This post was originally posted in 2012. Unfortunately I have succumbed to this whole jealousy thing again! It's so sad because as you will read on...things have not changed. The only thing that has changed is the fact I'm considered a Hybrid author; meaning I'm self published and traditionally published.
The saddest part about this whole jealous things is there are no lines. Jealousy and author envy are higher than ever. . . .enjoy!
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This post was originally posted in January, but lately I have seen a lot of jealousy going on in the indie community and this post got a lot of attention then, so I hope to spread it around again. Please be sure to facebook, tweet, and social media to death this post.
It's a sad day when a member of the indie community publicly scorns another indie author. It's classless to do these things. I live by the saying "actions speak louder than words." Always take the high road when and indie is blatantly trying to destroy another author, no matter which side is right.
If you have an issue with another author, do the right thing and contact them off line to let them know your issues with them. The writing community is very small and it may very well come back one day and bit you in the butt. OR Karma will get you.
"That Susie Q, she's.... God, bless her heart."
This is the southern way to put someone down, but make it sound like you aren't gossiping. How do I know this? I'm southern as can be, and grew up with a lot of these sayings.
Another great lesson you learn when you are southern. . . don't be jealous. It's not a good quality to have and it's the best form of flattery.
JEALOUSY. . .
It's the biggest white elephant among writers. But why?
This is something I've never ever understood. I've always been taught to be happy for everyone and be considerate of other's feelings no matter what journey their life takes them on. After all, it's their story to tell, not mine. But I do encourage and cheer for my fellow author friends. Why? Because it's good moral spirit. It's good to pay it forward, not to mention good Karma!
But why are so many writers/authors jealous or envious of each other?
This writing life is so up and down. And there will always be someone ahead of you and behind you. So why not embrace each other? Who else knows what it's like to be a writer other than another writer?
I go on and on about writing 24/7, telling my husband how much my protagonist wasn't cooperating in a scene. Does he
really understand?
No! He pretends he does, as most good husband do, but he doesn't.
This is when we, authors, should be able to talk and share, not be jealous of each other's success. I've been published for one year and have sold over 150k ebooks. I've come across some really GREAT cheerleaders and some really green monsters!
For a bit, you align yourself with both, especially on line. Then after a while, you begin to get the emails that are a little snarky or the Facebook messages that question why you did something. The real person you have aligned yourself with begins to shine through.
This is where you begin to ask the question about those deep feelings in your stomach as to whether these people are good for you, for your career.
This is when you need to step back, take a deep breath, and remember this is your career, not someone else.
Claim your positive attitude back! Do something nice for another author! Give a deserving author a shout out, a plug, a good review (if you've read their book), truly pay it forward with out expecting anything back. And soon you will be rid of those negative, jealous authors.
You ARE not one of them! You are positive. You pay it forward!
The Absolute Writer has a great article on jealousy in the writing community here.
Besides, jealousy can really zap your mojo and you could be putting all your energy into your writing. Put those emotions into your writing. Make a great scene by digging deep into those feelings, put them on the page and I bet you end up with a great scene!
Patti Hill, author and blogger at
Novel Matters has another great article on jealousy.