Is It Worth It?

By Lisa Brown Roberts

Last fall, I participated on the RMFW First Sale Panel. We had a great time talking about our books, and taking questions from the audience. One question has stuck with me ever since. Someone asked, “Is it worth it?” Essentially, all the blood, sweat, and tears getting to this point of publication- is it really worth it?

My response was, if you can walk away and not miss writing, then it’s probably not worth it. But if you can’t stop writing, if this is your calling, your obsession, your neurosis and your passion, then, yes it’s worth it.

Now that I’ve gone through intense rounds of editing with an amazing editor who pushed me as an author, now that my book is “real,” now that early reviews are trickling in, now that I’ve nearly drowned in promo and marketing tasks, now that I’ve spent days feeling like I’m either going to puke and/or that I’m floating on clouds.

Yeah, it’s worth it.

Even though I got my first one-star review (maybe more, by the time you read this). Even though lots of people want free books and don’t quite understand why I can’t oblige. Even though a creeper somehow tracked down my day job phone number and called me at work to say we apparently had a lot in common, based on my social media presence.

Yeah, it’s worth it.

Because here’s the most amazing thing I’ve learned over this last year and a half from contract to book on the shelf: There is an amazing tribe of supporters out there. I knew this in part because of my fantastic SCBWI critique group. But then I met more of this tribe when I branched out from SCBWI to also join RWA and RMFW. Then I found even more of the tribe at my publisher and agency, and online. People I’ve never met in person have been some of the kindest and most supportive.

When I have bad days or freak-out panic attacks or “my books stink and should never be published” phobia…all of those typical neurotic writer issues…I’ve been tremendously grateful to know that support (and maybe a glass of wine) is just an email or tweet or phone call away.

Yeah, it’s worth it.

Because the main reason I write, to connect with readers, to touch them emotionally, that’s finally happening. And when a blogger reached out to say how much she loved my book and fell in love with my characters, and that she’d be posting a great review? That made it all worthwhile.

I always told myself that if my book resonated with just one stranger, someone not obligated by familial or friendship ties to say they liked it, that I’d know I’d done my job, and that it would all be worth it. I’m sure my publisher is hoping my book connects with more than one reader (as do I), but from the perspective of outside validation that the story “worked,” of empowerment to keep writing, I’m learning that yes, it’s worth it in ways I only imagined before getting to this point.

None of my worries and doubts have decreased by getting published; in fact, I have new ones. Three years for neurotic writers! (A big tribe, that one…)

But for every anxiety about this whole journey that I confess in whispers to writing friends, I receive sympathy, commiseration, and encouragement times one-hundredfold.

So to the gentleman who asked that question last fall, I stick by my answer. If you can’t walk away from writing, don’t. I promise you, it’s worth it.

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Lisa’s debut novel, How (not) to Fall in Love, releases from Entangled Teen on February 3, 2015. She’s having a book signing and launch celebration at Hampden Hall/Englewood Library on Saturday, February 7th at 4:00 and would love to see you there.

Lisa Brown Roberts still hasn’t recovered from the teenage trauma of nearly tweezing off both of her eyebrows and having to pencil them in for an entire school year. This and other angst-filled memories inspire her to write and read YA books about navigating life’s painful and funny dramas, and falling in love along the way. Catch up with Lisa at lisabrownroberts.com, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Goodreads, and Instagram.