Unless you are a bestselling author who can name his or her price, you’re only as good as your last sale. It’s been a lean year for me, with a lot of flat writing, rejection and self-doubt. Throughout 2019, stories I thought would be a shoo-in at magazines I’d published with in the past failed to get beyond the shortlist. A science fiction novel died off at the 35,000-word mark and could not be resuscitated.
It became hard to believe that 2018, which was among my most successful years as an author, had ever happened. It seemed like a pleasant dream fading away on a cold winter’s morning. So it was uplifting to stumble across a GingerNuts of Horror interview with American author Kristi Petersen Schoonover which included this quote:
“Kris Ashton is an Australian writer, and his short work – mostly speculative – is wonderful, too. His short ‘Highway Memorials’ is both sad and thought-provoking. Again, I’d like to see him get more attention over here.”
Small gestures make a big difference to a writer struggling with self-worth. If you’re an author and another author’s work impresses you, mention it on social media, post a review, tell the world in one way or another. It could be you doubting yourself one day.