Dear Christian Indies,
It’s my turn to be “in the hot seat” this week, as Jen and Tina review the first chapter of my upcoming book, “Analog,” and offer suggestions for improvement.
It’s a difficult spot for me to be in.
I’m uncomfortable…but that discomfort hurts so good.
Allow me to explain:
If you’ve watched the show for any amount of time, you know that I love the compliments we hand out in spades during “the feeding of the backs.” What you may not know, however, is how much effort I’ve had to put into becoming someone who can handle even the most well-intentioned criticisms, not just of my writing but in every area of my life.
My hyper-sensitivity is something I’ve been working to overcome since the very early days of deciding I was going to take becoming an author seriously. After all, anyone who seeks any amount of time in “the public eye” needs to be prepared for criticism, whether it be well-intentioned or simply a case of “haters gonna hate.”
If I’m honest, I feel like my vulnerability to criticism of any kind was a major roadblock to publishing way back in my twenties, when the idea that I might have some sort of talent for the craft first started to gnaw around the edges of my conception of self.
Now, I am proud to say I’ve grown enough that I am facing Friday with a bit of squeamishness but with the proper attitude. After all, the ladies on the podcast and I have the same goal – making my book the best it can be. What’s really to fear about that? Is the idea that I would present as anything other than “perfect” really that important to me? The truth of the matter is that the answer to that question was a resounding “yes,” even well into my 40s.
But we’re all a work in progress, and the same has to be said for my book, Analog. Get yourself a sneak peek at it by tuning in this Friday!
See you there,
Jamie
