For the last few weeks I have been unable to shake this deep seeded sadness. At first I thought it was my son leaving for college. Not that it isn’t a contributing factor, as it could certainly be assisting in the lingering, but on my way home from a quick weekend adventure I allowed my mind to wander to different points of time that I felt this same depression and it all made sense. I have Post-Book Depression.
Sort of like Postpartum Depression (yeah, I had that too), it’s a residual effect after birthing a book, or large project, that had been simmering around in the mind for some time, one to two years of fertilizing and then finally birthing it to the world. Holding the book for the first time is one of the greatest experiences. The ooing and the ahhing goes on for a couple weeks and after all the hard work it turns anti-climactic. Oh, the book and the book’s message is still important and is loved, but unlike birthing of a baby you can’t stay too long basking in the glory of the birth, you have to decide what’s next, if there is a next. And the process starts over again. Maybe. Do you query the same publisher? Or another? Do you set yourself up for rejection and hope for reward? You have to look at your numbers to see if they are even any good. Insecurities that you never thought you had creep in and you think start to wonder about your life purpose and if being an author even fits in with it. Late night sneaking online to see what the numbers are. Are they going up or down? Did anybody post a review? Did they love it or hate it? Will Target, Costco or Sam’s Club pick it up? Maybe Oprah will read it. All really ridiculous things to think about, yet you (or maybe just me) do and the insanity of it all is…well, insane.
It’s called book business, and some do it better than others. Some are good with their one hit wonders, and some quickly move on to the next project so that they don’t pay attention to the current. Obviously, whatever I’m doing isn’t working because I’m blue, and although blue IS my color, it’s starting to stain. I’m working on getting past the done so that I can work on the now. Or maybe I just need a nap. Or both.
Believe,
Kristy
www.kristyrobinett.com
Kristy Robinett is an intuitive, life coach and author of several books. She is a mom and wife who loves farmhouses, front porches, iced tea and old cemeteries. Her newest book “It’s a Wonderful Afterlife” was released on August 8th. Find Kristy at www.kristyrobinett.com.
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