book launch an opportunity for even more self-care than you’d normally prioritize? 

Pick one channel and use it consistently.

You don’t need to be on every social media platform to build an online presence, and posting everywhere is likely to burn you out. Pick a space that feels authentic to you and go all in on it rather than spreading yourself thin.

• If you’re writing YA, fantasy, romance, or horror, try TikTok (#BookTok).
• If you’re writing a memoir, lifestyle nonfiction, or a book on spirituality or wellness, try Instagram.
• If your book is on business, leadership, personal development, career topics, or is more academic or research-based, go for LinkedIn.
• If your book is a cookbook or is about crafting, home, DIY, or travel, try Pinterest.
• Substack is also a great platform for authors who want to build a relationship with readers over time.

Reframe negative beliefs.

Here are some common negative beliefs authors have, and ways to reframe them:

"I don’t feel like a ‘real’ or successful author, so who am I to promote this book?"

You wrote a book. That makes you an author. It’s time to start owning it! Back yourself.

“Marketing feels like bragging, and I don't want to seem full of myself.”

Sharing your work is an act of courage and service, not arrogance. It’s a gift to share your words with those who need them. All you’re doing is inviting others to connect with you. You don’t need to perform. You can be yourself.

“I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not cut out for marketing.”

No one starts out knowing what to do or how it will turn out. You're allowed to experiment, learn, and grow into your own marketing style. This is just another area where you’re exploring your voice and how you want to use it.

“If my book was really good, it would sell itself.”

Even the best books need champions. You get to be your own best advocate. (You’d be amazed how many authors I’ve worked with over the years say they wish their work could be discovered posthumously, just to avoid the discomfort of being in the spotlight. I say, you’re meant to connect with your readers while you’re alive! And who knows, your new best friend could be waiting at the next launch event you host.)

“No one cares what I have to say.”

This is a big one to work through. If you don’t believe in your book, why will anyone else? We all have insecurities as authors, but it’s working through them that makes us stronger.

Do any of these ideas stand out to you? What struggles have you faced with your own book marketing? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

About Rachel

Rachel Warmath is a writing coach and developmental editor based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is also a trauma-informed yoga teacher and energy healer. Rachel believes every story holds medicine. Visit ConfidentAuthors.com to learn more.

Header image by shiromani-kant on unsplash

By PJ Hultstrand

I have a few best kept writing and publishing secrets. However, the one I can share now is, at the age of 63, I'm writing more than I've ever written before in my life! And my first published short story was in print at the age of 15.

Since the beginning of 2026, I have been actively writing four new books and writing new material for my non-fiction book. One of these book titles was done and printed for the Tucson Festival of Books in March. This was the book that had been holding me back for over 22 years.

Yes! 22 years!

I'm sure many of you have experienced this same problem at some point in your writing adventure. I had denied this problem even existed for years, saying that I didn’t believe in “writer’s block.” I thought you just needed to keep writing. But, I had kept writing, just in a different book series with new worlds.

Before now, I have basically been writing one book at a time and NEVER in my original time-travel romance series that I wrote in 2004. That 5th book was blocked to my creative process. UNTIL 2026!

So, here’s the history of this Time series?

I had published all four of the first books in print and eBook in 2009-2012. However, book five went nowhere for too many years. This would have been the end of this series and no resolution for the story– if I had not heard from my suddenly growing fan base for “Time Conquers All” and all the characters created for this epic love story set in India region in the late 1500s.

Back in 2016, I had combined books 1 and 2, then 3 and 4, into what I call my “69” collector’s editions of these books. In that “when you’re done reading book one, you just flip the book over and start reading book two.” I only sell these books right now, at events since there is no barcode on this edition. Some readers even buy them for their unusually intriguing print collection edition for these four books.

However, this is just half the story. If it had not been for the fans who came up to my tables at these live events specifically looking for “book 5” in this series, I would never have understood a fundamental business acumen that forced me to break that writer’s block.

Customer market awareness.

I had already made new customers for a brand I had not actively updated with new products.

So, when the fans continued to badger (or in a nicer term, consistently suggest) at these live events, I had to push through that writer’s block and “get it done!” This is easier said than done.

The question I had to consider was WHY had I been blocking the first book series I had started 22 years ago?

In other articles on this subject, the main issues that halt the author’s progress in their writing endeavors are the following:

Toxic Perfectionism:

• A trigger of self-doubt comes from attempting to write the perfect first draft. This becomes a cycle of constantly rewriting the story.

This had transpired in the first draft writing process. However, the rewrite became the entire meaning of this series. I do know many writers out there who tell me they are still writing their first book, even years after we first talked about the book.

As I always say, “You must eventually stick a fork in it." The story may never be perfect, but if you really want constructive feedback, then hire an editor and work on that book. “Get it done!”

Fear of Failure & Judgement:

• This is fear of how others will receive your writing.

Well, this problem of “fear” can become crippling and could lead to an avoidance of doing any writing at all. Believe someone who has been writing for decades, there will always be critics and those who just don’t want to see you succeed in this writing project. It is really the strong-willed and stubborn who push “fear” aside and finish that book, in spite of others!

Story Cornering:

• When the plot logic becomes broken and needs rewriting.

Honestly, this is the first time I read this term “story cornering” for problems with the plot in the story.

My writer’s block is not due to lack of knowing where the story was going. The vision haunting the protagonist at the beginning of this series, is the one we still must resolve. And when I say “we,” I mean me, as the author, and the characters who live in my mind. It’s perfectly clear to me what the story needs to fix or resolve in order for the characters and readers to get their well tied-up story.

Mental and Emotional Burnout:

• This could be from stress, physical issues, or external life issues that drains your creative endeavors.

My fundamental problem has always been, I psychologically did not want to do to the main characters what I had to do. (Spoiler alert) I had to send King Parker, the love of Princess Tamea’s life, back into the future, where I knew there would be a problem due to that pesky vision issue I wrote, beginning on page one!

This is quite a dilemma for someone who had already spent this many years on building a fanbase who was demanding the “rest of the story - what happens to Tamea and Parker?”

So, when the fans kept demanding the next installment of Tamea and Parker’s story, I finally forced myself to figure out that I was in denial of this full-blown crippling writer’s block and I had to do something about it!

This book 5 - “Spirited Away from Time” was published in print just in time for Tucson Festival of Books. Thank goodness, I had finally finished this book! The very first customer at my table this year was one of the customers who had asked me “where is book 5” last year at the Festival. And I was able to point at the book and say, “Here you go, and I wrote a dedication to all of you who have stayed on me to get this one done! You don’t know how much I appreciate your dedication to this series!”

I hope this information and my own story on how I had come to an important understanding to deal with my crippling writer’s block helps you in your creative endeavors.

Remember though, if you are vacillating on finishing your book due to any of the above reasons or others not mentioned here, that Time Conquers All always!

Do you believe writer's block is real, or do you think it often masks another issue?

About the Author

PJ Hultstrand is the author of 18 books so far. She has also been a book publisher, managing editor for two newspapers, media personality, senior graphics designer and a publishing specialist.

PJ is an author of Time-Travel Romance, Paranormal Urban Fantasy, and an upcoming extreme sports suspense/thriller series. She also has an award-winning non-fiction, “The Jungle Survival Guide to Media Kits for Authors,” and a little duck book series for children.

Find “Time Conquers All” book 1:

On Shopify: the-wod-media-group.myshopify.com/collections/pj-hultstrand-books

Or Amazon Kindle version.

Facebook fan page: Facebook.com/timeconquersall/

Instagram: Instagram.com/author_pj_hultstrand/

Twitter: Chance2publish