The fear of rejection

Okay, so if you have read my bio, you probably know that I am a filmmaker. I have worked in the entertainment industry for many years now and getting told no is like breathing air at this point.

However, it's not because I don't know how to write. There are a myriad of reasons why entertainment professionals pass on material. Most of them have to do with cost/time analysis.

Breaking in new talent is an exhaustive, expensive endeavor that may not go anywhere because other folks don't agree with your assessment of the talent or the material.

I worked in talent management alongside a legendary manager running her business, where I saw this first hand. Even with A-list clients, the business was still very hard.

Which brings me to releasing my book after 10 years of marinating with this story, while I worked on other projects.

Anyway, honest reviews make me nervous. But not because I don't believe in them.

The rule of thumb in Hollywood is that people are afraid to say what they really think of your work for fear of you succeeding and you deciding never to work with them again; which is why they only trash projects in private for the most part.

We all know that art is subjective and your taste is an individual thing. Nothing you can do about that.

With an honest review from a seasoned critic, indie or major, they more than likely have legit reasons for why they don't enjoy a book. The reasons can be creative, technical or ethereal. The point is, they didn't like it and there's nothing you can do.

I welcome all criticism, good, bad and the ugly, but when I get my first "this book sucks" review, I am sure I will be very sad for a few hours because I surely did not set out to agonize the reader.

I want people to love my work just as much as I loved creating it, but alas, you can't control how people feel and think (for the most part). And to that I say, thank goodness for that.

So if you dislike my work, please let me know. I'll be butthurt for a day or so, but I'll get over it and get back to writing.

"You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't… please all the people all of the time.” - Abraham Lincoln