Publishing isn't like middle school...or is it?

Hey, Laura here.

I probably don’t even have to explain the title of my post. I don’t know anyone who wishes they could go back to middle school. High school? Maybe.

But never those years of 6th-8th.

I thought it was over when I shook the dust of middle school from my feet. The awkward dances, dreaded lunch periods, and the whispered gossip. As my kids yearn to grow up and leave their problems behind, I tell them.

“There are always mean kids. Cliques. Gossip. Hurtful words.”

I do see this in the publishing industry. Authors feeling jilted or not cool enough. Maybe they don’t realize people are actually reading their random tweets or blog posts. lol. At the same time, that’s just a small percentage. Overall, the writers I rub shoulders with are all extremely supportive and nice.

As with anything, my biggest advice in publishing would be keep your eyes on your paper. There’s always someone doing better than you and there’s always someone not as well off. And that eerily echoes what I tell my kids. That there’s always someone with more money, better vacations, a cooler house.

Don’t compare. Be thankful.

Once you let it bother you, once that bug grabs hold of you…it never ends. You reach the level you dreamed of being at only to realize that that isn’t quite enough. There’s even higher levels to reach.

Be happy. Be content. I do believe it’s possible to be both those things while reaching for the stars.

The answer to whether publishing is like middle school or not is….

it’s your choice.

 Laura Pauling @laurapauling writes about spies, murder and mystery. She's the author of the Circle of Spies Series for teens: The Almost Assassin (a short prequel), A Spy Like Me and Heart of an Assassin.